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.

Return to Monkey Island is a love letter to the franchise and adventure games in general. It succeeds at what it set out to do from the outset, with a fun story, clever puzzles, and a big pinch of nostalgia to top it all off. It may play it a bit too safe, but that's easily forgotten when the rest of the experience is so consistently delightful.

Sin & Punishment: Star Successor does exactly the same thing the original game did: Provide a devilishly fun experience under the guise of a simple but difficult shooter.

Easy to learn, difficult to master and packed with content, Velocity is not only an excellent Mini, but it may also be one of the best offerings on Sony's diminutive platform. Playable in small chunks or for extended gaming sessions, Velocity is a perfectionist's dream. This is one game guaranteed to give you your money's worth, many times over.

If you're easily frustrated, you might want to pass on Spelunky, but anyone who loves a challenge is going to find hours of enjoyment buried within. Learning how to effectively use every tool in the game, fighting off hordes of enemies and rescuing damsels in distress may sound repetitive, but if there is one thing that Spelunky can guarantee, it's that no two games will ever be alike.

Ultimately, it's hard to go wrong with Zen's Star Wars Pinball. Though the included tables don't quite surpass Data East's classic, they are all solid pinball experiences and among the best tables that Zen has produced — even if the Star Wars license wasn't attached.

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.

When taken as a whole, Resistance2 comes exceptionally close to attaining gaming perfection. Only minor graphical shortcomings and a weak story hold back this title from an even higher score.

Dispatch is a genuine delight from start to finish. Aside from the minor (and as of this writing, now irrelevant) nag of having to wait for the entire "season" to be done, I can't think of any strong complaints. The characters are fun and likable, the plot is pretty darn enjoyable, and it's probably the most fun Telltale-style game I've ever played. Add to that the fun dispatch-themed gameplay, and you've got something that's firing on all cylinders. If the crude humor and concept don't turn you off, Dispatch is a must-play for any superhero fans.

Sonic Mania Plus is a must-have for gaming fans of all types. If you're a fan of the Genesis games, this is exactly what you've been waiting for. If you're more of a new fan, Sonic Mania Plus shows you why the series was so revered in the first place. If you already own the main title, the DLC is an excellent add-on at a reasonable price, especially for the amount of stuff you'll get.

Pikmin 3 is a solid sequel. It improves on the mechanics of the previous games and includes a good amount of enjoyable content.

Spelunky 2 is more of Spelunky, and that is all it needs to be. It is still ridiculously enjoyable, packed with content, and the right mix of challenging and engaging. It's still going to kill you a half-dozen times, too. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it revitalizes an experience that risked going stale after a decade. The only downside is that the online experience isn't the best, but the rest of the game holds up great. If you liked Spelunky, then you'll like Spelunky 2, and if you never played the original, then Spelunky 2 is a great place to start. Just remember to always look before you leap.

It easily beats out former champ, "Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots," for Boxing Game of the Millennium.

If you plan on cooking dishes, either by yourself or with others, this program is a perfect fit.

Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered remains an excellent superhero adventure game, but the move to PC elevates it as the best version of the adventure thus far, mainly thanks to the various available graphical options. From full native 4K with a beefier ray tracing implementation to lots of tweakable graphical options, it looks gorgeous and a little better than the PS5 iteration. If you already have the console version, then there's not too much reason to dip into this adventure again, but for those experiencing the title for the first time, Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered is a perfect way to dive into the adventure and get yourselves ready for Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which arrives in a few months.

It may not break all the rules the way the original did, but this is still a game poised to shake up the handheld market a bit.

Absolum is pretty much everything you could want in a roguelike beat-'em-up. It's engaging, constantly varied, fun to play, gorgeous to look at, and it's pretty much a nonstop good time. The only way I can see a fan of the beat-'em-up genre not liking Absolum is if they don't like roguelikes. Even then, I could see it melting some hearts. It's a delight from start to finish, and the game is nearly impossible to put down.

There's so much more to do, and it sounds, looks, and plays so well (even better than before), I may never need another RTS. Relic, keep the expansions coming.

It's forgiving enough for arcade-style players to get into, yet challenging and rewarding enough to make them want to get better, while not leaving them stuck in one place. Sim nuts, naturally, will be quite pleased as well.

It’s truly amazing to see these more impressive graphical representations maximizing this system’s potential.

