Having played Fortnite, Apex Legends, PUBG, and other battle royales extensively, I can safely say Call of Duty: Warzone does a lot of things that really make me happy.

Although I did experience some technical issues during cutscenes, like screen-tearing and occasional audio glitches, the rest of the journey went off without a hitch. The comedic story and dialogue are delivered with just the right amount of wit and whimsy, with zany characters that are brought to life with solid vocal performances. While the combat leaves some room for improvement, the dynamic puzzles, inventive hero skills, and visual splendor more than make up for its minor shortcomings. Whether you’re a long-time fan of the Trine series or simply have a penchant for co-op puzzles and are looking for a new challenge, Trine 5 does not disappoint.

Sniper Elite 5 is a game that knows exactly what it is, and delivers on all fronts. The x-ray kills are as good as ever, and improvements to stealth and level design make the campaign enjoyable between the moments where you’re shooting through a guy’s eyeball. The Axis Invasion mode adds an entirely new dynamic to multiplayer, which still features the standard modes for a more traditional experience. It’s hard to imagine fans of the series not being satisfied with what’s there in Sniper Elite 5.

Elden Ring Nightreign isn’t your dad’s Dark Souls game. It’s not a slow, methodical, and exploration-driven experience. It is high octane, caffeine into the veins, run until you drop. The game kept me up at night, well past my bedtime, as I tried to clear just one more Expedition – maybe this next run would be the one. I went to sleep with it on my mind and woke up ready to dive back in. Even after rolling credits, I wanted to get in and keep playing. FromSoftware has done it again.

Toem has you take your time, frame things up, put the zoom on proper, and take as many tries as you’d like to get it right with good music to accompany the process. It’s a short-lived expedition and can get choppy on the switch when there’s a lot going on in an area, but it’s still a charming experience I very much enjoyed my time with. I wouldn’t mind seeing more games take this more carefree route to a photographic experience in video games.

Skin Deep is a neat, little game that takes recognizable gameplay conventions from immersive sims and repackages them into something smaller and sillier. Rather than gathering garbage, crafting endlessly, listening to pretentious audio logs and grappling with awkward combat physics in dark corridors, you’re doing similar things but in a framework more like The Three Stooges in colorful boxes with weird, blocky cats everywhere. It’s familiar yet distinct, and legitimately funny despite repeating the same three or so jokes over and over again. Combat’s still fumbly, though, and the parts asking you to do more of that are a buzzkill.

Battlefield 4 doesn't break any molds, but whether you're making your way through the glossed-up campaign or burning scores of hours battling online, there's always a strong underlying sense of anxiety and uncertainty. You simply never feel safe. All the great things you remember about the series like realistic ballistics, balanced vehicles, and solid gunplay are here.

From gameplay and replay value, to the overhauled story and environments, Resident Evil 3 is a masterpiece.

Invincible Presents: Atom Eve didn’t change my views on superheroes. I don’t think I’ll start following the Invincibles comics or even seek out more of Eve’s other adventures. I will, however, still be playing Atom Eve to find every interaction and see how Eve’s story changes with my choices with the hope that this isn’t the last such effort we see from Terrible Posture.

Doom on Switch is a triumph of the human spirit. It is just one more feather in Nintendo’s cap as third party developers are flocking to the Switch. Panic Button deserves extremely high praise for this port. It may not be perfect, but Doom on Switch offers players a new way to play one of the finest shooters to come out in recent history. The ability to pick it up and play for short bursts outweighs many of the technical limitations.

A challenging puzzle platformer with excellent level design and art style.

Kirby Air Riders is a beefy Switch 2 racer that’s constantly shifting gears, and it’s a damn good time behind the wheel.

Nobody Saves the World cleverly plays on RPG tropes, poking fun while injecting them with new life thanks to interesting mechanics that keep gameplay fresh. The story expertly balances humor and seriousness, and the world is gorgeous enough that you always feel encouraged to keep exploring. Drinkbox Studios delivers its best work yet and one of the early hits of 2022 with Nobody Saves the World.

Horizon Call of the Mountain has value in the sheer fact that it puts you behind the eyes of a character in the Horizon universe that’s not Aloy. Taking in the beauty around me at all times was a treat in this game and I liked the interactivity Guerrilla and Firesprite implemented in this experience. I liked bonking drums and throwing pottery around as much as I liked assembling fire arrows and shooting them into a machine’s opticals. I wish the game didn’t rely so much on climbing, but even in that, it provides a pretty intense and immersive experience. The game isn’t without hiccups, and it won’t give you the same vast freedom the mainline games do, but Horizon Call of the Mountain is still a breathtaking VR adventure, a fun side chapter in Horizon lore, and a great kickoff to the PS VR2’s original lineup of games.

