Assassin's Creed: Origins manages to be both experimental and safe. It tries a lot of new things, but it never ventures too far from the Assassin's Creed formula. There's a lot of potential in Origins, and it'll be exciting to see how the new features evolve in future games. Fans of Assassin's Creed should find a lot to like, and it may be time to revisit the battle between the Assassins and the Templars.

Although this isn't the definitive version of the game due to the lack of split-screen play, Halo: Reach on the PC is a solid experience. The campaign retains the magic that Bungie prided itself on during its time with the franchise and the multiplayer. While the multiplayer in Reach is not as populous as the older entries, it often has more options to satisfy anyone's tastes. This is a good indication of how the rest of the package will turn out, which means that there's going to be some positive buzz surrounding each release. Whether you're buying this on Steam or taking advantage of the Xbox Game Pass on PC, Reach is well worth checking out.

For those who don’t normally play Madden or who are looking for a good party version of Madden, I can not recommend a better version then the Wii. Of all the Madden games released since the days of the Genesis, Madden 07 for the Wii is the first that I was honestly excited to play.

After all these years, Disgaea 2 is still an excellent strategy RPG. The mechanics are very tight despite advances having been made in subsequent sequels and spin-offs, and it doesn't get old over the long period of time you'll want to spend with the game. The story remains engaging, and the characters and humor have withstood the test of time. Best of all, the PC version doesn't have a majority of the issues that plagued the console original. If you've never had the pleasure of playing this before and you don't own any PlayStation systems, Disgaea 2 is certainly worth checking out on the PC.

As expected, the Jurassic World Pinball pack continues the studio's impressive quality streak. The table layouts are well thought out to please both casual and veteran fans of pinball, while the gimmicks inherent to video game pinball are done well. If you're a fan of pinball, add this to your collection.

The Exorcist: Legion VR is easily one of the more effective horror games on the platform to date. Its reliance on relative unease rather than jump-scares makes it stand out from other horror games on the platform, while the number of challenging puzzles gives the title some real substance. While there's no doubt that more effective horror games can hit VR in the near future, The Exorcist is one of the better ones that you can find today.

If you're looking for an excellent wrestling experience and you don't want to be leashed to a television, Smackdown vs Raw 2006 has just obsolesced all your other options.

This is well worth a DS owner’s time, and easily one of the best things Square-Enix has published for the system.

Super Scribblenauts is about as straightforward of a sequel as you can get. It's almost easier to compare to an expansion pack than a full-fledged sequel. There are improvements and mechanical updates, but nothing really changes the entire experience.

A nice change of pace from most MMORPGs and should definitely be the first place one looks if they intend to let their children try online gaming, but due to its repetitive nature and the difficulty for a seasoned gamer to take this title seriously, I have a hard time giving it an extremely high recommendation.

The series' best effort in years.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure is just as good now as it was during the release of the PS5. Stunning presentation aside, the platforming mechanics remain absolutely solid, and the transition from 2D to 3D is rather painless. The campaign runs at the right length with the right level of difficulty, and unlike past series entries, the multiplayer feels good instead of chaotic. The creative aspects of the original series are missed, but the game remains a solid entry in any platforming fan's game library.

Muramasa: The Demon Blade is a gaming experience that must be played regardless of your console preference.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an ambitious RPG that mostly delivers on its promise. The main quest is as lengthy as RPGs of yesteryear, while the amount and variety of quests bring an MMO flow to a single-player experience.

If you're wondering about picking up another iteration of the Madden franchise, it's safe to say that Madden NFL 13 is the best the series has seen in a few years.

The unique gameplay and deep strategy make this the ultimate test of both brains and reflexes, and if you've been looking for poker with a twist, then this might be right up your alley.

It's easy to be a little jaded about the fact that Call of Duty is going back to the Modern Warfare well. This latest entry into the franchise seems to be a significant improvement over previous entries, and it's closer to the type of game that the developers have been perfecting for years. The campaign is done well, the cooperative multiplayer is challenging, and the adversarial multiplayer is arguably better than it has ever been. Perhaps most importantly, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare appeals to long-standing fans and new players alike. It might even draw in those who have fallen out of the Call of Duty fold and are looking for a way back.

Timegate Studios has worked on what was perceived to be Kohan’s biggest weakness: its graphics. To this end they succeeded, the game looks good now.

A technically competent basketball simulation outfitted with years' worth of features and created by a development team with an obvious passion for NCAA ball. If you're looking for an NBA simulation, that's absolutely what you should play.

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

For anyone who likes racing games, particularly street racing games, Midnight Club: Los Angeles is definitely at the top of the pack this year. The customizable vehicles, music, online gameplay, varied game modes, and, most importantly, fast racing all combine to make this one of the best racers out there.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is a charming and enjoyable little RPG that is geared toward Monster Hunter fans who are looking for something with a slower pace. The story and tone may be a tad childish for some, but it works well for the characters. The strong core combat system buoys some lackluster dungeons and a generic story. It's a chill RPG for Monster Hunter fans and a pretty good introduction to the franchise for newcomers, especially younger children who may be frustrated by a traditional Monster Hunter title.

Signalis is the type of horror game that keeps you hooked from beginning to its true end. The story is told in a confusing way, but the delivery succeeds in keeping you intrigued enough to see its conclusion. Sparse inventory management aside, it achieves a nice balance between puzzles and combat, and even if you figure out that flight is a more formidable strategy than fight, the overall tension and sense of unease remains. For horror fans who want the feel of a bygone classic, Signalis is worth checking out.

Tentacular shows how well VR can be done once you stop limiting it to exercise, combat, and rhythm-based genres. The puzzles are simple to understand, and the presence of a timer doesn't make it frantic. Your floppy tentacles and the finicky physics can lead to some frustration, but all of your tasks are still possible. The presence of room scaling and analog stick movement makes the title accessible for many setups. It's all done with an adorable aesthetic and a runtime that feels meaty — even before you include the playground. Tentacular is a fun experience for VR fans who are looking for something calming, different and fun.

Keeper is a keeper. The story is good, but the method in which it is told is memorable because few other games try to do it effectively. The gameplay is simple to grasp, with only a few puzzles that are challenging and only a few instances when the camera is a hindrance. Fans of adventure games will enjoy this short experience with good pacing and a solid presentation.

Moonlighter is many things: charming, fun, and well designed. The gameplay loop is brilliant and addicting, and the pacing feels just right. The enemy and item variety is wide, and the combat feels tight. Despite some hiccups with the shop management system, it works well due to its simplicity. Overall, Moonlighter is a great RPG for those looking for something a little different in the genre.

This is definitely the greatest example of comic book fan-service ever conceived, but the gamer side of my brain has too many issues with the title to let it off the hook for those reasons alone.

Despite my issues with its combat and optimization, Hand of Fate 2 provides a wonderful experience for those seeking an interesting deck-building game to add to their Switch library. There's a good bit of bang for your buck here, and with additional levels available as paid DLC, I could imagine players getting lost in Hand of Fate 2's tabletop-inspired world for countless playthroughs. Just be sure to bring an open mind and plenty of patience.