Kingdom Hearts II isn't necessarily the kind of game you replay obsessively, or even take an instant liking to, but once you sink into the fantastic world it presents, it's hard not to get addicted to its immense variety and kinetic pace.

Altogether, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is easily the best of the three Ratchet and Clank entries on the PS3, and it does a great job of tying up any loose ends established by the Future trilogy.

Much like in previous years, NBA 2K14 is a good basketball game.

It's bigger and more detailed than its predecessor. The gameplay is streamlined, which largely seems to benefit the combat and exploration at a cost to the dialogue and non-combat elements. There are few things as fun as grabbing your pipe rifle and wandering into the Wasteland to find a new ruin to explore or a new settlement to create. Beyond the main plot, there are possibly hundreds of hours of things to see and do. Fallout 3 fans should find a lot to love here, and newcomers to the franchise will find a great place to start.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge Dimension Shellshock DLC is a well-thought-out piece of DLC. The roguelike nature of the survival mode is neat thanks to the various backdrops that are rendered in the modern pixel style and the various powers that tweak the combat for the better. The bonus characters are awesome to play, as they complement the roster without feeling overpowered as their stats would suggest. For those wanting to return to the game after a year or playing it for the first time, the Dimension Shellshock DLC is worth adding to the game experience.

Persona 3 does the franchise proud. The only "problem" that might make someone think twice about jumping in is the focus on character interaction over combat, but if that isn't a problem for you, you'll enjoy Persona 3 a lot.

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.

When playing through Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics, one is reminded of how good Capcom is at licensed games. Each of the games in this collection is a stone-cold classic, and even though more people will end up gravitating toward Marvel vs. Capcom 2 more than any other game, each title represents the kind of fighting game you wouldn't mind revisiting. There's still some tweaking that needs to be done, from the online performance tanking at times to having some more menu option explanations, but that doesn't take away this collection's overall quality. If you're a fan of 2D fighters, you need to have this game in your library.

Kirby's Epic Yarn is a rare game that is good for everyone. It is charming, fun and easy to play, while well-designed enough that the lack of challenge doesn't become boring.

The Last Friend is awesome. Those who have been looking for a game similar to the first Plants vs. Zombies will instantly fall in love with this, as the core gameplay mechanics faithfully emulate that. The addition of an active participant in the fight gives you much more to do than resource collection and frontline maintenance, while the multi-screen battlefields and boss fights feel like a natural evolution of the formula. It may feel too easy compared to PopCap's classic, especially if you play the whole campaign in co-op mode, but that's a small price to pay for having this game style make a comeback. Unless you absolutely crave a strategy game that will tear you to bits at first glance, The Last Friend is a title that's well worth playing.

Even when considering the aforementioned caveats, DJ Hero 2 is a very good game, and it is surely a nice step up from the original title.

Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection is a fantastic purchase for fans of the franchise or newcomers to the PlayStation

Supreme Commander is intelligent, polished, complex, and difficult. For many, of course, this will be reason to avoid it. The user manual is 70 pages long and probably the thickest of its kind that I've seen.

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.

All told, Fight Night Round 4 is a solid game, and it's more than just a rebranding of the franchise.

While none of the changes on their own amounted to much, overall, they all made for a much smoother and more authentic baseball title.

For the price, the TW:EE pack has a tremendous amount of value and the sort of extras usually only found in a Collector's Edition.

The game is impressive, and it seems we're on the cusp of something truly special.

Call of Duty 2 continually kept me on the edge of my seat. Non-stop adrenaline stretched across a surface tension that’s unmatched in any other first-person shooter.

All in all, F1 2017 blew my expectations out of the water. My interest in racing titles had been waning, so trying the F1 series was one of my best decisions in a while. F1 2017 revived my interest in racing with its immersion and polish. The simulation is deep but allows casual racers to enjoy everything that it has to offer, and the career mode provides lasting appeal and value while adding a human touch to it all. Codemasters has brought a new level of simulation and enjoyment to racing games, and racing fans should snag F1 2017 and keep an eye out for F1 2018. I know I will.

Even if the PS5 edition isn't a game-changer, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is still a delightfully charming title. The environments are bright and colorful, the characters are filled with emotion, the music is bright, and the overall experience just as charming as Crash Bandicoot was so many years ago.

