Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 may not be a ‘perfect’ game, but it was the ‘perfect’ game for me. It’s a game that left me awestruck with its unique setting and melodies, enthralled with its characters and world, hooked and held me with its gameplay, and has left me eagerly anticipating news of when I can return. This game is a celebration of the RPG genre made by a team whose heart and soul were poured into every aspect of the game. While some design decisions may not resonate with all players, Sandfall Interactive should be incredibly proud of their creation.

Persona 5 Royal isn’t just my favorite Atlus re-release, it might just be my new favorite Atlus game of all time.

I cannot recommend Dragon Quest XI enough. It has the best story for the series in ages, giving new players and veterans a reason to engage with the game world and connect with the characters that live in it. The RPG manages to walk the fine line between old-school style and modern upgrades, creating gameplay that is both familiar and refreshing. Dragon Quest XI is not only the best game of the long-running series, it’s one of the best JRPGs in recent years that I’ve played. Whether this is your first Dragon Quest game or you’re a series veteran, you owe yourself to play this game.

Shadow of the Erdree is an excellent expansion to Elden Ring. Even when I was frustrated trying to find the hidden paths toward new zones, I was still exploring and discovering completely new things instead — there is almost no wasted space, and the game never feels like it was wasting my time. It's the perfect ending for a nearly perfect game.

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.

SaGa Scarlet Grace is an RPG that took a lot of risks, to be sure, but the end result is a fascinating RPG that you won't truly find anywhere else - one that you owe it to yourself to play. Even SaGa's normally obtuse nature isn't nearly as much of a barrier this time around, as the game comes included with Tips that can help you get started with the world. Scarlet Grace is easily the best RPG I've played this year, and might just be the most memorable game that I've played in a very long time.

It’s almost ridiculous, then, what’s been achieved here. Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t without its technical wrinkles, but it’s a full-fledged, fully fleshed-out, absolutely massive title with lofty production values across the board. That Larian Studios has intentionally willed something like this into the world at a time when AAA projects in this vein are so scarce only helps it shine, and serves as a fine reminder that the genre doesn’t need to transform, no matter what some publishers may believe - it just needs to adapt, to evolve, and to boldly present a compelling and cohesive vision all its own. And be thought-provoking. And have witty banter. And look really pretty. And let us get told off by territorial squirrels...No pressure on your next project, Larian.

It recieves such a score and such praise because of how confidently it tackles its premise. There's nothing else quite like it, and if you’re a fan of visual novels and creative storytelling in video games you definitely shouldn't miss 428: Shibuya Scramble.

Dragon Quest XI isn't going to be a game that is going to win any award on innovation, but it is a game that has great fundamentals on what makes a traditional RPG good and does it perfectly. If you have already played the previous release of Dragon Quest XI on PS4 or PC, there are plenty of quality of life changes added here to give it the Definitive Edition tag and Dragon Quest XI S is a must-have title for anyone's game library. However, I feel the newly added content doesn't really add all that much if you have previously beaten Dragon Quest XI from last year, so you're basically paying a full-price game for quality of life improvements. If this is important to you, then you should get this right away, and if you haven't played it before, this is one of the best RPGs of this generation and the perfect port on the Nintendo Switch.

Hades II is a triumph in every way, and the degree to which the studio has built on the original makes it feel like we have gotten two sequels in one.

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.

If Monster Hunter: World was Capcom ambitiously reinventing Monster Hunter for a current-generation home console, then Iceborne has been them aggressively laying the groundwork for the series’ future, confident in the game that they have created. It’s rare that you see a company pour this much time and budget into a simple expansion, let alone a little more than a year and a half after a game’s release. Not only is Iceborne the largest expansion that the series has ever seen, it no longer remains a question if Monster Hunter: World is the best that the series has to offer. With Iceborne’s release, there’s simply no contest.

Fantasy Life i feels like meeting a friend after a decade and experiencing firsthand how they've grown and flourished in life after some ups and downs. I don't know how Level-5 managed to do it, but Fantasy Life i might just be one of my favorite games of all time, and one I can always count on to improve my mood. It perfectly captures what made the original great, builds on it, and delivers a gigantic RPG that oozes charm in every facet.

