Nier Automata was the moment when the madness of Yoko Taro and the combat expertise of PlatinumGames collided. It also features one of the best video game soundtracks in recent memory, as well as an upgrade system focused around swapping out computer chips - pull out the wrong one and you can accidentally kill your android protagonist.
Animal Crossing is the sort of series only Nintendo could make. On paper, the concept of sailing over to an island with a singing turtle to pick up fruit to then sell every single day is tedious busy work - and it is - but the beauty of Animal Crossing is that you still want to do it.
It is mechanically sharp, absolutely understands what makes the series great, and even masters its tone - which is why new-girl Isabelle has become the foremost icon of the series.
Look upon this vast, windswept plain. Gaze upon these tremendous, majestic beasts peacefully grazing this dreamlike, painterly landscape. Now clamber up them and plunge your sword into the soft bits.
This remaster gives us the PS2 classic exactly as it was, only now you can see each crack in the stone armour that adorns these giants, and thousands of blades of grass now dance in the wind.
Some speedrunners even take a barrel of noxious substance from the start of the game right to the end so they can one-shot the final boss with it. Resident Evil 2 Remake will, for years to come, be held up as the definitive example of how to remake a classic game. On top of all that, it somehow makes a large man in a tiny hat seem scary. You learn the ins and outs of the strangely labyrinthine police station, the sewers below, and the labs beyond.
You become familiar with the place and its arcane contraptions, to the point where you can navigate it without a map and clear the game in under three hours.
It also has one of the best gore systems in any game ever, where zombie meat slides off the bone like a slow cooked lamb shank. Interrogate unforgettable characters, crack murders or take bribes.
Become a hero or an absolute disaster of a human being. Disco Elysium is the new gold standard for video game writing, taking the concept of a reluctant amnesiac hero and subverting your expectations by letting you see your own thought processes play out. Final Fantasy 15 begins with a wholesome story about four good boys who drive around in their wannabe batmobile helping the locals and avoiding Daemons at night.
Breaking away from the traditional JPRG combat system, Final Fantasy 15 lets you use a mix of directional attacks, combos, and finishers from each of the four lads to smash through your enemies. You can also change the colour and name of your Chocobo and you can pet the dog, which obviously makes it GOTY material. One of the deepest and richest stealth games ever made, in fact.
This is a game where every tool has multiple uses. Rather than guiding you down a set path in missions, the toolset challenges you to come up with creative solutions. You could sneak up to her and get the drop on her, you could play her at her own game and take distant shots back at her, or you could call in supply drops and knock her out by bopping her on the head with crates. Torchlight 2 stands on its own and deserves to be on this list.
While not all that much different from the first Torchlight, which was an excellent game in its own right, Torchlight 2 is the much larger, and more polished version. It also has co-op multiplayer and a really detailed character customization system the first lacked, and even some of the smaller changes made make this one the better game to play. Plus, if you play on PC, there are plenty of rather nice mods available through Steam Workshop.
While it has its fair share of huge bastards that will take you hours to defeat, Bloodborne feels best at home in its duels, where you face off against bosses with a similar moveset to your own.
The lack of a traditional levelling up system also equalises the playing field when it comes to PvP fights, making them more a test of skill than simply creating an impenetrable character build.
Far Cry 3 is Ubisoft perfecting its open world island playground with confident flourish. The balance between chaos and control is a thin line in Far Cry games, but your adventures on Rook Island skip across this tightrope with glee, raining napalm on a weed farm as you go. Sequels and spin-offs after Far Cry 3 milked the same formula, with cluttered ideas and gameplay more bloated than a full-english tourist. But Far Cry 3 feels like the real start of the series with its fresh attitudes to exploration, emergent gameplay, a flamboyant villain, lethal weapons, the thrill of capturing encampments and sparking glorious, glorious fire.
Yes, the story is corny, pushing an ignorant colonial mindset, and the sex scenes were never going to age well, but the balance of bedlam and beauty in this lush toybox is difficult to find anywhere else. Good enough on its own to justify the purchase of a PlayStation Vita, Persona 4: Golden is the story of a city kid shunted out into the sticks while their parents work a year abroad. Stuck in the small town of Inaba, things soon take a supernatural turn thanks to a string of gruesome murders and the prophetic appearance of the mysterious Midnight Channel.
Split into the mundane and the magical, during the day you lead a normal teenage life full of friends, school work, and Saturday jobs. The relationships you forge with family and friends are what make Persona 4: Golden special; a heartwarmingly personal adventure with a top soundtrack. Never before have I felt so sorry for a troll - I usually just block them on Twitter. It also laid the groundwork for some of the complex branching quests of the third game, with The Witcher 2 essentially splitting in half at a key plot point depending on who you side with.
