Among the cookie-cutter sequels and half-hearted remakes, Persona 4 is a near flawless example of the perfect balance between "falling back on what works" and "pushing the genre forward." That said, I wholeheartedly recommend it as one of the best RPG experiences of the year.

Ultimately, Bethesda triumphed over all odds with Fallout 3. Defeating hype and the need to live up to the past, the Fallout 3 team created an intensely profound world and worthy successor to the franchise.

AI: The Somnium Files' story is dark, with a lot of horrific and upsetting moments to be found, but I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of humor and, dare I say it, heart present in the plot too.

Thanks to the Swift Sail, the bar for water-based exploration has been raised so high that I'll never be able to play Suikoden IV again. Not that I was planning to, of course.

As if there was any doubt, Deltarune’s two new chapters build on the foundation of its predecessors in ways both expected and unexpected. There is a level of care here extending through design, aesthetics, and storytelling that is impossible not to marvel at. From the kitschy experimentation of Chapter 3 to the grandiose presentation of Chapter 4, Deltarune is becoming harder not to pay attention to and tip one’s hat at. My recommendation? Play it now. And play it again later. There’s literally nothing else like it. Purchasing the game will get you all the remaining chapters released as expansions. Enjoy the ride so far—and the suspense before the next drop.

As if there was any doubt, Deltarune’s two new chapters build on the foundation of its predecessors in ways both expected and unexpected. There is a level of care here extending through design, aesthetics, and storytelling that is impossible not to marvel at. From the kitschy experimentation of Chapter 3 to the grandiose presentation of Chapter 4, Deltarune is becoming harder not to pay attention to and tip one’s hat at. My recommendation? Play it now. And play it again later. There’s literally nothing else like it. Purchasing the game will get you all the remaining chapters released as expansions. Enjoy the ride so far—and the suspense before the next drop.

Regardless of the game's quality when put side-by-side with its PC incarnation, however, The Witcher 2 on the 360 is definitely an incredibly well crafted and polished game with a few flaws that only rarely hinder the overall experience and prevent it from achieving perfection.

Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut puts a great game on a system that makes it portable, and that alone is laudable. Even if the multiplayer is boring and the new story content is redundant, the dub is strong enough to warrant sitting through every cutscene at least one more time. When a series with such an established structure and formula has a strong enough baseline to seem like it can’t go wrong, it can be difficult to sort out the true gems. Yakuza 0, and its Director’s Cut, are gems, end of story.

If the phenomenal storyline, eye-popping CG cinemas and soulful orchestration weren't enough, the plethora of gameplay nuances and player diversions are sure to make the most jaded gamer giggle like a school girl.

Hashihime’s ability to seamlessly move from comforting to discomforting—the real to the illusory, the silly to the serious, the average flaws to the critical—is as fluid as a river. It never shies away from the ugly, but that only makes its pristine moments shine all the more beautifully. Hashihime’s subjects and characters challenge readers by not being perfect, by being downright despicable at times, by acting as mirrors. At first glance, they seem to be funhouse mirrors, but upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that those reflections are the real deal. Locking eyes, it becomes impossible to look away, and Hashihime beckons to be experienced again. No matter how many times you dive back into those biting waters, Hashihime of the Old Book Town append leaves its chilling impact.

Videoverse has to be one of the most authentic time travel pieces of media I’ve ever experienced. I’ve played countless games that lean heavily on nostalgia—oftentimes cheaply—to try to make me feel like a kid again or at least like I was immersed in something similar to those RPGs of yore. Videoverse might be the only title to truly accomplish that.

Nightshade is a text-heavy otome visual novel with a whole lot of plot to uncover, and I enjoyed my time with it immensely! Enju's journey to find her true self and love is something both otome and ninja fans might find worthwhile if given a chance. Like Hakuoki, I'd even recommend Nightshade to those who aren't sure if otome is for them, as the plot has a lot more to offer than just the romance angle.

What makes Crisis Core so great isn't just one thing, it is many things. The presentation is the best I have seen on the PSP; the gameplay is simple and addictive with a great twist on the traditional JRPG, and the story is emotional and fulfilling.

You can count on Variable Barricade to treat you to highly enjoyable love interests that are surprising in the best ways, and span some fun and whacky romance tropes. You can trust it to provide an incredibly well-rounded cast of both love interests and secondary characters, in addition to a protagonist with her own capacity for engaging character growth. And you can be confident that it will have you grinning from ear to ear from start to finish. With Variable Barricade, I’ve found not only the cure for my own Resting Bitch Face syndrome, but a genuinely loveable title that’s permanently wormed its way into my heart. Yes, it’s a heart that’s been running on otome games for quite some time by now, but Variable Barricade stands out in all the right ways with its mix of uproarious humor and heartfelt romance. No matter what mood you enter in, you’ll leave and think back on Variable Barricade with a smile.

The two best games in the series with substantial added content packaged with one of the stupidest things the series has ever done.

