When The Past Was Around may be brief, but its splendid artwork, beautiful music and memorable story will stick with you long after you wrap it up.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a satisfying musou hack and slasher, but that style of gameplay can only stay fresh for so long. The carry-over from Breath of the Wild, specifically the strong art design and rich lore, should keep the hardcore crowd invested until the end, though.
Tetris Effect: Connected is the best version of one of the top releases of 2018. The multiplayer additions are all excellently designed, with Connected Mode being one of the best co-operative experiences out there.
The blistering fast-paced action of Ghostrunner will almost certainly appeal to gamers looking for a fresh take on the first person platformer. However, the brutal difficulty can make sticking with it after dozens of deaths a tough pill to swallow.
Pikmin 3 Deluxe is another excellent entry in Nintendo's charming and under-appreciated franchise. The main campaign is enjoyable enough on its own, but the numerous additions and improvements are just icing on the cake.
Amnesia: Rebirth is a solid enough adventure for fans of the genre. That being said, although it's better than its predecessors in different ways, the fact that it can't quite match the narrative highs of SOMA or the scares of The Dark Descent makes it a bit of a forgettable journey.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is just as well crafted as the original beloved trilogy. It'll challenge even the most seasoned of gamers, but thanks to precise platforming and top-notch visual design, the pain is always worth it.
Although WWE 2K Battlegrounds is a way more pleasant experience then last year's wrestling debacle, the franchise still has a ways to go. The title sets out what it wanted to do, which was a provide a light, arcade-like take on the WWE. However, between the lack of depth and intrusive microtransactions, I'm not sure how much staying power it has.
PGA Tour 2K21 is a fun, enjoyable golf game that has made me into a begrudging fan. It still could use some work on the presentation front, but with underlying mechanics this good already, I'm excited for the future of the franchise.
Madden NFL 21 is as enjoyable as it has ever been on the field, but a litany of off-field issues make this one of the weaker efforts in recent years.
EA Sports UFC 4 is the best entry on the sport to date. Smart tweaks to the grappling system make it feel more fluid and natural, and a revamped series of modes will keep you coming back for more.
Relicta is a smart, well-designed puzzler. It provides a tough challenge that really forces you to carefully think about each move. It's not always perfect, but is a solid entry into one of my favorite genres.
Rather than completely re-imagining its core aspects, Black Forest Games has recreated the best portions of Destroy All Humans! for a modern audience. Aspects from the 2005 original that have been brought over hold up well, and the studio has introduced a handful of smart, but important, improvements.
We Should Talk is an interesting first effort from the small team at Insatiable Cycle, but it feels more like a beta than a finished product. There's just not enough content here to justify taking the time to check out this narrative adventure.
A real love it or hate it type title, Project Warlock will only appeal to a certain subsect of shooter fans. Those that like their action straightforward with no frills. Those that prefer the days where plot and visuals took a backseat to gameplay. The poor performance and lack of interesting narrative remain hard to overlook, though.
A fresh coat of paint can't disguise the fact that SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated is just a remake of an unremarkable platformer that hasn't exactly aged well.
Although far from a flawless port, XCOM 2 Collection is still a hearty dose of one of the best strategy titles of the past decade.
Shantae and the Seven Sirens is an acceptable entry in a series that is known for consistency. However, as the genre continues to evolve, it feels like the simple pleasures of the franchise are becoming less enjoyable. Whenever the titular heroine returns, hopefully she has some new tricks to unleash.
Although the steep price may be tough to swallow, Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath is an impressive addition to the core game. The new additions to the roster are (generally speaking) a blast to use, and the additional story beats give fresh life to some of the more colorful faces of the franchise.
Not every aspect of Saints Row: The Third Remastered holds up in 2020, but returning to Steelport is still a memorable adventure. Sperasoft has done a respectable job of updating the 2011 title for modern consoles by improving character models and polishing up the look of the city.