This really, truly is Disgaea, stripped of its stationary roots and shoved onto a tiny cartridge without missing a step. Everything about this title will appeal to the gamer who's been intrigued by the strategy genre, but been too put off by how dire and dramatic it can be.

With 175 single player events and ad-hoc multiplayer (support for infrastructure mode would've been great) for up to four players, Burnout Legends will likely stay in your PSP for a good long time.

If you own a PS3, you must purchase The Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection.

There's also a powerful shot of nostalgia for folks who grew up on NES "Dragon Warrior," as the menus are patterned after that style - and yet as usable and slick as anything you'll find in an RPG. All told, Dragon Quest VIII is one of those rare games that can be fairly called a masterpiece.

Mini Ninjas is just purely, simply a great video game. Period.

There's really very little to find fault with in The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood. The puzzles are creative, fun and ramp up in difficulty in a nice manner; the script, story and acting are all outstanding, and the entire experience is just fun to play.

Without having to fight every single battle, finishing one campaign of world domination easily clocks in at over 30 hours. Repeat that with every other playable side, add in the difficulty levels, choose whether to overthrow the crown to declare your empire a republic, replace the AI with multiplayer minds across the world, and your thirst to rewrite the 18th century may prove to be insatiable.

The bottom line is if you're a Metallica fan, there's no reason for you not to be playing Guitar Hero: Metallica right now.

All in all, Child of Eden is an amazing example of what the Kinect hardware can do when placed in the right hands. It's also a brilliant piece of entertainment that is just as enjoyable to watch as it is to play. If you own an Xbox 360, this is a game that needs to be in your collection.

CrossCode shows that the size of a developer and its overall budget doesn't determine the quality of the game. AAA developers can sink all the money in the world into a title, and it may still lack that special something. That isn't the case here. Radical Fish Games' CrossCode is a masterpiece action RPG by a small-scale studio, and it's damn-near perfect in nearly every way.

Shovel Knight is a modern classic that takes the 2-D platforming genre and modernizes it.

Dark Souls is easily one of the best RPGs on the market and manages to even eclipse Demon's Souls, its predecessor. The gameplay is slow and methodical, but never in a way that feels boring. The game is hard, but almost always in a fair way.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate lives up to the name because it's the best Smash game to date. The absurd character roster, immense amount of content, and general amazing gameplay make it fun in a way that's tough to beat. There are minor quibbles here and there, and the poor online component is a genuine black mark on the rest of the game. Still, Ultimate is a joy to play and a must-buy for anyone who has ever enjoyed smashing some bros. Even considering the Switch's amazing lineup, Smash Ultimate is one of the best the system has to offer.

Dark Souls is easily one of the best RPGs on the market and manages to even eclipse Demon's Souls, its predecessor. The gameplay is slow and methodical, but never in a way that feels boring. The game is hard, but almost always in a fair way.

Every time you think you've seen everything this game has to offer, you'll come across something new.

Slay the Spire is the very definition of a game that's simple to learn and difficult to master. The core mechanics and gameplay are so easy that anyone can pick it up and have a relatively fun time, but learning how to survive takes time and effort. No matter the level, it remains engaging throughout by making every choice meaningful, and victory is decided by your skill and just a dash of RNG. There are many clones out there, many of which are excellent on their own right, but the original Slay the Spire is still one of the most addictive deck-builders ever made.

This is the third release of Persona 3, and even for an excellent RPG, it's difficult to justify buying it again and again. However, Persona 3 Portable contains enough new features to make it a worthwhile purchase.

What this numerical score can't possibly demonstrate, in the past several years of ever-better games across all genres, not a few of them arriving in recent months, Unreal Tournament III is the first title in a long time making me recall that this is why I long ago started loving games, compelling me to, almost literally, jump and down, and to keep me up playing late into the night and seduce me into a few morning matches before I sit down to work.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn't just one of the best RPGs I've played in ages. It's an easy contender for game of the year. It shines in every area, and any complaints I had were nagging at best. Whether it's the compelling story, exciting gameplay, or beautiful soundtrack, no area of the game felt lacking. If you're a fan of RPGs, you really owe it to yourself to give Clair Obscur a shot.

