Austin Wood
Bravely Default 2 is one of the best games to point to when people ask what makes JRPGs fun.
Without Evermore, Ni No Kuni 2 would have been good. Because of it, it's one of the best JRPGs on PC.
A first-person survival shooter that's as engrossing as it is unnerving, Metro Exodus tells a powerfully human story in a world that's equal parts style and substance.
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is an excellent expansion so large that it almost feels like a sequel. It's a better version of a great game.
A gorgeous, tear-jerking platformer which improves on absolutely everything in the first game and ranks among the finest Metroidvanias available today.
Solar Ash is a platforming playground that never loses steam, and it hides a memorable story of unfathomable tragedy.
The Witch Queen is not only the best and most complete version of Destiny 2, it's the foundation for something better still.
I've seen two endings now and they both make me miserable in different ways, which feels like a good summary of this and maybe all war
A shmup for the modern gamer, Zenzizenzic is as bonkers as its name implies. It's also smart, efficient and unquestionably tight.
Q.U.B.E. is still brilliant, make no mistake. It's clever, creative and beautiful puzzle-solving. But while the Director's Cut is the best version of the game, it isn't different enough to justify buying it again.
After a precarious first year, I'm finally enjoying Destiny 2 again. It feels good to have it back.
Wholly unique and deceptively punishing, Uurnog Uurnlimited is as clever as it is creative.
It's not quite on the level of The Taken King or Forsaken, but Shadowkeep feels like a major step forward for Destiny 2. It's a promising starting point for the game's third year, and for post-Activision Bungie. I've thoroughly enjoyed the 100-odd hours I've put into it, and I'll easily triple that play time in the months to come.
A short and satisfying space adventure which really is laugh out loud funny
The Pathless switches effortlessly between relaxing exploration and exhilarating story moments, and it's altogether incredible.
Beyond Light delivers one of the best raids in Destiny history and some of the best story moments in Destiny 2, and that's more than enough to make up for a few disappointing gaps.
Although hindered by its lacking game type and map selection, as well as a handful of missing features (to be expected of an early access game) and balance issues, Loadout is an enjoyably hectic shooting experience with an unexpected dose of platforming that shines among today's run-of-the-mill cover-based shooters.
Richard & Alice is a lesson in narrative that every video game developer should take a page from, and a testament to the power of its medium. Consistent, harsh and unafraid, it casts the everyman as neither antagonist nor protagonist, but as another survivor.
Even stranger than its premise and scarier than it looks, The Station is a short ride to a great ending.
Old School RuneScape is a massive but compelling time sink, and even after all these years, there's simply nothing else like it.