Throughout the entirety of my runtime, I felt transported, compelled to help find a way to save myself and the companions I had grown to love over time. And it’s a world I don’t want to leave, at least not yet. Baldur’s Gate 3 is, simply put, the greatest RPG I’ve ever played.

I’m honestly happy I waited until Persona 5 Royal came out to play Persona 5. It is well polished and feels like a game that could have come out for the first time this year. This is absolutely an excellent example of how to rerelease a game and make paying full price for it worthwhile. For me to only have minor complaints about a game, which is easily well over 100 hours of gameplay, even if you don’t do everything is rare. If you loved original Persona 5, Royal is worth your time. If you’ve never played the original or any other Persona game, Persona 5 Royal is a perfect game to pick-up and get into the series.

The world of Elden Ring is fascinating, and while there are a few interesting side quests (mainly involving Needle Knight Leda and her entourage), the DLC’s ending is underwhelming and there was a missed opportunity to weave it into the main game. I do hope we will receive additional DLC in the future, and Shadow of the Erdtree is a must play for anyone who enjoyed Elden Ring.

You will enjoy this game if you can stomach the abuse that Elden Ring dishes out. Even if you cannot, there is so much out there that you can do if you aren't afraid of running from scary fights. Some locations can be less fun than others, and some bosses create skill-based stopgaps. Elden Ring is all about picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, and sometimes finding something more enjoyable to do. It's worth the investment.

God of War: Ragnarok is, simply put, the complete package. It tells one of the best stories in video games, one that will have you run the gamut of emotions while playing through it. Fighting the enemies of the realms feels a lot like the previous game, but there's enough new and refined elements to help it stand on its own.[...] Ragnarok may be coming, but this is one world-ending event I'm excited to experience over and over again.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a stupendous achievement for CD Projekt Red. This is a studio rich in love for the RPG genre, and it shows. With each consecutive release, their craft has been finer and finer tuned. If Wild Hunt is any indication, the next game from the Polish band of gamers will be something to behold. Most of you are probably already playing Wild Hunt and loving it. If for some reason you’re on the fence, hop off and go to your favorite gaming retailer now. This is not one you want to miss. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt an absolute classic.

I honestly can’t express in such a limited space how amazingly good Divinity: Original Sin 2 truly is. From the astonishing amount of replayability it provides to the gorgeously detailed world you and your party will inhabit to the awesome and though-provoking combat and so so much more, DOS2 is a game that you do not want to miss. With over 60 hours in, I only want more, I’m mourning the inevitable end of this play through and I’m already planning my next adventure. I will not soon forget Rivellon. If you love RPGs, if you love excellence in game design, if you appreciate a great story, then Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a must have.

Final Fantasy VII REBIRTH is a modern RPG masterpiece and solidly sets up its third installment in the Final Fantasy VII REMAKE Project. It's ambitious and massive in scope - and that's before we even get to the daunting task of recreating one of the most iconic stories of all time. At its core, Final Fantasy VII REBIRTH retains the essence of what the original story contained, expanding on it meaningfully in a way that feels wholly new. And I can’t wait to see how it all concludes.

It’s one of the best action RPGs I’ve ever played. It’s brutally difficult, but never cheap, and it’s one of the most atmospheric games in recent years. If you fancy hard games, if you love a good deep RPG that doesn’t hold your hand, then you owe it to yourself to play this one. It’s a shame it’s only on the PS4, but frankly, Bloodborne is worth buying the system to play.

[Endwalker] is a lofty, ambitious epic that ties together story threads, characters, and powerful themes in a way that only a story so trusting of its players can pull off. It’s not perfect, but Endwalker’s tale feels so authentically conveyed, even despite how big FFXIV has become, that many players will feel like it might as well be.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is ATLUS at the height of its powers, and it’s a game that any fan of the studio - or any JRPG fan for that matter, should play.

CD Projekt Red has raised the bar on what it takes to make a high quality story driven RPG. They did not fail to deliver on Geralt’s final tale either. If this is our last hurrah with the White Wolf it was time well spent.

This game is art in the good and bad sense of the word. It represents some of the best things that video games have to offer: at its most immersive, it offers a beautifully and thoughtfully rendered world to be explored that reveals itself not just through what is seen on the screen, but through the brutal and challenging experiences the player guides the in-game avatar through. The negative part of that is that the story of the game and the motivations and reasoning behind what is happening are obscure and unclear. A lot of the onus is on the player to piece things together. This is a kind of experience that is not necessarily designed to appeal to a broad swath of people, but its pitch perfect execution and strict adherence to its draconian design principles earn it a place in the pantheon of great games.

The Switch 2 launched with Mario Kart World, which is plenty of fun in its own right, but that game wasn't quite the definitive Nintendo experience early adopters were hoping for out of the gate. One month later, that experience arrived; Donkey Kong Bananza is incredible, one of the best games you'll play this year, and a game I plan on going back to over and over again throughout the life of the Switch 2. Sometimes,I just want to monkey around.

I now no longer look at the world with simple eyes. I'm weighing up the pros and cons of venturing down that road, that path, or that slightly ropey looking foot bridge. Friends are no longer, just souls that could be harvested - if I should wish to go down a 'stabby' route - but really, for the most part, I'm just spending a hell of a lot of time playing Dark Souls 2. I hated the first two, but From Software's ever so slightly softer edge has ensnared me this time around. If you're a fan of character development, frustration, and mechanics that hark back to the 8-bit era, then you might have found your latest gaming beau.