The only glaring flaw throughout the entire title is the lack of a damage system that has actual consequences; meanwhile the rest of the game may as well serve as the benchmark that future rally racing game designers should aspire to.

I don't think I've enjoyed a wargame as much this one since I played the original Combat Mission game all those years ago. If you have an interest in simulating realistic modern warfare, and specifically seeing how the new Stryker concept would fare in battle, you can't go wrong with Combat Mission: Shock Force.

An immaculate production, with the combination of heavy firepower and loosely structured gameplay. If you like Doom, Halo, Serious Sam or any other game that's designed around mass mayhem and flaming wreckage, you'll be perfectly at home.

As the definitive version of the core Halo experience, Halo: The Master Chief Collection is one of the few games that should be in any Xbox One owner's collection.

Europeans already know this is the best of the best; take the plunge and see why this is the most successful series overseas. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

It's the best Mario's been in years and perhaps his very best game ever. The combination of great level design, fantastic graphics, easy-to-learn controls, glorious soundtrack and just the overall wonderful presentation make Super Mario Galaxy a real winner.

While melee combat isn't particularly better, projectile combat is significantly improved.

Elden Ring is exactly the game people were hoping it would be. It's the biggest FromSoft Soulslike to date, with a ton of polish and a bucketload of content. It won't change your mind if you don't enjoy the genre, but Elden Ring accomplishes what it had set out to do. Not every new feature hits, and it sometimes felt a touch too familiar, but when the biggest complaint I can think of is, "It feels like some of the best games ever made," that is a sign of its quality. Elden Ring is the game we've all been waiting for.

Thanks to a combination of well-designed levels, a solid story line, addicting multiplayer and top-notch voice acting, Halo 3: ODST presents a package that is even more compelling than its namesake. The game is not only better than Halo 3; it is the best Halo title to date. And, planned or not, Bungie has also managed to create a compelling character in Gunnery Sergeant Buck. He is just as much the hero as Master Chief ever was.

Bloodborne is easily an early contender for game of the year, and it's the best PS4 exclusive to date.

Mass Effect 2 is an improvement over the original in almost every way. Bioware decided to focus more on the shooter aspect and less on the RPG aspect, but that streamlines the game and makes it significantly more enjoyable.

One of the best games this year, and one of the best action/adventure titles <I>ever released.</I>

With its blend of cutting-edge action and scintillating adventure, Bayonetta comes across as an explosion of ideas that Kamiya and his crew may have had since their work on Devil May Cry. In many ways, Bayonetta is the culmination of that effort. It's the wildest ride yet.

For those who didn't enjoy last year's game, this won't change your mind about the franchise. For fans of the series, this review only reinforces your purchase or will encourage you to get this since the online community for the original could migrate to this game. For those who have been interested in the series but failed to pick up last year's title, this is the definitive version to get.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is as good as they come. Even if it doesn't sport the best graphics, its style greatly makes up for it, and the sound is magnificent. From a gameplay perspective, the freedom of choice is refreshing. The hope is that the provided tools work so well that you'll gladly try out everything during one playthrough. With the various avenues you can take and endings you can receive depending on your actions, you have a game with tons of replay value. The gameplay doesn't get old, and the flaws feel insignificant compared to everything that the game does right.

With Gears of War 3, Epic has delivered a worthy send-off for Marcus Fenix and the rest of Delta Squad. Player complaints from previous titles have been addressed, there is more multiplayer content than ever before and the story delivers a satisfying conclusion. In many respects, Gears of War 3 is everything you could want a Gears game to be. Don't hesitate on pulling the trigger.

The Witness is a masterpiece of game design and an early contender for one of the best titles of the year.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was a huge delight to me, easily taking the top spot in my favorite Xenoblade games. It hits so many marks that its flaws can be considered minimal. The cast is likeable, the gameplay is fun and engaging, the world is great to explore, and it is one of the best JRPGs I've ever played. While not flawless, the flaws it does have are forgivable or potentially patched, and you certainly get your money's worth. JRPG fans should absolutely give Xenoblade 3 a try, as it's a pure delight.

Resident Evil 2 Remake is everything a remake should aspire to be. It captures the feel of the original almost perfectly while updating and improving almost everything. It has its flaws, but nothing detracts from the excellent experience. It's fun, spooky, and everything Resident Evil 2 was — but even better. Fans of the franchise and newcomers should enjoy themselves greatly. If you like killing zombies, you owe it to yourself to try out RE2 Remake.

