The Witcher 2 is everything that a good sequel should be. A continued story, yet one told differently and one that touches difference spheres of meaning. Restrained and realistic references to the original. Riskier, grittier, more confident presentation and design.

I’m still impressed by how at home Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter feels in its new form two decades down the line. It’s the opening act of an epic, long-running narrative and yet manages to feel down-to-earth and personal. It maintains its tone while updating it to a modern standard of presentation, and despite the stumbles in its dialogue, its characters are relentlessly charming. It’s more than just a great game—it’s a great starting point for a celebrated series, and that’s an utterly invaluable quality for one as daunting as this.

A world that demands your attention, Shadowrun endures long after the finale.

A refreshing re-imagining of the beginning of Final Fantasy VII, Remake is at times wonderful but at others audacious, and I'm here for the ride.

It's a fun game with a cute story and a difficulty level that will welcome casual players. It also offers enough variability and special features to make JRPG fiends rejoice.

With Pokémon X and Y, Nintendo may have become their worst enemy; they've outdone themselves so much that it's difficult to see how the series could get any better.

What Jeanne d'Arc lacks in originality it makes up for in its polish. It's an all around solid strategy RPG that anyone into that genre will eat up and enjoy.

I had high hopes for Sea of Stars from the moment I first laid eyes on it, and I’m pleased to report that it has lived up to just about all of my expectations. It’s gorgeous, fun to play, has a great cast and story, and the music is a joy to listen to. Whether you are looking for a nostalgic experience inspired by classic RPGs or simply a great RPG in its own right, look no further than Sea of Stars.

Steins;Gate is one of the finest visual novels translated to date. If you are a fan of Japanese culture and/or time travel plots, you will love this game.

A seamless and exhilarating meshing of two entirely different genres.

Kathy Rain may not be an exceptional point-and-click adventure game, but it’s far from mediocre. The five or so hours of playtime provide you with a compelling story, interesting characters, and some very nice pixel art. I enjoyed my first playthrough back in 2016, and I enjoyed my playthrough of the Director’s Cut today. Though there isn’t a massive amount of new content, the additional gameplay polish, voice acting, widescreen backgrounds, and puzzles make this the definitive version to play. If you’re looking for a shorter-form adventure game (and as I’ve said in the past, not every game needs to be a 30-hour epic), then Kathy Rain: Director’s Cut is a solid choice!

Despite my stance on how ATLUS chooses to sell their games, I’m glad that this version exists. I’m a big fan of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an in-depth turn-based game. The game’s atmosphere and themes are unlike anything anyone else is doing, and its brand of post-apocalyptic melancholy juxtaposes masterfully with its serene catharsis.

Despite my gripes (including a few frivolous ones I didn't mention), Pokémon Sun and Moon are great games that take X/Y's base and create a vivid new world with its own special culture and unique features.

The game is far from perfect, but it does prove that there can be fluid, legitimate choices in a digital form and still have things make sense.

In closing, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together appeals to a very specific demographic: the serious fan of the SRPG. It is time- and energy-intensive, but the reward is immensely worthwhile.

To speak of entrancing elements, head writer Jake Elliott has taken nearly ten years to spin the intoxicating yarn present in this game. He is frequently fussy in his prose (and obtuse in proximity to reality) throughout Kentucky Route Zero but nonetheless deserves a massive amount of praise. He runs with each environmental detail and every stray thought presented by the main characters, giving them ample space to breathe and worm their way into your thoughts. The excellent dialogue and theming are well-supported by Tamas Kemenczy’s polygonal vector art visuals, which suffuse each scene with a haunting beauty fit for this weary, broken world. The characters are blank-faced, but they require no expressions to communicate their state of being with clarity and appropriate gravitas.

So, yes, Final Fantasy XVI may not be entirely “new,” but it’s bold in a way Final Fantasy has never been. It’s meticulous, it wants to thrill, and it wants you to feel. All of this combined makes Final Fantasy XVI a new high-water mark for the series, and I don’t expect it will be matched for many entries to come.

There were moments where I was swept up in its brilliance and the open-ended design. Then there were moments where I was so sick of doing yet another variation of one of the game's three standard fetch quests that I wanted to cry. In the end, the positives outweighed the negatives.

If you've never been impressed with Pokémon games the newest entries will likely not change your mind, but if you enjoy visiting the world time and again and wouldn't mind revisiting the land of Johto, you can't go wrong with Heart Gold and Soul Silver.

An incredible remake of one of the greatest adventures Nintendo has ever released, Link's Awakening is a must-have for anyone who owns a Switch.

This HD remake brings all the beauty and fun of the original to several new platforms, and while there are a few issues (such as the camera and the annoying voices), the strength of the overall package makes it easier to ignore them in favor of all the things the game does right. Whether you're a fan of the original PS2 version or someone who has never played the game before, Ōkami HD is absolutely worth adding to your library.

Despite my gripes (including a few frivolous ones I didn't mention), Pokémon Sun and Moon are great games that take X/Y's base and create a vivid new world with its own special culture and unique features.

Conquest is very lucky that its gameplay and localization are so excellent, because its tired story leaves much to be desired.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks brings little new to the franchise, and that would be fine if what it did introduce wasn't tedious and clumsy. The train is an abomination. And, while there are good puzzles and fun dungeons, everything seems a little tired, brief, and empty.

Afternoon of Darkness features a fast startup time, even faster game loading times, and almost unbelievably fast level loading times (under 2 seconds), all of which just add to the many reasons why this port is a great fit for the PSP.

If you've never been impressed with Pokémon games the newest entries will likely not change your mind, but if you enjoy visiting the world time and again and wouldn't mind revisiting the land of Johto, you can't go wrong with Heart Gold and Soul Silver.

Quite simply, Dragon Age: Origins is the first true 100 hour console RPG I have ever seen. When it ends, you'll shed a tear. And if you don't, you may not be human.

It's one of the more groundbreaking games to come out this year, especially considering many of the uninspired titles making their way to the Wii.