Horizon Forbidden West takes everything that made Horizon Zero Dawn an excellent action-adventure title, and adds more environmental variety and quest verticality to create an even better game.

Lost Ark is a fantastic, free-to-play MMORPG that features exciting combat, attractive visuals, and a seemingly endless endgame.

Sifu is a surprisingly robust and thoughtful action game that hearkens back to the quarter-munching arcade days of old, and Capcom’s cult classic, God Hand.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus isn't the open-world Pokemon game fans have been waiting for, but it's still the most ambitious Pokemon experience yet, and a fun collect-a-thon in its own right.

Windjammers 2, the sequel to the cult classic Neo Geo game, delivers the same joyous arcade-sports thrills as its predecessor, but adds new moves and smooth online play to the action-packed, strategic mix.

Monster Hunter Rise blends the best elements from earlier series entries, and delivers a streamlined, action-packed, monster-slaying experience.

Kratos, the god slayer, gets a new look, fresh tools, and a Norse pantheon to cut down in this dramatic, exciting shake-up of the classic God of War franchise.

Rune Factory 4 Special delivers all the life sim, farming, and RPG action of the original 3DS release—it's perfect for fans of the Story of Seasons series or Stardew Valley.

It won’t replace the real deal, but Rocket League Sideswipe turns the brilliant arcade sports game into an entertaining mobile companion.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is an excellent reimagining of the iconic PS1 JRPG that features fantastic visuals and addicting combat. The new Yuffie side content provides additional fun, and even addresses a few minor issues from the 2020 console release.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remake the original Diamond and Pearl for the Nintendo Switch. They're still lengthy, fun Pokemon adventures, but not much has been added, and even the remade graphics are showing their age.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remake the original Diamond and Pearl for the Nintendo Switch. They're still lengthy, fun Pokemon adventures, but not much has been added, and even the remade graphics are showing their age.

Halo Infinite pushes the franchise forward with a deep, open-world campaign, and includes multiplayer modes that recapture the classic games' satisfying game feel and matchmaking experience.

No single release from an annualized franchise revolutionizes the gameplay experience, but Football Manager 2022 delivers visual and mechanical improvements in multiple areas, making it the best series entry yet.

RetroMania Wrestling continues the action-filled fun established by classic, arcade wrestling titles, but features additional mechanics to please contemporary audiences. It isn't the deepest wrestling game, but that's part of its breezy, accessible charm.

Battlefield 2042 is an ambitious shooter that features the excellent Portal mode-creation tool, as well as a few, cool game types. Unfortunately, technical issues and balance problems mean that you may want to hold off buying the game until EA Dice irons out the kinks.

Pikmin Bloom isn’t the next Pokemon Go, but it is a cute way to walk more often with Nintendo’s plucky plant-like pals by your side.

With Forza Horizon 5, the racing series makes its first stop in Mexico. It delivers breathtaking vistas, fast action, and the hook: the new EventLab mode that lets the community create cool, custom challenges.

Mario Party Superstars may bring back fond memories of Nintendo's mini-game franchise, but being from the past doesn’t automatically make it a blast.

With Back 4 Blood, developer Turtle Rock tries to revive Left 4 Dead's cooperative, zombie-shooting glory days. The result is a mixed bag that features solid ideas, but half-baked execution.

Featuring a large cast of characters from two popular fighting game universes, the rereleased SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium delivers robust fisticuffs in an adorable package.

More than a nostalgic joke, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl delivers a genuinely fantastic cartoon fighting game just slightly marred by unpolished presentation.

WRC 10's precise controls and detailed graphics wonderfully replicate rally racing, though graphical hiccups occasionally sour the experience.

Metroid Dread for the Nintendo Switch is a worthy holder of the title "Metroid 5." Its sprawling world begs you to explore every inch of it, and while it keeps Samus Returns' control elements, they feel much better on the Switch. This is a proper Metroid 5, and that's more than enough to make it an Editors’ Choice pick for Switch games.

The Tales series makes a triumphant return with Arise, a game that delivers excellent, highly polished RPG action that stands above its predecessors. Despite being a RPG, Tales of Arise features a rich combat system that makes the title contend with some of the best action games released this year.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania combines 300 stages from Super Monkey Ball, Super Monkey Ball 2, and Super Monkey Ball Deluxe into a single, massive package of entertaining and occasionally sadistic ball-rolling action.