At the end of the day, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty DLC probably won't change your mind if you just disliked the base game. If you even remotely enjoyed the original, then Phantom Liberty is an excellent DLC. It contains some of the best story missions, a host of cool new weapons, and a lot of time with Elba. The fact it carries over into the main story and offers a completely different endgame path is also very cool and means that it's a worthwhile experience — even for those who have seen everything the original has to offer.

Simply a great game. The streamlined gameplay stressing combined arms tactics over brute force should and will appeal to any RTS gamer who is looking for something new.

For a game that tosses so many RTS conventions out the window, Dawn of War II is a surprisingly solid real-time strategy title that pretty much lays down the gauntlet for any game that follows in its wake.

All of the characters are highly detailed and look exactly like their human counterparts. The facial hair on Pete Sampras looks just you could reach out and tug on it.

From its tough yet fair challenge to the way that all of the systems interconnect, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is an absolutely fantastic game and somehow balances what could have easily been an overwhelming palette of gameplay elements into one ridiculously engaging package.

What "next-gen" ought to be. It embodies gameplay, graphics, multiplayer and style that we were expecting to see from the Xbox 360. Simply put, GRAW rounds out the total package.

Fans of the franchise owe it to themselves to pick it up, and anyone with a hankering for a high-quality action game will find Arkham Asylum to be just what the doctor ordered.

There are literally only a handful of racers released in the past few years that can even come close to the experience that this game provides; the customization, sense of speed, longevity, sound, and graphics all are about as perfect as can be expected.

From top to bottom, Mario Kart 7 stands as the best entry in the series.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a modern classic. It does so much right and so easily that it's difficult to believe. The exploration and the sheer sense of freedom bring to the forefront what Zelda used to do. Aside from some frame rate problems and annoying puzzles, it's a solid and enjoyable game. Anyone who has ever enjoyed a Zelda title will find a lot to love here, and anyone new to the franchise couldn't pick a better place to start. Breath of the Wild might be the swan song for the Wii U — and the herald of the Switch — but it's one heck of a note to go out on.

A virtual guarantee to keep you up into the wee hours, playing "just one more turn..." Flaws aside, any game that makes me see the sun come up is a great one.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is one of the best games this year on the PlayStation 3.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm brings the excitement of a new expansion to much of the game and provides some exciting and engaging high-level content. If your account has lapsed, Cataclysm makes it worth the renewal cost. The expansion content raises the bar and re-establishes Blizzard as the reigning king of traditional MMORPGs.

Saying this game looks nearly photorealistic is no understatement, as throughout most of the race, it could pass as just that.

Everyone deserves the opportunity to go into this game cold. Stop reading reviews. Stop watching trailers. Play The Last of Us: Part 2.

Perhaps the best RTS I have ever played, despite the fact that the source material bores me to tears.

It has its rough edges and may not be as polished as it could've been. If you're a gung-ho shooter fanatic, it might not be as intense as you had hoped it might be. But I was too busy crawling through vents, picking through networks, and slipping unseen against the background to notice.

In the end, Fallout 3 feels like a Fallout game, and that is absolutely the highest compliment. Despite the changes, much of the charm and fun of the franchise remains intact, and despite the similarities to Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, I never felt that I was playing anything but a Fallout game.

The replayability of Ultramix 2 is immense, with content downloads and Xbox Live player.

I'm shocked with just how good Aliens: Dark Descent ended up being, and I could hardly put it down from the moment I loaded it up. It clearly respects the Aliens franchise, but it uses the elements in a way that is in service to the gameplay rather than as mere fan service for the player. Its gameplay is not only incredibly fresh compared to the other games of the franchise, but it's also so well executed that it stands as a high point among real-time tactical games, let alone for an Aliens game. Out of the franchise's entire history of games, there are only three games notable for how uniquely good they are; Aliens: Dark Descent is one of them.

If you're not sold on Ikaruga, then you probably aren't hardcore enough for it. Even if you are hardcore enough for it, you'll be chewed up, spit out, and left out to dry.

