From a gameplay perspective, there's no denying that NBA 2K20 reigns supreme as the best basketball game you'll want to play this year. Sadly, 2K Games seems to be expanding its microtransaction plague throughout the experience to a point that it feels oppressive. Still if you're able to wade through the muck and deal with the advertisements and pay-to-win modes, you won't be disappointed by the stellar updates and excellent presentation you've come to expect.
The Surge 2 builds on what made the original a sleeper hit, but it regrettably maintains some of the visual and design foibles that deserved to be improved on in a second outing.
Code Vein invents as much as it mimics, and while it doesn't pull everything together perfectly, it manages to be an exceptionally fun Souls-like romp through a post-apocalyptic anime world. It's just a shame the developers didn't spend a little more time polishing the game's balance and less time on its unstimulating story.
Trine 4 is a love letter to fans, providing a fully-realized puzzle game rife with experimentation, quality-of-life features, and utterly breathtaking visuals, all but guaranteeing a bright and beautiful future for the franchise.
Concrete Genie is held back slightly by its reluctance to trust us with more freedom of creation, and its third act combat feels somewhat out of place. Still, it still manages to do a wonderful job of giving players a reason to explore its eerie and beautiful town and interact with its colorful genies, and its narrative is successful in merging two very different tones to tell a tale that bounces admirably between somber and lighthearted.
It's obvious from its opening moments that Indivisible has a lot of loved poured into it, boasting gorgeous visuals and interesting characters sure to win over your heart. It isn't a perfect example of either of the two genres it blends together, but it does plenty with each of them to make for an exciting adventure.
New Super Lucky’s Tale takes what was originally a great platforming game and improves it exponentially to make it one of the most enthralling games currently available for the Switch.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order suffers from some annoying pacing issues, but the attention to detail and fundamentally solid gameplay makes it the best Star Wars game in over a decade.
Despite some hokey voice acting and a few technical quibbles, Darksiders: Genesis manages to be every bit as significant to the franchise as the mainline games.
The Kraken is an insignificant addition to The Surge 2's campaign, so only diehard fans looking for 100% completion will find anything worth their time or money.
AO Tennis 2 can be a hell of a lot of fun, but if you're easily annoyed by some inconsistent controls and a steep learning curve, you're better off avoiding this one.
Ghost of Tsushima is a riveting tale complemented by infinitely fascinating combat, inventive navigation mechanics, and arresting visuals, effortlessly earning itself a spot as one of the absolute best games released on the PlayStation 4.
Spider-Man Remastered is the absolute best way to experience the original's engrossing gameplay and emotional story beats -- even its occasional banal elements are overshadowed by the immense improvements made to almost every aspect of the visual and tangible experience.
Bluepoint Games' remake of Demon's Souls maintains a few of the original's less-than-ideal quirks, but its breathtakingly gorgeous visuals and updated gameplay make it a prodigious accomplishment nonetheless.
Chronos: Before the Ashes is neither terrible enough to disown entirely nor deep or engaging enough to warrant a recommendation for anyone but the most genre-craved diehards.
Though some may be disappointed that its story never capitalizes on its full potential, It Takes Two is a masterpiece of creativity and cooperative gameplay that makes it one of the most memorable experiences in modern gaming.
MLB The Show 21 is still the best baseball game available by far. But don't buy it expecting a substantial next-gen showcase.
Twelve Minutes is a celebrity-led adventure title, but its time looping mechanic and riveting narrative are the real stars.
Life Is Strange: True Colors represents the best the franchise has ever been, and provides a perfect jumping-on point for newcomers.
Far Cry 6 isn't quite the powerful, cinematic experience that Ubisoft promised, but this flawed adventure is still great fun for open-world shooter fans.