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.

Its aesthetics may be wanting at times, and its controls are a bit wonky, but the core of what Capcom has here is rock-solid. There are scares a-plenty, exciting shootouts, horrifying deaths and grisly killings. The game boasts plenty of tension and some really smart design choices. This may not feel quite like a traditional Resident Evil game, but when it is this good, who cares?

Some technical hiccups aside, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds can provide some of the most intense and exciting moments multiplayer gaming has to offer thanks to a clever game mode that supports varied play-styles, and provides a unique self-contained adventure every round.

Luigi's Mansion 3 brings the franchise back from slumber without skipping a beat, offering tightly designed gameplay mechanics, enticing exploration, and the typical Nintendo charm.

An excellent entry into anyone's JRPG collection, Dragon Quest XI will have you wondering why more of the series hasn't made its way to consoles. It manages to capture the spirit of genre classics with memorable locations, engaging explorative elements, and fun combat.

Returnal is a brutally tough but satisfying roguelike journey that is buoyed by its addictive combat and myriad of weapons, items and upgrades that ensure the journey doesn't get stale. Its narrative is gripping and unsettling, its visual aesthetic is arresting and despite a high level of difficulty, it's a damn joy to play.

Forza Motorsport 7 has the largest car roster out there, great track simulation racing, and impressive presentation. But as great as the gameplay is, critical changes to the career mode, economy balance, and the new homologation system deflate this typically great franchise a bit.

Night City is a place of splendor and possibilities. Its many interesting corners have remarkable visual detail and diverse tasks that allow players to be aggressive or stealthy. Appealing characters and their tangled stories elevate Cyberpunk 2077 and it is only the technical issues and a few missing features that keep it from reaching legendary status.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope builds upon the framework established by the first title in several positive ways. The tactical combat has been given more variety, and having more things to do outside of battle was also a smart addition. Despite the annoying Rabbids and lackluster plot, it's an overall improvement and a solid sequel.

Deep Rock Galactic offers some enticing exploration, as discovering randomly generated caves can be a thrill each time, and the unique abilities of each class are fun to combine. But things quickly begin to grow stale, like the air this far down into the earth, with repetitive missions and little reason to grind out your experience levels.

Wasteland 3 is a competent RPG that struggles to distinguish itself from the many other entries of the genre. With such games, the mechanics are all relatively the same, and the writing, choices, and world-building are so much more important. And in these areas, Wasteland 3 is proficient, but not overly impressive.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom may not star Link, but it is on par with many of those classics. The echoes system is another demonstration of the franchise's ability to craft engaging gimmicks. While it may be underserved by the system’s dated tech, Nintendo has once again delivered a creative entry in one of their flagship series.

Starfield is a grand interstellar adventure with exciting pockets of exploration, detailed cities, interesting side quests, memorable characters, competent action, and fun ship building. Despite minor issues, it gracefully blends Bethesda’s trademark gameplay with the wonders of space.

Another solid entry for the series, Assassin's Creed Shadows offers a wonderfully rendered natural world, though it's not as unique as it once could have been. The typical mix of stealth and action gameplay is still enjoyable and is now split between two protagonists, though switching between them can be cumbersome. Fans of the franchise should be satisfied, if not exactly impressed.

The Forgotten City succeeds at drawing you into a mystery and using time travel mechanics very effectively. As a narrative adventure, its strong cast and engaging setting help bring the city to life. The game may not always look great and some of the endings are rather abrupt, but it's a trip back in time worth taking.

Frostpunk 2 isn't afraid to shake things up and bring a different kind of experience to the franchise, although that new design philosophy leaves a bit more to be desired in mechanics, UI and narrative elements.

Assassin's Creed Origins does enough things differently to warrant a look, but there is still something left to be desired. It's a lengthy game in a huge and varied open world that provides a foundation for what's to come, but it doesn't quite offer the breakthrough that the series was probably looking for.

Control offers some of the best combat from Remedy, balancing supernatural abilities with a handy service weapon. Its non-linear twisted levels, populated with varied Hiss enemies, make for an appealing supernatural world. With a better protagonist and some fine-tuning, it could have been truly extraordinary.

Tunic is an isometric action adventure with colorful visuals, fun exploration and well executed combat, though its insistence on lack of player guidance can make for a few frustrating moments.

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun demonstrates that the Commandos style of gameplay is timeless. And that not only do we need more of it, we would be fortunate if Mimimi Productions were at the helm. Their Japanese squad-based stealth experience is as challenging as it is satisfying, rivalling a series that is now a fading memory. It has immaculate level design, exacting guard positioning, and a pet Tanuki that is cute and helpful.

With a great underwater setting and an interesting story featuring lots to uncover, Stasis: Bone Totem’s mix of horror and puzzles mean it is a veritable sunken treasure.