There hasn't been a game in 2018 that's made me smile as much as Pit People. It's a weird world, where things get strange and quirky fast, but it's one that's absolutely worth exploring.

Pacific Drive is a mystery that draws you in little by little and rewards you for staying dedicated with both a better vehicle and more ridiculous threats. Every excursion left me wondering just what I’d discover, both from survival and story standpoints, as well as what kind of crazy threats were going to try to make my life harder. Fun and interesting characters and a pretty great soundtrack help to keep things fun, but maintaining the station wagon is easily the most compelling part. It’s your best friend through thick and thin, even if it’s trying to eat your mind. That can be somewhat forgiven since it makes up the core of an ultimately great rogue-lite survival game.

I wish the soundtrack had cooked a little hotter, but it’s hard to ask for much more than that out of a sequel that is otherwise improved this much. I don’t know if Nintendo will treat Age of Imprisonment as canon, but if it’s the final ribbon on the Breath of Wild era, it’s a dang good one…Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is both an excellent companion to Tears of the Kingdom and another fantastic evolution of the Musou style.

It’s worth noting that you’re still at the mercy of luck with the utterly randomized rooms and some runs can just plain out feel dirty while some have rewards galore, but it mostly feels fair. We say mostly because it felt like there was some hit and collision detection at times with finnicky spikes and holes in the floor that made for what felt like a few cheap deaths. Even so, it’s not enough to detract massively from the overall satisfying experience of adventure and progress that UnderMine provides.

Those looking for a new free-to-play activity to add to their list can certainly do worse than Omega Strikers. It may not be anything revolutionary to the table, but it's enough of a good time that it's worth a few pick-up rounds, especially given its availability across numerous platforms.

Halo Wars didn't rewrite the RTS playbook, and Halo Wars 2 is unlikely to bring on many converts who weren't convinced by the first attempt. In many ways this is an iterative sequel, with new units and balance, and a handful of additions. The campaign is well-made and the multiplayer shines thanks largely to Blitz Mode. It's a streamlined take on a genre that has faded even more in recent years, but in its own way, Halo Wars 2 is still carrying the flame.

Some movies work better in theaters. Some games work better on bleeding-edge hardware. The stars have aligned and a premium Crysis experience is available for the masses. There’s never been a better time to put on the NanoSuit than right now.

Some surprising quality-of-life additions, like the simultaneous Doominate prompts, add to an already solid package in that area. Plus, it's always easy and fun to dive into games as an audience member. The Jackbox Party Pack 11 may not go down as Jackbox Games' best overall package, but the effort to mix up the party themes is at least appreciated.

Anger Foot has a laser-targeted feel to its approach, and I can certainly see a specific group of FPS sickos losing their minds over it. There are tons of challenge, built-in speedrunning, and lots of flashing colors. There’s enough toilet humor to decimate an underfunded transit station bathroom, too. But if you fall outside of those extremely specific (and smelly) parameters, potential interest in Anger Foot is going to plummet. I don’t see the humor being enough to encourage casual audiences to stick around, even with the ability to turn dying off. Personally, I’m happy to wash my hands, uh, literally.

Much like its namesake, Wildfire takes a while to kick off, but once the perfect conditions are met, it can be chaos. The unique abilities make for interesting moments, which is needed thanks to the often monotonous stealth systems that plague the game. For those looking for a neat game to play co-op, you’ll find it in Wildfire.

While FIFA 20 is bogged down by the same issues that have plagued it for years, it does enough to set itself apart as a worthy installment.

I never thought we’d see love for Darkstalkers again outside of something like another Vs. Capcom game. Not only am I happy to have been wrong, but I’m glad it came in such generally high quality as Capcom has given us here in the Capcom Fighting Collection. More than that, having Red Earth, Cyberbots, and Super Puzzle Fighter alongside options like training modes, one-button specials, and other quality-of-life features is just excellent. I lament the lack of crossplay, and some might not be fond of the arcade-hard mentality of some of these games. Still, Capcom Fighting Collection is a delicious buffet of classic fighting goodness that plays quite well across the board.

The Blizzard Arcade Collection isn't a perfect compilation by any means, but for the advancements that Blizzard made on some of these games without compromising the old-school visuals make it a must-own. The Museum is also a fun look back at the making of some of these old gems. Rock N Roll Racing by itself is more than worth the price of admission, but The Lost Vikings and Blackthorne are such unique time capsules of old-school Blizzard design that they're worth experiencing.

It's a friendly introduction for people like me, a flexible platform for hardcore players, and all-around the best version of Planeswalkers yet. Wizards of the Coast and developer Stainless Games have made a great showpiece for an enduring classic of a card game.