Matt Bianucci
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands doesn't stray too far from the Borderlands series, but it doesn't need to when the consistently funny characters and familiar yet satisfying gameplay are this enjoyable from front to back.
Monster Hunter Rise knows exactly why its formula works and emphasizes it to a more accessible and rewarding degree.
MLB The Show 23 is a continuation of one of the best sports game franchises on the market, and the inclusion of the Negro Leagues Storylines mode makes it an even better way to experience the game and learn about its history even further.
EA Sports PGA Tour gives you likely everything you could want in a golf game, including many of the most important courses and a few of the best players, and while it's not revolutionary or groundbreaking as modern golf games go, its gameplay is satisfying and fun enough to take you onto golf's biggest stages in the right way.
MLB The Show 24 doesn't fix what isn't broken with its gameplay, and it complements its consistently stellar on-field gameplay with new content meant to honor baseball's history and the people that make the game what it is today.
Freedom Planet 2 feels like the first game with a bigger budget, expanding on many of the key mechanics it employs from its Sonic roots while crafting a unique identity with its complex levels and refreshingly unique enemy and boss design.
Despite an inconsistent RPG mode, Granblue Fantasy: Versus contains well-balanced and rewarding gameplay for fans, experienced players, and newcomers alike.
While its structural, environmental, and contextual inconsistencies hold Desperados 3 back, its ability to facilitate clever and crafty strategies in its best moments kept me coming back for more.
Despite some hitches in its structure and similar levels, new additions to the orc killing formula make Orcs Must Die! 3 as fun as the series has ever been.
In just a few hours, Creaks puts together a worthwhile experience that might not push boundaries but is definitely worth a look for those craving a lovable puzzler.
Mortal Shell has a lot of things that allow it to be notable in its own right, but it makes it hard to forget that it's taking from a giant whose shadow it never truly escapes.
Madden NFL 21 is as fun and realistic as every Madden game, especially in its new "The Yard" mode and its increased focus on superstars, but its stagnation in gameplay innovation and established modes makes it sometimes difficult to distinguish its improvements over previous games.
WWE 2K Battlegrounds is a welcome spin-off for the franchise, giving it the extravagant, over-the-top, enjoyable gameplay that captures and magnifies the WWE's best aspects.
Little Hope makes the direction of The Dark Pictures anthology clear, but it makes up for its evident formula with an interestingly convoluted story and increasingly nuanced branching paths.
Monster Jam: Steel Titans 2 is at its best when it embraces the arcadeyness, depth, and lightheartedness that define its most exciting moments, though it sometimes punishes the very ambition behind those aspects.
Monster Truck Championship makes a case for the most impressive monster truck simulator on the market, but its lack of content hinders its longevity.
NieR Replicant's upgrades put it nearly on par with NieR: Automata, and while it doesn't live up to the tight package Automata provided, it's a great addition for anyone who missed it the first time around.
Madden 22 has begun to address some major issues, and while it hasn’t fixed or updated everything, the dynamic on-field abilities and improved game modes make the future look a little brighter for the franchise.
NBA 2K22 makes some appreciated improvements to on-the-court gameplay and tries some refreshing, if not entirely successful innovations in MyCareer that make this year’s version feel like a bit more than just a roster update.
What you know to be true about Call of Duty continues to be true in Vanguard, though there are some surprisingly earnest characters in the campaign and an expectedly addictive suite of multiplayer maps and modes.