The Witcher III: Wild Hunt – Blood & Wine is a bargain by any standard. In fact, you’re almost better off thinking of it as a small sequel than just an expansion pack, so broad, multifaceted, and rewarding is the experience it delivers.

A game that looks very nearly as good as did on my Xbox 360 and in some ways plays even better, thanks in large part to intuitive touch screen controls that prove a fine fit for the game’s turn-based action.

The addition of the newer, free-er structure and the loss of a lot of the chaff from the post-Link-to-the-Past Zelda’s make the game a joy to play.

2019’s Resident Evil 2 captures the vibe of the original perfectly, thanks largely to outstanding production values...Its visual design stands toe-to-toe with any contemporary work, with fantastic character models, dramatic motion capture performances and extraordinarily detailed and refined environment design. Just about everything is worth looking at a second or third time, either to catch a potential game clue or simply to appreciate its beauty.

It’s a blissfully lighthearted and colourful game filled with charm, humour — I giggled aloud the first time I caught a black bass, described in-game as “the most metal of all fish” — and a much needed sense of normalcy that comes at a time when we could all use a little pick-me-up.

Granted, sometimes it feels like Insomniac, in its push to give us more than we could have imagined, almost goes a bit too far. Like the addition of a wingsuit so that Spider-Man can glide through Manhattan’s glass and steel canyons a little more quickly. It’s an innovation likely born from the sheer size of the city, which can take long minutes to traverse by web-slinging alone. It can be useful, but it doesn’t feel very Spidey-ish. I generally preferred swooping up and down, even if it took a little longer. But if that’s the worst complaint one can level at Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Insomniac must be doing something right. And it does nothing to diminish the game’s absolutely lovely energy. Every play session left me feeling upbeat and like all was right with the world. Or at least the world within the game.

Much like when it was first released, Wind Waker is a visual and auditory feast and it works brilliantly for its first few hours.

I can see myself continuing to play on and off for months to come, getting better and trying new tactics all the while. And that, if nothing else, earns Monster Hunter: World an enthusiastic recommendation for anyone interested in the idea of seeing if they have what it takes to combat roaring, furry, fire-spewing bird dinosaurs.

Believe it or not, I found the added depth helped breathe life into the adventure. Going back to the flat 2D presentation removed much of the world’s vivacity.

Pillars of Eternity proves that the men and women at Obsidian know how to make a good traditional RPG based on their own intellectual property...And now they’ve proven they don’t even need an investor to do it.

What really impresses me about Rez Infinite, though, is that its immersive cacophony of light and music often manages to pull me out of the physical realm so completely that I find myself forgetting meatspace even exists. That’s what VR is all about, really. Losing yourself in another world.

Titanfall 2 is likely pretty close to the game the original Titanfall would have been if we lived in a perfect world where deadlines did not exist and developers didn’t need to put a product on shelves in a timely fashion in order to stay in business and feed their families. It’s a complete package, it’s polished and pretty, and it’s super fun.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 earns a modest thumbs up. It’s undeniably huge, delivering good bang for your RPG dollar, and has some interesting ideas on its mind. It’s no Final Fantasy or Zelda, but fans of sophisticated combat and Japanese storytelling should be well served.

Beyond saying, “Limbo on the iOS is great for people who don’t have an Xbox 360 and want to play the game,” there isn’t much else to this version of the game.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses does a laudable job of bringing Intelligent Systems’ strategy series to Nintendo’s hybrid console, and I’m likely going to be playing for months to come. The ability to take command of three different houses, each with their own roster of students, adds plenty of replay value. Still, I’m going to keep my Game Boy Advance Micro loaded with a copy of Fire Emblem handy for those days when I want to feel what it’s like to really risk the deaths of beloved heroes in battle.

Monument Valley is a strong contender for my mobile game of the year.

BioWare’s about to drop its mic and walk off stage...It is a paragon of multiple-path storytelling and character development. It offers a master class in intricate, customizable, multi-hero combat. And it delivers not one but ten beautiful and expansive open worlds to explore, boldly throwing down the gauntlet to rival developers.

Battlefield 1 is one of this fall’s biggest surprises with a very compelling campaign, strategic gameplay and solid multiplayer effort. The game is a refreshing change of pace in an industry currently filled with futuristic shooters that emphasize running around guns blazing.

It is, put plainly, a game of enormous scope; one that feels remarkably original in both its setting and presentation. It’s a work of grand imagination. And Aloy – a strong, confident, and captivating heroine who gradually earns and commands the respect of everyone around her, from matriarchs all the way up to a king – serves as a delightfully likeable anchor around which everything is spun.

While I can’t tell you whether Injustice 2 will be a hit with hard core fighter fans, I can tell you that it was a ton of fun for a guy like me, who generally doesn’t spend more than half an hour with any of the fighting games that cross my desk.

The Last of Us never needed fixing. Everything from combat to crafting has aged remarkably well. Still, it never hurts to polish perfection. And this beautifully enhanced edition works hard to ensure Naughty Dog’s masterpiece will remain my favourite video game for some time to come.

With just ten minutes to go I was convinced What Remains of Edith Finch was going to be one of the very best games I’ve played this year. And I’m still absolutely enamoured of its characters, setting, atmosphere, attention to detail, and the great bulk of its narrative. It stands proudly alongside narrative adventures like Gone Home, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, Dear Esther, Firewatch, and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter....I just wish Giant Sparrow had conjured up a final act that matched the enormously gratifying mysteries of the rest of the experience.

Fallout 4 is not the bar-raising, generation-defining post-apocalyptic RPG for which players like me might have hoped. But – and this is a great testament to Bethesda Softworks’ ability to transport us to fantastical worlds in which we become utterly engrossed – it is nonetheless a great piece of end of the world entertainment that’s managed to keep my hands firmly on my controller and my eyes glued to the screen and for dozens of enjoyable hours over the last week...Just don’t expect to be blown away with how it looks.

With great game mechanics, unique artwork and tough to master gameplay, Severed is well worthy of your time.

This new Xbox edition keeps everything that made the original one of the best puzzlers in years (except the VR part, which it turns out is pretty unnecessary) and adds a heaping helping of multiplayer to the mix.

While Mario Kart 8 wasn’t what I was exactly looking for in an MK game, it works well on its own terms, even if Battle Mode is the worst.

It’s not going to be Nintendo’s next Super Smash Bros., but Super Mario Maker is something close to essential for anyone who’s ever played a Super Mario Bros. game and thought: You know, I think I could do that.

If it’s not the best indie game of the year, it’s pretty bloody close to it.