This is a gorgeously executed murder mystery puzzle game where there's more than meets the eyemask. The main story is further fleshed out with collecting guest invitations and finding 52 playing cards, giving you an ever greater reason to leave the guests to their fates for a little longer. The puzzles are wickedly difficult, with the perfect amount of obviousness that will have anyone kicking themselves for thinking within the box.

With heightened stakes and tension, Shadow of the Tomb Raider will keep you engaged throughout its hours of gameplay. Its limited advancements over previous games should be noted, but the final package is still an unmissable Tomb Raider adventure.

Sam and Max Save the World Remastered is just as chuckle friendly as it was when it originally launched. Though some of the writing feels dated, and it's not as difficult as older adventure titles or as engaging as modern ones.

The Outer Worlds 2 doesn't reinvent the wheel, but delivers a more refined version of a formula that worked. Better exploration and combat buoy a tight role-playing experience that feels crunchy and isn't afraid of cutting off branches depending on player skills. The overarching story is a bit more self-serious than its predecessor, but the numerous side quests still lean comedic. A few bugs aside, it's not a game to miss.

Blazing Chrome is quite possibly the best Contra-like game ever made. The weapons are meaningful, the levels are varied, and there's always something unexpected around the corner. While the difficulty curve takes some getting used to, beating a mission is its own reward.

FAR: Changing Tides is the follow-up to FAR: Lone Sails, following a little boy named Toe as he leaves his home in a makeshift boat after an unseen apocalyptic event. There is no dialogue or combat, leaving all of FAR's storytelling to be interpreted by the player as they solve puzzles to overcome obstacles on their travels.

The Division 2 sets the standard for visual quality on Xbox One X. Moody lighting, evocative weather effects, and painstakingly-detailed environments have pretty much become Ubisoft's calling card, and they're all the more impressive when you consider how Division 2 increases the stakes...Early on, The Division 2 feels very similar to the original game, but the small improvements look as though they could help the franchise realize the potential largely missed by The Division when it launched in 2016.

As satisfying as it is for longtime fans, it's still accessible to newcomers so that nobody is left out of the fun.

While I expected Stray to be a cyberpunk-themed walking simulator about a day in the life of a cat, I was unprepared for the deeply emotional adventure that this little cat was going to take me on. This stunningly beautiful world left me with a mountain of questions and has undoubtedly earned a place in my mind for some time.

Blasphemous may not have the best combat, but its intriguing premise and visuals elevate it.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla provides a gorgeous playground to explore with excellent combat. Though the story seems unnecessarily long, it's a fun Viking tale mixed with the series' own flare and sci-fi elements.

World of Warcraft: Midnight is the middle act of the Worldsoul saga. Xal'atath has succeeded in her plan to subvert Azeroth's champions once again, potentially leading the planet to ruin. But hey, at least you'll have a cozy house to wait out the apocalypse in. Midnight is potentially one of the most pivotal expansions in recent WoW history, but the expansion is creaking under the weight of its sheer ambition. A variety of bugs, gameplay disruption, and polish issues hold back what is otherwise a very solid expansion.

RAIDOU Remastered is a fun action RPG that successfully revitalizes one of Shin Megami Tensei’s classic PS2 games for the modern era while being faithful to the source material. While its characterization leaves something to be desired, it’s worth the price of admission for its wacky plot, revamped visuals and combat system, especially if you grew up playing the original game.

Cult of the Lamb isn't always perfectly balanced, but it does expertly blend two opposing game genres into a unique, action-packed occult adventure oozing with personality.

Children of Morta is an incredible roguelike title that will keep you hooked for hours on end, offering superb gameplay and presentation, as well as a surprisingly strong story.

Gears 5: Hivebusters brought solid changes and gorgeous environments in a concise package. Moving forward, I hope the gameplay mechanics, art and characters in this DLC are carried forward.

I went into Silent Hill F armed with decades of Silent Hill nostalgia and a general negative view of Konami. I'd say I almost wanted to hate this game, being honest. But I found it simply impossible to do so. Every step I took through Ebisugaoka led me down an authentic Silent Hill rabbit hole filled with horrors, fresh and familiar alike—stunning artwork, immaculate music, and disturbing twists that left me aghast for hours after the fact. Silent Hill F is by no means perfect, but it's a strong return to form for the franchise, and hopefully a sign of things to come. NeoBard nailed it.

Far Cry 5 is a relentlessly fun, aggressively varied open world shooter that will keep you hooked for dozens and dozens of hours. The game's world has never felt more alive, brimming with animal ecosystems, serene lakes, and verdant forests, with spectacular scenery just begging to be screenshotted.

The Evil Within 2 is a frightening game, though perhaps not as pants-wettingly scary as the early portions of Resident Evil 7. The game itself is improved nicely over the original, with a great open-world structure and lots of interesting missions to take on. The actual story is extremely compelling as we follow Sebastian's journey towards redemption amid a world filled with both human and inhuman monsters. If you're looking for a lengthy and frightening adventure this Halloween season, look no farther than The Evil Within 2.

Fundamentally, stepping back into Skyrim is like revisiting one of your favorite places as a child. Everything is like you remembered it, except it's been redecorated and modernized.

If you're a fan of the Star Wars series you will love the humorous twist LEGO puts on your favorite characters from another Galaxy far far away. All nine movies are in the game and you can play any trilogy in any order. Plus, the game offers plenty of replay value to keep you entertained for hours.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered is an excellent return to Cyrodiil, with new graphics, voice recordings, and tweaks to combat that enhance Bethesda Game Studios' 2006 fantasy role-playing game. Everything that makes the game so unique is still here, and while further quality of life features would be nice, Oblivion is still a must-play game like it was nearly two decades ago.

EA Sports UFC 4 is a fun return to form for EA Sports. With a simplified approach to fighting and the inclusion of a more in-depth career mode, the UFC franchise is on the right track to building better things.

The Awakened King DLC offers more for $10 than I've seen in any recent expansion from any game. After 15 hours and over three playthroughs, I still haven't found everything this return to Losomn has to offer. It was an absolutely stunning start to Gunfire Games' three planned DLCs.

World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is somehow a breath of fresh air and a celebration of classic design principles in equal measure. The return to more dynamic, old-school talent trees enhances the class fantasy with a seasoning of new abilities across the board. At the same time, the retreat of pressuring, artificial power-gating systems promotes a more healthy gameplay loop. The game is also gorgeous, with a more promising storyline, elevated cinematic delivery mechanics, and deeper core systems which make for one of WoW's best expansions in years.

The only downside to Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 and 2.5 ReMix and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is that they're quite expensive and the camera can be finicky at times if you're in a claustrophobic environment.

In this most unusual of years MotoGP 20 has arrived at just the right time for motorcycle racing fans with a long, deep career mode, a ton of challenge and customizations galore.

Exodus's combat has room for improvement, particularly when it comes to enemy A.I. behavior. The gunplay is tight and well-built, with an emphasis on customization, allowing you to play how you want to play. While I'm hoping polish patches come in thick and fast after launch, even when you acknowledge the game's rough edges Metro Exodus is among the best first-person shooters you can get right now.