A very smart use of a new technology; it was executed very well, it’s simple to play, and it is fun for everyone. There is a nice progression of difficulty with more complex modules appearing with more frequency over time, and then again with the introduction of needy modules (they can’t be finished or solved, but require constant attention throughout your allotted time).

The Talos Principle may be one of the best puzzle games of the year. Sure, it starts out pretty slowly, the first dozen or so of the game’s 120+ puzzles are laughably easy, and the controls may be a little awkward, but these are minor flaws in the bigger scheme of things. There’s an entertaining and thoughtful story about not just humanity, but what it means to be alive.

Pistol Whip is likely to be the PlayStation VR game of the year. It’s simple concept works incredibly well and has few faults. If you’ve ever wanted to be John Wick, or any other badass gun-wielding gangster for that matter, this is the game for you. Modifiers and multiple difficulties extend the life of the game even further, although this may not be enough for some. Once free content updates and extra DLC tracks arrive, though, there’ll be plenty of content to enjoy.

Eugene Jarvis and Housemarque have come together to create one of the best playing twin-stick shooters ever made. While I do wish there was more content (I can only hope this gets the same amount of support as Resogun did) , there are enough difficulties that I’ll still be learning the intricacies for several months to come.

Nioh is a game of highs and lows. It’s a tremendous blast when the combat gets to shine, but it often gets the spotlight after hours of tedium. Instead of crafting a tight 20-hour experience like Ninja Gaiden, Team Ninja has opted to create a title that had me constantly grinding. It’s a flawed experience that really has no respect for the player’s time, but one that I’m ultimately glad to have experienced.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is a true achievement. It features the most immersive open world I’ve ever played in and rewards you for every hour that you put into it. Featuring a stellar story, an unprecedented level of freedom, and some truly spectacular moments, developer Warhorse Studios has shown itself as one of the best studios in all of gaming.

Ultimately, Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition is just like the original, with a couple of added tweaks — this is a good thing!

To say Frostpunk is fun would be like saying watching The Road is fun. It’s engaging, challenging, inventive and unique. It cleverly re-purposes old genre tropes, and embraces the rigors of micromanaging dire people in a dark time with such earnest that it’s hard not to get charmed into hours of sadistic yet satisfying struggle.

It’s such a shame that this is the only expansion that is going to hit Bloodborne. With a great attention to detail, and meaningful changes to single player, we can only wonder what other sort of innovative ideas From Software had in store for us before their plans changed. Still, The Old Hunters enables Bloodborne to go out with a bang, and a challenging one at that.

Great strategy games are few and far between, and XCOM 2 is an absolute treat for anyone craving a challenge on every level. Marred only be a few technical presentation hiccups and slow loading times, XCOM 2 is a deep mental and emotional experience that tests each player’s resolve to triumph against overwhelming odds and failure.

Injustice 2 may have the best single-player campaign of any fighting game.

For returning players, Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is well worth diving back into for the Iki Island expansion alone and the way it explores a different facet of Jin's internal conflicts. It may not sate the desire for a full sequel, but it does a lot of cool things to make the experience feel fresh even as it explores the familiar. For brand new players who missed the game on PS4, there's no better way to experience Ghost of Tsushima. An engaging new story chapter will give new players even more insight into Jin and PS5 enhancements improve the entire adventure, which itself was already a technical marvel on last-gen consoles. Sony's experiment into re-releasing last-gen games on the new consoles with meaningful additions is so far paying off.

It’s a brilliant, beautiful, masterfully crafted work, and the more you discover, the more apparent it is.

Dead Cells may not shift the genre’s trajectory or implement rogue-like mechanics in any new or inventive way, but it remains a consistently exciting and thrilling experience, even when you’ve seen that rapier for the fourth or fifth time.

Final Fantasy VII Remake is perfection. It breathes life into the cold steel of Midgar, adding weight and dimension to that which was once simply an introduction to a more grand adventure. It’s filled to the brim with reverent fan service that respects the source material while occasionally taking leave to subvert expectations. Final Fantasy VII is one of the most defining games of all time, and Square Enix’s modern-gen treatment of Midgar lives up to the legacy of the original in every way imaginable. The worst part is leaving us off on the cliffhanger we all knew was coming, waiting for the rest of their journey, but as much effort as clearly went into Midgar alone, it’s bound to be worth the wait.

This newest addition is easily a must buy for anyone with a copy of Red Dead Redemption. There is tons of fun to be had if you're just "dying" to purge the world of evil or if you're looking to get the best bang for your buck.

While not groundbreaking on a technical level, the game's visuals are the best we've seen from this studio. Every locale feels authentic and lived in, making the experience, although incredibly linear, still feel organic.

To continue that with a story that has no strong motivating force outside of general survival cheapens our time as Lee and his reason for pushing forward.

If you go into Heavy Rain with an open mind and the understanding that this isn’t your average video game, you will reap the reward of playing one of the most memorable video games of this console generation.

Gran Turismo 7 hits that mark dead on with the sights, the sounds, the physics, and the animations of real-world driving and real-world racing.

If you’re looking for a fighter, there is simply nothing better on the market than Dragon Ball FighterZ in terms of what it offers as a 2D, high action brawler.

The thing to remember is that this will be Rocksteady Studios’ last entry into the Batman Arkham universe, so if you have been playing the previous entries in the series, and enjoyed them, this is going to be a no-brainer, just go get it.

Marvel’s Spider-Man isn’t innovating on the open-world genre, but Insomniac doubled down on creating a spectacular Spider-Man fantasy. It simply feels good to travel through Peter Parker’s New York as the webslinger, even if whatever Spidey-suit you choose is covering a competent and entirely expected open-world formula. Filled with more emotion, heart, and humanity than we’ve seen in superhero adventures before, Insomniac doesn’t need to reinvent the open-world wheel. Marvel’s Spider-Man embraces the man behind the mask and gives us the best interactive Spider-Man experience to date.

Okami HD was great on the PS3, but is even better on the PS4. This may finally be the definitive version of the game.

Monster Hunter Rise is a solid RPG that will require dedication to conquer. Once you figure out your play style and get comfortable with the game’s many systems, it’s fun to gear up, grab some food, and proceed to take on as many missions as you have the time for. Combat may feel sluggish, and there are certainly better-looking games out there. But few games let you mount a canine into battle against a dragon, while your feline companion grows a healing fruit tree in the midst of all the chaos. If for nothing else, play Monster Hunter Rise for the fun of doing just that.

It sets the character up for an amazing sequel and improved multiplayer on next-gen platforms. There’s a whole lot of island to cover and tons of killer action on the way. Set-pieces are astounding and really push the player forward with intense visuals.

The excellent integration of the Vita’s features into its gameplay, the way Tearaway reaches out to the player, the charming and well-developed world, the use of imagination in a medium where imagination is a precious and often forgotten thing – these factors stand above the negative to create an experience you should play at least once.

That’s what Monster Boy’s final hours feel like. They’re a clunky conclusion clogging up an otherwise slimy sleek progression. Usually in Metroidvanias, your progress stops because you’re missing something you need. In Monster Boy, progress slows because The Game Atelier and FDG Entertainment have given you far too much.