Madden NFL 11 is a must own for all football fans, and now it is even more accessible to the masses.

Resident Evil 4 Remake is an absolute delight. Veterans of the original will love the changes and newcomers can now appreciate just how good this game actually is. Capcom continues the trend of keeping the series fresh in our minds. I cannot wait for the next new entry as well as what remake they do next. Almost guaranteed we will see RE5 next, but Capcom please listen to your fans and give us that Code Veronica remake we so rightly desire. Regardless, fans of the series are eating so good right now.

Madden NFL 11 is a must own for all football fans, and now it is even more accessible to the masses.

Call of the Elder Gods is a worthy successor to Call of the Sea in almost every way. Combining exploration with some stellar puzzles and gameplay the game manages to tell a wonderful story with a Lovecraftian twist. The fantastic soundtrack mixed with the wonderful job the voice actors have done really help to make Call of the Elder Gods stand out. This one is sure to be on my Game of the Year list for 2026.

After becoming familiar with its systems, Pharaoh offers tremendous city building flexibility and a plethora of challenges unseen in any other city builder. A New Era has introduced numerous quality of life features found in contemporary city building titles to an already solid classic. From sandbox to successive dynasties, with new options to tune the game to your playstyle introduced, Pharaoh: A New Era beyond satisfies.

Streets of Rage 2 3DS has everything going for it as a downloadable retro game. Taking good use of the 3D effect, decent new modes, and offering players one of the best ways to play Streets of Rage 2 on the go, if you’re a fan, I don’t see how you could resist this brawl.

Iron Meat is an amazing Contra-like that does some things better than the game it is impersonating. I cannot recommend this title enough for fans of that style. It has a rocking soundtrack, outstanding visuals, and perfect controls. Now if you will excuse me, I have some more meat to grind.

Crimsonland is now up there with Super Stardust HD as one of my favourite twin-stick shooters. It may not blow you away with the visuals, but looks certainly don’t matter when it’s packing this much content. Added to the fact that the Xbox One version includes new content, this is a must buy for fans of the genre and for those looking for a fun co-op experience.

This final episode does some really interesting things, wraps up everything in an emotional way, and leaves me thinking about it even hours after seeing the final scene. If you haven’t played through this game yet, do yourself a favor and do it. Hopefully, you’ll feel the way I have throughout this adventure.

The Vessel of Hatred expansion is a must-have for Diablo 4 fans. It offers a wealth of new content, a compelling story that is going places that I didn’t see coming, a beautiful new region and a powerful new class, Vessel of Hatred is a more than worthy addition to the Diablo series, and I cannot wait to see where the team goes from here.

For anyone who wrote this game off for any reason, please give this game another shot. It contains a wonderful story, one of the most satisfying final battles, some of the best humor in any Zelda game, plenty of completely optional side content, and some really unique gameplay that only Skyward Sword has offered. I have never been happier to say I was wrong about a game.

Overall, I found the journey into Fabletown a delight; filled with memorable characters built on a solid mechanical foundation, and while I believe there more to be done with the formula, it’s the finest Telltale has made so far and well worth experiencing.

It’s difficult to say if Danganronpa V3 met my nearly unrealistic expectations, as even though much of the gameplay and story beats felt familiar, the true vision of V3 and how it ends has left me feeling conflicted in a way I have yet to fully digest. It’s an unforgettable journey full of love and betrayal- one that steps past the point of no return and bravely takes another leap forward to a world without hope or despair.

Players who missed this on the PS3 will find a lot to like here, but for those who have already completed it I doubt the graphical upgrade is worth another play through.

Wii owners should definitely rush out and snag a copy before it becomes a rarity. If you have even the smallest of interest in fighting games, this is a must-own. There simply isn’t a better fighter on the Wii and this is likely the closest we may ever get to a sequel to Marvel vs. Capcom 2.

Listen, I have waited a long time for this game and Remedy delivered a masterpiece here, flaws and all. The new creation of their own Remedy Universe shines brightly with the amount of crossover on display here with their last game Control. It was almost surprising how much the Federal Bureau of Control comes up against Saga and the FBI over the course of the game. I say surprising, but it is actually exciting to see what the future holds for these games. If Alan Wake 2 is any indication, Remedy is just getting started and whatever the greater story being told here I cannot wait for more. Fans of Alan Wake and its spin-off American Nightmare are going to love getting to reap the harvest of those seeds sowed so long ago. But Alan Wake 2 is also accessible for new fans alike and I would admonish anyone who genuinely enjoys weird, deep stories to check this one out.

