Kallie Plagge
Cyberpunk 2077 has standout side quests and strong main characters, though its buggy, superficial world and lack of purpose bring it down.
Cold War's dynamic campaign stands out against bland multiplayer, while Zombies is a good co-op time with a few outstanding issues.
The Isle of Armor capitalizes on Pokemon Sword and Shield's strengths with an even better area to explore, though its story offering is modest.
The Last of Us Part II is messy, bleak, and brutal.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons gives you more creative freedom and more to do on any given day while preserving what makes the series special.
Pokemon Sword and Shield scale down the bloated elements of the series while improving what really matters, making for the best new generation in years.
Death Stranding is dense, complex, and powerful, steadfast in its belief in the power of love and hope when faced with overwhelming adversity.
2019's Modern Warfare both draws from the original and lays a good foundation for the rest of the series, despite some thematic issues and co-op pitfalls.
Sayonara Wild Hearts has moments of brilliance, but too often, movement and timing issues disrupt its enchanting aesthetic.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a game that is mechanically complex, consistently rewarding, and very hard to put down.
Days Gone has its exciting moments, but it fails to say anything interesting or meaningful about its story and characters.
Delightful and imaginative, Yoshi's Crafted World rewards your curiosity with the little things.
BioWare's Anthem has good ideas, but most of those ideas don't end up working well together.
RDR 2 succeeds as both a prequel to Red Dead Redemption and a story in its own right, and though it can take some patience, your effort is well worth it.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is both broad and deep, but the star is its smartly executed take on battle royale, Blackout.
Destiny 2's Forsaken expansion is dense and rewarding, though it does require a bit of patience.
Little Dragons Cafe's charming world and cafe management are enjoyable, but it's held back by significant pacing issues.
Overcooked 2 brings new levels and small-but-smart additions to the already great couch co-op formula.
Destiny 2: Warmind is geared toward high-level players, but it offers little in the way of motivation while you grind levels to get to the endgame.
Nintendo Labo is a great tool for learning and creation, but the games themselves lack lasting appeal.