Chris Shive
Divinity: Original Sin II pulled off the impressive task of taking the kitchen sink approach to game design by cramming as much into it as possible yet somehow making it all work, making it a fantastic title for solo or multiplayer gaming.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition takes a nearly-perfect game and makes it better.
Baldur's Gate III had extremely high expectations set for it and has exceeded them.
Odin Sphere Leifthrasir goes to great lengths to take an often overlooked gem from the PlayStation 2 era and make it new and relevant for the currently supported Sony consoles.
South Park: The Fractured But Whole could be summarized as The Stick of Truth with better combat featuring superheros instead of swords and sorcery.
Ubisoft has successfully recreated what made Grand Theft Auto great, but incorporates enough original ideas to set Marcus’ journey apart and make it feel fresh. There’s plenty to do outside of the main campaign, and being able to hack the entire city adds a unique element of enjoyment, especially for those who have an inclination to cause mayhem. In the end, Watch Dogs 2 is simply one of the best games of 2016.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands is an open world thrill ride.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II is a modern JRPG masterpiece.
Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past takes a fragment of gaming’s forgotten past and breathes new life into it. Some of the more hardcore Dragon Quest fans may find the reduction in job grinding time and streamlining the intro a negative change that dumbs down the game, but I would argue that it also makes the title more accessible and more fun. Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past is essentially the same game we remember from the PlayStation except it has been updated and improved.
Combining an action RPG with a building game is an unusual combination, but great care was done to ensure that fans of both can be satisfied by this and the freedom to play the game in a way most compatible to the individual player’s preference only makes it better.
While not a traditional Mario or Rabbids game, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle contains enough elements from both franchises to appeal to fans of either series.
Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition is a proper send off before Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is released next year.
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is able to create a brand new world and adventure separate from Wrath of the White Witch, but is able to feel familiar enough where fans of the first game will feel right at home.
Dragon Ball FighterZ is a rare gem in a sea of licensed games.
Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition is simply a fantastic fighter.
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is a worthy successor to the original.
Soulcalibur VI revitalizes the once great franchise and returns it to the glory days of the first couple entries.
Aside from the lackluster co-op and slow start, Astral Chain is one of those rare games where it's difficult to say anything bad about it.
Street Fighter V was one of the biggest disappointments at its launch but over the past four years has evolved into one of the best fighting games of this generation.
Cyberpunk 2077 is excellent and one of the must-play titles of 2020, but unfortunately this statement needs to be clarified depending on the platform.