Rogue Legacy 2 honors its own legacy as the premiere roguelite thanks to its outstanding assortment of classes, diverse areas, and rewarding combat, putting it shoulder to shoulder among the very best of the genre.
WWE 2K22 is a tremendous leap forward compared to 2K20. The action is faster, more pick-up-and-play friendly, the roster of 160+ wrestlers has never looked better, and the addition of MyGM mode rounds out a well rounded offering of modes for just about every type of wrestling fan.
Elden Ring is a massive iteration on what FromSoftware began with the Souls series, bringing its relentlessly challenging combat to an incredible open world that gives us the freedom to choose our own path.
The King of Fighters XV still feels left in the past when it comes to its single player offerings, but what it lacks in ambition, it makes up in solid fundamentals and great netcode that make the online experience the best the series has ever seen.
Sifu's brutal learning curve and unique structure that requires you to beat it in just one lifetime are significant barriers to overcome, but on the other side is truly one of the best modern action games around.
The middle of Nobody Saves the World is a lot of fun, but it is bookended by a slow beginning and final hours that lose steam as the campaign comes to an end.
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is a wonderful spin-off that combines block-falling puzzle and roguelite mechanics in remarkably clever ways, resulting in yet another excellent entry in the Shovel Knight series.
Mario Party Superstars is an amalgamation of some of the best boards, minigames, mechanics, and quality of life improvements from the whole series, resulting in the best Mario Party has been in a very long time.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is definitely more than just Nickelodeon Smash Bros., but you'll need to be willing to overlook some pretty substantial flaws to find the surprisingly nuanced fighter underneath the surface.
With its elegantly simple combat and beautiful world, Kena: Bridge of Spirits harkens back to the days of the N64/GameCube-era Zeldas, Okami, and Star Fox Adventures, while also adding modern sensibilities and a distinct personal touch.
The new content introduced in Sonic Colors: Ultimate is unremarkable, but the base game still remains one of the best examples of how a modern Sonic game should be, even nearly 11 years later.
Iki Island doesn't do much beyond just offering more Ghost of Tsushima, but the new content is extremely worthwhile, thanks to a story that dives deeper into Jin's past, a few new combat wrinkles, and plenty of secrets to discover.
Scarlet Nexus' combat is thrilling and its story surprisingly deep, and while it's let down by limited enemy and stage variety, the strength of its characters is enough to lift it high above your average anime inspired action RPG.
Intermission serves as a tantalizing tease of Yuffie's inevitable meeting with Final Fantasy 7's core cast, and an excellent reason to return to Midgar to experience her new exhilarating style of combat and entertaining side activities.
Guilty Gear Strive sets a new standard for anime-like fighting games with its visuals, stellar netcode, and flexible fighting system that encourages and rewards creativity.
Its roguelike runs are too long and it needs a way to save in the middle of them, but Returnal's third-person shooter action, clever story, and atmosphere are excellent.
Improved visuals and smoothed out combat go a long way in Nier's update, but it's the story that's the star of the show
Great action, smart strategy, and random curses carry Curse of the Dead Gods to top of the action roguelite genre.
Olija is a memorable 2D action platformer with great combat that is over all too soon with little reason to return.
Cyber Shadow's excellent gameplay, level design, variety, and music make it a great modernization of the classic Ninja Gaiden formula.