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While BioWare is well known for their strong role-playing games, it's perplexing how they were able to reach this level of quality with Dragon Age: Inquisition. It's one of the most overwhelming experiences on the market, containing not only the best character development found in any RPG, but an open world that's actually polished.
Rockstar has improved upon one of the greatest games of all time. The original version of Grand Theft Auto V was a major accomplishment upon its initial release and remains that way even after a year of the new console generation.
Over the course of two years, Fez has somehow been able to break out of its Xbox Live Arcade confines, re-releasing on PC and now Sony's platforms. As it remains, this is still one of the most charming, charismatic adventures you will have, leaving those who experience it with a smile across their face for the duration of their play.
Making it a bit easier on the gaming budget, Flower is also cross-buy, so if you've already got it on PS3 or Vita, then the PS4 version is free. There's no gameplay updates, no level tweaks or new areas, but it runs at a better framerate and the 1080p is noticeably sharper than the original if you put them side-by-side.
2015's largest game to date is its best so far, as the marriage of seemingly endless open-world content and engaging storytelling make The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt a superlative experience. From rounds of the in-game card game Gwent to its robust crafting and alchemy systems, those who are looking for the all of the minutia that comes from a deep western role-playing experience will find it here in droves.
Rarely does a game deliver everything its players could ever ask for, but Halo: The Master Chief Collection does just that. Everything is here that should be here: the campaigns, the multiplayer engines, the maps and the visuals.
The best game on the Xbox One is not a heavily mo-capped Roman battle simulator; it's not car porn, nor is it a parkour-filled first-person shooter. No, the flagship title on Microsoft's shiny new console is a pixelated, 2D bullet hell game, combining shades of Contra and Braid to make something incredibly special.
Chock-full of replay value, the added content makes this the definitive edition. Challenging, but rarely frustrating, Super Time Force Ultra is a strategic run and gun.
The word "escape" gets thrown around in conversations about why video games are so appealing and never before has there been a title that is this worthy of that term. Fallout 4 contains what should go down as the best open world in the history of this medium considering the sheer wealth of meaningful content packed into it. Some people flock to sandbox games in hopes of checking off boxes, collecting garbage and simply passing time, and Fallout 4 feels like the strongest middle finger to this contingent in years.
The Last Guardian is Team ICO's magnum opus.
It’s a shame that the terms “masterpiece” and “genre-benchmark” are thrown around so haphazardly, because when a title that truly personifies those words like Bravely Default comes along, they seem cliche and hyperbolic to use.
When reviewing a game, it is vital to approach it with a critical eye as even the smallest flaw can be a deal breaker for some.
If Shovel Knight was the best game that late-era NES never had, Owlboy is the best game that late-era Super NES never had.
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.
Mario has over thirty years of history behind him and yet Odyssey manages to mix those feelings of old titles with new ideas for a fresh take on a genre everyone is familiar with.
Simply put, Celeste is a tour de force.
Bouncing off from the fantastic work in Episode 1: Roads, Dontnod builds on the relationship between Sean and Daniel in more than one way.
There are times when you feel obliged to find faults no matter how minor, but in the ten-plus hours spent with Moon Studios' latest, there are none.
The Last of Us left a memorable impression.
Xenoblade Chronicles on the Wii was already a masterpiece of the time.