Street Fighter 6 is about as close as the series has been to ideal in a long time. Established fans will find plenty of mechanical depth to sink their teeth into, while newcomers will be greeted with a highly accessible entry flush with memorable characters and a striking style. It's the epitome of what a fighting game should be, and I can't wait to see how the series builds off of this return to form.

Bayonetta 2 may not be appealing to everyone. Its sexuality and over-the-top tone may be a frustration to some. However, from a design and gameplay point of view, it is up there with the best in its genre.

Being able to take the excellent experience on the go is a huge draw, and there’s a decent amount of new content at the same time. However, the truth is, this isn’t a new Mario Kart game. For all the new additions, fans that sunk hundreds of hours into the Wii U version won’t find an abundance of new content. Despite this, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe truly is the definitive version of the game, and probably of the entire series.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is everything one could want from a new entry into the RPG genre. It uses what came before it masterfully, and its few shortcomings aren't nearly enough to derail what is otherwise a masterclass in the genre. Give it a look if you love Atlus RPGs, or if you love the RPG genre in general.

Blood and Wine is the sum of its very well-executed parts, taking the best of The Witcher 3 and putting it brightly on display. CDPR has done an amazing job of creating something that builds so strongly on the foundation laid out last year, to the point that it feels grand and completely new. At one point, as I reached 20 hours of play, I didn’t even feel close to finished.

While it may require a lot of effort to truly master, once you get to grips with the more advanced aspects of the simulation, you'll unlock nearly infinite possibilities. I know you hear this often, but this time, I can truly affirm that the world is at your fingertips. I'd say that the sky is the limit, but the Microsoft Flight Simulator's sky doesn't have any limits.

Just as Team Fortress 2 burst onto the scene and captivated so many with its charm, and accessible gameplay, Overwatch is poised to do the same with its sharp gameplay and likable characters. There’s little doubt that the next great class-based shooter has arrived

A truly great racing experience. The fact that the developers were able to combine their premier arcade racing with a new layer of depth and control is something definitely of note. It’s proof that an accessible game doesn’t have to be overly simple and can provide options to the full spectrum of fans, from those wanting to just drive around all the way to those who really want to fine-tune their own monstrous machines for the road.

It adds on neatly onto your original game (no need to start all over), and will extend your playtime at least another few hours if not more. Also, if you missed Sonic Mania last year, this is now the definitive version of the game. That said, if you just casually picked it up, and only invested a few hours, there isn’t that much here in Sonic Mania Plus to justify spending more money unless you’re a huge fan of Mighty and Ray.

With Shadowbringers, the development team has proven that they have perfected everything that Final Fantasy XIV is known for and does well.

Without a doubt, this is the best way you can experience Fumito Ueda's best game.

If there is one title that has the potential to absolutely trash your sleeping schedule, it’s Crusader Kings 3...As I finish this review, I’m massively sleep-deprived, and I blame you, Paradox.

Split Fiction is another wonderful co-op adventure from Hazelight Games. While the story is forgettable, the level and gameplay design is smarter and more ingenious than I could ever have imagined. The variety and quality only improve as you progress, seeing the game throw things at you that you’ll never have seen before. It’s a joy from start to finish.

Disco Elysium is gritty and unapologetic, witty and bleak, and forces you to deal with your darkest demons and self-doubt. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Aside from the disappointing 2nd Run scenarios, I feel confident in saying that this is the best Resident Evil game ever released. It brings back everything that fans loved from the PS1 classic, and presents it in a fresh, modern way that's both exciting and nostalgic in a modern age.

New Horizons is the definitive Animal Crossing experience—that much is clear after a relatively short amount of time spent with it. And with the promise of future holiday updates, it’s guaranteed that fans both new and old will return to their islands again and again for many years to come.

Shovel Knight is delightful, amusing, and oftentimes challenging. It’s surprisingly deep, with enough secrets and charm to warrant at least one more run through on New Game+. The game controls like a dream, is simple enough to pick up immediately, and knows just when to up the ante to make you a more skillful player over the course of its six to eight hour campaign.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance doesn’t bring anything new to the table, not even with its new narrative, so if you have not “vibed” with the series before, this won’t do much to change your mind. Still, considering Vengeance also combines all the DLCs previously available for SMT V, if you’re a hardcore fan of the series, chances are your pre-order is already being processed as you are reading this. As for newcomers, well, with its strong combat, great graphical performance, exquisite soundtrack, and many demons to sedu- uhm, convince to join our party, Shin Megami Tensei V is simply a fantastic RPG all around.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is exactly what fans could have hoped for. It brings the trilogy of PlayStation titles home perfectly, and provides an experience any fan of the Spider-Man property will walk away from satisfied. Don't miss out on what could very well be one of the best games of the year, and one of Insomniac's best games to date.

As long as the performance issues are completely ironed out in the near future, this is one platformer that’ll long be remembered.

The new content in The Last of Us Part II Remastered as a whole is disappointing. The story mode is one of the all-time greats. Emotional, gripping, phenomenally written, and intense at times, this is the best way to play an absolute must-play. Therefore, it's impossible to not recommend it. It's just a shame the additional modes don't come close to living up to it.

know I’m already hooked in, and it’s quickly become one of the best titles I’ve played this year.

If you find the idea of facing down monstrous beasts with a group of friends and hunting together for hours on end appealing, Monster Hunter: World has what you're looking for.

Into the Breach is brilliant in how it approaches the strategy game genre. By giving the player all the information they need, it’s easy to see where exactly you went wrong, and what you could’ve done to prevent it. Failure itself becomes the core gameplay loop. Every death is a valuable lesson learned, every pilot lost is a scarring reminder of what happens when you’re too impatient with your moves.

As you’ve probably expected from FromSoft at this point, Sekiro is a game that relishes in its ability to challenge and punish the player with little to no room for error. The developer’s methods of storytelling may start to feel a tad stale at this point, but the game still manages to capture that immense feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment like no other.

It’s honestly a testament to how much fun the developers packed into the narrative experience. The game manages to entertain and poke fun at itself in equal measure, resulting in a terrific time for series vets and a solid introduction to the gameplay for newcomers.

While Endwalker fails to eclipse Shadowbringers in most areas, it succeeds in what is by far its most important mandate: properly ending this extremely long storyline in an incredibly satisfying way. It’s a solid tale from start to finish. The expansion adds beautiful new areas, well-constructed new jobs, and all in all, ticks off everything that you want a Final Fantasy XIV expansion to do with the level of polish that players have come to expect. So take a deep breath Final Fantasy XIV fans, Endwalker is fantastic.

Hearts of Stone never feels tacked on at any point, and although the side activities are a bit lackluster there are more than enough highs to make the singular low seem insubstantial. This is a true expansion, one that builds excellently on the already amazing base game.