CD Projekt has always known how to punch above its weight. It looked like Hitman was in trouble after Absolution. Sapienza is up there with the best missions from across the series, taking Agent 47 on holiday in a fitted shirt. Even trilogies. But this was the culmination of your choices over two previous games, where many characters now either live or have died based on your actions.
It makes the stakes feel real, like everything you did in the first two games was always leading up to this point. How do you improve on a perfect game like Portal? Expand on everything players of the original loved, turn Glados into a potato, and add in one of the best co-op campaigns of all time, of course.
In co-op, these puzzles expand with two sets of portal guns. You and a friend must work together, propelling yourselves, each other, and objects to the end of each test chamber, lining up portals as things fly through the air.
One of my favourite co-op memories ever is finishing this with a friend, even though it took us longer than it should have because I kept sending them falling through an infinite loop. Fighting games, even, had been in a steep decline. The editions of SF4 released in this decade are all incredible. It is excellent. Sometimes you just need to kill every motherlover in the room.
A violent dance. Where people die. Did I feel bad? But it got closer than most triple-A games manage to making you feel implicit in your virtual violence. The results are tremendous.
You can even play it in online co-op in After determining whether these characters are your friends or foes, you will either join them or fight against them in explosive combat, alone or with a friend on Xbox LIVE. In your quest to plant the seeds of revolution, seize power and rule over your kingdom, the choices you make will change the world around you, for the greater good or your own personal gain.
Who will you become? A rebel without a cause, the tyrant you rebelled against, or the greatest ruler to ever live? American McGee's Alice returns, with his own brand of creepy supernatural Victoriana. After having put the adventure game genre back into the spotlight with the Runaway trilogy, which had captivated more than a million players during the last decade, Pendulo Studios is back with an original, great adventure game.
The Next BIG Thing revisits with class and humor the fantastic movie genre with a modern, funny adventure packed with hints and references made to popular movies and TV shows. The story introduces the couple of charismatic heroes Dan Murray and Liz Allaire involved in an incredible and crazy adventure, full of twists and packed with moments of pure comedy! In Episode 2, Marty and Doc must prevent his girlfriend from being ereased in the future. Space Pirates and Zombies takes place far enough in the future that Earth has become a toxic backwater planet, so potentially not that far in the future.
The galaxy has been colonized by humans, and the only means to travel to new star systems is through highly restricted and well defended warp gates. It is well known that systems closer to the galactic core become richer and richer as well as more scientifically advanced. This has led to theories of a secret system with a cache of treasure or knowledge at the galactic core feeding this growth.
As a pirate, you must assemble a fleet and discover what treasure awaits you there. Warhammer 40, Space Marine is a fast-paced third person action-shooter from Relic Entertainment allowing players to don the armor of one of the emperor's chosen in a battle for the very survival of humanity. Featuring a seamless mix of melee and ranged combat, Space Marine will deliver a true next generation experience when it launches on Xbox and PlayStation 3. Magicka is an action-adventure game set in a rich fantasy world based on Norse mythology.
The player assumes the role of a wizard from a sacred order tasked with the ultimate goal of stopping an evil sorcerer who has thrown the world into turmoil, his evil creations besieging the forces of good. Alma returns in F. Gamers participate in single player or co-op modes as Point Man, a genetically enhanced super soldier originally introduced in F. In the next chapter crusader Fortix has to save the rest of the continent from an evil curse.
On his journeys Fortix will be aided by his sister Floriana. Savage wolfs will be turned to peaceful lambs, bloodthirsty dragons to seed-picking pigeons. Where was he? What did he find out? The Missing Link reveals it all. Blackwell Deception is the fourth installment in the Blackwell adventure series.
In most games you see stars in the background, you shoot asteroids or you live on planets. But in Solar 2 you ARE these objects! Enter a universe where you must prove yourself to the resident god-like figure by doing its many bizarre and varied tasks.
Or just ignore it and see how big you can grow! Solar 2 is an open-world, sandbox game set in an infinite abstract universe. Play constructively: grow your system, nurture life on your planets and attack enemy life in huge space battles. Play destructively: crash into other objects and cause chaos, use your orbiting objects like wrecking balls, steal planets from other systems. Key features: - Dynamic abstract sandbox universe. Changes and evolves as you do.
