Santa Monica took the best of God of War as a franchise and melded it beautifully with the most distinguishable designs of other modern games to create something with an immensely potent synergy.
Few games can have such a simple premise and gameplay design, yet are flat out good enough, timeless enough, to be remastered — twice. So, whether you have played SOTC before or not, you can rest assured it's an all-time classic, and that for the PS4, Bluepoint has done a fantastic job with this remaster.
Rocksteady and WBIE have managed to capture lightning in a bottle three consecutive times with the Arkham series, with the most refined and focused strike being Arkham Knight.
An outstanding game gets bigger and better, adding massive new features; simply put, it's a must have for RPG fans.
DOOM is a masterful reboot of one of the most important and legendary franchises in the history of games; bravo to id and Bethesda.
Ratchet & Clank on the PS4 might not be an entirely new game given that it's based on the 2002 version, but Insomniac has done such a masterful job modernizing an already classic game that I would consider it one of the best releases of this console generation.
Thimbleweed Park is one of those games that speaks to those people who enjoy the genre, and it's certainly good enough that it will hopefully attract newcomers as well. It's fan service and an all new exciting game at the same time. Hopefully this is the first of more from Terrible Toybox; regardless, this is a gem and a must-have for anyone that likes games that are story, character, and puzzle-driven adventures.
If I do a top games of 2017 list at the end of the year, I can already tell you that Full Throttle Remastered will be on it. This is point and click adventure gaming done right during the best and brightest days of the genre. Double Fine has done a superb job remastering and re-releasing it; don't miss it.
Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom is a triumph that successfully blends JRPG with components of kingdom building, third person action, and real-time strategy.
In sum, Marvel's Spider-Man is not only the best Spider-Man game to date, and one of the best games this year, but it's also the best superhero game since Arkham Knight. It's sure to appeal to any fan of Spider-Man, superhero games, or open world sandbox games in general.
Really, no matter how you look at it, Sonic Mania is a huge success and Sonic Mania Plus is a celebration of that success thanks to smart physical edition design and items and valuable new in-game content.
A timeless blast from the past that's easy to recommend to anyone looking for not only a piece of gaming history but a game that still thrills to this day.
Being that the game is unchanged from last year, it's no surprise that the Become As Gods Edition doesn't disappoint. If you're Xbox-only and haven't given this game a go, there's no better time than the present.
Blood is (perhaps obviously) high on my all-time list. It was such a pleasant surprise when I heard that Nightdive was working on a re-release, and I’m glad they have.
Flaws and shortcomings in Control are utterly few and far between, while the gameplay is highly satisfying and fun. The world Remedy created is full of intrigue from the get-go and stays enthralling throughout. Barring any major surprises, Control is my personal game of the year for 2019.
For those that missed NNK the first time around or maybe sold their copy with their PS3 over the years, the remaster makes a strong case for itself simply because the game is still great and time has not tained the experience.
Built-in achievements, small storage size (around 5GB), and super fast load times make this much more than just a port — it’s an impressive “ultimate” edition, if you will. Bravo, Capcom.
This Remaster is a gem and I really hope it’s just a sign of things to come as more C&C games get remastered with this level of passion, community involvement, skill, and heart.
I’m just about beside myself with how cool and surprising of a release Quake Remastered is. I hope we’ll see the same treatment for Quake II down the road, but wow it’s really special to see this classic revitalized and given such good treatment in the process. Bravo to Bethesda, id, and Nightdive for doing such a great job with this release and offering it up to the masses at a price (just $10!) that you shouldn’t miss.
In sum, Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is a must-have for anyone that has yet to play these two games or simply wants to revisit them. Oh, if you have savegames from either of these titles on your PS4, Sony provides an easy way to migrate those onto your PS5, by the way. But whether you’re revisiting these games or just playing them for the first time, you’re in for a treat. Naughty Dog have proven themselves as one of the best studios in the business, and these two games do not disappoint. Add this release to the ever-growing list of superb PlayStation-exclusive titles that you can’t miss.