The game runs smooth as butter on the Xbox Series X, and loading times were almost nonexistent. The bump to 60 FPS also makes the game just feel so much smoother than its original PS4 incarnation.

World of Warcraft turns 20 years old this year, and despite that, the aging MMORPG is finding its footing again after years of controversial writing and gameplay systems. The War Within continues Dragonflight's positive upward trajectory, with some of the best story telling the genre has ever seen. But big questions remain over some of its systems, and the cadence of updates over time will be what truly determines The War Within's legacy.

Guilty Gear -Strive- will impress longtime fans of the series and has made significant changes to lower the barrier of entry for newcomers, but there might not enough content for some.

Though NHL 20 doesn't show massive improvements in any one area over its predecessor, there are enough additions and refinements to make it worth exploring.

Introducing a new depth of variety and replayability to its sandboxes, Hitman's experiences are now more enjoyable and fulfilling than ever before. Although this can lead to a short experience for some, the content on offer is some of the highest quality since the game's conception.

Lies of P had me hooked from the get-go, and it never let up. The combat system has a ton of layers of complexity, the bosses are fiercely difficult but provide immense catharsis once you have beaten them, the character customization systems are addictive and the story was an entertaining, dark reimagining of Pinocchio. If you’re a fan of Soulslikes or challenging action-RPGs with a grim setting, then I highly recommend grabbing this title when you get the chance.

Sacrifices had to be made, but the gamble of chopping off a short single player campaign to focus on multiplayer modes that will offer many more hours of fun has paid off. Multiplayer and Zombies are much better off because of it, and newcomer Blackout sets Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 up as the most well-rounded multiplayer shooter of the year.

Considering I spent 112 hours in Assassin's Creed Shadows before setting the controller down, this game isn't much smaller than its predecessor — but it is far less bloated and far more focused. The best visuals, gameplay, and game design to come out of Ubisoft in years makes Assassin's Creed Shadows one of 2025's greatest games so far. I just hope Ubisoft learns the right lessons from it.

With grander scope and scale than its predecessor, Frostpunk 2 asks players to not only survive but thrive. You're not trying to make it just one more night, you're actively building for the future, either with the cooperation of or in opposition to the communities that you're protecting. It's a huge leap, and one that 11 bit studios (mostly) handles with aplomb.

With DOOM: The Dark Ages, id Software proves it can still reinvent the wheel, shaking up numerous aspects of gameplay, exchanging elaborate platforming for brutal on-the-ground action, as well as the ability to soar on a dragon's back or stomp around in a giant mech. The story is silly, but it fits the over-the-top tone of the Slayer's war against demons. It's still just as fun to rip and tear as it always has been.

Solium Infernum does a great job capturing the machinations of Hell's denizens in a fun strategy game that doesn't overstay its welcome. Amazing artwork and some unique mechanics help it to shine, though some tedious systems drag the pace down in longer games.

Tunic's world is as mysterious as it is beautiful. The world is a treasure trove of puzzles to solve coupled with a myriad of bosses determined to test your fortitude.

The Outer Worlds is an utterly tremendous achievement that showcases the best of Obsidian's writing wit, world-building detail, and character focus. The game borrows heavily from other major beloved RPG franchises that have fallen out of favor with shareholders in recent years, which is perhaps ironic given the game's extreme-Capitalism plot beats. Obsidian fills that forgotten niche with confidence and rigor.

I absolutely adored Live A Live from start to finish with its beautiful presentation, enthralling soundtrack, engaging combat system, and plentiful short stories. From light-hearted adventures to heart-breaking tragedies, nearly every story in this game had me invested in their well-written plots and characters. This game is a must-have for any JRPG enthusiast whether they’re a newcomer or a stalwart fan of Square Enix’s 16-bit era titles.

The first Citizen Sleeper used beautiful, haunting lines of prose to thread together a deep, engrossing world, and its sequel builds on that with refined gameplay and more locations to explore. It's almost the perfect sequel to one of my favorite Xbox Game Pass titles, but a wider world does mean a little less depth as well.

