The story might be relatively forgettable and I had a few technical issues, but most of my time spent with this Zelda was a delight. It’s nice to see that even after all these years, Hyrule still has plenty of magic left in it.

Super Mario Odyssey may not reinvent the Mario formula, but it is a supremely satisfying adventure with a plethora of content and a penchant for the zany. This is a must own for Switch owners and fans of platforming.

Baldur's Gate 3 is a great cRPG that manages to meet the lofty expectations of the franchise name. With excellent writing, engaging story, flexible player choice and compelling mechanics, even its minor second-half stumbles can't prevent the game from getting some of the highest rolls in the genre.

Elden Ring is an unrelenting, engrossing, challenging, and marvelous experience. It brings the Dark Souls formula to an open world setting without skipping a beat, with all of its cryptic nature, punishing combat and wondrous level design. It's still not for everyone, but those who dare enter this realm may find themselves in one of the best games of the year.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom improves and expands upon its fantastic predecessor in several ways. Link's new abilities provide significant, and excellent, changes to the core gameplay. Even the narrative offers an interesting backstory the land of Hyrule, while also giving Zelda time to shine. It's one of the best titles that the Nintendo Switch has to offer.

As an entertaining, accessible, and polished 3D platformer, Astro Bot offers plenty of variety in both visuals and gameplay, delivering a lively space adventure with plenty of PlayStation references.

God of War takes a classic franchise and reshapes it into the modern fold. The end result is a dramatic, polished, visually impressive and somewhat by-the-numbers PS4 blockbuster that slots along nicely beside the other exclusives in the console's library. It has plenty of content and fairly robust combat to entertain newcomers, while fans of the original games will likely enjoy the second half of the adventure a bit more.

God of War Ragnarök is an innocuous sequel that continues on the path laid out by its predecessor. The writing and narrative leave something to be desired, but with solid gameplay and great presentation, there's plenty to see and do in these Nine Realms.

The Last of Us Part II offers more of the same great stealth gameplay, as you face overwhelming odds in increasingly challenging and haunting environments. But with an ambitiously structured narrative that doesn't pay off, and the new cast lacking chemistry, this adventure can't quite live up to its predecessor.

Hades is a phenomenal effort from Supergiant. Dripping with the stylish substance we've come to expect from the studio and centered around brilliant gameplay, this is one action roguelike that you'll need to check out.

There is an overdose of top-notch cRPG content to be found within Divinity: Original Sin 2, with a deep, dense, slightly verbose adventure that almost completely fixes the failings of its predecessor, and has some great features like online and local co-op for the entire game.

Persona 5 is a fantastic journey to embark on, full of well-realized characters, serviceable if a little archaic level design, and more than enough activities and distractions to keep you pushing through until its conclusion.

The best multiplayer game on Switch, and the richest, strongest entry in the Smash series, at least in terms of sheer content. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate should prove to be a near endlessly entertaining go-to for friends who want a fun, enduring party game.

Forza Horizon 4 shifts the series to a well executed shared online world with four weather seasons, and though not every aspect of the transition is perfect, excellent racing and amazing presentation will definitely entice players to stick around and explore this atmospheric recreation of Britain.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is exactly what fans hoped for from the return of a 2D Mario franchise. The tight, precise platforming has been mixed with the wild creativity seen in the 3D exploits of Nintendo's iconic plumber to create one of the best titles of the year.

Forza Horizon 5 offers plenty to do and see in Mexico, though much of it is becoming rather familiar. The latest entry doesn't have as much impact or innovation as each of its predecessors did, but it remains the most enjoyable and customizable arcade racer around.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth encaptures everything great about the franchise, from its political melodrama-esque plot, decent gameplay mechanics and bonkers side missions. This is one of the best Yakuza games yet and one that returning fans should not miss.

Street Fighter 6 is a big improvement for the franchise, and a reminder that Capcom is the best in the genre. The gameplay is as crisp and engaging as it has ever been, and the amount of modes included in the game will keep players busy for quite some time.

Thronefall pares back the usual tower defence formula into something simpler but still quite satisfying. Being forced to work with a predefined layout for your castle is a major limitation, and one that will frustrate some, but the perks and mutations system reintroduces just enough complexity to give Thronefall staying power. It also helps that the game looks great.

