Dark Souls 3 oozes loving detail at every seam, and is at the very height of craftsmanship in the action RPG genre. Sometimes it is too poised at being more of a greatest hits album of the franchise than a proper sequel, but maybe that was the intent. From Software knows how dearly fans love this series, and they have reciprocated that love tenfold with this game. Dark Souls taught us that nothing lasts forever. From the largest star to the smallest bonfire, sooner or later every fire fizzles out. For now at least, it is time to bid farewell to this franchise, and Dark Souls 3 is as wonderful a send off as any we could have hoped for.

Though it borrows and evolves many of its foundations from other previous titles, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 finds numerous ways to distinguish itself from the rest. Its battle system has an ocean of depth, but it is genuinely fun to experiment with all the options it provides to players. I think the title is perfectly fine as a standalone experience to newcomers, but returning Xenoblade players will certainly be rewarded in several ways. For those that have stuck with Executive Director Tetsuya Takahashi’s grand Xeno project since Xenogears, there are numerous winks and nods in store for them too. I strongly believe that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a modern JRPG masterpiece.

With Cyberpunk 2077 version 2.0 and Phantom Liberty combined, the result is undeniable: this game is excellent. The original game is drastically improved, if not transformed, by the combination of the free 2.0 and paid Phantom Liberty additions. Meanwhile, Phantom Liberty itself is an all-time great expansion, taking all of the best elements of Cyberpunk 2077 and cranking them all up to eleven into an excellent stand-alone narrative in its own right. If Cyberpunk 2077 had released in this state, it might’ve been lauded as an instant classic, an all-time great - but the fact that this has arrived two years late shouldn’t detract too much from the strength of the experience.

Despite some of my misgivings with the challenge available or the storyline itself, I still come away quite fond of Fire Emblem: Three Houses largely due to is characters and world. As I write this review, I am eager to return to the game to finish up the remaining routes as soon as I can get around to them.

Destiny 2: The Final Shape is a near-perfect conclusion to Destiny's first major story arc; here's hoping this can be an opportunity to open the floodgates for new players going forward.

The fact that Disco Elysium - The Final Cut is now in a good state makes me incredibly happy because it means I can scream from the rooftops how much I want people to play this game. Not only did its gameplay mechanics surprise me with just how much variety they offer, and how much fun they are to mess around with, but its world, story, and characters are second to none in the world of gaming. I haven't stopped thinking about Disco Elysium since I put it down, and I am very excited to go back to Revachol and craft my detective's identity all over again.

I took approximately thirty-five hours to complete Horizon Zero Dawn’s main story, but the first thing I did after I finished was dive right back in. There were still exciting quests to do, gorgeous places to discover, and fascinating characters to meet. I’m still falling in love with this world and all the magnificent things it has to offer. Guerrilla Games has created something truly impressive and memorable with their first dive into the genre, and I have only endless excitement for all that’s in store for the future of this universe.

Despite the noise, I think Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is a remarkable RPG that offers a role-playing style not often seen. It does everything that a sequel should do, polishing up the rough edges of the original game and improving the scope while making smart adjustments to the gameplay. Combining dense RPG systems with immersive style and immersive cinematic aptitude, it's a strong showing for Warhorse.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is an absolute triumph in nearly every sense of the word. It's a bold and brave leap forward for RPGs, inviting you to come along for an unforgettable journey that will be uniquely yours.

Just like its predecessor, AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative is full of heart, hilariously self-aware, and reflective on the style of writing that built the foundation that built the Somnium Files series. Both AI games are deeply personal, subversive, and reflective works, some of my favorite games in the genre. Now that we have one miracle sequel that ended up great, I could go for another one in a few years.

The combat and the RPG systems are fun and interesting, but what will likely stick with you from Automata is its thematic strength. You might be pulling off bad-ass combos in slick, speedy combat, but the game can also give you pause to muse about the existential philosophies it posits and questions - that's a special thing indeed. Backed by an excellent battle system thanks to Platinum, Automata is Yoko Taro’s magnum opus - and it's one of the best games I’ve ever played.

Monster Hunter Wilds may very well end up the best game in the franchise once all is said and done, and I definitely hope that ends up being the case. For now, however, Monster Hunter Wilds is merely a solid entry in the series that will only grow better over time. Exactly how far it will grow is anyone's guess; but I wouldn't dream of discounting how Capcom can take the game from here.

Replaying Final Fantasy Tactics has reaffirmed and strengthened my belief that this is one of the best strategy RPGs ever created. Its complex and engrossing story, multi-faceted characters, and flexible gameplay remain a masterclass that has rarely been surpassed in the nearly 30 years since we took our first steps into Ivalice and the boots of Ramza Beoulve. The Ivalice Chronicles, with its enhancements, has managed to make a version that is a vastly more approachable and understandable product, while not detracting in the slightest from what longtime players remember and expect. The inclusion of the original title is just the cherry on top. While there are a few subtle tweaks or settings I would love to see added, I can’t imagine ever playing Final Fantasy Tactics again without using the Ivalice Chronicles version. Final Fantasy Tactics and the Zodiac Brave Story remain one of the best titles in Square Enix’s vast library of classics.

