Austin Wood
Despite some frustrations, Black Myth: Wukong feels great and finishes strong – so strong that I've half a mind to give New Game Plus a try, if only to find yet more stuff I missed.
Stellar Blade is more ambitious and varied than expected, but also about as clunky as expected, resulting in a stilted action RPG with a level of jank that you just have to accept. Meet it on its terms, and either tune out or embrace the odd sexual veneer, and it's a solid 20 to 30 hours of fun.
I've seen two endings now and they both make me miserable in different ways, which feels like a good summary of this and maybe all war
Lightfall needs Strand to be good, and the new raid coming March 10 had better be a banger.
The Witch Queen is not only the best and most complete version of Destiny 2, it's the foundation for something better still.
Solar Ash is a platforming playground that never loses steam, and it hides a memorable story of unfathomable tragedy.
Bravely Default 2 is one of the best games to point to when people ask what makes JRPGs fun.
Old School RuneScape is a massive but compelling time sink, and even after all these years, there's simply nothing else like it.
Beyond Light delivers one of the best raids in Destiny history and some of the best story moments in Destiny 2, and that's more than enough to make up for a few disappointing gaps.
The Pathless switches effortlessly between relaxing exploration and exhilarating story moments, and it's altogether incredible.
A gorgeous, tear-jerking platformer which improves on absolutely everything in the first game and ranks among the finest Metroidvanias available today.
A short and satisfying space adventure which really is laugh out loud funny
It's not quite on the level of The Taken King or Forsaken, but Shadowkeep feels like a major step forward for Destiny 2. It's a promising starting point for the game's third year, and for post-Activision Bungie. I've thoroughly enjoyed the 100-odd hours I've put into it, and I'll easily triple that play time in the months to come.
Code Vein's lackluster combat is held up by great character customization, and its boring world is driven by a memorable story. It's clunky and uneven, but fun.
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is an excellent expansion so large that it almost feels like a sequel. It's a better version of a great game.
A first-person survival shooter that's as engrossing as it is unnerving, Metro Exodus tells a powerfully human story in a world that's equal parts style and substance.
After a precarious first year, I'm finally enjoying Destiny 2 again. It feels good to have it back.
My latest match was textbook CCG fun: I managed to barely scrape by in an unfavorable matchup, only to win at one health on the back of a few lucky top-decks on my end and two weak evolutions from my opponent. In that brief moment, I was over the moon about Shadowverse, and sometimes that's enough.
Without Evermore, Ni No Kuni 2 would have been good. Because of it, it's one of the best JRPGs on PC.
Even stranger than its premise and scarier than it looks, The Station is a short ride to a great ending.