Final Fantasy XV may not feel like an older game from the franchise, but that doesn't mean it's bad. I grew up with the older Final Fantasy game and while XV is different, that doesn't make it a bad game in the franchise. I enjoyed my time spent in game and look forward to doing more.

The original Frostpunk presented players with a simple puzzle: what are you willing to do as a society to survive the apocalypse? Its mechanics explored this magnificently, presenting us with challenges and ideas that made us second-guess what we’d do at the end of the world. Frostpunk 2 furthers that struggle by asking, “What are we willing to do to thrive?” Will we rely wholly on technology to save us, or adapt to the brutal cold and make nature our guide? Will we be the same leader we started as at the launch of the campaign? Every player will be faced with that moral conundrum, and will have to decide what it is they value most to reach the end of that journey.

Doom: The Dark Ages nails that feeling of "classic Doom in a new era," thanks to its relentless combat, interesting if not perfectly suitable levels, and hordes upon hordes of demons. The new weaponry feels great – especially my pal the Pulverizer – and some streamlined adjustments to the process makes dropping demons dead feel great, especially in large groups of them. It's not a total reinvention of the demonic wheel, but it'll offer you plenty of Hell-themed fun in a familiar setting.

South Park: The Stick of Truth is a landmark achievement for Obsidian, Ubisoft and South Park Studios. Not only have they created what will go down as the greatest South Park ever made, but they did so battling against all odds. After the original publisher going down in a blaze of non-glory, people feared that this game may never see the light of day. The Stick of Truth is a truly engaging and entertaining adventure from start to finish that made me laugh more than any game before it. I can honestly say it was worth the wait.

Yes, it’s about shooting and looting, but Destiny 2 is about much more besides. It might not be ideal for MMO diehards, but it’s a rich and satisfying experience all the same.

It’s not without its faults, though, with crashes, stuttering and weird bugs that will, hopefully get squashed soon, but the total sum of its parts cannot be denied: Europa Universalis V is Paradox at the height of its powers, and I cannot wait to see where things land as the game matures over time.

Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown marks a strong start for 2024 game releases, as it offers plenty of entertaining action throughout its 20ish-hour runtime. The story offers some neat twists to discover, while the world of Mount Qaf is wonderfully designed and fun to explore. Combat, while not the game's strongest suit, is still cool, even if the common enemies wear out over time. I really dug what Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown accomplished here, and if this is the future of the franchise, maybe I can eventually forgive them for not following up on that 2008 entry.

Every couple of years we get an MMO whose level of hype and expectations are greater than the game could ever aspire to be and the same remains true for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Even so, the game is simply exceptional. If you're a Star Wars fan, a fan of BioWare RPGs, and you don't mind a themepark styled MMO, you will undoubtedly have a great time in the world BioWare has created with Star Wars: The Old Republic. BioWare has successfully fused the foundation of a solid MMO with their industry-leading story telling capabilities to create a final product that convincingly makes the case that as great as many MMOs have been, we've definitely been missing a significant piece of the puzzle for all these years.

Anno 117 somehow feels like both a natural progression of the franchise that took all of the seasons of DLC and quality of life updates from the previous title and a big, bold swing to keep the title as the defining game in the genre. If you’re looking for a reason to think about the Roman Empire every day, Anno 117: Pax Romana is that. The gameplay is easy to learn but challenging to master, and in terms of bringing new audiences to Anno, I think this can do it, without overwhelming them with the systems. Still, that depth and challenge are there for those seeking it, especially for those among us with hundreds of hours in one save.

Shadow of Mordor is a visually stunning, narratively compelling action RPG that had me enthralled from start to finish. This is how you make a non-canon story in Middle-earth feel like it belongs, like it could be its own book or film in the world Tolkien created. It’s violent, it’s addictive, and it controls like a dream.

If you're like me and you've been wishing to see what a game along the lines of Battlefield could be like with the scale of an MMO this is definitely a title you won't want to miss. And at the low price of free, why would you?

The Bard's Tale 4: The Director's Cut is an epic tale of corruption and evil, suffering and loss, of lessons learned too late and and the bitter consequences. It's also a story of hope and triumph and perseverance. It's a game that challenged me and a story that tugged at my heart.

Bungie has delivered an experience that, down to the last bullet, is truly satisfying.

Skyrim may be aging, but it’s still easily one of the best RPGs ever made, and a pure joy to play on the Switch. Add-on support would be nice, and the PC version is still definitely the most “complete” version because of the modding, but if you’ve ever wished you could have Skyrim on the go - Bethesda and Nintendo just granted that wish.