I had my doubts about Birth by Sleep, and was prepared to call it quits for the series if this game didn't live up to expectations. However, Square Enix has delivered what is, in my opinion, the best Kingdom Hearts experience to date.

Overall, Jagged Alliance 3 is an impressive and endlessly entertaining production that not only revives an old series but does it justice in a more modern style. The story and characters make for another compelling entry in the series. Grand Chien is wholly believable as a vibrant nation, even though it’s non-existent. Combat is expertly converted to a 3-D environment, and there are so many strategic layers that it’s good to the last drop for the 50-ish hours it should take to complete. It’s easy to see how players could return time and again to check out all of the mercs and challenge themselves to level up the weaker ones. Haemimont Games wrung all the fun they could out of this system and served it up on a diamond-crusted platter. Jagged Alliance 3 gets the job done and even throws in a little extra. I love it when a plan comes together.

There is so much to love about Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, from its improvements to farming to its lovable cast and how its story calls back to previous Rune Factory plot elements. The game clearly loves its heritage just as much as it loves Japan, so it’s easy to love it back. Guardians of Azuma is by far the greatest Rune Factory game yet, thanks to its forward strides in farming and player expression. And while there are still some minor limitations to overcome, Rune Factory 6 has some massive shoes to fill. The best simulation games keep you coming back to maintain your personalized worlds, and Guardians of Azuma does just that, with flying colors of all the seasons.

Cheers to you, System Shock 2, for living up to your own hype. And cheers to you especially, Nightdive Studios, for bringing it back in such a loving, passionate way so that others may experience such a titan of gaming once again, or for the first time.

There are a few bumps along the road, but Trails of Cold Steel III is yet another excellent entry in the Legend of Heroes series. Longtime fans will find a lot to love about this game, from the smaller but stronger core cast and the intertwining of plot threads from previous arcs to the refined battle system and quality of life changes. Personally, I'm still reeling from the ending, so I'm definitely going to need a few more playthroughs to tide me over until Trails of Cold Steel IV makes its way Westward.

So long as those flaws don’t seem like deal breakers, Dynasty Warriors Origin is the easiest recommendation I’ve had in the mainline series. It’s got a more substantial format, more potent storytelling, and more engaging combat than the series has seen before. While individual elements of other games may stand out, Origins is the most complete package currently, even though it’s not the full Romance of the Three Kingdoms story. It’s the starting point for a direction we’ll almost certainly be seeing more of, and it’s a direction we’re lucky to have sitting ahead of us. As it stands, Dynasty Warriors Origins is the top of the mountain. It’s not to be missed.

This is a title that not only allows people sometimes unable to experience gaming a chance to do so, but it also provides an incredibly unique immersion experience and a different perspective to sighted gamers. A solid, engaging RPG lies at the heart of The Vale: Shadow of the Crown, one that proves to be a truly insightful experience for those who can play it.

Regardless of Future Connected, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is a must buy for all fans of RPGs, regardless of your history with the series. It is the perfect example of a remaster done right: it retains everything that is excellent about the original, but updates and smooths things in almost every important way. It's an amazing time to be a fan of the series, and I can't wait to see what Takahashi comes up with next.

Overall, I’m thoroughly impressed by Trails through Daybreak. I love the Trails series, but I did not expect to enjoy the start of this new story arc nearly as much as I did. The more mature and complex storyline, handled with surprising thoughtfulness and filled with believable characters, really drew me in. Given how enjoyable previous games were, most gameplay aspects are polished to a shine I wouldn’t have thought possible. Trails through Daybreak is easily one of the most robust starter games of the series and an almost perfect entry point for newcomers if they don’t want to start with Trails in the Sky FC. It might even be my new favorite game from the series, at least until Trails through Daybreak II comes out! I can even easily say without a shadow of a doubt that it’s by far the best game I’ve personally played this year. Fans should pick up Trails through Daybreak, as should anyone simply craving an excellently made and wonderfully written JRPG experience!

I am wildly pleased by every little thing this game had to offer, and I consider myself fortunate to be one of the millions of gamers who will laugh, cry, and fight their way through this exciting title.

The lack of ability to choose specific affection levels through the flowchart is a small price to pay for reaching the Salvation endings. Virche Evermore perfectly encapsulates feelings of despair and hope not only through its dark subject matter, but through its phenomenal foreshadowing and focus on bad endings before the good endings become available. While death reminds us of the life that preceded it, the endings of Virche Evermore -ErroR: Salvation- always harken back to content in the routes, the many twists and turns required to reach its endings, and it makes the anguish felt along the way worth it.

The Witcher is in better shape than ever, and gamers that played the original will be jealous of those who can enjoy the game for the first time in its higher form. Don't worry, though, as the Enhanced Edition gives Witcher veterans a perfect excuse to replay a sure-to-be classic.

Bottom line: if you want to play Final Fantasy, this is the way to do it. The quality of life changes are invaluable, the visuals are eye-catching, and the game plays as great as ever. Even a few hiccups can’t hold back a wonderful all-time classic.