Deep with allegory and underpinned by rich combat, God of War stands triumphant as a narrative masterwork. This is what it means for video games to grow up.
With solid mechanics, insane levels, and beautiful design, Nex Machina cements Housemarque as the king of twin-stick shooter development.
Rad and totally kickass, Blazing Chrome stands as one of the best run n' gun games of all time. A worthy successor to the Contra crown from concept to execution.
A Fold Apart is about hope and how love can get us through even the toughest of times. In that way, it's timeless.
Squadrons does a lot of things right. And it's the closest thing we're to a new X-Wing or Tie Fighter we're going to get. Though it's a stand-alone game, it's also a fantastic complement to Battlefront 2's starfighter assault mode, giving aces new and old two very good options to choose from.
Astro's Playroom proves that the DualSense's haptics and adaptive triggers are for real - and that Astro Bot could have a very bright future on PlayStation 5.
Demon's Souls is an instant classic, one of those rare retellings that stands triumphantly alongside the original as an essential experience.
Rebellion has built upon their winning Sniper Elite 3 formula. And although this newest installment is nearly brilliant, it ultimately misses the bullseye to make it a truly great shot.
Although it can't shed all of its perennial problems, Madden 18 increases its draft stock with some high-quality off-season picks.
The embers of Dark Souls might not burn as bright seven years later, but Dark Souls: Remastered proves this is still one of the best RPGs of the modern era.
Dead in Vinland's punishing gameplay and deep survival management systems make it an experience worthy of attention from fans of the genre.
Shenmue and Shenmue 2 have never looked or felt this good. Experience these unmissable classics in the best way possible.
For better or worse, Shenmue 3 is a blast from the past. It's a beautiful world marred only by its insistence to stay the same.
Doom Eternal's first expansion, The Ancient Gods - Part One, stumbles in a few areas, but it's ultimately a damn good addition to the foundation laid earlier this year.
Jurassic World Evolution 2 builds on the foundation of its predecessor to create a memorable and addictive park management sim.
Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada is a competent addition to the Koei Tecmo hack and slash catalog of action games. But it doesn't reinvent the wheel.
With overly complex multiplayer and progression systems, Battlefront 2 saves itself from Jar-Jar status with a strong story and competent core gameplay.
Apex Construct builds a fun yet shaky foundation that can't support its own weight. Ultimately, it's an uneven experience that showcases the highs and lows of the current VR landscape.
The Council features a compelling mix of iterative mechanics and narrative-driven gameplay to create a truly unique experience. Its first episode, The Mad Ones, has its shining moments, but something feels missing from the final product.
While Ragnarok brings a lot of interesting new elements to Northgard, the update ultimately feels like somewhat of a mixed bag.