What makes Darkest Dungeon a fascinating experience isn't the rich character progression and overarching strategy, but the way it manages to make each character feel like a living, breathing human before asking you how much you'll ruin them to increase your bottom line. There's pockets of subtext that I continually filled with my own moral struggle. Spaces left ingeniously blank where, when I allow myself to reflect on my actions, I realize that the greatest evil isn't waiting at the end of a dimly lit crypt. It is sitting right in this chair, typing these words.

Magic Arena is a stellar addition to the Magic: The Gathering family. It’s here to stay and the competitive landscape will likely be better for it overall as time goes on. While its monetization is a bit too aggressive for my liking, and the fact we really can’t have full control over what we do with our cards bugs me, it’s hands down the best digital Magic experience Wizards have implemented to date.

Vessel of Hatred is a great entry point if you haven’t played Diablo IV before or you’ve been away for a while. Blizzard has made a lot of great changes over the last year, and this expansion brings even more. Between the new season starting on October 7th and all of the Vessel of Hatred content dropping on October 8th - Diablo IV is looking to be in an excellent place. Blizzard also seems to be laying the building blocks they can grow on in future expansions or new Diablo games. I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Even with its short falls Xenoblade Chronicles X is a strong candidate for game of the year on the Wii U and is easily the best RPG. While I’ll stop short of saying you should run out and buy a Wii U just for this title if you already own a Wii U and are a fan of RPGs this is a must have game for your collection.

All of that said, even though I’m having a great time, my early first impression is that this is more Division.

There are bound to be two camps this year. One which loves the Witcher 3 with all of its heart, and one whose love belongs to Fallout 4. For my part, I’m torn between the two. But for what it’s worth Fallout 4 has certainly topped its predecessors as my favorite game in the series and sets a new bar for what to expect from a Bethesda RPG in the future.

Assassin’s Creed Origins is the best Assassin’s Creed game in years. I’m really tempted to say it’s my favorite game in the series period but it’s too soon to know for sure on that count. Hopefully this is a rebirth for the series and we’ll see further iterations and continuing in this style moving forward.

Back in June, after the initial excitement of this announcement had faded, I worried that the game wouldn't translate well to the current era of gaming. Thanks to beautifully updated visuals, a few choice additions, and a wonderful soundtrack, I was proven wrong. Super Mario RPG absolutely still has a place among Nintendo's elite, and this remake removes any doubt.

The remakes of these two classic games were masterfully done. Square Enix is no stranger to remakes and upgrades but they have outdone themselves with this iteration of X / X-2. From the orchestrated score, to the increased polygon count and improved textures the game is atheistically better in every way. If you missed out on playing these games on the PS2 this new layer of polish on these classic gems will leave you unable to guess one is 14 years old this year.

Overall, in spite of things that should bring Genshin Impact down, the game is so much fun to play that the negatives are ultimately minor gripes. [...] The gameplay is smooth and simplistic, and it works great on all platforms - though I’m still not sure why the PlayStation version can’t be linked to a Mihoyo account so I could play on my phone when I’m not at home (PS Vita version please??) but it’s a small gripe to an otherwise terrific game.

There is no question that Grim Dawn moves along familiar lines: Base classes, a tragic world inhabited by monsters in a wide variety of flavors, nearly constant loot drops, action-oriented combat, somewhat "lite" yet interesting story, etc. Somehow, though, Grim Dawn just does it better than any other ARPG in recent memory.

Ghost of Tsushima is the samurai game I’ve personally always wanted, and it’s one I can find myself diving into just to explore the world and take in the sights as I play, helping Jin find some small measure of peace along the way, assuming the wind guides us there.

I like SMITE. I like it a lot, and I wish it well. I’ll probably continue playing the game in my off-time, as it provides an easily accessible source of fun. This MOBA is quick and flashy, has great combat. It’s a model that seems to be what HiRez is sticking to, so I can only hope that they don’t make a huge bunch of changes just a few months after launch. If you like the idea of MOBAs, but haven’t really dug into them because of whatever reason, give SMITE a try. It’s different without being alienating, and has a lot going for it already.

Persona 5 Strikers is a brilliantly executed melding of the Dynasty Warriors style gameplay with Persona 5 characters and systems. It delivers a solid story while staying true to the roots of both games. There were some small issues with how some of the systems were set up, the default sorting for the items list for one, and I wish some of the actual content of my P5R saves would have carried over. Despite these minor issues, I had a blast hanging with the Phantom Thieves again and working to make the world a better place. I would never have thought to ask for this melding, but it's a beautiful experience.