Pearl Abyss' Black Desert Online is an incredibly detailed, visually gorgeous MMORPG that succeeds at nearly everything but having a beating heart and soul.
Square Enix and IO Interactive's new take on Hitman successfully blends the qualities that made the game famous with some modern innovations and remarkable detail.
Ska Studios' Salt and Sanctuary is obvious about trying to emulate Dark Souls, but offers enough deep gameplay and beautiful aesthetic to stand tall on its own.
Bravely Second: End Layer isn't quite the innovative powerhouse its predecessor was, but offers a more refined experience that learns from Bravely Default's mistakes.
Enter the Gungeon is a charming bullet hell/roguelike hybrid that manages to balance the best elements of both its genre influences while carving out an identity of its own.
Drinkbox Studios' Severed is a touch-based action RPG with an interesting premise, incredible visuals, and fun gameplay that simply overstays its welcome a little.
Deep Silver's Dead Island Retro Revenge comes free with any purchase of Dead Island: Definitive Edition, but it's a short, fun, and worthwhile game in its own right.
Tequila Works brings its hit indie survival horror game Deadlight, to the PS4 and Xbox One with Deadlight: Director's Cut, but the years haven't been kind.
Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness is a clunky, sometimes beautiful mess, navigating between some exciting highs and many disappointing lows to fall short of its promise.
Square Enix's 3D remastering of an old favorite hits the PS Vita, and Adventures of Mana shows that remaining faithful to the original is sometimes the best approach.
Indie studio The Game Bakers' dazzles with Furi, a mix between bullet hell and swordplay mechanics wrapped in jaw-dropping, unique visuals and a gorgeous musical score.
Spike Chunsoft does it again, combining intuitive, puzzle-based gameplay with one of video gaming's best narratives in the wonderful Zero Time Dilemma.
Namco Bandai's first attempt at localizing a Gundam game in many years comes with mixed results, as Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs-Force is a largely average experience.
I Am Setsuna may be Tokyo RPG Factory's first game as a development studio, but its finesse and reverence of past JRPG hits makes it an absolute joy to experience.
Spearhead Games' Stories: The Path of Destinies is a fascinating jaunt through a more mature fairy tale setting that blends serviceable gameplay with remarkable wit.
Square Enix takes a JRPG classic fuses it with elements of Minecraft in Dragon Quest Builders, creating a unique spin on the genre that enthralls even when it stumbles.
World of Final Fantasy might not be the Final Fantasy game everyone is talking about this year, but its addictive gameplay and entertaining callbacks make it a must-play.
Square Enix's latest take on the Kingdom Hearts series offers little in the way of new content, but it's an enjoyable return that's more fun than frustrating.
Square Enix and Platinum Games team up to provide one of the best RPG experiences available today, as NieR: Automata carves out a place for itself amongst genre giants.
Zero Escape: The Nonary Games attempts to reintroduce the first two games in the Zero Escape series, and proves that their puzzles and stories have withstood the test of time.