Crypt of the Necrodancer is a brilliant, fresh spin on the roguelike genre. It's uncompromisingly tough, but its pattern-learning, beat-matching gameplay is also highly addictive and very rewarding to play.

I was delighted by Metroid: Samus Returns. It hits pretty much every note you hope to see in a Metroid game, and MercurySteam's console background is evident in their flair for the dramatic — whether in their introductory cutscenes or their boss battles. Their dramatic reinvention reinvigorates the source material and strengthens the story's bridge to Super Metroid. In short: They nailed it.

Beat by beat, you've seen elements of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim's plot elsewhere before, but you've probably never played anything quite like it. How 13 Sentinels strings its complex narrative together is nothing short of astonishing. It operates like a great melodramatic sci-fi TV show, only reworked and shuffled into an interactive format, and it takes full advantage of it. And for that, even with weak RTS battles complementing it all, it's an easy recommendation.

It's a return to Final Fantasy's roots, and it's beautiful.

id Software has taken its original, no-BS Doom formula and very successfully repackaged it for the modern era. The result is a thrash metal loud, gloriously gory, blisteringly fast, and thoroughly entertaining oldschool shooter. Both the single-player and multiplayer modes are basically throwbacks to simpler times, but are wrapped up with contemporary trimmings to create a package that fans of the original Doom games should really enjoy.

Slay the Spire cleverly mixes the roguelite and card game genres, bringing with it a deep and satisfying strategy layer that encourages you to experiment over the course of a multitude of runs to the top of the tower. I can only hope that it continues to see regular updates, because it's already one of my favorite games of 2019.

The early heroic career of Miles Morales gets some shine in this standalone soft sequel to Marvel's Spider-Man for PS4. Web swinging is still fantastic and the combat system expands with Miles' more varied powerset. And while you might have played most of this game before, Insomniac does an amazing job telling the story of its version of Miles. Rooted in his new home of Spanish Harlem, he's probably the most "friendly neighborhood" of any version of Spider-Man.

There are still a few issues here and there: combat is better, but could stand for some tightening and assassination needs a dedicated, consistent button. But overall, this is a very good game and stands near the top of the series. Bayek's story is an excellent one and as a soft reboot for the franchise, Origins does its job. I'm looking forward to seeing where they go from here.

Fun but flawed, Rogue Legacy falls somewhat short of its lofty aspirations. But you can't fault the developers for aiming high.

As it stands, it's an enjoyable, well-paced, self-consciously silly and unashamedly offensive romp through Matt Stone and Trey Parker's respective imaginations -- and, without a doubt, one of the best uses of a TV or movie license I've ever seen in gaming.

At its core, Super Smash Bros. is both a loving tribute to Nintendo and a surprisingly deep fighter, and though it hasn't changed much over the years, its appeal is strong as ever on the Nintendo 3DS. The solo experience is admittedly lacking, but as a multiplayer game, it remains a delight.

Despite the visual update and the "new" material, this anthology falls just short of essential, but games don't have to be great to be worth playing. Sometimes, entertaining is enough.

Shovel Knight is a loving homage to an era we left behind long ago. The graphics, gameplay, and soundtrack are all pitch-perfect for an NES game... all you're missing is the original cartridge. Yacht Club Games has crafted an amazing experience from beginning to end.

A weird hybrid of downward-scrolling shoot 'em up and platformer, Downwell is a challenging, but highly addictive arcade game that's a great test of your concentration and reflexes. Its gameplay does lack variety, but when played in short bursts, it's a lot of fun.

PES 2017 is a remarkably good soccer sim on the pitch—so good that it makes up for the bulk of its shortcomings elsewhere. There's no denying that it's a niche sim with a high barrier to entry; but if realistic gameplay is your number one priority, then PES 2017 comes highly recommended.

