Persona 3 Reload is a complete reimagining of the original. It feels just as modern as Persona 5, although it is less complex it does not feel rushed or less engaging. The developers managed to combine the best elements of the third and fifth episode into a remake that feels completely fresh. Beyond the grindy nature of Tartarus there are no real negative aspects to mention. Persona 3 Reload looks better, works better and plays better than the original, making it a must play for the fans of the series.

Few fighting games offer enticing background stories without neglecting the multiplayer aspect. Injustice 2 provides a balanced gameplay experience for both single and multiplayer fans, which I believe is its strongest quality. The amount of content is huge and can satisfy just about any type of gamer that wants to try it out.

Monster Train 2 is a successful follow-up to a very good game. The aim is not to take risks and try to remake the card-focused combat experience but to find ways to make it more engrossing for fans. The variety, which starts with clans and hero upgrade paths and extends to cards, upgrades, and artifacts, will keep players coming back to craft new strategies and fashion their unique way of taking the Titans down. The limited narrative and the uneven presentation might make it hard for newcomers to enjoy the combat. Even genre veterans will be surprised by some of the milestones they have to hit to unlock all the content. Still, Monster Train 2 creates engaging and fun runs and will reward players who are willing to invest their time and attention.

An innovative roguelike experience that deserves praise for its rhythm-matching system as well as for its mechanics that add replayability and encourage players to keep going even during the most difficult of stages. However, if you want to unlock more characters and really enjoy the game, prepare to spend a lot of time with it.

Final Fantasy XVI is one of those very rare masterpieces with issues. Developed by a stellar team, the game shines when it comes to story and combat, but fails in other aspects like narrative structure, itemization and RPG elements. Featuring an enthralling story and gripping characters that scream Game of Thrones, Final Fantasy XVI is an emotional ride from start to finish. With more than 10 hours of cinematic cutscenes and an amazing soundtrack, Final Fantasy XVI is a feast for the senses. And the best thing is that you don’t even have to have played any of the previous Final Fantasy games to enjoy the latest entry. Final Fantasy XVI is a must-play regardless of whether or not you like action RPGs.

Dragon Ball FighterZ truly is one of the best fighting games made in a long time hands down, so I'd suggest anyone who's into the genre get it sooner rather than later.

Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening perfectly evokes the original game's presentation on the Game Boy, while bringing the visuals up to date using ingenious toy-like character and diorama world designs. With a top-notch presentation and charming gameplay, Link's Awakening is the living proof that any good game, no matter how old it is, can be revived and brought to new audiences.

The team at Dinosaur Polo Club clearly has a knack for creating stripped-down but beautiful graphics and for simplifying mechanics down to their essence, which is a clear strength for a title that aims for success on mobile devices. But in order to make Mini Motorways engaging on other platforms, they needed to introduce a new mechanic or a new way to tackle the traffic challenge to add to the depth of the experience.

Tombwater is very good at mixing two very different inspirations into a coherent experience. Bloodborne, moved into two dimensions, supplies the core combat mechanics, the feeling of eerie transformation, the magic system, and the fire. The Wild West brings in the characters, the dusty town, and the taciturn main character. Anyone who loves both will have a lot of fun exploring this world, discovering its past, conquering its many challenges, and developing their combat abilities. It helps that players have the option to make the game easier in the Settings menu once they start their adventure. Tombwater can be frustrating at times, but its core combination of ideas is very good.

The writing, arguably the most important part of any role-playing game, is solid and surprising, humorous at times, and full of gravitas when the action calls for it; there is a ton of innovation as far as the character system goes, which also translates into gameplay mechanics, the interactions with the game world are rich and rewarding, and there is overall a lot of thinking involved in playing through it.

If you've played any of Wadjet Eye's games, you're probably used to the pixel art and the low resolution, but Unavowed is an exception since it has twice the resolution of a typical game released by the studio. Moreover, the jazzy and blues accords perfectly fit the supernatural theme and the New York City landscapes. Also, once again, the voice acting is top-notch, but wouldn't even expect less from Wadjet Eye.

Lumines Arise is one of those games that will automatically make a great impression, thanks to its visuals and music, but also the engaging gameplay. This iteration of Lumines Arise might be its Ultimate version, since you get to enjoy those amazing levels with a brand-new presentation along with a variety of game modes for you to check out. There’s also VR support, which I didn’t get to try, but many players already consider that the best way to play the game for excellent immersion. Even without playing in VR, it’s clear that a lot of care and attention went into creating this modern version of Lumines. Visuals are exceptional, the soundtrack is along one of the best I’ve listened to in recent times, and the gameplay is great, albeit a tad repetitive as you get towards the latter part of the Journey. Still, if you have even the slightest interest in Tetris, Lumines or similar games, this is a must-play.

NBA 2K16 is a great sports simulation, a title packed with content that will allow basketball lovers to live out their fantasies, create some impressive matches, and experience presentation that rivals real-world broadcasts. The only major problem with the package is that the Livin' Da Dream narrative is relatively poor, given the hype associated with the involvement of Spike Lee, and some people might actually give up on MyCareer early because of it.

Tales of Arise is a successfully comeback story. It’s definitely one of the most refreshing Tales game and probably one of the best JRPGs launched in 2021. I’m not sure if Bandai Namco planned to make the Tales franchise mainstream, but that’s something that Tales of Arise manage to achieve, and that’s probably the best compliment I can give the game. My only concern is related to how Bandai Namco chose to advertise the paid DLC in-game, which consists of cosmetic items and spice up your adventures through Dahna. Resting in camps will always run an advert in the right corner, which totally breaks immersion. Other than that, I believe Tales of Arise is not just the best game in the Tales series, but also one of the best titles launched this year. More importantly, the Tales franchise has finally gone mainstream and I’m very happy that more players are joining its fan club.

