As a remake, Kiwami is a triumphant success. Not only is it leaps and bounds more playable than the PS2 original, the additional scenes help flesh out character motivations. This all makes the story of Kiryu’s rise feel more special, and it’s a perfect continuation for those who recently played Yakuza 0.

Blood & Truth isn’t doing anything completely revolutionary for VR, particularly because we saw many of its own bullet points back at the PlayStation VR’s launch. However, it packs these ideas into a cinematic package whose presentation can hardly be rivaled. If you want to step into the shoes of an action hero a la James Bond or Jason Bourne, Blood & Truth lets players live those experiences. From high-octane explosive thrills to intimate emotional moments of character connection, it exemplifies everything that an interactive VR action movie should be.

I would never recommend it to a casual player; but to everyone else searching for a challenging single player first-person game—Metro: Last Light is what you have been waiting for.

At the risk of sounding overly infatuated, I cannot begin to understand how the hell Torchlight II has aged so well. The art style, combat mechanics, and even loot drop loop are so finely tuned that it feels like the game fits in as well now as it did, seven years ago.

Disgaea 4 brings a kid-like excitement to the table, with its energetic presentation to go along with extremely deep gameplay.

Despite some initial skepticism that they could pull it off, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is everything I want a Guardians of the Galaxy game to be. It is character-focused first and foremost, retaining the comedic heart and ’80s vibe that is core to the franchise. As a single-player game, it doesn’t get bogged down by expectations of some kind of grind or endgame. While combat can sometimes be rather chaotic and there are a few bugs, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy understands what Guardians of the Galaxy is—character, comedy, and heart.

To be able to pause a battle, and take over on the Vita when someone decides they want to watch something on cable, is a great way to continue your battles without creating a battle in your living room.

Tetris is for gamers young and old, from casual to the most extreme of the hardcore. EA somehow managed to improve on the unimprovable, and they definitely made for that debacle of the mini released in 2009.

A fast-paced, non-stop downloadable title, that makes sure to leave everything it has on the table. Fantastic environments, explosions, and weapons make for an experience that is fun to play solo but better with friends. However, the game is around 3-4 hours to complete and the online is the same maps from the single player that can become way too easy.

Space Marine 2 is a great hack ‘n’ slasher regardless of whether or not you’re a Warhammer fan. Its true-to-life recreations of the tabletop game’s painted miniatures will please fans, but its satisfying combat will please anyone. However, it’s definitely best enjoyed in multiplayer given some AI frustrations, and its Operations Mode is a few pieces of content short of being an excellent addition to the package.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare sets a benchmark for the future of games. The amazing new technology it utilizes gives it a level of quality and polish that’s rarely seen outside of first-party studios. A bold approach on a no-frills campaign mode helps it stick the landing, while going back to the drawing board with multiplayer rekindles a classic Call of Duty feel long lost.

For Zoink’s first foray into the VR space, they’ve done on incredible job. Ghost Giant is one of those unique must-play VR experiences that effectively demonstrates just what VR can do that traditional screens can’t

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a challenging romp through a dark fantasy version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms and works well as a Soulslite. Each level is a bite-sized Souls experience to be conquered and moved past. The tight, challenging combat will thrill fans of the genre, but the lack of an interconnected world might turn off those that love the thrill of exploration.

God of War III left so little left unexplored, so few Mythological figures left unchallenged, so instead Sony Santa Monica broke new ground with a multiplayer offering that lives up to the franchise’s staple combat and brutality, while perfectly complimenting it.

Before the Storm‘s bonus episode doesn’t feature the series’ best writing or any pivotal choices, but it all works as intended here. It’s just a fond farewell to a friend. One that gives players one more opportunity to see two of their favorite characters interacting with each other, and one final chance for the player to say their own goodbyes.

It’s undeniably entertaining to explore every level, backtrack for new upgrades, and go toe-to-toe with themed bosses. I miss the save functionality and don’t see the point of having two separate games, but the Mega Man X Legacy Collections are fully worth a play.

As LEGO’s first foray into toys-to-life games, they’ve done an impressive job utilizing the full power of their roster to create a great game that respects the properties it features, from Doctor Who to GLaDOS to Simpsons. It’s lamentable then that a great LEGO adventure is fragmented by the staccato nature of reminding you what you don’t have.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed that the next patch fixes this particularly nasty bug.

If you’ve never had the opportunity to indulge in one of this brand’s prior incarnations, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy is a fantastic chance to explore your inner gumshoe. The amount of content delivered in this package will keep you gleefully badgering witnesses, in glorious HD, for far longer than the price would indicate. However, for those considering a second trip into the courtroom, you may want to consider if you hold high definition visuals at a premium.

The Ready or Not PS5 port is excellent. The measured, tactical gameplay features action-packed moments and some of the most memorable co-op gameplay you can have. Unafraid to deal with content that most other shooters would shy away from, this is a brave shooter that is as interesting as it is to play. Anyone looking for something different from standard FPS games should give it a shot with friends.

The game plays well, but at the same time the controls are nothing to write home about. Despite Kutaro’s tricks, the gameplay is relatively simple.

At its core, Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late is a complex game that rewards players for taking the initiative. Its variety in character and combat types helps make up for a beefier story mode – though to be honest given the base story I’ve love to see more.

Prison Warden is what will offer me some longevity in this game, since I can mess around with how the wardens affect the gameplay, and how each map runs differently. I get bored easily, and I will say that I found myself unchallenged after I got the hang of things. Prison Warden can help with that.

Metro Exodus is an entertaining post-apocalyptic shooter that isn’t afraid to take chances with the series’ formula.

The offline mode can get tiresome, but the online modes are enough to keep arcade gamers busy for some time.

DIRT 5 on the PS5 is the best version of the game to get on PlayStation consoles, when it works. That’s a big caveat, and most gamers will not want to have to constantly remember to pre-emptively upload their save game after a few races, or risk losing hours of progress due to one unfortunate crash. This also necessitates a PlayStation Plus subscription, since copying PS5 save games to USB storage is unfortunately not an option as of this writing. Assuming these issues get patched out, then it is easy to recommend buying this on the PS5, because DIRT 5 is a showcase racing game for the next generation of consoles with its smart use of haptic feedback and ray tracing, all while delivering a smooth performance.

It’s a pristine release that’s being saved from fading into history with this re-release and delivers all the content as a thank you. For the double dippers considering this, a stern word of caution. Very little has changed since you left Dunwall but if you really get a kick out of your controller talking to you then by all means, go in for the kill.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, however, has managed to effortlessly fly back into battle without missing a shot. Everything that you loved about the old iterations has evolved with the times and delivered a solid new combat flight simulation experience.