The 2020 Microsoft Flight Simulator is an impressive technical achievement, above all else. The flexible gameplay mechanics allow players of all skills levels to explore this incredibly large, immersive and live world. As long as you don't look too closely and forgive some of the bugs, it might just take your breath away.

Shadow of the Colossus lives up to the legacy of the original and provides a brand new presentation for fans to experience. Newcomers will get the best playing version of the title while veterans will get the version they always dreamed of. The game is smoother to play, the presentation is top notch and the minimalist storytelling from the original isn’t embellished or altered. This is exactly what you’d want from a remake and I couldn’t be happier with the final result.

Crusader Kings III is a worthy heir to its predecessor and a grand strategy game that everyone absolutely has to try. You may bounce off initially, but if you give it some time, I believe most people will get swept away in its complex mechanics and interesting take on Middle Ages dynasties and politics.

Celeste has a couple of hiccups in its aesthetics and tech, but the core of what Matt Thorson and his team have made contains a wonderful story of endurance and resilience for both the characters and the player, that begs not to be missed.

Resident Evil 4’s excellent variety, involving combat, and rollercoaster pacing makes it one of the best in the series and a faithful recreation, mired by a parasitic companion and a few weird franchise tropes.

Disco Elysium is an experience that other developers will be hurrying to unpack so they can try to steal some of its magic. It's been a long time since a video game story has gotten its hooks into me quite as this one has. Despite some shortcomings, I'll be remembering the characters and moments from this adventure for years to come.

Resident Evil 2 is certainly propped up by being a remake of an already excellent game, but it doesn’t simply lean on that legacy. There’s so much great work being done to revitalize the experience for a modern audience, and those efforts deserve to be experienced. Nostalgic fans already got their preorders, but for newcomers - you need to summon your courage, turn off all the lights, and let this game fill you with dread - because it’s worth it.

New Horizons draws from familiar Animal Crossing elements while building upon and redecorating them with its fun island motif. It's still fairly minimalistic, but I liken it to a warm honey tea - it may be simple and subdued, but still provides a relaxing, enjoyable experience.

With familiar but still great gameplay that has a few new moves, strong presentation, and a mostly engaging story which gets better in the second half, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a crowd-pleasing blockbuster sequel that's worth playing for any superhero fan.

Tetris Effect reflects the classic puzzle game through a particle filled kaleidoscope, putting players into a mesmerizing trance with its unique presentation, alongside classic gameplay. Its price point might jolt you back to reality, though.

Monster Hunter: World is a fantastic game that kept me enthralled for 60 wonderful hours. I loved exploring the world, discovering new areas, and engaging in epic fights with excellently designed monsters. There's so much gameplay to enjoy, that despite a few snags, I’d wholeheartedly recommend it to almost anyone.

Fantastic combat, stunning locales, and effortless traversal make Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice a thoroughly enjoyable change of pace for From Software. Though with some imperfections, it's still a uniquely bold statement from a studio that's proven their proficiency at establishing successful IP's.

Coming off of a remarkably strong year for the genre, Tekken 8 continues the trend of excellent fighters for this console generation. It's a visually dynamic and enjoyable to play title that will be a part of the scene for years to come. I just wish there were more options for single-player modes.

Despite its wonderful atmosphere and interesting locations, Alan Wake 2 is a middling third-person survival-horror game with sluggish pacing, a lackluster Mind Place feature, and lazy jump-scares, too concerned about being obscure and filling itself with quirky meta-references.

Dead Cells is a roguelike that kicks things into gear with a fast pace, satisfying combat, and persistent upgrades that keep you playing long after you said you'd stop.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a great RPG, and arguably the best title in the series to date. It could still use some editing, and the problems with the Switch itself will continue to hold the franchise back. But even those issues can't put a damper on the captivating combat engine and dynamic storytelling featured here.

Fantastic trips through colorful minds and a robust narrative help to make Psychonauts 2 an enjoyable adventure and a faithful sequel.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a long and content-packed experience, which sometimes makes the grind become more pronounced. While I was able to ignore the dull elements for a long time, it eventually weighs the game down.