In a nutshell, this isn’t a revolution, but rather an evolution of the game in the same direction that Blizzard has been pushing the game for the last few years.

Absolum’s moment-to-moment action is very good, accessible for newcomers, and with plenty of complexity to appeal to side-scrolling combat fans. The heroes play very differently, and their unlockable powers introduce even more variety. They all look great in action, with fluid and powerful moves, and I love the design of both normal enemies and bosses. The fantasy story is decent but not on par with the combat mechanics, and the rogue-like elements are not as inventive as they could be. But, especially when playing with a friend, Absolum creates exciting and fun battles.

Arco has a unique look and world and a set of mechanics that are easy to understand but grow in complexity as characters unlock more options. I never got used to the ghosts that randomly join the fight but was eager to replay engagements to avoid losing even one pip of health. The game might rely too much on Western tropes at times and the unique look will not be for everyone. But Arco tries to innovate, mixing and matching ideas, and manages to deliver a constant sense of discovery.

For long-term fans of the franchise, the title offers a simple way to experience the solid stories and the engaging gameplay once again using improved visuals, getting a deeper understanding of the links between the installments and how they might influence the coming A Thief's End. For those who have not played an Uncharted game before, The Nathan Drake Collection is the perfect way to see what the series has to offer and why so many gamers see it as one of the most important ones in the history of gaming.

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty is great remake in terms of quality, remastering the original experience in a fantastic way. The original story still holds up, and while the gameplay may be a bit too hard for some newcomers, it's still rewarding, despite a few not-so-great aspects, like the sound effects.

Minds Beneath Us is spectacular when delivering slice-of-life moments, both if they involve the main character and when it comes to ancillary conversations in the background. It’s also good at creating an interesting vision of the future while offering a core narrative that tackles modern themes in engaging ways. Its presentation adds to the immersion level, although the lack of faces will be a little disturbing. Its mechanics do not stray from the adventure game standard and when they do QTEs make an unwelcome appearance. A few conversations are over-written, especially when the game tries to focus on emotions. But Minds Beneath Us offers a good enough story that these are small problems. Play around a full day at a time and savor every interaction.

Velocity 2X is a stellar 2D shooter that blends all sorts of different mechanics in a successful manner. Throw in the gorgeous visuals, the smooth framerate, and the imaginative design, and you have a winner. Sure, the controls take some getting used to and getting high scores requires dedication, but that doesn't weigh the game down all that much.

Rise of the Tomb Raider successfully reiterates the success of its predecessor by updating and upgrading quite a few different things, like combat, crafting, or RPG mechanics, while improving the environmental design and the general flow of the campaign. There are very few downsides, and no matter if you were a longtime fan or not, you can have plenty of intense fun with Lara’s latest adventures.

There’s no doubt that Diablo IV is one of the best action-RPGs of all time and on par, or probably better, than Diablo II, the pinnacle of Blizzard’s creative work. The amount of content you have access to even before you finish the story is staggering. As far as the end game goes, the part where the game truly starts for many players, I’m confident that Diablo IV will keep you entertained for years to come. Featuring a compelling story, amazing cutscenes and great voice-acting, Diablo IV is the Diablo game that I’ve been waiting to play for a decade. It’s everything I wanted and more.

Toy Tactics is a good entry-level strategy experience that finds a host of innovative ways to use its central brush mechanic. Players can direct a variety of warriors and activate spells by simply painting the ground, then use these violent tools to solve a lot of combat puzzles. The game offers a variety of modes with plenty of interesting quirks. The world-building is limited but the presentation, especially if players zoom in to watch the figurines take each other out, is good. Toy Tactics is easy to pick up and play but still challenging, a great way for someone new to the strategy genre to have fun while picking up the basics.

DmC Devil May Cry: Definitive Edition lives up to its name. It offers the already-solid hack and slash experience, plus all of its different add-ons, not to mention a few all-new enhancements that make the game a must-buy.

Reborn is by far the best version of Tactics Ogre. Adding many much-needed quality-of-life improvements and removing some of the more tedious mechanics have completely turned Tactics Ogre into a very enjoyable experience, despite its difficulty. In between the tough fights, a great story unfolds that you really learn to appreciate after several hours into the game. Above all that, Tactics Ogre: Reborn proves that the game that established an entire genre remains relevant no matter how much time has passed since its original release.

Death Stranding is precisely the kind of game you would expect from a creative mind when all the reins are removed. Finally, Kojima made the game he wanted to make, without compromises. It's a beautifully crafted story, albeit weird at times. Players can best answer the question of whether this is art. All I can say is that despite the uneasiness it causes me, I'm weirdly drawn to it, always looking to take a new challenge and spend a wrecking 30 minutes trying to get to my destination without damaging the cargo.

Silent Hill 2 Remake is at least as good as the Resident Evil 2 Remake and that says a lot. They explore the horror genre from different angles but offer the same immersive results. Konami seems to have learned a lot from Capcom, and they manage to offer their fans exactly what they expect. Silent Hill 2 Remake is not just the best remake of the year, but also one of the best games released in 2024. If you have fond memories of the original you will love this new release, and if you did not play it before you no longer have excuses to avoid it.