Football Manager may be an annual release, but Sports Interactive continues to find ways to improve the best footy management sim out there. This is the installment to get back into the swing of things.

Stuck on a remote planet far away from home, The Alters tasks players with helping Jan Dolski to survive by creating clones of himself who have experienced different life choices, changing the core of who he became. With each new Alter comes new motives, memories, and skills that can help and also hinder the survival effort. Its a truly tasking challenge to keep everybody on the same page to survive, but it is also a mind-bending narrative that forces us to look at some of the most intense parts of human nature and what it means to become who we are.

A Plague: Tale Requiem is a positively gorgeous, perfectly expanded sequel to A Plague Tale: Innocence and is a great conclusion to the story of Amicia and Hugo. Despite some minor complaints and a world that sometimes feels too lifeless, A Plague Tale: Requiem is an absolute must-play title in 2022.

he Witch Queen offers Destiny 2's best campaign to date, an exciting new weapon archetype in the Glaive, and takes its first steps in revitalizing the Light Subclasses in line with Beyond Light's Stasis Subclass with Void 3.0. It also adds the enticing prospect of weapon crafting, which is unfortunately hampered by extremely grind-y requirements to truly experience the most weapon crafting has to offer as well as a raid that could be the most convoluted yet.

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is a masterfully crafted hardcore stealth title that offers a fun, challenging, and fair experience set in the thick of feudal Japan. Despite some issues, the game's excellent gameplay, superb art and music, and strong writing all help to make Shadow Tactics one of the leading stealth titles of this generation.

Gears of War: Reloaded is an interesting case study, being the second time the same studio has remastered a game. The improved visuals and additional options mean it's better than ever, even if it plays things a little safe.

Desperados III is the game I never knew I needed. A perfect blend of satisfying Wild West tropes, a surprisingly compelling story, and an endlessly-gratifying tactical layer that will make you feel like the architect of a bandit-murdering Rube Goldberg machine. With guns.

Although the first Project Cars didn't quite capture the hearts of mainstream gamers, the sequel has a much better shot thanks to its polished career mode, wealth of motorsport types, and unparalleled track selection. The difficulty is still on the unapproachable side, but racing sim fans will likely stick it out anyway. I'll be surprised if Forza 7 doesn't top this one overall, but it's still great to have options – especially one that appears on both Xbox and PlayStation.

There are few other games like Kentucky Route Zero. The point-and-click/text-based adventure captures the economic anxieties and the loneliness of America in 2020, but it still manages to be hopeful amongst the tragedy. You don't want to miss this.

Two Point Museum is everything you expect and love about a Two Point County game, wth classic characters from the franchise returning for a good history lesson. But Two Point Studios, the developers behind the series, fail to learn from the past and continue to skimp out on subtitles while still missing the mark on controller mapping.

A hilarious, entertaining role-playing game that is sure to entertain fans of the popular TV show for hours upon hours. Thanks to a strategic combat system, perfect presentation and excellent writing, The Fractured But Hole easily overcomes its shortcomings and stands as one of 2017's best RPGs so far.

This game is worth every penny of the $50 you'll need to shell out to enjoy it on your PC through Steam, and it's my sincere hope that the popularity of this title on Steam is the start of an increased focus on PC players from Sony.

Wasteland 3 feels like it spits in the face the very idea of what a video game is supposed to be in 2020. A carnival of unfiltered violence, relentless and deliciously twisted dark humor, and a sprawling nervous system built of optional narrative branches the vast majority of players may never even see. Wasteland 3 scathingly satirizes the dark underbelly of humanity, while giving you the freedom to embrace the apocalypse or bring hope to a shattered world. This is gaming at its most punk. Raw and unapologetic, but never heartless….This is Wasteland 3, my favorite RPG in years, and quite possibly, my top game of the generation.