Microsoft Flight Simulator is a one-of-a-kind experience made possible by a marriage of clever developers and cutting-edge technology. It’s a gift to the series’ dedicated fans, an appealing entry point for newcomers, and now the bar for the simulation genre.

realMyst: Masterpiece Edition updates a classic PC game, making it more accessible than ever to modern audiences—assuming you master its dodgy controls.

A blast from the past, Battletoads doesn't have much going for it once the nostalgia wears off. The newest series entry has solid brawling action, but its frustrating mini-games and other genre-blending challenges quickly overstay their welcome.

Fall Guys is unique among battle royale games, with a friendly, non-violent design and addictive gameplay loop that make it feel more at home alongside Tetris 99 than PUBG. Like all battle royale games, it relies entirely on a healthy online community playing at any given time, but its early popularity is a promising sign for long-term players. This is a fun, friendly game show of a battle royale that’s safe for kids, with no violence to be found.

Boasting beautiful, detailed graphics, numerous high-powered weapons, and an uncapped frame rate, Halo 3 is easily the best game released in the Master Chief Collection.

Fresh out of Steam Early Access, Skater XL attempts to resurrect the once-popular skateboard game genre through the use of a creative, intuitive control scheme. The core skating action is good, but the game still has too many rough patches.

Horizon Zero Dawn's PC port lets you hunt robot animals and explore a massive post-apocalyptic world on your own computer, with consistent and reliable performance.

Carrion is the most wonderfully writhing Metroid-like game we've seen yet, one that's filled with blood and puzzles. The game could benefit from a map, but it's still a fun title in which you control a vengeful monster.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town puts a contemporary spin on a charming farm-sim that sees you plant crops, raise livestock, and start a family. The controls and character models could use additional work, but this leisurely game is incredibly addicting.

Paper Mario: The Origami King is a fun, colorful JRPG that trips itself up by either overthinking or underthinking one of its core elements. Besides the highly entertaining boss fights, the unsatisfying, puzzle-based combat system misses the mark.

Death Stranding is unlike any other AAA title on the market. It doesn't hold your hand or provide clear-cut narrative answers—it's downright confusing, at times. You're either onboard for this wild ride or you're not. Death Stranding is the definition of a divisive title, one with a plodding story and cumbersome menu system, but if you’re looking for something that challenges your perception of blockbuster games, it's certainly worth a play.

Dauntless provides a streamlined, user-friendly alternative to Monster Hunter. Though repetitive at times, there’s no denying the game's solid and enjoyable core mechanics. The dull environments could use some work, however.

Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection is packed to the brim with production notes, character design documents, and interviews, but it's the inclusion of a previously unreleased game, Samurai Shodown V Perfect, that makes this an essential fighting game purchase.

Disintegration offers ambitious tactical-shooter gameplay, but the novelty wears off rather quickly. It has several design flaws that prevent you from staying invested for the long run, despite some cool ideas.

Atlus' classic Japanese role-playing game makes a surprise jump to PC, bringing with it the Carl Jung-inspired story and exciting monster-slaying action that makes it a beloved series entry. If you missed Persona 4 Golden's original PlayStation Vita release, or simply wish to revisit the game, you can now enjoy the masterpiece in its best form.

Samurai Shodown finally appears on PC, delivering the same tension-filled face-offs that fans enjoyed on console. Lengthy load times and mediocre online components sully the experience a bit, but SNK's weapons-based fighter is a fun and strategic fighting game.

Crucible contains elements from several popular online games, but ultimately fails to deliver a compelling experience of its own. Though a decent attempt by Amazon Game Studios at creating a multi-layered shooter, the game is too generic to wholeheartedly recommend.

Featuring a potent mix of classics like chess and mahjong, Clubhouse Games is an excellent compilation of what might as well be public domain board games and card games. The titles are a blast while playing solo or online, but some games offer limited local multiplayer options.

Halo 2 Anniversary is a blast to play, but like the other games in The Master Chief Collection, it has problems, too. The non-stop action is occasionally sidelined by bugs, so patiently wait for fixes.