For my money XCOM 2 is one of the finest strategy games out there. The free-form nature of its plot and its surprisingly seamless randomly generated mission maps lends itself perfectly to replays and speed-runs - to cut a long story short, there's a lot of different ways to play this game - and a few game overs on the way to your first completion is also all part of the plan.

Better than its capable predecessor, with further room to grow, beautiful Horizon Forbidden West is the rare game that compels me to think my deepest thoughts not for what it is, but for what its franchise can become. The qualitative gap between this pair is enough to make me wonder if a third installment — let’s label it Horizon the Third for now and be thankful for something smarter when it's inevitably announced a few years down the road — can deliver the masterpiece this setting so richly deserves.

Vanillaware has handled 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim's Switch port with the utmost care and, with some of the changes, may even be better than the PS4 version. While I was hoping that Vanillaware would go back and add in a couple of new scenes that they had previously cut out of the game, I will also happily take the changes to Destruction mode. Now that a Switch version is available, I am hoping more people will get to experience this masterpiece of modern gaming. 13 Sentinels flew under the radar on PS4, so now I'm hoping the spotlight will be on this excellent game after word of mouth has spread. If you love RPGs, have an affinity for excellent stories, are in the mood for some good brain exercise, or just looking for a nice 30-hour experience in gaming, look no further than 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim.

There’s a framework of a great game here, and the changes and additions to the formula belay what feels like an even more significant step forward for the series than Monster Hunter: World. But that promise hasn’t yet come to fruition. I’m sure that one day Monster Hunter: Rise will be my favorite game in the series, but the road to reach that destination has only started. As for now, we’re left with an entry that ticks almost all of the boxes, but with some glaring exceptions. Monster Hunter: Rise is a great game; but it can, and should, be a fantastic one.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a good re-release of a good game, and adjustments made only improve upon it in small but substantial ways. It's an easy recommendation for general audiences and RPG fans. Now, where's my Luigi in Waffle Kingdom RPG?

Monster Hunter: World is a staggeringly interesting game, with a breadth of content and plenty complex mechanical options, it's a perfect fit for the PC gaming enthusiasts that like like to lose themselves in a game for months at a time. The port may have come a good tick after the console versions, but the wait was largely worth it. While the slight performance issues and crashing are a disappointment, Capcom has already committed to fixing these problems. If you have been eagerly awaiting this version of the game, don't let some slight technical issues hold yold back from picking it up.

With both the introduction Class Halls and the revamped Honor System, as well as the inclusion of the new Demon Hunter hero class, there’s something for all end-game players to experience.

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is a memorable title with a strong identity, cohesive mechanics, and a gripping world that rewards players willing to invest the time to master its systems and truly inhabit the world it puts forth.

Nioh creates its own distinct persona with ingenious game design, beautiful art direction, fascinating storytelling, aggressive combat, and enormous amount of content to enjoy.

Atlus should be applauded, and I can’t think of another remake that has walked that fine line so well between keeping true to the source material and adding just enough to bring it more in line with modern games. Persona 3 Reload is a spectacular example of a remake done right - and hopefully if we get an enhanced version of Reload one day, we will finally get a definitive version of the Persona 3 experience that includes both the female protagonist and The Answer epilogue.

At its best, Final Fantasy VII Remake is a loving, painstakingly meticulous reimagining of the original. While not every new facet is equally inspired, it remains an exuberant reminder of why it originally captivated so many.

I think Astral Chain is a special game. There’s not anything else that’s quite like it and I admire how much it shakes up the PlatinumGames formula. It doesn’t fully succeed at everything it sets out to do, but the foundation is solid enough to improve upon. Astral Chain is an exhilarating ride that never let go of me once it clicked. If it ever sees a follow-up that irons out its problems, then PlatinumGames may truly have another new classic on the horizon.

The result is a vibrant, energetic game in a manner Pokemon hasn't managed since Gold & Silver. Sun & Moon have clearly been made with a love and reverence for the series' past but also, crucially, with an eye on evolution. It's all the better for it.

Not everything comes together in an ideal way, but this is a journey I won’t soon forget. FF16 was able to excel in many of the most important aspects of what video games mean to me - and because of that I found it hard not to love in spite of its shortcomings and foibles.

When it comes to looking at remakes and remasters, the one question you really have to ask is, does this improve upon the original game? Thanks to a beautiful presentation, fantastic gameplay that more than holds up today and some significant gameplay tweaks, Link’s Awakening shows that old-school Zelda has just as much of a place in contemporary gaming as it did back in 1993.