Featuring 4K textures, smooth frame rates, and new content that complements the core story, Death Stranding: Director's Cut tops the vanilla game in nearly every way.

Deathloop’s mind-bending time mechanic, captivating art style, open-ended gameplay, and colorful cast of characters create a captivating shooter experience that you shouldn’t miss.

Fresh out of Steam Early Access, Eastern Exorcist delivers fantastic visuals, exhilarating combat, and a fascinating story. However, bland level design dulls the experience a bit.

At nearly 30 years old, Myst remains a remarkable experience, made all the more accessible and enthralling in this modern iteration. This is the best way to play Myst—especially in VR.

With a fresh focus on unique characters and multiplayer mayhem, WarioWare: Get It Together finds room for even more creativity in an already one-of-a-kind series.

Propulsive, profane, and profound, No More Heroes III is more than happy serving its niche rather than watering itself down to expand its appeal. The game’s file size is 6.9GB, and that's probably not a coincidence. If you're curious about the series, start at the beginning. However, once you’re caught up, you’ll be glad that Suda51 returned to deliver us this Editors’ Choice pick Nintendo Switch game.

Fireteam Elite doesn’t stray from the horde-heavy, co-op gameplay that's typical of multiplayer shooters, but the newest Alien title is packed with great visuals, smart classes, and great action.

Psychonauts is back with a charming, challenging, thoroughly entertaining sequel that will please 3D platformer fans and especially anyone who loved the first game.

Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut offers a new, explorable island and several welcome PS5-exclusive enhancements. It is a worthy upgrade of an already exceptional title.

The remade Legend of Mana is a beefy, 2D, action-RPG that features gorgeous art, fantastic music, and tons of content that improves upon the original game in nearly every way.

Monster Hunter Stories 2 sits at the intersection of the Monster Hunter series' action and the JRPG genre's turn-based battles, and will please fans of both.

Pokemon Unite’s familiar faces and approachable mechanics let everyone enjoy the otherwise inscrutable MOBA genre.

Watch Dogs: Legion - Bloodline injects new fun into the vanilla game, but stumbles a bit. Returning characters improve the narrative, but this DLC add-on lacks the base game’s free-form, squad-based action.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD’s upgraded visuals and motion-free control options make this the best way to play the Wii classic, even if the game is firmly stuck in Zelda’s past.

The visually stunning Guilty Gear Strive is a stellar series entry that reworks the familiar combat to make it more newcomer friendly, while retaining an absurd amount of gameplay options.

Mario Golf: Super Rush puts delightfully fast-paced twists on arcade-style golf, both in its hilarious multiplayer modes and robust, solo adventures.

The Isle of Siptah is a massive Conan: Exiles expansion that delivers new locales, gameplay options, enemies, and loot. If you're seeking more Hyborian Age action, you'll thank Crom for this add-on, despite its bugs and frame rate issues.

Game Builder Garage is a tremendously powerful and accessible piece of game development software that gives you the tools and guidance to make video games with ease.

Ninja Gaiden is an amazing, trailblazing series that set new action game standards, but this collection offers nothing new for longtime fans. In fact, this bare-bones port lacks the original games' multiplayer modes.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart delivers a true next-gen experience thanks to its stunning visuals, haptic controls, and blazing-fast load times. Thrilling combat, expansive levels, and memorable characters make this PlayStation 5 exclusive an essential purchase.

Miitopia casts you and your friends in an adorably social, role-playing adventure, even if the novelty wears off before you reach the end of its surprisingly epic quest.

From its neon graphics to its tactical mechanics, Knockout City’s take on multiplayer dodgeball is over-the-top in all the right ways. It just sits in an awkward limbo between free and paid games.

Biomutant has the makings of a truly special game, as it features deep character customization and an intriguing, beautiful world to explore. Unfortunately, combat and progression issues prevent it from being an all-time great.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition updates the classic trilogy to modern standards with vibrant visuals and streamlined controls. The collection provides the perfect way to experience the epic saga.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids moves the action from England to a beautiful but similar new Ireland locale. Wrath is good if you’re hungry for more Valhalla, but the new features add minimally to the experience, so this DLC won’t make many converts.

