For those willing to master its systems, Vagante is a game that will delight in its intricacy and depth. Some may be put off by the awkward combat and sinister traps, but I'm confident that the already strong community will grow in time, sharing tips and suffering together for the foreseeable future.
High Hell is, above all else, a confident game. There isn't anything standing in the way of blasting baddies off rooftops and crashing breakneck through every door in sight, all in acid-soaked neon pink style.
Golf Story is a good enough golf game in it's own right, but combine that with a great script and RPG mechanics and it's packing more than enough to stand out from the crowd.
The Finals' best moments are measured in milliseconds, and the time spent in between them is always a rush.
Armored Core VI is like getting to put together your own giant Lego robot and sending it out to die before realizing you just needed to attach a few more missile launchers. Freedom in gameplay comes in many shapes and sizes, and the customization of your very own mechs suited to each mission is a niche yet thrilling experience. A thoughtful, intricately-woven story and amazing presentation sure don't hurt, either.
Thanks to this much-needed remaster, a new generation can finally experience the joy, and hope, of We Love Katamari.
Diablo IV tows several lines masterfully, be it in its mechanical complexity or the moral ambiguity of its plot. Its greatest achievement, however, is being a great Diablo game.
For the first time in a long time, I feel like I have a healthy relationship with World of Warcraft. I'm playing because I want to, not because I need to. I'm driven by a new sense of exploration and comradery, rather than seeing a number tick up that I know will be lost to time. It does feel like the start of a new era for the gracefully aging MMO, and I'm excited to see what's next.
A technical marvel with visuals intended to convey so much information to the player that no amount of gameplay footage will adequately prepare you for them. Hyper Demon is a sequel that expands on and improves a winning formula.
Rollerdrome is a beautiful creation. It’s DOOM Eternal meets Tony Hawk with thoughtful political ruminations and an art style to die for. We’re only about ten or fifteen bad years from a sport like this actually existing, so you might as well practice.
Monster Hunter Rise stands toe-to-toe with World, especially on PC. Its end-game grind may not be as robust, but a serious focus on fun and community over narrative and fidelity pays off.
Death Stranding Director’s Cut is an oddly named excuse to get addicted to delivering all over again. The visuals are stunning, but the haptics and new gadgets take things to even greater heights. Its themes have never been more relevant, and its gameplay never more fun.
Resident Evil Village is at once terrifying, exhilarating, hilarious, and beautiful. Its crowning achievement is that it’s a horror game that’s not only perfectly paced, but it also has an explosive third act and ends on its highest note. It isn’t enough to dethrone Resident Evil 4 as an action title, but it’s a marked improvement over 7’s solid foundation.
Returnal cast a spell on me -- awing with explosive combat, immersing with haptics, and captivating with a monumental atmosphere. Not only is it an easy game of the year contender, but it might also be one of the best action rogue-lites ever made.
The Nioh Collection is an absurdly good value proposition: two fantastic titles with a staggering amount of content and a stellar battle system make these some of the best action games available.
A revitalization of two classic games, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 proves that even in an industry laden with battle passes and massively multiplayer offerings, gameplay is king. Two minutes have never gone by so fast.
Doom Eternal's "play cool or die" philosophy shakes up retro shooter norms for the better. It's the confident sequel we all knew it would be, but it tries to be even more than that. In almost every way, it succeeds at both.
Dreams' unlimited potential for creativity is both a blessing and a curse, but putting the power of game development into the hands of just about anyone is Media Molecule's crowning achievement.
Astral Chain combines all the best impulses of Platinum Games with a unique combat system and rich RPG mechanics. The world, story, and atmosphere are icing on the cake - this is one of the best overall packages from the studio and a remarkable directorial debut for Takahisa Taura.
Void Bastards is a pure, crystalline distillation of the immersive sim genre - all the feeling with none of the fluff. Full of variables, it invites the player to experiment and be experimented upon.