Corey Hoffmeyer
Weakless embraces beautiful scenery and complex puzzles but ends right as things are getting interesting.
Narcos: Rise of the Cartels doesn't really offer anything new in the turn-based genre, but it's still a polished good time.
NASCAR Heat 4 is a fun and realistic racing game with tons of customization options.
Warlock's Tower puts a unique spin on the classic puzzler genre.
Astroneer is a fun, laid back space explorer sandbox that's nearly undone by frame rate and crashing issues.
Aftercharge's unique multiplayer is enough to overcome its lack of diverse game modes.
Override: Mech City Brawl is a lot deeper in content than it appears and its multiplayer is incredibly entertaining.
Damsel is a spirited, fast-paced platformer that is enhanced by its comic book inspirations.
Just Cause 4 refuses to reinvent the series, but it still offers a thrilling, over-the-top ride for fans.
LEGO Harry Potter Collection offers fun even if it doesn't offer anything new.
Black Desert Online is highly addictive and layered but it does not offer much in originality.
These are minor design flaws, however, and most can be overlooked because the rest of The Persistence is simply astounding. It's not just a successful port from VR to console and PC, it's a terrifying and unique roguelike/first-person horror hybrid. And every experience will be a new one, which means there's nearly endless scares to be found within. The Persistence is horror gaming done right, and that has little to do with whether it's VR or not.
Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia doesn't reinvent the strategy game, but it's a perfect representation of everything is does well.
World of Warships: Legends features a lot of fast-paced, tense naval combat but too much focus on microtransactions.
Unruly Heroes is an exciting adventure platformer featuring varied combat mechanics and a fun story.
Mortal Kombat 11 is the best fighting game in years, featuring polished combat and a ridiculously fun story.
Ashen is one of the best indie games of the year, drawing heavily from past RPGs like Dark Souls and Legend of Zelda.
Hellmut: The Badass from Hell does the dungeon crawling genre proud.
Outer Wilds is a time-bending thrill ride that never ceases to amaze.
Wargroove is a brilliant turn-based tactics experience featuring memorable characters and lore.