Resident Evil Village blends Resident Evil 7's grounded horror with Resident Evil 4's fast action and offbeat concepts. More tension, more combat, and more weirdness round out a game whose faults lie on the edges of the overall experience.

Outriders offers a deeper narrative than its looter contemporaries, but it's ultimately a run-of-the-mill shooter that leaves no lasting impact.

Returnal expertly weaves shoot 'em up and Metroidvania mechanics into its base, roguelike gameplay. Though its tight controls, visual fidelity, and intriguing story may entice you to play, the game's almost insurmountable difficulty will certainly alienate a portion of its intended audience.

New Pokemon Snap on the Nintendo Switch is a worthy follow-up to the N64's beloved photo game. It blends the classic gameplay with cool, contemporary touches.

Pac-Man 99 is gaming in its purest form, marrying classic arcade nostalgia with a dynamic multiplayer twist that makes it hard to put down.

Featuring beautiful sprite work, creative puzzles, and fun action-RPG mechanics, Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth recalls Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, while forging its own path.

Disco Elysium’s dense, authored, yet player-driven storytelling uses the bones of RPG gameplay to deliver a truly modern piece of interactive political art.

Evil Genius 2 is the natural continuation of the 2004 base-building, trap-laden classic. New evil geniuses, new minion types, and expanded bases round out this mostly satisfying sequel, but a grindy mid-game and no minion control dulls the game's shine a bit.

Despite some unavoidable control snags, League of Legends: Wild Rift successfully shrinks the massively popular PC game into a surprisingly capable mobile edition.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon transforms the long-running beat'-em-up series into a Japanese role-playing game—and it's shockingly good. Though it retains some of the past games' clunky character animations, Like a Dragon's action-packed combat and engaging story make it a must-own RPG.

Packed with action, side content, and heart, Yakuza 6 brings Kazuma Kiryu’s gangster journey to a close. Despite lacking challenge and snubbing important series characters, The Song of Life is an excellent beat-'em-up title.

Monster Hunter Rise takes what World introduced and runs with it, delivering a game that streamlines the gameplay and beefs up your kit for maximized man-versus-monster action.

If you're looking for a classic, JRPG experience, Bravely Default II is a fantastic pick up. Like the previous series entries, it brings old school role-playing into the modern era, with beautiful graphics and flexible systems.

Nioh 2 is a superb sequel that builds upon its predecessor by adding massive amounts of new content, enhanced combat, and deep character customization.

Super Mario 3D World is an incredible and underplayed Wii U adventure that's now available on Switch. But Bowser’s Fury steals the show with its exciting and fresh take on a 3D Mario game.

Persona 5 Strikers isn't a Dynasty Warriors game with a coat of Persona paint slapped on it. It's a Persona game that cleverly incorporates Dynasty Warriors combat into its systems. The shift to more action-focused gameplay works extremely well.

The Medium impresses with its next-gen graphics and unique, split-screenplay that lets you jump between the human and spirit worlds. Unfortunately, the horror game's not particularly scary.

The Pathless is a visual stunner that lets you explore its gorgeous world via an innovative and fun traversal mechanic. It may be modest in scale, but the platformer leaves a big impact courtesy of smart puzzles and exciting boss battles.

Five years after kicking off Hitman's new era, IO Interactive closes out the World of Assassination trilogy in spectacular fashion. Hitman 3 is a massive package full of fantastic new levels and modes that's well worth the purchase for stealth-action fans.

Despite its long absence, the beat 'em up remains one of the most enjoyable brawlers ever released, thanks to its fast action and gorgeous sprites.

The Falconeer blends aerial exploration with dogfighting, but doesn’t stick the landing. It delivers an interesting, but middling, action-fantasy experience that's filled with gorgeous sights and clunky combat.

Gorgeous next-gen visuals and fresh takes on Tetris multiplayer make Tetris Effect: Connected an even more transcendent version of the near-perfect puzzle game.

To become a mob kingpin in Empire of Sin, you’ll need brains, brawn, and a high tolerance for boredom.