Unicorn Overlord wears its influences on its sleeves, but that is a good thing. It's part Ogre Battle, part Fire Emblem, and part its entirely own thing, and the end result is an absolute blast to play. Add to that the gorgeous visuals, and it's a game that hits all of the marks. The only problems are some minor balance issues, and even those don't detract from the overall fun experience. If you're a fan of strategy RPGs, you owe it to yourself to try out Unicorn Overlord.

Velocity 2X is a solid and well-made blend of shoot-'em-up and platforming action.

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.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is an important entry for a series that's trying to redefine itself without losing what makes it Yakuza. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, even though its pacing was inconsistent. A lot of the enjoyment is due to the new protagonist Ichiban, his memorable companions, and their relationships, which are engaging to explore. Most of the adventure is set in the Yokohama region, which is a joy to interact with, and so are its shops and engaging side stories. While the introduction of RPG mechanics was a daring move, it ultimately paid off, and I prefer the full-on RPG approach over the old brawler gameplay. Most of its RPG systems are simplistic to the point of almost being repetitive, but it lays a solid and fun foundation upon which future titles can build.

Between the memorable single-player mode and the silky-smooth online play, Resistance provides an experience that, while occasionally familiar, is always worthwhile.

It's rare that a game does so much so well, and with only a few missteps, Rise of the Tomb Raider is destined to be one of the most recommendable PC games this year.

Diablo IV is an extremely good Diablo game, and that is all it needs to be. It doesn't change much, and it focuses on polishing what the franchise already did well. It's always difficult to tell how these kinds of games will develop; by the end of its life cycle, Diablo III was almost unrecognizable compared to its launch state. Barring some terrible missteps, Diablo IV has everything it needs to grasp your soul with its malevolent claws and eat up hours of your life. Newcomers or long-time fans alike should find it easy to pick up and play Diablo IV.

The actual gameplay; in BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger; is relentlessly crazy, to the point where even two complete novices flailing away at one another will be entertained by the ridiculous crap they're able to pull off.

Overall, if you can put up with DRM and GFWL headaches, and don't mind risking losing your save games and progress - or at least having them tethered and more complicated than they need to be - Resident Evil 5 for the PC is probably the version to get.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted U is a must-have racing game for those who only own the Wii U.

Street Fighter 6: Years 1-2 Fighters Edition is a great title all around and an excellent launch title for Nintendo's new system. Battle Hub may be silly, but it has lots more personality and more to do than most other titles do in their online lobbies. Fighting Ground does a great job of showing off the new roster and improvements to the fighting engine, while placing an equal amount of attention on both offline and online players. World Tour makes for a slightly nonsensical yet addictive adventure that can serve as a full-fledged Street Fighter RPG. All of this comes together with an absolutely solid presentation if you ignore the fights in World Tour mode. That one issue causes the score to go lower than what we originally gave the game when it came out two years ago. Here's hoping that Capcom patches the issues soon to place this version on par with the other console and PC releases.

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.

A solid expansion, with enough neat new toys to keep the existing players something to tide them over for a while. It’s also a good sign from SOE that they aren’t focusing the end-game solely on the need to be in a large raiding guild.

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.

At the end of the day, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate doesn't reinvent the wheel. It has more content, more polish, and more of the same gameplay that people love. It isn't going to convert anyone who disliked the formula, but it might bring newcomers into the fold.

Tactics Ogre: Reborn is an incredibly well put together remaster of one of the cult classics from the SNES era. It's an improvement over the well-done PSP remaster and improves upon it in almost every way. The story and translation remain excellent, and the core gameplay is more fun than ever. The only downside is that it didn't get any visual touch-ups, so you'll need to be willing to accept cute, pudgy little sprites acting out the serious tense political drama. If you're a fan of strategy RPGs and haven't played Tactics Ogre yet, then Reborn is well worth a shot.

It's strange, quirky, and basically unlike any other game on the market. It's also incredibly fun. The unusual mix of rhythm and strategy gameplay blends together surprisingly well, and it isn't strange to look up from a session of Patapon only to realize that you've lost a few hours when you only intended to play for five minutes.

Between all the wrinkles in the main gameplay, all the scenarios which completely change or add to it, and the fact that this comes with little to no system requirement increases or, well, anything that doesn't add to the gameplay, Beyond the Sword is little more than another stop on Sid Meier's traditional formula but is so much fun precisely because of this.