Grand Theft Auto IV's caricatured slice of urban Americana is a criminal masterpiece.

The new game has applied a generous amount of polish to the things that it carried forward, and the new modes, such as Braking Point and the two-player career mode, add some appreciable entertainment to a solid racing game. It is equally enjoyable to an F1 nut as to someone who is entering the sport fandom, and I have been having a great time whenever I fire it up for a few laps.

Onslaught alone makes this game a must by for all the fans out there. If you are an online gamer and looking for the very best death match game out there today, there is no better, more polished game out there.

Bandfuse is easily the most successful approach to learning how to play a guitar, but it's also damn fun for guitarists of all skill levels.

Ghost of Tsushima brought me epic joy, which is a special thing to find in the bottomless library of experiences out there. I'm deliberately leaving out the description of a moment in the game during the second act that is probably one of the dopest sequences I've ever seen. I don't want to spoil it. I'd rather you see it for yourself, either by playing or seeing it on the internet later. When the credits rolled after the final scene, I felt like I was in a movie theater and ready to applaud. I got to binge-watch and play the samurai story of my dreams. For anyone else who's ever picked up a long, empty wrapping-paper tube, held it with two hands a few inches apart, and swung it like a samurai, I have good news: We found it. We've got our game.

As a game in the traditional sense, Rocksmith is barely there; it's essentially a practice aid combined with a rudimentary teacher. However, it is one that works quite well and is fully capable of letting you learn at your own pace - right up to the point where you could easily plug your guitar into a conventional amp and play a song unassisted.

I'm playing the 360 version, and it's as if this control pad was designed from the ground up to be nearly worthless for this kind of game. There are a handful of other games that have highlighted the 360 controller's awful d-pad, but most of them are using it as a quick-select menu or something. When you're actually trying to input something like a dragon punch motion or any of the EX attacks, it's worse than useless. There is no point in buying SFIV unless you're going to drop the extra money for a better controller.

The title is by far the best single-player experience yet on the PlayStation 3 and certainly one of the finest on any platform this year.

The title is simply more of the same, but it's been polished to the point that it would be difficult to make it any more modern without losing the franchise's strong core. It might be off-putting that the campaign only centers around one race, but in spite of that, the game is a surprisingly full experience.

The title adapts to mouse and keyboard controls flawlessly, handles multiplayer better than the original, and it retains the same level of quality that made the game such a smash hit with its initial release on the Xbox 360.

It offers an incredible story in a medium that is still struggling to elicit a wide range of emotions from its audience, and the authenticity and attention to detail cannot be rivaled by another other game.

It's a wilder side of Forza where you're free to tackle Australia in whatever way you feel is the most enjoyable, and it gives you all the tools you need to make the experience yours. I've always enjoyed the Motorsport side of the track, but Horizon 3 is where you go to have flat-out fun while still sharing the series' strong racing pedigree.

In the end, I can't shake how captivating the chemistry among the characters was in God of War: Ragnarok. I probably laughed and got misty-eyed more times in the first few hours of playing this than I did for the whole first game. Plenty of heavy themes are tackled here other than life and death: alcoholism, abusive relationships, codependency, depression, emotional breakthroughs, true father-and-son bonding, manipulation, etc. You could call this game God of War: Families, Amirite? I've deliberately been vague about many of the key plot points, funny exchanges and gut-punch moments because I think people need to experience them for themselves. I probably already said too much regarding the bears, but they left an impact. The rest of God of War: Ragnarok will make quite an impression as well, and perhaps provide lessons that can outlive us all.

It is proven that if you give Disgaea 2 a bit of your time, it can swallow your life. Submit to its will.

The PC version of Ghost of Tsushima is simply the definitive version of a game that was already stellar when it landed on the PlayStation 4. It can't help but be gorgeous at just about every turn, and gripes about the sameness aside, the gameplay is extremely well polished. Games like this only exist when absolutely everyone involved pour a lot of passion into it, and it continues to be one of my favorites with this excellent PC port. Whether you prefer a controller or a keyboard and mouse, and whether you like the idea of sneaking around or of shouting your challenge to any Mongol who dares to cross you, Ghost of Tsushima delivers a memorable experience.

The moves in the game look magnificent: crisp, clean and fast-paced. It's as if you are watching a movie rather than playing a game.