While its endgame suffers a few stumbles, Shadowlands prepares you to make one of the more meaningful narrative choices in a WoW expansion. Shadowlands thrives at its level cap, though, with new gameplay elements that combine to make an excellent experience.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a cynical look at a future, fallen America. The dystopian action-RPG boasts a deeply satisfying story, an engrossing world, and excellent shooting and melee combat, but it suffers from numerous bugs.

Loot-focused titles like Destiny and The Division grew stronger over time, as their developers added content and fresh gameplay mechanics. It’s difficult seeing the same happening to Godfall. There simply isn’t enough meat to provide a solid foundation for future updates and enhancements. It’s possible that the developer, Gearbox Software, could resurrect this title with a massive, Final Fantasy XIV-style restructuring, but the task would be—pardon the deific pun—Herculean. If you want to enjoy your new PlayStation 5, pick up Demon’s Souls or Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales instead.

Using the same tools behind Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft delivers a grand, Greek myth-inspired adventure featuring a host of enemies to overcome and challenging puzzles to solve.

With the original Fire Emblem's first Western release, Americans can finally enjoy the excellent, debut game in Nintendo's popular strategy-RPG series.

With a strong enough internet connection, Control Ultimate Edition - Cloud Version lets you stream a surprisingly seamless rendition of Remedy’s cutting-edge shooter to Nintendo’s modest tablet.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a fine action game with plenty to do, and a satisfyingly robust combat system. It's denser and more focused than Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, but that focus removes some of the charm. Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition was a love letter to the entire Legend of Zelda series, a game filled with familiar characters and places from several of titles. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is very much a Breath of the Wild-specific game, which is certainly fine (Breath of the Wild was excellent), but not nearly as much of a fan-pleasing barrage of elements from the entire series. It’s a game that expects you to specifically love Breath of the Wild, and be invested in what happened before its events. If you dig that idea, you'll dig Age of Calamity.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla continues the series’ recent winning streak. This stellar entry boasts an expansive world, many exciting missions, and a tight, character-driven plot that make it one of 2020's best games.

Dirt 5 returns the series to its arcade roots by delivering a streamlined racing experience packed with thrilling competition and beautiful environments.

Like its titular creatures, the food-finding game Bugsnax combines a mishmash of weird parts into an endearing, adorable, and eccentric new creation.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales kicks off the PlayStation 5's launch by putting you in the web shooters of the titular new Spider-Man in a satisfying side story that covers much of the same terrain as its predecessor.

Fuser empowers players to remix old songs into brilliant new creations, making it one of the greatest and most creative music games of all time.

Ghostrunner has ferocious melee combat, nimble first-person platforming, and cyberpunk style to spare. Unfortunately, it's also frustrating and needlessly unforgiving.

Watch Dogs: Legion delivers an immersive open world where nearly any character that you encounter can become a high-tech freedom fighter. Legion's unique hacking mechanics and mission variety make it an excellent series entry.

Nintendo’s overlooked Pikmin series shines as the latest Wii U Port on Switch, though the core gameplay experience is largely unchanged.

With Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, you drive a physical toy kart across virtual tracks that you design around your home. It's not a full-on Mario Kart experience, but the augmented reality game offers plenty of racing thrills.

Despite its uncanny superficial similarities to a certain popular Nintendo IP, Genshin Impact has enough personality to stand on its own, while also offering a creative combat system and an expansive world to explore.

Beautiful art, ingenious combat, and a clever plot structure make Hades a stunning example of the often polarizing roguelite genre.

Warframe is a shockingly polished free-to-play action game that boasts great visuals, gameplay, and replay value. Unfortunately, grinding and odd design choices bog down the late-game experience.

Ary and the Secret of Seasons contains plenty of great ideas, but its poorly implemented action and lifeless world ruin the experience.

The genre-defining extreme sports game ollies from the past to present, and sticks the landing.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars offers three excellent games in close to their original forms, but it misses a lot of opportunities to polish and improve them.

Spellbreak’s fast-paced, high-flying, explosive fantasy combat makes for a battle royale that anyone can enjoy.

Hotshot Racing captures the look and feel of classic retro racers, but the track design could use more thrills.