Dragon Quest Builders 2 does everything right for a sequel to an excellent title. The core mechanics have been improved, so basic building remains engaging, while the minor issues with deconstruction and weapon management have been ironed out. This is especially true of combat, which feels much better than before. The addition of multiplayer is absolutely welcome, but it's limited to one island and there's no way to play the whole campaign this way. DQB2 is a treat that is just as good as the first game, and it's highly recommended for RPG fans with an itch for building and lots of time to burn.

For all its bluster, Dragon Age: Origins comes off as a game that's afraid to take risks. Everything about it, from the combat to the story line, stays very safely within established bounds. After Mass Effect, though, Origins feels like a bit of a step backward.

For those who like the series, though, it doesn't get much better than The Sims 3.

Not just the best superhero game to date, but it defines what a fantastic superhero game should be.

Despite my qualms about the closing hours of Death Stranding, I truly enjoyed about 30 hours of it. There are plenty of moments where tone-setting music sets in and the vastness of the landscapes smothers you with solitude and despair. Collecting materials and contributing them to an online structure was engaging and even downright addictive. Moreover, the foundations of the plot intrigued me so much. I think that's what pains me so much about Death Stranding: I can see its potential, but the game went too far in too many disparate directions.

The Xbox One finally has a console-exclusive shooter, and TitanFall is such a damned good one that it's tough to go back and play others.

Two years after its release on the PS5, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart remains a solid title in a long-running franchise that hits the mark. The simple story is bolstered by both the existing characters and new ones that carry the same amount of depth. The action flows smoothly between different types, and the addition of a dash move gives the game a sense of speed that makes combat feel better. It looks absolutely gorgeous thanks to the increased horsepower of the PC, and while some annoyances do exist, the release is much more solid when compared to some of the other big PC titles in the last 12 months. Rift Apart is well worth buying, and the hope is that Sony takes this opportunity to put the older adventures on the platform as well.

Overall, I think Silent Hill 2 feels more like a side-upgrade than a full upgrade to the original. It's incredibly faithful and respectful while it modernizes large chunks of the game, but some of those modernizations go a tad too far for my taste. Silent Hill 2 is largely successful at what it is trying to do, which is to present a version of the game that is more polished and modern. It doesn't eclipse the original version, but for anyone who didn't grow up playing PS2 games, this is the easiest version of the game to play.

God of War: Ghost of Sparta is probably the weakest entry in the franchise. It has a relatively unimpressive story, fairly unmemorable locations, toned-down enemies and lackluster upgrades. At its heart, it's still a God of War game, and it is still fun to play.

Trials HD is one of those rare occurrences where the real-life activity might actually be easier than its video game imitator. Yes, it's difficult and will turn off some folks, but the relentless gameplay is still rock solid and intensely rewarding when things eventually go your way.

It may not replace Elden Ring in my heart, but Nioh 3 is a new high bar for the series and one of the most engaging and exciting Soulslikes I've had the fortune of playing. Top-of-the-line combat and a brand-new and surprisingly engaging open world make it a fantastic place to start for newcomers or longtime franchise fans alike. Aside from a somewhat weak plot, there's nothing holding back Nioh 3; it's absolutely worth picking up.

Punch-Out!! is a must-have sports game on a system that doesn't really have many decent sports games.

Unless you absolutely despise the genre, Radiant Silvergun is a game that needs to be in your collection. It's just as much a landmark in game design as it is a joy to play.

Realistically, if you own Wings of Liberty and enjoyed it, you should pick up Heart of the Swarm — not because it is more of the same, but because it's not.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an excellent Metroidvania. It doesn't completely break the mold of the genre, but it is firing on all cylinders, and it's a delight from start to finish. The excellent gameplay is bolstered by the anime-inspired visuals to create a distinctive style. The somewhat lackluster plot lags behind, but even that is mostly fun, if unexceptional. If you're a fan of Metroidvania-style games, you're certain to have a ton of fun with Sargon's adventure in The Lost Crown.

Overall, Bayonetta 3 is an incredibly fun game. I like the new mechanics, the new enemies are fun to fight, and it has a lot of laugh-out-loud moments. I just wish all of it wasn't surrounded by a dreary tale of multiversal failure leading into a rather bittersweet ending. If you don't care about the story, the game has few flaws that I can think of. It plays great, is full of amazing absurdity, and was absolutely worth the wait for any fan of the franchise. In the long run, I think Bayonetta 2 is my favorite of the franchise, but Bayonetta 3 is still a remarkably good entry in Platinum's best series.

This game really has everything you could want, including one of the best if not the best stories of the year, and it'll certainly slake any gamer's thirst for adventure.