Loot boxes feel like a small blemish on an otherwise outstanding game. Forza continues to deliver year-in and year-out. This outing will also be a showcase for Microsoft’s upcoming 4K console. Turn 10 continues to deliver, and if nothing else Microsoft has this genre on lockdown for the time being. Glad to see the team not get complacent. Forza Motorsport 7 is yet another must-own for racing game fans.

Jedi Fallen Order is one of the best games in the Star Wars franchise and one of the best games of 2019. It has some sore spots, but the story, characters, worlds, and combat more than make up for its shortcomings. Fans of Star Wars will love it. Fans of action/adventure games will have a fantastic time. It is great to finally see Respawn branch out and get a chance to craft something they clearly have a passion for. This is not a game to be missed and gives me hope for the future of the series.

I think GreedFall may be the sleeper hit of the year. It’s an RPG that captures the best parts of BioWare’s works while adding in their own gameplay elements and a unique setting. The side stories are given just as much importance as the main quests. The world is large despite not being one large open world experience. Combat is the perfect blend of real time action and turn based decision making. After playing Bound by Flame earlier this year I had little expectation for GreedFall. I am happy I was wrong to doubt Spiders, because it is one of my favorite games of the year.

I really enjoyed my time with Dragon Quest 7: Reimagined. Even as a hardened DQ veteran I appreciated the streamlined changes that were made to bring the game’s substantial run-time down a notch. I completed the game with about 47 hours on the clock and polished off the post-game content at about 57 hours. I’ve got 1 achievement to go (find all items) but the in-game checklist for that one isn’t great, so it will likely wait until someone produces a guide. That feels to me like the right length of time for this game. Long enough that you feel like you’re getting a full experience, but not so long that it overstays it’s welcome. That said, if you’re a veteran of the franchise, I would definitely consider adjusting some of the difficulty settings. If I hadn’t been playing for review, I certainly would have bumped a couple of them up a notch. I can see where some folks who love the original might be disappointed in the changes (especially the cut content) but I think this version serves the story of the game well and will undoubtedly allow for more players to enjoy both the game and the series.

Ultimately Paradox has created a brilliant and lasting experience in Stellaris; one that allows players to cultivate an empire that spans entire galaxies. It is both wonderful and appropriately grand.

Treyarch has done an amazing job with this game and has quite possibly constructed one of the best online experiences currently available anywhere.

I seriously surprised myself at how much I love Monster Hunter Rise. With a campaign that doesn’t last long, just enough to train players up and then being the real game. The endgame is where it’s at and going after those high-level monsters is such a delight with or without friends playing. Even after all the time I have invested I have yet to see all of the monsters and I can’t wait to continue to discover more and the upcoming Sunbreak expansion coming summer 2023. Yep, seems there has never been a better time for Monster Hunter fans new and old and I am happy to now count myself among them.

Tomb Raider Remastered is a fantastic collection that checks all the right boxes. I adored these games and revisiting them has been a treat. I cannot recommend this collection enough if you are like me and have nostalgia for those original titles. They just don’t make them like this anymore. The sense of wonder and exploration mixed with the subtle music cues and adventure are truly unmatched. It was great revisiting these and I hope the next game in the series takes a few notes from the ones that started it all.

Combat seemed flawless; the puzzle element, while at times unnecessarily misleading and therefore frustrating, was even more rewarding because of the joy of discovery.

In the end, Velocity Ultra stands as one of my favorite 2D scrolling shooters and a pleasant surprise that harkened back to the day where I was eagerly looking forward to each new release in the genre.

Fans of the series will likely love it, but for newcomers this is the best time to jump in. I am happy to have finally taken the plunge, and over time I can see myself returning to the series, especially with two more games already scheduled to hit PS4 soon. There is plenty here to enjoy, and I guarantee there is nothing else quite like Yakuza.

In the literal sea of fantastic games that have come out in 2025, Marvel Cosmic Invasion shouldn’t be missed. Now, truthfully speaking mileage may vary on how much fun you have depending on how you feel about the brand. As a huge comic fan, I loved this game and can’t wait to play with friends when the online multiplayer goes live. But some folks may be turned off by the lack of enemy variety and the shorter length of the campaign which can be finished in about 3-5 hours; completionist will get about 20 hours to see everything. With its inclusion in Game Pass Ultimate (a shame we have to differentiate) it’s definitely worth checking out.