Dreams is a creator-focused set of tools more so than a video game. If you've always wanted to get into game making, collaborate with the like-minded community, and weren't sure where to start, this is a great option. But if you're primarily after some quality gameplay, and not just bite-sized imitations, it's best to look elsewhere.

It's easy to respect something like Return of the Obra Dinn. Puzzling together clues from each death scene is tricky and rewarding, but the motivation for doing so is lacking. There's no one to care about on the ship, no reason to uncover the mystery other than to prove you've done it, and it holds the game back from being exceptional.

Horizon Zero Dawn offers an entirely unique world and a thrilling experience as an action game, complete with a great story and likeable characters. It doesn't reach its grand RPG aspirations, but the highs are so memorable and entertaining that it's easy to forgive the shortcomings.

This is likely their best game since NetherRealm was founded within Warner Bros. The formula seems so perfect, it’s hard to imagine anyone not finding something to enjoy in Injustice 2. Whether you like fighting games, DC Comics, or just superheroes getting into visceral combat, this is a sequel worth checking out.

The medieval RPG series offers an improved sophomore effort, with another engaging and very immersive open world, interesting quests and better technical performance. Not everyone will find joy in its rigid mechanics and challenging combat, but Deliverance 2 continues to offer a strong foundation of some devoted role-playing.

What Remains of Edith Finch is a good game, but it fails to arrive at a satisfying conclusion, or build on its gameplay and narrative themes in any satisfying way. Thus, it never elevates itself to be something more than a series of interesting distractions, tied to a mystery that never resolves itself.

Tetris Effect: Connected is the best version of one of the top releases of 2018. The multiplayer additions are all excellently designed, with Connected Mode being one of the best co-operative experiences out there.

Cocoon is a clever and original world-stacking puzzler with complex mechanics that are kept in check by limiting how players arrange and explore worlds. While it's possible to stumble upon solutions through a confusing haze, the game's few moments of brilliance make it worth checking out.

NieR: Automata's engaging narrative, blending of gameplay genres and fantastic soundtrack are what make it special. Though somewhat hampered by simple yet slick combat, and level design that fails to fully realize its sci-fi dystopia setting, it is still a game that is absolutely worth your time.

It Takes Two is a thoroughly entertaining and engaging cooperative journey that constantly throws interesting new mechanics and gameplay ideas into the mix. Its narrative shortcomings are disappointing, but the stylish visuals and detailed sound design make for an impressive presentation.

Stunning visuals and brilliant music is just the first course in Ori and the Will of the Wisps. With its large world, lavish combat, and a smooth implementation of the metroidvania design, this sequel is a must-play for fans of the original, and highly recommended for everybody else.

The Banner Saga 3 is a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, offering a solid end to the narrative with inventive ways to keep the gameplay fresh. This last chapter is a great game on its own, but it also completes a series that has been exceptionally consistent in quality, which is worth appreciating.

Monster Hunter Wilds is a beautiful, fast, and accessible entry that plays great but lacks the difficulty and depth expected from the series.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart delivers some fun action and great looking visuals with a charming art style, but it doesn't really push the gameplay boundaries of the familiar franchise formula.

Horizon Forbidden West is a sequel that mostly relies on its great roots to hold itself up. It's bigger, has an enjoyable main story and thrilling combat, and adds a few new branches - brittle as they may be. It looks and sounds great, and some minor technical issues aside, is an adventure that's worth experiencing.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim weaves a complex, intriguing tale that spans many characters and time periods, and manages to pull it all together in the end. This narrative 2D adventure offers little traditional gameplay - though the battle sections provide a satisfying enough distraction.

With thought-provoking philosophy and sharply varied puzzles, The Talos Principle 2 is a sublime sequel that seeks the knowledge of the gods but maintains its humanity.

Although not without some frustrating moments, Metroid Dread is a great experience, offering up an engrossing journey full of engaging exploration and challenging combat that is proof alone that 2D Metroid is worthy of a renaissance.

Super Mario Maker 2 is a perfectly fine way to pass the time, though you'll quickly begin to see the seams. As far as game-maker tools go, it's probably the easiest to use - but that doesn't mean it's the most entertaining or diverse.

