Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 not only lives up to the beloved classic games, but it lives up to my memory of the beloved classic games; an important distinction. It walks the fine line of recreating the classics for a modern era, while never feeling either dated or burdened with new and unnecessary changes.

A Way Out is a true achievement in game design. Not only does it manage to take players on a true journey of emotion, it does so in a way that is only possible through the medium of video games. It manages to do something truly special by making two players to cooperate for an extended amount of time, and the discussions that happen on the couch or over voice chat can be just as revealing as the game itself. Josef Fares and Hazelight have undoubtedly raised the bar for co-op gaming.

Kaz Yamauchi's passion for the racing sphere shines through every aspect of the game. The incredibly-detailed cars, the slick presentation, the spot-on physics. Polyphony Digital brought its A-game. Nothing else on the market can come close to the realism and immersion you feel throughout. Gran Turismo 5 is virtual racing at its very best.

Unity doesn’t just play well, it looks beautiful too. The graphics have a stunning painted quality to them that may be attributed to the way that different materials react to the lighting.

In the end, the only thing I can truly say is that Life is Strange is a must-buy.

Untethered from the expectations that come with a Dark Souls or Bloodborne game, FromSoftware was able to create a game that maintains the studio's unique identity while allowing them to explore interesting new mechanics and ways of telling the story. Sekiro is challenging, but fair—a game with the goal of allowing the player to grow, rather than the avatar. It blends mechanics and narrative in a way that is too rare in games today, allowing for a deep level of immersion that begs for just one more clash of blades no matter how difficult the encounters get. Seeing each one to its bloody finish is well worth the trials it takes to get there.

The Swapper will fly under many people’s radar, which is unfortunate because with its unique take on graphics, puzzles, and narrative, they will be missing out on what I would say is the best puzzle platformer experience since Portal.

DOOM Eternal is simply a really good game. It provides players with a brutal and extreme power fantasy while also presenting a challenge, a tightrope act of balancing that few games can ever accomplish with a masterful hand. There’s an almost tactical feel to the encounters as you manage health, shields, ammo, and movement around the arena, yet those tactics never slow the pace of gameplay. It’s got a solid single-player campaign that somehow weaves in engaging live-service elements that serve to enhance the experience instead of ever distracting from it. id Software lovingly recaptures the spirit of classic DOOM while making a game that feels perfectly at home at the tail end of this console generation.

A Fold Apart is a near-perfect indie game and one every person with a beating heart should experience.

Some will be disappointed by how quickly the game ends, but the two hours that mark your journey is the most incredible and unique you can possibly have on your PS3.

It's beautiful, simple, unique, and if you ever had even the slightest interest in creating your own music, you're going to love Sound Shapes. If the thought of creating music is overwhelming to you, still, you're going to love Sound Shapes.

This is a game that is well aware of its pedigree, and every person involved in making it has given their all to deliver on that prestige. Aside from some minor performance issues and localization typos barely worth mentioning, Bloodstained is an incredible feat in independent video game development. I’ll be coming back to this one for years to come.

Death Stranding is not a “fun” game, but it’s an important and meaningful experience that earns its payoff through every bit of frustration and slog. Its a look at life and death, connection and solitude; a game about building up what matters most and supporting each other selflessly. You’ll be bored at times and downright frustrated at others, but it comes with a great reward at the end that is made sweeter by the trials that precede it. It’s brilliantly unique in its design and implementation of online elements.

A massive game that can get even more massive if you date to venture outside the box and get creative on your own. But even if you don’t care for sandbox-style gameplay, there is more than enough story to keep JRPG and Dragon Quest fans occupied. If the first game seemed a little out of your comfort zone as a traditional Dragon Quest fan, rest assured that Dragon Quest Builders 2 smooths out nearly all the first game’s rough edges, has plenty of Dragon Quest fanservice to shake a slime at, and has plenty of tools to make the sometimes icky survival and resource management of the genre easy enough to deal with. With so much to do, fun, engaging play and a cute, lighthearted story that takes its time to breathe, Dragon Quest Builders 2 is the best kind of sequel.

Not content with jut polishing up the formula of the original game, Hand of Fate 2 takes a step forward and defines what a sequel should be. Improvements abound, challenges await, and every single failure begets the promise of a bigger success, if you’d chance your fate in the cards.

Forsaken will persistently be a different game with new things to do and discover each and every week, and I don’t see that slowing down anytime soon.

ICEY is a biting commentary on the entire medium of games. Beneath a solid 2D action game lies one of the most interesting titles I’ve had the pleasure of playing. It’s a game that isn’t afraid to take risks, and managed to constantly surprise me despite pulling off the ridiculous several times prior. Everyone who considers themselves a “gamer,” should play ICEY, and then sit down to think about its message.

There is a certain magic present here that a decade has only made stronger. Newcomers and fans alike will find enjoyment in this collection and you won’t able to help smiling at plenty of moments, even if you’ve seen them play out before.

An expanded Nemesis System creates fascinatingly interesting player stories, and the amount of freedom afforded to the player is staggering for a game of this scope.

The best part? None of these will cost you an easily regrettable 99 cents. Users will crank out tons and tons of the games, further fulfilling the promise of LBP and the imagination.

Fast, fun, funny, challenging, and chicken-filled, Juan Aguacate shows us he’s still got a few tricks up his mangas (sleeves), especially when he takes on his chicken form.

Ni no Kuni II is pure magic. It consistently surpassed my expectations.

While minor design choices keep it from being absolutely perfect, The Witcher 3 will go down as one of the best games of this generation of consoles.

Two episodes in, and I’m absolutely astonished at just how good Life is Strange: Before the Storm is.

As amazingly as this game was done, not only is Borderlands 2 an excellent portable version of the console game, I would argue that it is simply one of the best games on the Vita to date.

There isn't anything else quite like Deathloop. It's a riveting detective mystery, plays with time loops in unique ways, and never feels like it slows down, even in those stealthier moments. It's a game that's thought out top-to-bottom, with two perfect leads heralding the charge and a unique multiplayer component that feels central to everything that Deathloop is, without ever getting in the way. Whether you're looking to break the loop or preserve it, Blackreef is certainly worth the visit. You may find yourself as stuck there too.

If you haven’t guessed already, I absolutely love Lost Ember.

Wandersong is one of the most pleasant and refreshing games out there. Even when the going gets tough, the goodwill garnered here will help you push through and enjoy another day.