It is a fantastic addition to a game that already has a place in my all-time favorites list, and even if this is the very last we’ll see of Prey, or the big-budget immersive sim for awhile, I’m very glad Arkane has gone out on a bang.

And this is ultimately the root of the problem with Nier 1.22 — it's forcing us into an era where the remake is the definitive text, the canonical copy of a game that existed for over a decade that formed connections with players and shows us an entirely different world of game making. The original text has murdered the exported release and the revision has come to strangle the original text because the best-selling sequel demanded it. What we're left with is two nearly identical Niers each vying to be the true Nier. One must imagine Yoko Taro happy when he watches quietly as one snuffs the other.

Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is a solid collection of mostly good fighters. Capcom did a great job of modernizing certain aspects, like having rollback netcode in all of the games, and allowing you to save at any point. With the resurgence of Capcom over the last few years, this is a great way to continue that upward trajectory and set themselves up for the future, should they recognize that there is a certain series in there that we want back. [Highly Recommended]

And in a world where boss battles are, with the exception of Souls-like games, seemingly falling out of vogue, Splatoon 2 makes an argument it's only because of lacking creativity. Each of the game's five worlds hides a wholly unique monstrosity, demanding players exploit the game's mechanics in a different way. Even if Nintendo hadn't asked me to keep quiet about the nature of the Splatoon 2's bosses (in the third world and beyond) I'd still be loathe to spoil the game's best surprises.

For as charming of a game as ‘Stray’ is, it undercuts its thematic core by imagining a post-human future in decidedly human ways.

POPUCOM is such a unique concept, and it’s executed to near perfection. If there’s one thing that I could raise a flag about, it’s the lack of a sprint button. Beyond that? POPUCOM is incredibly polished, pure fun, and just a blast to experience. Grab your friend or significant other, sit down, and prepare for some of the best puzzle/platformer/shooter action you’ll experience this year. [Best in its Class]

I can’t help but feel that the Pearl and Diamond clans already have Jubilife Village’s “how do we coexist with Pokémon?” problem figured out and have for some time: respect their autonomy to be wild animals. The urge to catch them all and the question of “is catching them all really a good idea?” lives both in this game and in myself as a series fan. Game Freak’s answers haven't been great, but asking the question is at least a big step towards a more nuanced Pokémon world.

Look Outside knows. The more you know, the less you understand. You can’t. Not until it decides you’re worthy. And trust me, we aren’t worthy. Not yet. Not until all of you see what I saw. Then, you’ll thank me. You’ll hate me. Every mystery you uncover is more gruesome than the last. The more you suffer, the more you heal. Trust me, friends. Just Look Outside… [Highly recommended]

The First Berserker: Khazan is a perfect fit for fans of Soulslike games looking for something fresh yet familiar. And it certainly holds its own among the genre’s heavyweights. [Strongly Recommended]

Frankly, I didn’t much like the balance Midnight Suns strikes at first. I wanted “Marvel XCOM” and could not help but be disappointed in how emphatically Midnight Suns is not that. Over the holiday weekend, however, I really came around to what Firaxis hashave done here. It’s a much more relaxing and less demanding game than XCOM. It’s not easy, to be clear: it does not fall into the Fire Emblem: Three Houses trap of making combat so trivial that it mostly interrupts the socializing you’re there to do. But it is forgiving. If you win a battle, even if you win it in an ugly and inefficient fashion, everyone will be okay and the game will go on. Everyone will get back to the Abbey and, once they’re there, they’ll go right back to their friendly and not-so-friendly bickering at the end of the world.

Its world is big and beautiful, and there’s something winning about its sometimes Coen-esque vision of Greece as a land of shady dealmakers, savvy and irritable shopkeeps, and garrulous streetside philosophers. But it’s busy and crowded with too many things I have to deal with, and not enough that I want to do. I miss the stargazing of Origins, or at least, inhabiting a game built by people who thought it might be nice to go stargazing.

If Yoku’s Island Express is not only a terrific Metroid-inspired pinball game but also a game about biting moral choices—shit, man. I didn't need another reason to keep playing, but there you go.

I'm usually beaming with pride when I've scaled the latest mountain FromSoftware has put in front of me, but by the end of The Ringed City, I was left empty, bored, and ready for change.

Closes the book on Lara's origin story, but whether players (or Lara herself) have learned anything is entirely debatable.

Genshin Impact feels like playing the future of games as the industry leans more into the games-as-a-service business model, monetizing big budget free-to-play games with battle passes and loot boxes. To put it another way: Genshin Impact is what happens when a company goes, "What if Breath of the Wild was Destiny?" It's disorienting at first and then quickly starts to make all the sense in the world. It's too soon to say what Genshin Impact's lasting impact on the industry will be, but given its immediate success, it's not hard to imagine a near future where many games look a lot like it.

The 'Madden NFL 18' Story Mode Is Better Than It Has Any Right To Be.

A frustrating yet rewarding game of bad starts and good endings.

The magic in Peak is in the way you interact with your pals. As you grow more hungry and exhausted, you’ll need all the help you can get to scale upwards. That’s where your buddies come in, who can reach forward and give you a helping hand to lift you up to their level. [Best In Its Class]

The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante is everything that timeless art should aspire to be: a mirror into the soul of the beholder. In a land of hard-hitting, brutal, narrative-heavy RPGs, The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante is an uncontested deity. Whatever life you choose for your Brante, know this. It’ll be devastating. It’ll be unrelenting. But it’ll be one of the best damn lives you’ll ever live. [Best In Its Class]

3D All-Stars is a paradox: a collection of great games and a missed opportunity. These games deserved better, a respectful contextualization of their place in the history books. But ultimately, in my heart of hearts, I'm just happy to get a chance to declare this: Super Mario Sunshine was good.

While there are a couple of places where it feels like the difficulty ramps up too quickly, or where major plots twists unfold with barely a moment to react or comment, my fundamental reaction to The Banner Saga 3 is one of vindication. It turns out this was a journey worth taking, and a world worth keeping in my heart for the last few years. In the end it has justified its stylistic and narrative choices, and surpassed the hopes I had for it back when I played the first part of the trilogy.

A thoughtful and gorgeous game of work and exploration, held back by lackluster action sequences.

New changes to the structure are welcomed, but 'Far Cry 5' has no confidence and no heart.

One of the most appealing things about Loop Hero is in the way it allows you to discover its parts. The game is as complex as you want it to be, and can become extremely complicated indeed as you gain more and more cards. Some of the interactions between cards can only be discovered by placing them in certain combinations, sometimes transforming them into entirely new tiles.

Citizen Sleeper stands out as one of the best games of the year, with great writing that avoids easy outs.

Thanks to that pacing and emphasis on thinking your way through obstacles, it’s pretty much perfect on the Switch, for playing in bed or on the subway to work. Or anywhere, really, you find yourself wanting to enjoy some of the most relaxed Mario-style action Nintendo has available.

It’s hard not to argue in favor of this being the new Gold Standard for Remasters. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, Metroid Prime Remastered, and only a few other games can hold this title. Paying respect to the original game, while improving the more aged parts of it. Like a fine wine, the tale of Oblivion is retold for a new audience. All while retaining everything that made it feel just as special as it did in 2006. [Best in Class]

It's a marginal improvement, but it's got one thing the original no longer does: lots of people playing it.