With its razor-sharp gunplay, slick movement, ping system, and great combat arena, Apex Legends takes the Battle Royale genre to the next rung on the ladder and challenges its competitors to do better.

Devil May Cry 5 is an action title worth playing, filled with bombastic action, over-the-top character moments, and fun mechanics. It’s a game that forgoes any sense of nuance and relies on simply overloading your senses, and often succeeds at doing just that.

Monster Hunter Rise aims at old-school fans, those who were here before Monster Hunter World, and will be sure to enjoy themselves with this more compact entry. But for those who just recently came aboard the franchise, it will feel like a step down.

SteamWorld Dig 2 feels a bit like the beginner’s guide to sandbox games with its relative simplicity, but it maintains a sense of grandiosity and proves nonetheless entertaining with its Metroidvania-style adventuring and its marriage of both linear and nonlinear gameplay elements.

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is a fine game that makes it easy to get swept away in the pirate life and the thrills of ship combat. It’s a solid evolution on the first outing, though the technical flaws are significant and ultimately detract from the overall impression.

Doom Eternal’s core shooting is strong thanks to grand weapons and enemy variety, but it buries the action under irksome resource management and stilted combat arenas. The bland multiplayer and silly platforming only hurt it more, driving this sequel below previous games in the series.

Kentucky Route Zero is an incredibly dull and over-embellished text adventure that fails to engage, entertain, or provide much value to anyone but perhaps the uppermost art connoisseurs.

I wish there was more to do in Night in the Woods, but that doesn't stop it from being a delight. I love that it addresses something relevant and honest. It's a slice of life that speaks to a generation and explores a world with unusual depth.

Nex Machina is another impressive addition to the portfolio of Housemarque. It’s a top-tier shooter with dazzling visuals that never lets up on the action.

Nioh is a very impressive offering from Team Ninja, mostly thanks to the excellent combat and well-crafted main missions. From Software finally have some serious competition in the sub-genre they invented.

Subnautica links progression to dive depth and it pays dividends. It also provides useful tools and varied submersibles that facilitate the steady exploration of wondrous biomes far below the waves.

I don't know if I enjoyed Final Fantasy VII Remake as much as I was fascinated by it. The game is bound to divide fans and newcomers, but it's the kind of experience that's going to be dissected for decades to come - much like the original.

Sea of Stars may pinch its influences from numerous 16-bit titles like Chrono Trigger, but the gameplay feels neither stale or old. The gorgeous 2D environments and bizarre cosmic-esque plot will hold players' attention for the whole 35-40-hour runtime.

Astral Chain successfully combines great action, exploration, and puzzles together with a strong narrative. Despite a few problems with pacing and repetition, it's a fun, engaging, and above all original experience.

Although the core mechanic is not unique anymore, Pikmin 4 proves that it can still be fun and engaging to control your little army through a variety of nicely designed levels thanks to a few tweaks to the series formula.

Final Fantasy XVI continues to push the series into a new direction. While it has a well-realized setting, good characters, satisfying combat, and excellent cinematic large scale battles, the slow pacing, lackluster RPG elements and barebones optional content grind the excitement to a halt too often.

Gran Turismo 7 continues to go about its brand of racing simulation in a uniquely eccentric and elegant way. It looks and handles as great as ever, though there is not much novelty here to get excited about, and the always-online requirement remains unwarranted.

Indiana Jones makes a triumphant return in the Great Circle thanks to a stellar cast, good puzzles, gameplay variety, attention to detail, and solid technical performance. It is a must play for fans of the whip-cracking hero, and adventure gamers.

Dragon Ball FighterZ is an excellent representation of the source material it is based on, with solid mechanics and plenty of variety, and offers just the sort of over-the-top mayhem that fans of the franchise should thoroughly enjoy.

For creator Sam Barlow and his studio Half Mermaid Productions, the push to eccentric cinematography continues with Immortality, as the video game elements fade further into the background. Some may find this odd collection of indie flicks enticing, but many will be disappointed by the lackluster interactivity.

Marvel's Spider-Man combines exciting traversal mechanics, varied combat, great presentation and plenty of content to build up enough momentum and swing by the underwhelming story and boss battles without getting caught in a web.

