I’ve always thought of the Stories subseries as a commendable yet modest spinoff series, but Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is anything but modest. It takes Monster Hunter's core loop and successfully translates it into turn-based combat, evolves the monster-taming genre thanks to Habitat Restoration, and does all this while telling a thrilling story with a great presentation. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection easily stands shoulder to shoulder with some of the best Monster Hunter games.
Kirby Air Riders is an impressive package that makes the most of its deceivingly simple mechanics.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A successfully translates its iconic battle system to real-time, but its visuals and presentation leave a lot to be desired.
Mafia: The Old Country uses its stunning setting to tell a familiar story about loyalty and family that's propped up by its cast of characters.
Despite its name, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered comfortably toes the line between a remake and remaster
Indika is a gorgeous psychological adventure that grapples with religion and the many difficult themes associated with it.
Baldur's Gate 3 is a sprawling, dense RPG backed by fantastic characters, an excellent combat system, and an impressive co-op mode.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's first DLC expansion, The Teal Mask, is a commendable step in the right direction that's held back by some familiar technical shortcomings.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp's uneven campaigns are held up by rock-solid gameplay and a great presentation.
The Last of Us Part I manages to tell a harrowing story of loss and redemption that still holds up despite some of its dated level design. However, its PC port is a big letdown.
Tales of Symphonia's excellent story and characters are held back by dated mechanics, repetitive combat, and some technical issues.