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.
Square Enix's third expansion for Final Fantasy XIV, Shadowbringers, raises the bar for MMORPGs into the night sky so high it's tough to see anymore.
Death Stranding is dizzying, unshakable in its belief it is doing something worthwhile, and it's one of the most important games of this decade.
A golden example of how additional content can make a game feel brand new.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a picture-perfect return to Midgar.
Lost Judgment is nothing short of stunning. It's tightly-packed narrative never fails to enthrall, while its gameplay systems make navigating to each of its engrossing narrative beats an exciting experience in its own right. While Judgment felt a bit more like a proof of concept for how a Yakuza spin-off could be done, its sequel is evidence there needs to be more. Lost Judgment is a defining release from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, one of 2021's best games, and the rare sequel that preserves its series' identity while improving on nearly every element of its predecessor.
Metroid Dread is an instant classic. Its seamless blend of exploration, combat, puzzle-solving, and light touches of story creates one of the most engaging experiences on Nintendo Switch.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 collects, iterates, and perfects JRPG mechanics.
What Obsidian has here is a reinvention of narrative gaming, however, and one that asks a question of the player everyone should at least attempt answering. Whether or not the question is too inscrutable doesn't really matter - it's how Andreas, and the player, responds. Pentiment is the kind of masterwork that Andreas chases early in the game, and it's equally as flawed, biased, subjective, and captivating as the pieces he's inspired by. Play it and decide for yourself whether it's worthy of that kind of comparison. That's the point.
If it's time to move on from the Tears of the Kingdom Hyrule that's now spanned two games, it hasn't overstayed its welcome. The memories this game is capable of creating just because of its ambitious systems mean that no two players will ever have the same experience - except that of joy, and the excitement that comes with unknown possibilities. Anyone worried that there would be some fatal flaw that came to ruin what seemed to be a can't-miss Switch launch can now rest easy. Tears of the Kingdom is a monumental achievement, and it's going to be talked about relentlessly for years to come.
With an incredible score, an enthralling story, and an eccentric and electric gameplay approach, Final Fantasy 16 is, quite simply, a modern masterpiece.
Anyone who previously thought about giving Like A Dragon a try will want to start here. It may be a lot to catch up on at first, but it's well worth it. For those already invested, it's hard to overstate just how important a landmark this is for the Like A Dragon series - a true passing of the torch, finally, and a game worthy of succeeding the action-based legend that preceded it. 2024 is picking up exactly where 2023, and Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a game of the year contender and a tremendously high bar for the rest of the year to follow.
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.
Spike Chunsoft does it again, combining intuitive, puzzle-based gameplay with one of video gaming's best narratives in the wonderful Zero Time Dilemma.
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.
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.
Monolith Soft brings the massive open world of Xenoblade Chronicles to the Nintendo Switch, but can it compete with the console's titanic first-party releases this year?
Tacoma‘s simple premise expands into something much larger, and it invites each of us to examine what it means to be human, and how we might pretend to be if we can't actually achieve that. There's a game there, underneath the questions it's asking, and it's a wonderful, technologically sound port. I'm not sure what else needs to be said about the achievement of Tacoma, because so many smart people have already discussed it at length when it was released on PC in 2017. All I can say is that is has aged well, attacks concepts like human will and capitalism on angles that seem fresh in 2018, and remains a must play for those willing to set aside a few hours of their time to experience some very fine, challenging work within the video game medium.
While these things keep the game from being perfect, however, they don't stop it from being great. Owlboy is a must-play platformer for fans of the genre and of gaming's history in general. It's also a truly wonderful revelation on the PS4, feeling right at home on the console in a way that made me briefly forget at times that the game was a port. Come for the charming art or the offer of some quick hits of nostalgia, but stay for the sublime storytelling and fluid gameplay.
Despite those hiccups, however, The Banner Saga 3 is good. Really good. Anyone who has played the first two will undoubtedly be picking this game up anyways, but for those who are unfamiliar with the series and curious as to how it all ends: do yourself a favor and pick up the trilogy whenever you get a chance. It's not often that games are made with the kind of style and substance that The Banner Saga 3 has been, and, much like a good book, it's nearly impossible to put down until it all comes to a close, where, inevitably, you'll feel like a small piece of you was left with it in exchange for something new, the way all great stories make us feel.