OlliOlli World continues to kick flip its way across a variety of colorful and imaginative levels. Returning fans will be pleased with this familiar experience sporting a new art style, but newcomers may be put off by eventually increasing difficulty and repetitive trial-and-error nature of the levels.

Deathloop is able to break the cycle of repetitive AI encounters and uneven performance thanks to an interesting story, strong characters, and enticing exploration.

Huntdown is a blistering and blood-soaked adventure that may look retro but feels remarkably modern. The title takes the basic formula of the sidescroller and tweaks it with notable improvements such as a cover system and boss battles that require more than just brawn. The genre may be flooded with similar romps, but Easy Trigger Games' effort stands out.

Dead Space (2023) takes the original’s stellar experience into the modern age with excellent atmosphere, additional narrative content, level-design tweaks, and a few surprises to keep the flayed flesh fresh.

Return to Monkey Island is a good modernization of a classic pirate tale, even if it overuses nostalgia. Its array of sensible puzzles and light humor outshine pacing issues and a discordant art style.

Aside from some bland combat and performance concerns, Silent Hill 2 is a good remake that takes the original’s intriguing narrative and crams it with more survival-horror gameplay while upgrading the visuals to do justice to the fascinating setting.

Neva is a great looking game that provides a few hours of joy from simply being immersed in its world. The gameplay, story, and pacing are a bit more subdued, however.

The Magical Vortex that serves as the focal point for the campaign proves to be the spark of life that was missing from the series’ first venture outside of historical realms, and alongside a host of other tweaks and refinements, makes Total War: Warhammer II a strategic success that any fan of the series should be able to get behind.

Hi-Fi Rush is a charming action game with a great art style, fun characters, and solid mechanics. Sometimes, that's all you need.

Halo Infinite offers a brief campaign with uneven writing, and a functional but safe implementation of the new open-world levels. It's still a great shooter with strong core mechanics that help carry the experience, but as multiplayer is now standalone and free, the value proposition of this full priced solo adventure is rather diluted.

It may not be the deepest experience around, but in terms of pure gameplay quality, Cuphead is a must-play for those seeking a challenge thanks to excellent controls and a unique visual presentation.

Thanks to an enjoyable combat loop and wonderfully dark environments, Diablo IV is a great blend of the previous two games in the series that brings a slew of basic MMO features while preserving the core tenets of the franchise.

F1 2020 continues to offer a great sim racing experience, and boosts its value by adding an engaging management mode. Elsewhere however, the presentation remains underwhelming, alongside a scattering of minor technical issues.

Both a faithful spiritual sequel and a fresh adventure, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is an excellent platformer with some truly gorgeous visuals.

Dishonored 2 is bigger and better than its forbearer, with greater variety of level design and even more flexible gameplay. It is a shame the central narrative isn’t more engaging and that the sequel is haunted by technical deficiencies.

Pentiment is mature in a way few games are. It exudes passion for the time period and subject matter, treating every character and issue with respect and reverence. If you want an adventure game that responds to your choices and trusts you to discover its narrative on your own terms, Pentiment is a must play.

Bayonetta 3 vastly expands its scope and has the biggest enemies and set pieces in the franchise to date, but in the midst of the bombastic action - along with some dubious gameplay and narrative choices - it loses a bit of its soul.

Even though the most memorable moments in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus don't involve much in the way of player input, it remains a satisfying story-driven shooter that that eschews major gameplay updates in favor of a greater focus on its bold storytelling and characters.

Devotion is another great horror outing for Red Candle Games. After years of waiting, I thought I was finally ready to engage in whatever terrors these Taiwanese developers had planned - I was wrong.

Desperados III is a great tactical stealth game with five diverse characters traversing through large open levels with alternate routes that enhance replay value. Picking off patrols and executing multiple actions works marvelously through both the swamps and the frontier towns. And with high quality presentation, this is one entry that fans of the genre shouldn't miss.

MLB The Show 19 isn't a standout, but it does offer another strong outing from the baseball franchise. If you bought last year's game, this isn't an essential pick-up, but if you've skipped a year or two, or are a newcomer to the series, it's a good pick-up.