As much as I love Animal Crossing, I suppose I expected just a lot more than what we’ve seen in New Leaf and Pocket Camp. I would even throw my hands up in elation if Gyroids made their triumphant return as audible and visual furniture once again. Despite some of these minor misgivings, and lost opportunities in my estimation, Animal Crossing: New Horizons delivers on an island building simulation that will not disappoint. If you’re headed to the island, say “Hi” to Nook for me.

Shadowbringers brings a lot to the table. From a great story, to amazing areas to discover and explore, Square Enix has truly outdone themselves this time. With many changes not only to the Jobs system, but also FATEs and just general gameplay, it’s more than enough to bring new players and returning players alike to the game. Unfortunately, it’s not all perfect, but the flaws are mostly revolving around issues not related to actual gameplay. Still, some will find the content boring, as per usual, but to me, it’s pure fun.

Despite Hollow Knight Silksong’s relentless difficulty, it’s one of the most rewarding games this year. Pharloom is a lively world with surprises waiting in every corner, and the suspenseful combat and exploration makes Hornet’s arduous journey memorable. Silksong can feel a bit unfair at times, but its challenging nature forces players to adapt and learn to be patient.

Spider-Man 2 made me feel like the web-slinger himself – two versions of him, in fact – as I played through the game. I loved the feeling of getting around the city, fighting crime and saving the day. I didn't like how weak Spider-Man sometimes felt against bigger groups, nor did I like when the story slowed things down and took me away from the high-flying action sections. However, the overall experience was able to surpass both of these issues, and Spider-Man 2 is worthy of every accolade it receives.

The gameplay loop is tight and rewarding. You are left feeling you have accomplished something each time you take down a monster. Some of the monsters are truly giant and monstrous and offer a variety of different challenges. Capcom has managed to make one of the first must-play titles of 2018.

What faults I've found in my time with the title are minor in comparison to the leaps and bounds the game has made towards taking MMORPGs to new places. ArenaNet set out to make a game they wanted to play. Along the way, they've created one of the best titles of the year in any genre, and indeed one of the best MMORPGs ever made.

Hearts of Stone has pulled me back into The Witcher Universe with its finely crafted story and menagerie of clever side characters. A cat burglar acrobat, a suicidal Firestarter dwarf, a lifelorn ghost, and more are all people that will stick with you for a while even after you are done playing. While this story may only take you 10 hours to complete make sure to set aside more time than that because you will probably need it.

Fear is what Alan Wake 2 is all about. When it's working, it's a spooky and thrilling adventure with two separate-but-equal methods of scaring the heck out of me. When it's not working, I'm afraid I may run into another weird glitch that makes me lose some progress. Thankfully, the former is far more common than the latter, and the times I did have to restart, they were small hiccups rather than major time losses. 13 years passed between Alan Wake's initiation and his return, and I am happy to say Alan Wake 2 was worth the wait.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is surprisingly one of the best JRPGs that I’ve played since I beat Dragon Quest XI over three years ago. It’s especially impressive coming from Ryu ga Gotoku studios which has never made a turn-based RPG before. However, there are some glaring issues that take away from the overall experience; most notably the lack of a weakness indicator and wonky AoE moves during battles. If only the battle system was perfected, then Like a Dragon would be a top-tier JRPG. Regardless, I would recommend to any RPG fans that Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a must-play title.

I think that, despite showing its age, Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition lives up to being one of the greatest JRPGs in the last couple decades. Its story and gameplay are timeless and, although I was personally overwhelmed by its inventory system, the amount of customizability and freedom that comes with the plethora of gear available makes it highly replay-able to boot. The additional content, including the new Casual and Expert modes, the Time Attack Challenges, and the extra story Future Connected epilogue, makes this the best version of Xenoblade Chronicles available to date, as well as cements it as one of the best values in gaming on the Nintendo Switch.

The new monsters in Iceborne are the main topic worth talking about. The return of some from other games in the Monster Hunter franchise is enough to make Iceborne a worthy purchase. It’s a chance to see monsters in higher definition quality than the graphics of older consoles and in many cases, handheld ones. Capcom presents a way to appreciate old monsters as if seeing them for the first time through new eyes.

Dark Souls 3 is the great game everyone expected it to be. There’s no denying that. Two late game bosses are absolutely off-the-wall fantastic. But in hindsight having played it, I can’t help feeling that there’s not much room for the series to go if From Software insists on such a breakneck pace with sequels. Much like Bloodborne just felt like Souls in a different place, Dark Souls 3 feels like “more of the same” a little too often.

Is Pillars of Eternity the perfect game? No, but it is an incredibly good one. When fans backed the Kickstarter to the tune of nearly four million dollars, they did so on the promise of Obsidian returning to their roots; more than that, that they would return we RPG players to our roots. By taking cues from the past, Pillars of Eternity bears lessons for future developers. Accessibility is fine, but players learn to love depth. Cutscenes are important, but less so than a well-crafted story. And the world itself should be the reason to explore, not the experience from the 100th bandit. Pillars isn’t perfect, no, but it may just be a modern classic.