Minecraft Dungeons takes the smash hit construction game into an action-packed new genre, but keeps the friendly aesthetic and accessibility kids love. The game's a tad short and requires some late-stage grinding, though.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition's core game on the Switch is identical to the 3DS and Wii games in terms of story, gameplay, and graphics (besides the higher resolution). This is the same JRPG Nintendo has published twice before, and it largely holds up. Unfortunately, the aging RPG now looks and feels a bit dated, especially after Xenoblade Chronicles 2's release.

A nostalgic blast from the past, Trials of Mana could easily become the poster child for remakes done right. It has some failings, particularly the removed multiplayer and odd voice work, but it's an engaging action-RPG that's one of the best on PC.

Chimera Squad is a fun, bite-size spin-off of the XCOM series that scales down the scope and stakes. The strategy game is more accessible than its mainline predecessors, but its streamlined nature brings with it a few limitations.

Now in its third iteration in six years, Super Mega Baseball has miraculously maintained its freshness by adding engaging new characters, features, and customization, and not becoming a spammy annualized franchise. More importantly, Super Mega Baseball 3 deftly represents what people love about the sport, with its larger-than-life characters, exhilarating moments, and agonizing defeats. We may not have Major League Baseball this year, but the game's spirit lives on.

A mainline Halo game has finally come to PC as part of a much larger compilation. If you desire high-octane Halo action on PC, Reach is as good a start as any, but heed this port's rough edges and missing features.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot pays homage to the classic manga and anime with its faithful representation of the source material. Unfortunately, its gameplay is too thin to satisfy anyone but serious devotees.

Blizzard has addressed some of the complaints and criticism hurled its way, and has promised to work on many of these issues. Naturally, one must ask why the game was released in such a state, especially considering the negative attention the company has garnered over the past year with the reveal of Diablo Immortal and the Blizzard/China controversy.

Daemon X Machina impresses with its focus on big guns, mecha customization, and wild, anime-style action. But its head-scratching story and lifeless environments prevent it from being an instant classic.

Arc System Works' Code Shifter could have been a fantastic platformer/brawler/fighting game with 8-bit versions of classic arcade characters, but it's hampered by poor mechanics and a disjointed visual style.

With Champion Edition, Street Fighter V achieves what may be its final form. Boasting a reasonable price and a wealth of content from the game's multiple seasons, it's a good deal. Still, the fighting game's netcode and monetization schemes need work.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps extends the impressive legacy of the original Ori game, with similarly stunning visuals, controls, and level designs.

If you're looking for a deep and thought-provoking gaming experience that changes your outlook on life, look elsewhere. However, if you want a fast-paced, visceral shooter full of non-stop action and outrageous violence, you can't do better than Doom Eternal. If you liked 2016's offering you will love this follow up. It's a hell of a good time.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is an outstanding first-person shooter that remains a joy to play nearly a decade after its original release. This remastered version looks and plays great, but audio bugs and downgraded Classic visuals sully the experience.

Resident Evil 3 is a stellar remake of a survival-horror classic that honors the past, while updating the game with contemporary graphics and controls.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons brings the most laid-back game series ever to the Nintendo Switch, putting you on a desert island where you can just chill out, fish, catch bugs, and decorate.

Call of Duty: Warzone is a shockingly addictive free-to-play shooter. It is highly polished and entirely self-contained, so you don't need to purchase a mainline Call of Duty game to frag your friends in thrilling battle royale action.

Final Fantasy VII Remake wonderfully reinterprets the legendary JRPG via modern-day graphics and a tighter focus on narrative and characterization. Unfortunately, it's just the first part of a massive tale.

Gears Tactics is a very accessible, yet surprisingly rich, turn-based tactics game. It's more lenient than XCOM, but delivers enough of a challenge to keep you invested. The Gears setting and gameplay lend themselves very well to the turn-based format, and the creative implementation of series hallmarks results in interesting twists on genre standards. Publisher Xbox Game Studios, along with developers The Coalition and Splash Damage, should be commended for taking a risk with one of its most beloved brands and creating a tactics game for newcomers and strategy-gaming veterans and alike.

With its martial arts attacks, weapons, and general urban chaos, Streets of Rage 4 feels like a natural extension of the series. The game may have taken a long, long time to arrive, but the developers' love for the license and genre shine through in nearly every area. Late-game difficulty spikes and limited movement options dull the experience a bit, but, overall, Streets of Rage 4 is a remarkably fun game, particularly when played with friends. Hopefully, we won't have to wait decades for a follow-up.