Drift forever in ambient space bliss. Croteam's Serious Sam 3: BFE is a glorious throwback to the golden age of first-person shooters where men were men, cover was for amateurs and pulling the trigger made things go boom. You are the Tetrobot: a tiny robot that can drill blocks of matter one by one, collect them, and recycle them into new pieces of 4 blocks.
Sand, wood, stone, obsidian, iron, diamond: each matter has its specific behaviour you'll have to use wisely and take advantage of them. So get ready to use your brain and combine your platforming and puzzle-solving skills in this incredible mashup! Gray Matter is the first adventure game by renowned author Jane Jensen since the release of Gabriel Knight 3: the story mixes eerie goings-on with supernatural events in best Jensen-style.
Neurobiologist Dr. David Styles is one of the game's central characters: since losing his wife in a horrible accident some several years ago, he has become a recluse, seldom leaving Dread Hill House, his English country estate.
Coming Soon. Essential Links. Highs and Lows. Highest of the Month. Lowest of the Month. Portal 2 Platform: PC April 18, Valve is working on a full-length sequel to its award-winning, mind-bending puzzle action game for the Xbox and PC.
Metascore: 95 User Score: 9. Metascore: 94 User Score: 8. Minecraft Platform: PC November 18, The game involves players creating and destroying various types of blocks in a three dimensional environment. Metascore: 93 User Score: 8. Metascore: 91 User Score: 8. Metascore: 90 User Score: 8. Total War: Shogun 2 Platform: PC March 15, Shogun 2 is the ultimate refinement of the original formula with a new, cutting-edge AI, more polish and online functionality than ever before.
Metascore: 89 User Score: 7. Battlefield 3 Platform: PC October 25, As bullets whiz by, walls crumble, and explosions throw you to the ground, the battlefield feels more alive and interactive than ever before.
Metascore: 88 User Score: 8. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Platform: PC March 22, The critically acclaimed single-player experience of Assassin's Creed is back and better than ever as Ezio returns in an epic struggle against the powerful Templar Order. Dead Space 2 Platform: PC January 25, Hero Isaac Clarke returns for another heart-pounding adventure, taking the fight to the Necromorphs in this thrilling action-horror experience. Metascore: 86 User Score: 8. Metascore: 86 User Score: 7.
DiRT 3 Platform: PC May 23, DiRT 3 will boast more cars, more locations, more routes and more events than any other game in the series, including over 50 rally cars representing the very best from five decades of the sport.
Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand Platform: PC December 13, Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand is a massive themed expansion pack featuring four of the most loved maps from Battlefield 2, boldly reimagined for Battlefield 3 with the power and destruction of the Frostbite 2 engine.
Frozen Synapse Platform: PC May 26, Frozen Synapse is a thrilling PC strategy game that brings the simultaneous turn-based strategy genre bang up-to-date and lets you give detailed, accurate orders to your squad.
Metascore: 85 User Score: 7. Saints Row: The Third Platform: PC November 14, Years after taking Stilwater for their own, the Third Street Saints have evolved from street gang to household brand name, with Saints sneakers, Saints energy drinks and Johnny Gat bobble head dolls all available at a store near you. Metascore: 84 User Score: 8.
Metascore: 84 User Score: 7. Rift Platform: PC March 1, The graphically stunning online game is set in a world being torn apart by dimensional "rifts" that tear into the land of Telara, releasing powerful forces that threaten the very existence of the entire universe.
Metascore: 84 User Score: 6. Anno Platform: PC November 17, Developed by Related Designs in collaboration with Blue Byte, Anno takes place in a near-future environment where climate change has forced humanity to adapt to rising sea levels that have left stretches of once-fertile land completely inhospitable.
Metascore: 83 User Score: 7. Metascore: 83 User Score: 8. Terraria Platform: PC May 16, Terraria offers players a chance to be an action gamer, master builder, a collector, and even an explorer. Metascore: 82 User Score: 8. Metascore: 82 User Score: 4. Metascore: 82 User Score: 7. Bulletstorm Platform: PC February 21, Bulletstorm's array of distinct skillshots produces unprecedented levels of frantic gameplay. Metascore: 81 User Score: 8. Rochard Platform: PC November 15, Developed by Recoil Games, Rochard is a fun and original space adventure game that features a resourceful hero, ominous villains, rugged machinery, big explosions, even bigger stunts and sharp oneliners.
Metascore: 81 User Score: 7. Anomaly: Warzone Earth Platform: PC April 8, Blending fast-paced, explosive action with tactical battlefield command, Anomaly puts players in charge of a military convoy tasked with fighting back against the mysterious alien war machines that have begun to spring up in many of the world's largest cities.