All of it is entertaining, and it gives you a sense that the island is little more than your plaything- a feeling that's only emphasized as your skills increase and you become a badass cross between Turok and Rambo. It's for that reason that Far Cry 3 comes across as a fresh experience and ranks up there as one of the best shooters of 2012.

If you want to buy a good arcade stick or one of the SFIV-compatible control pads coming out for the game, then Street Fighter IV is a lot of fun.

LoC puts each and every mech simulator ever made to shame. If you have ever fantasized what it really would be like to pilot a hulking mountain of metal and weaponry there is no doubt that Steel Battalion: Line of Contact is as close to that fantasy as anything can get.

There's something about a Sega game that makes it "Sega," and Valkyria Chronicles has that unmistakable touch to it that the Shining Force titles on the Genesis and Dragon Force for the Saturn have had. It's one of the best games that I've played for the current generation, and strategy-minded JRPG fanatics might want to book a trip to Gallia for a unique experience on the PS3.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is first and foremost an experience, an experience of real combat presented with the cinematic qualities of top Hollywood films.

Espire 1: VR Operative is not a mechanically perfect game. Sometimes, the controls can feel a little clumsy in the way that many VR games tend to do, and I wish you could find more handgun ammo to make that class of weapons more useful. With so many VR titles that feel like glorified tech demos Espire 1: VR Operative has some real meat to it, and for most of your time in the game, you will feel like some sort of shadowy, robotic badass. Use all of the mobility and stealth at your disposal, and you will find that Espire 1 sets a pretty high bar for what a VR game can be.

DOOM: The Dark Ages is the result of all the lessons id Software has learned from previous entries and wrapping the tweaked gameplay in a distinct and oddly compelling setting. It is simultaneously unmistakable as a DOOM game, but it also feels like a fresh approach to the series. I love everything about this game's combat loop, which feels much better integrated than the disjointed loops in the previous game, Eternal. Frankly, I am going to be sad when the next game in the franchise doesn't let me have my shield.

It will likely give you goosebumps with its cinematics and rousing musical score, and it often amazes with the excellent sense of size.

An exceptional work of art from beginning to end, which should take most gamers a paltry 10 hours.

LittleBigPlanet is a fantastic game. It's a great platformer with incredible artistic direction and sound, and with some great gameplay to back it up.

This is exactly the game the mature, hardcore Wii crowd has been craving, and it's just too bad that Nintendo is too busy making the next Wii Play, Wii Fit or Wii Music to put more resources into projects like this.

I may miss the absolute insanity that was "Underground 2," but American Wasteland is still a beautiful, unpredictable trickfest that's every bit as fun in its seventh iteration as it was back in the first.

Even when compared to the available titles in the X360 library, HL2 blows most of them out of the water, thanks to its story, presentation and overall enjoyable cinematic quality.

Terribly immersive... If you've got a system good enough to run this, do not miss out: F.E.A.R. is one of the most strikingly fun and exciting games to be released all year, and easily the best FPS since "Half-Life 2."

I've spent hours and hours playing Rock Band and feel as if it's not possible to have as much fun when I go back and play Guitar Hero III. It's not even a question of whether you're a fan of that genre or not — if you own an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or PlayStation 2, you need to pick up Rock Band.

Innovative gameplay, rich story, and near flawless visuals.

They fixed what was broken, and that should be enough.

The expansion doesn't really change the game fundamentally, but it adds more to the endgame of a city.

It challenges, punishes, and brings a warm feeling of joy with every mastered encounter. It's not for everyone, and it isn't absolutely perfect, but Sekiro is the best game I've played in a very long time.

It is beautiful, it is deep, and it is only $20.

The series' best effort in years.

Calling Sleeping Dogs something like an "open-world crime" game does it a disservice, as it invokes thoughts of simply shooting and carjacking yet another major metropolis. Sleeping Dogs is a more refined take on how an open-world game can play out, sacrificing the over-the-top content for a much more focused experience. The game does cut loose, and the melee combat is certainly a blast. Ultimately, Sleeping Dogs manages to marry open-world gameplay with an extremely engaging plot.

The quality is further reflected in the silky-smooth online play and detailed options that let you choose how much updating you want.