STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl lives up to its predecessors in a massive way. With a dangerous and stunning world, excellent gameplay, a tight story, and astounding sound design, STALKER has never been better. At the same time, the game is too easy, and doesn't mechanically incentivize exploration as much as it should, given how enjoyable that aspect is. Still, STALKER 2 is worth the wait, and newcomers will find it easy to sink right into the destroyed beauty of the Zone.
Helldivers 2 is a very strong co-op extraction shooter with some excellent gameplay and mechanics. Unfortunately, a lack of endgame content or a reason to keep progressing keep the game from being the live service darling that many thought it would be at launch.
Riven is still one of the best puzzle games of all time, with challenging puzzles, an intricate plot, and a gorgeous world that all fold into each other in great ways. It's a wonderful experience, except for how slow it can be at points. As a remake, the full 3d movement and stunning new graphics add a lot, though replacing the FMV cutscenes with in-game cutscenes does pull away some of the game's original charm.
Dread Delusion is a visual feast (at least from a distance), but its philosophical dilemmas and wickedly cool world do not make up for its total lack of depth in combat, exploration, and questing that make the otherwise-beautiful game a chore.
Somehow, despite everything, Sucker for Love: Date to Die For is monumentally above its predecessor and is elevated far beyond its premise. What should be a schlock romance/horror/comedy game that struggles to mean anything instead becomes shockingly poignant and effective at those three genres and more. This game's story, bolstered by great art, fantastic voice acting, and surprising writing, should not be as good as it is. But, believe it or not, it is worth your time.
Alone in the Dark has such a fantastic pulp horror aesthetic that it makes up for very lackluster gameplay. Stand out performances, a clear reverence for horror, and some great writing make it work. Though it might not quite be worth the price...
Rogue Trader is a near-perfect encapsulation of 40k. Its dark-but-pulpy story puts you in the position to make tough choices with no right answers, its combat is a healthy mix of TTRPG and game balance, and the amount of content on display is jaw-dropping. The Emperor has blessed Owlcat Games.
As close to flawless as any puzzle game can be, the Talos Principle 2 offers some of the deepest philosophy, most poignant moments, best written characters, and -- of course -- the smartest puzzles in gaming, all beautifully interwoven with each other to produce a masterful experience for contemplative gamers.
Starfield is a flawed game, but an incredible one. For everything is does right, there are other things that make it boring or uninteresting. With mods, it can be made amazing, but at base, it's a bit of a mess (albeit fun). However, the lack of accessibility options is egregious, making this much-hyped game unplayable for millions.