Nioh 2 crafts its tough experience with precise, delicious Team Ninja combat. On top of that is an entire mass of additional systems that offer players a way forward if your skills aren't top-notch. When those systems come together, Nioh 2 can make you feel powerful, but it does feel like a mess of numbers and bonuses thrown your way at times. You're surprisingly versatile, but you're also forced into a lot of management. A bit of trimming would've led to a near-perfect experience, rather than just a great one.

It's a sharply written, sharply dressed blend of urban fantasy and detective noir, the kind that Disney would have been appalled to see but the Brothers Grimm would have shot thumbs up at.

Crusade is everything that an expansion should be. It takes Galactic Civilizations III, sands off the rough edges, and adds new options for a deeper, more strategic experience. The new Citizens system offers more late-game options, espionage returns, planetary invasions are more tactical, and alongside the three new races, there's a new Civilization Builder letting you craft your own. If you're a GalCiv fan, it's an instant pick-up. If you're not, this might be the time to pick it up.

There's a lot to love about Yakuza 0, but it's going to take me a while to work my way to the story's finale. The endless brawling turns the whole thing into a real chore, I'm afraid. But I will say that as tired as I've already become of the constant beatdowns, the story and general self-confidence of the game makes me want to power through. And for anyone who doesn't share my disinterest in punch-ups — well, there's literally no reason for you not to give Yakuza 0 a try. It really is like no other game I've ever played. Because it's the Japanese version of Grand Theft Auto, and that means something weird, wonderful, and decidedly not at all like Grand Theft Auto.

At first blush, MLB The Show 17 is more of the same; but when taken together, it's actually a great update. It brings with it a lot of small but much-needed tweaks to the play on the field, and the graphics have never looked so good. Even better, Franchise mode actually feels approachable now. It leaves some opportunities on the table, but MLB The Show is still a great baseball sim that feels that much better with this year's update.

It's a better game than the first was. It's still that gateway MMO, missing features that current MMOs have. A Raid Finder would be keen, as the Guided Games feature is merely a half-step. Being able to see your friends and Fireteam on the map is an odd omission. The shader implementation is such an odd step back for a game that doesn't have a glamour system. And I still think the mismatch between PVE and PVP team sizes is a problem...But Destiny 2 is a damned good time.

This is the definitive collection of Halo: Combat Evolved through Halo 4, effectively presenting both classic and remixed content in a way that makes it feel like more than a simple trip down memory lane.

A sprawling, easy to play but surprisingly deep jaunt through the stars -- and one with a beautifully crafted atmosphere sure to keep you coming back for more.

Yakuza Kiwami 2 won't make those who haven't clicked with the series yet a believer, but for fans, it's well worth the journey if you don't mind retreading some familiar ground. While the slow middle and Majima side campaign are disappointing, Kiwami 2 is still another solid entry in the Yakuza canon.

Ratchet and Clank is a terrific game that's a joy to play. It features exceptionally varied and interesting gameplay, from racing through dogfighting to puzzling - and, of course, plenty of platforming. Add to that an arsenal of truly entertaining weapons, excellent cutscenes, and superb graphics and sound, and you have a memorable game that represents a brilliant reboot for the series.

For better or worse, MLB The Show 16 focuses heavily on Diamond Dynasty this year. The on-field action is strong as ever, and the bullet time-like Showtime is interesting, but the bulk of the improvements are in Diamond Dynasty-centric additions like Captains and Battle Royale. If you're a curious newcomer who likes baseball, you will find an extremely strong baseball sim; but if you're a returning player, your mileage will probably vary depending on how willing you are to indulge in The Show's card-collecting mode.

Far Cry 4 certainly features a lot to love, but Ubi's continued buffet-style approach to content has the game wearing out its welcome far earlier than it should. Still, if you're willing to adopt a pick-and-choose approach to its unbelievable amount of stuff to do, you should have a good time—just don't expect to digest everything it has to offer.

You can tell Crystal Dynamics pulled out all of the stops to make this the best version of Tomb Raider. If you've played it before, it may worth a rent. If you haven't, the Definitive Edition is great purchase that outclasses the PC edition. Unfortunately, the potential price gulf between this version and the PC version can make it a hard sell.