Additionally, in my experience replaying the game on PC, the new release is remarkably more stable and performant than when we had played the original relaese on Apple TV 4K (2021). We experienced no crashes on any of our PC systems, and performance was strong enough that we are confident that any reasonable PC setup will have absolutely no issues playing the game. Finally, additional improvements such as the new voice acting have had a profound impact on the game's presentation during key scenes, particularly memories. All put together, Fantasian was already a game we were confident in giving our RPG of the Year 2021, and Neo Dimension has thoroughly polished things to a shine. We are proud to give Fantasian: Neo Dimension our coveted 10 out of 10.

You'll struggle to find a more complete, self-assured, forward-thinking, and simply joyous example of the modern JRPG than this. Persona 5 knows what it is and is unashamed about it. The result is a game that, for all its themes about imprisonment and societal slavery, is free of shackles itself. That freedom makes it series-defining, genre-defining, and a must-play.

Trails 1st is the type of RPG I can definitively point towards and say “This is a must play.” It’s up there with Dragon Quest XI as a fantastic entry into RPGs for newcomers, as well as a master-class in RPG design for genre veterans. The world, the characters, the progression — everything just flows extremely well. It’s not often that developers get a second crack at an existing game, and remakes can sometimes miss the mark, but I feel more than satisfied as a new player with the game, and am eager to see what comes next. Now begins the long (but not too long) wait for the Trails 2nd remake. Maybe I’ll check out some of the older Legend of Heroes games while I wait...

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.

This is the most special game Nintendo has made in years - especially for the core game playing audience. It's certainly the most important, interesting and exciting Zelda since OoT and LttP. It is a new all-time classic.

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.

While built around the framework of its predecessor, Tears of the Kingdom cleverly recontextualizes the world and systems of this iteration of Hyrule. Through that it is fresh, thrilling, and one of the best games in recent memory. It's also every bit as ground-breaking as its predecessor.

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.

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a spectacular experience from start to finish. Myriad improvements to combat, utterly compelling side activities, and a plotline-enriching dual protagonist setup make this a brilliant and beefy package. A thorough first playthrough took me over 80 hours to finish. Infinite Wealth is incredible, and stands as one of if not the best game RGG Studio has ever made.

For me Hades represents one of those magical moments where a game takes you completely by surprise. For a long time Hades wasn’t even on my radar despite the pedigree of its developers - but now it’s easily standing as one of my games of the year and something I consider absolutely essential for fans of the roguelike genre, Greek mythology, emergent storytelling or all of the above.

I was always a fan of Theatrhythm, but returning to the franchise on the Switch I was struck by how little I could find to complain about this most recent release. As both a Square Enix fan, as well as a rhythm game junkie, it's hard to argue against the idea that this is almost a perfect game. While much of the experience of playing Theatrhythm obviously pulls on the nostalgia that players have for these games, it's far from a title that feels like it only exists solely for that nostalgia. When playing it the love and care that the developers have for the franchise and its history is infectious, and even in the short period I've had with the game thus far, I can already see myself returning to it again and again whenever the mood strikes me. Final Bar Line is a triumph in every sense of the word.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is truly one of the most unique games I have ever played through. My 35 hours with Vanillaware’s latest title is something I wish I got back because I want to play it again for the first time. Kamitani explores so many interesting sci-fi ideas and philosophies in this title and they come together to form something magical. None of this would be nearly as impactful without the unconventional piecemeal storytelling scattered throughout the 13 protagonists’ perspectives. It is a narrative labyrinth that kept me intrigued the entire way. The execution of this game is masterful in its own right, fully utilizing what video game storytelling could be capable of. While the RTS battles drew the short end of the stick, what 13 Sentinels achieves in storytelling for video games is something to be celebrated and commemorated.

Whether or not Radiant Historia needed a re-release, and even if the new story content is a bit superfluous, the core of the game is as wonderful as it was before. Several quality-of-life tweaks simply make a good game better, and whether you're playing for the first time or just want to revisit a favorite, Perfect Chronology is worth picking up.

Atelier Lulua is one of the more new player friendly titles of the series yet, tweaking mechanics to be more intuitive than previous entries. Also, as a long-time fan of the series, it was great to return to Arland and learn more about the world and characters. Atelier Lulua is one of the better Atelier titles in recent years, and it’s worth picking up for any fan of the series.