Batman's biggest, best, most polished game yet. Rocksteady created a masterpiece that really lets you BE the Batman.
Own a Wii U? Buy Bayonetta 2. Don't own a Wii U? Buy a Wii U.
While it may not resemble the older games in the franchise, that might actually be its strength. It proves that just like Kratos, who was able to mature and grow as a character, letting go of his past while not forgetting who he was, the newest game was able to do the same.
I can't praise Bluepoint enough with just how much care and attention went into not only bringing this world back to life, but bringing it back in such an authentic way compared to its original. But even though Bluepoint will be getting most of the praise here for their exceptional work, I think it's also important to recognize FROMSoftware's original design, and just how well that design held up over the years. Souls fans with a PS5 certainly won't need to be persuaded to hop in, but I'd easily recommend Demon's Souls for the uninitiated to check out where the this third-person subgenre was conceived. The difficulty can be daunting, but it can also be overcome with enough patience and determination.
A game that's mechanically similar to the Metroid of old, yet still manages to have its own identity with some truly awesome concepts. It's gorgeous, challenging and a delight to play.
A fantastic co-operative twin-stick shooter with a surprising amount of depth. It's unrelenting, but not unfair. Pick this one up and convince your friends to do the same.
Keeping everything that made Far Cry 3 so fun, but also adding a few new elements to shake things up a bit, Far Cry 4 is a fantastic successor.
The world and characters come to life in CDPR's conclusion to The Witcher trilogy. A few minor bugs can't ruin what is otherwise a masterful game. If only the combat was slightly better
Gorgeous, challenging, heartbreaking but equally uplifting. Ori and the Blind Forest is a Metroidvania that shouldn't be missed by fans of the genre.
Accessible yet tough to master. Rocket League was an amazing surprise and easily one of the best sports games this year.
Despite the price, Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir is a fantastic game, and I almost couldn't believe that one of my favorite games on the PS2 got the treatment it did. If you're unsure, you could always try out the demo, but trust me, this is one 2D Action RPG that's totally worth it.
Shooting down the blimp for the first time or blowing up a tank with dynamite gives you that great sense of accomplishment, that you are making a difference on the battlefield. These epic moments are what make the Battlefield franchise great and keep people coming back for more.
Gorgeous, huge, and extremely customizable. This is truly 'your' Horizon Festival
Game Freak proved that even after 20 years of creating Pokemon games, they're still not out of ideas and refinements.
While I still believe the game would be best controlled with a keyboard and mouse, I still wholeheartedly recommend this for anyone who appreciates smart, stealth gameplay. It's one of the best examples of the stealth genre with a ton of replayability.
There's enough content here even if you've already played Mario Kart 8, thanks to its impressive and addicting new Battle Mode, or even the four additional Cups in case you've never bothered to buy the DLC for the Wii U game.
For anyone who missed out on Final Fantasy XII the first time around, or perhaps hasn't played it since it came out on the PS2, like myself, you owe it to yourself to re-experience this game all over again.
If Horizon: Zero Dawn hooked you with its concept and its wonderful approach to an open-world Action RPG, then The Frozen Wilds will sink those hooks even deeper.
With all of the improvements already added in, seasons which give further incentive for players to start new characters, as well as the addition of the Necromancer class, this is without a doubt the definitive version of Diablo 3.
Dark Souls 3 feels like the proper sequel to the first game. A lot of the odd mechanics from the second title were scrapped; instead, the game manages to update a lot of the core systems from the first game, borrow some from Demon's Souls, and even add a little bit of Bloodborne flavoring. And even though it feels like the true successor, it doesn't completely discount the second game's existence, as there are plenty of references to that game and world as well.