Metascore: 80 User Score: 7. Dead Island Platform: PC September 5, A couple flying to the vacation of their dreams is torn apart by a violent plane crash. World of Tanks Platform: PC April 12, World of Tanks is the first and only team-based massively multiplayer online action game dedicated to armored warfare. Metascore: 80 User Score: 3. Panzer Corps Platform: PC July 11, Panzer Corps will feature 26 scenarios on 21 unique maps, covering most major battles of the European Theatre of World War II and including a few hypothetical 'what if' scenarios based on your actions.
Assassin's Creed: Revelations Platform: PC November 29, Revelations follows master assassin Ezio Auditore as he walks in the footsteps of his legendary mentor, Altair, on a journey to recover five ancient seals that hold the keys to the future of the Assassins brotherhood.
Driver: San Francisco Platform: PC September 27, Driver: San Francisco marks the return of the established video game series that has sold 14 million copies worldwide. Metascore: 79 User Score: 8. Metascore: 79 User Score: 7. Metascore: 79 User Score: 5.
Metascore: 79 User Score: 6. Metascore: 78 User Score: 7. Metascore: 78 User Score: 3. Tropico 4 Platform: PC August 30, Tropico 4 sees you return as El Presidente, the tyrannical or benevolent dictator of the island paradise of Tropico. Sonic Generations Platform: PC November 3, Set across three defining eras from 20 years of Sonic the Hedgehog video game history, the instantly recognisable environments of Sonic Generations have been re-built in stunning HD and are now playable in both classic side scrolling 2D from , as well as modern 3D style found in Sonic's most recent adventures.
Metascore: 77 User Score: 8. Metascore: 77 User Score: 7. Metascore: 77 User Score: 6. Xenonauts Platform: PC November 4, Xenonauts is a strategy game through which you control a multi-national military organization defending a Cold War-era Earth from alien invasion, using small squads of persistent soldiers to eliminate the extraterrestrials and recover their technology in turn-based ground combat.
Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers Platform: PC June 15, Building on the success of the original Duels of the Planeswalkers, Duels of the Planeswalkers will introduce all new game modes, Planeswalker opponents, decks, puzzle challenges and other exciting new features including a new-to-digital multiplayer game mode called Archenemy where players gather up to two allies and team up against the AI.
Metascore: 77 User Score: 5. Metascore: 76 User Score: 4. Renegade Ops Platform: PC October 26, Renegade Ops puts players in a mobile commando unit sent behind enemy lines to defeat Inferno, a madman intent on global domination. Metascore: 76 User Score: 7. Who's That Flying?! Metascore: 76 User Score: 6. Payday: The Heist Platform: PC October 20, Players will embark on a spectacular crime spree of six heart stopping heists, including blasting their way through a downtown bank vault robbery, managing hostages in an armored car hijacking and even a midnight infiltration of a top-secret, high-security facility.
Metascore: 75 User Score: 7. Metascore: 75 User Score: 6. Atom Zombie Smasher Platform: PC January 23, Players must save survivors from the zombie apocalypse by assembling an army of mercenaries and firing nuclear missiles from orbit to destroy the oncoming horde. Fable III Platform: PC May 17, Fans new and returning will now embark on an epic adventure, where the race for the crown is only the beginning of your spectacular journey.
The efforts to make the interface more user friendly might lead you to believe that Civ V dumbs down the series, but make no mistake the apparatus powering the game is as complex as ever. One last turn…. Mass Effect 2 is a landmark game, and lives to the hype of a sequel to the original which was a smash hit. The epic sci-fi role playing game continues the story of Commander Sheppard, and his journey to avert an impending galactic apocalypse.
It is one of the most personal video game experiences ever created, as your choices will affect the story in a profound way. All the technical issues associated with the original game have been listened and corrected in this sequel. It is a gorgeous looking space opera not to be missed by rpg fans. A decade long wait, finally ended in with Starcraft 2 : Wings of Liberty hitting store shelves around the world, mostly importantly in South Korea where the game is considered a national sport.
Blizzard plays it safe with probably the biggest release of by not changing the core gameplay mechanics radically. High production value with some amazing cut scenes create an equally impressive single player campaign which follows the Terran race is fantastic to say the least and perfect for those intimated by the highly competitive multiplayer. The three factions in the multiplayer mode are very diverse, and learning new tricks and tactics will keep you busy for a very long time and could be very addictive.
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