Persona 5 expands upon many of the elements that the series has featured in the past, while also streamlining certain aspects to make it an even smoother ride. It’s a spectacular RPG experience that is truly in a league of its own, and fans of the series and the genre in general owe it to themselves to check it out.
Darkest Dungeon will push even the most hardcore gamers to their breaking points, but those who are brave enough to take it on are in for a dastardly roguelike rivaled by few others.
Whether you've never experienced the game before or are eager to check out what's new, Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition is an experience you'll be sure to love.
Dying Light: The Following – Enhanced Edition offers so much more than what the base game did, while also improving upon the already solid base game at the same time. This is easily the definitive way to play Dying Light.
TrackMania Turbo is a fantastic arcade racer that really stands apart from the crowd with its electrifying sense of speed and endless thrills both online and offline.
The complex and engrossing world of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is one that sinks its teeth into you right from the beginning, and as you journey through it you never want it to let go. We had to wait awhile for it to finally arrive, but our patience was rewarded with a definite game of the year contender.
Bravely Second is exactly what a sequel should be, improving upon the foundation of the original while adding in its own ideas to further enhance the experience. The 60+ hour adventure is more consistent than the first game, and the main plot and side quests are more elaborate and engaging.
Hitman GO is just as good on PlayStation as it was on iOS and Android, and the updated visuals and amount of content at a great price that the Definitive Edition offers will keep you coming back for more and more.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE takes a lot from the Shin Megami Tensei series and mixes in some Fire Emblem-flavored icing, and the results were fantastic. It's a superb RPG with a lot to offer, and is a must-have game for Wii U owners.
DrinkBox has succeeded in not only making a fantastic game, but also making the PlayStation Vita relevant again in a time where most have left it for dead. Severed is the call to all gamers to dig out their dusty Vitas once more, as the neglected handheld has quietly acquired one of the must-have games of 2016.
Blood and Wine feels like it was made as a loving goodbye to both Geralt and the Witcher series in general, as there’s so much attention to detail that it’s impossible not to regularly be in awe of it all. It’s the perfect bow on a game that has been nothing short of a gift that keeps on giving, and I expect it will continuing doing just that for all who fancy an adventure with a certain Witcher.
Respawn Entertainment managed to take the foundation of the first Titanfall and craft a great campaign along with an improved multiplayer experience, making the sequel a fantastic game that any FPS fan should check out.
Dead Rising 4 is able to take the best elements of the older and newer games in the series and mash them into a spectacular open-world zombie-slaying experience. The game’s core gameplay is just so engaging and enjoyable that diving into hordes after hordes of zombies to wreak havoc never gets old, and having Frank West back in the action makes it even better. The series is certainly in a much different spot now than it was 10 years ago, but its future has never looked brighter.
Killing Floor 2’s concept remains simple, but the development team has polished it to a point where it’s always exciting. The attention to detail featured here is rivaled by few other games, and the fantastic maps, weapons and characters offer the needed variety to keep things fresh for a long time. The original Killing Floor still has a loyal following to this day despite its age, but Killing Floor 2 has just made it obsolete.
Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration is a fantastic package that any Tomb Raider fan will adore. The main story is possibly the best that the entire series has offered yet, and the sheer amount of additional and worthwhile content both inside the main game and outside of it with Expeditions is staggering. The series' future may have been in question a few years ago, but it now finds itself standing firmly with the best that the action-adventure genre has to offer.
Team Ninja took their time to ensure that Nioh was as good as it could possibly be, and that time wasn't wasted. The finished product is a fantastic action RPG that may borrow a lot from the Souls series, but nevertheless adds plenty of great twists to the formula to allow it to stand proudly on its own.
Nier: Automata takes fantastic action and RPG elements and blends them into a game world unlike any other, creating a truly memorable experience. The game continuously pleases and surprises with terrific gameplay that is constantly transforming, and a narrative that keeps you thinking and guessing. It has a lot to offer, and is an experience that shouldn't be missed.
The reverence for the series’ past in both gameplay and the attention to the smaller details is what ultimately makes Lara Croft GO a love letter to the 20-year-old Tomb Raider series. It offers even more of what the original game did last year and with the added benefits of more powerful hardware, making this a no-brainer for PlayStation gamers.
Axiom Verge is a love letter to another time. While games from that era don't impress in terms of visuals any longer, there's still fun to be found in the exploration and discovery facets of this intricate, well-formed world. Axiom Verge is one of the purest forms of Metroidvania titles that we've seen in recent years.
Four Sided Fantasy is a very unique game despite appearing as the opposite on the surface. Puzzle platformers may not be on the cutting edge of what's fresh and original in gaming these days, but Four Sided Fantasy shows the genre can still deliver surprises.