Crysis 2 feels like a much more refined version of the first game. The plot isn't amazing, but it's much better than the first game, and the pacing is well done.

Crashmo, like Pushmo before it, is a near-perfect title for the 3DS. The new mechanics feel like a natural evolution for the series and provide some depth to even the simplest of levels.

Ghost of Yotei is automatically one of my favorite games of 2025. It comes at a time when people just want to kick some ass in the most beautiful settings imaginable, and it's one of the more satisfying plays you'll find on the PS5. It's the most fun you'll have checking off a to-do list.

Had the game broken the 20-hour mark and cut down a bit on the stealth sequences it could have been an amazing game. As it sits, BG&E manages to remain highly entertaining throughout but ends far too soon.

An engaging narrative that actually inspires an urge to read all the text, fun and evolving combat, and a smooth coat of presentational polish make Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time a compelling package.

When you take it all into consideration, Mortal Kombat is a pretty good entry into the series, namely for the surprisingly high-quality story mode, but it falls short in other areas. You'll spew vulgarities almost every time you have to choke down a 1v2 fight and when the AI suddenly gains near-psychic prediction abilities, but when it's an even 1v1 fight, the game is a lot of fun. The choice to essentially reboot the series was a wise one, and now is probably your best chance to get caught up with the Mortal Kombat story, short of replaying the originals. However, some truly asinine fights will certainly dull the enjoyment from time to time.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is an experience that doesn't hit Xbox Live Arcade too often. It has a story that doles out a familiar tale but tells it in a way that feels more personal despite the lack of a familiar language.

I don't see it as being a better fighting game than "SC2," but it is a newer one, and to some, that's all that matters. It's still way better than most anything else out there.

NHL 12 is a very good hockey simulation offering a full year of up-to-date sports gaming. Certainly, there's nothing here to put anyone off the series. Lamentably, there's not anything to convert pro hockey simulation abstainers to the fold, either.

It seems the NCAA Football franchise has finally found its identity, and the end product is extremely impressive.

With arcade-perfect gameplay, solid online match-ups and plenty of unlockable extras, it's finally time to retire your old Dreamcast copy of the game.

All in all, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is a top-notch port. It won't make you rethink the game if you didn't enjoy it in the first place, but the majority of the improvements do a lot to elevate the game. The updated gameplay and visuals make the experience more fun. Only a few nagging flaws, most of which are a legacy of the original game, decrease the enjoyment a bit, but they won't sour the game for JRPG aficionados.

For $10, The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition is a fantastic remake of a classic game.

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.

Just a fantastic strategy game that no fan of the genre should pass up. It is refreshing to see a title that can challenge your mind while entertaining you to no end.

In the end, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is more of the same. The gunplay is fantastically done, and the opposition is enough of a challenge to make it worthwhile. The environments provide more than enough variety to prevent boredom, and the story works despite the levels of insanity it can reach. With a slightly upgraded presentation, it is safe to say that not much has changed, but when a game delivers on all of the expected fun and more, a lack of major change isn't a bad thing at all. If you love action, don't hesitate to grab this.

DmC: Devil May Cry is a hard game to judge. On its own, without any preconceptions based on the franchise, it's a serviceable if unexceptional action title. It's a good way to waste an afternoon or an ideal rental. It is, however, a poor Devil May Cry game.

Nioh 2: The Complete Edition does everything that's expected from a sequel. The original game's mechanics remain as tight as ever, with the new additions slotting in perfectly without upsetting the overall balance. The game remains as tough as ever, but the deaths never feel cheap, and while the depth of the various skill trees and mountains of loot may scare away those who aren't used to this sort of thing, it works perfectly for those who want something different in their masochistic action games. Nioh 2 features a ton of content and the ability to play co-op, so Soulsborne fans will likely be playing this one for a long time.

As stated before, Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition is the definitive version of the classic arcade game.

The game is absolutely overflowing with content, and the emotional, intriguing story will keep you hooked right through the end.

Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a master class in how to update an old game while retaining its original feeling. It has a ton of adjustments, changes, fixes and features that completely change how the game plays, while managing to retain the same feeling of playing the game when it originally came out. It looks better, sounds better, plays better, and in general, it's the absolute optimal way to experience Star Ocean: The Second Story.

The variety of mission types and the addition of multiplayer co-op mode definitely make this a worthy sequel to the original "Katamari Damacy."