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.