Through aggression, terror, and even some frustration, the pulse of Thumper is everlasting.

Gravity Rush 2 masterfully embodies the special feeling that is "the joy of motion," letting its movement mechanics speak with, but never in place of its beautifully realized world.

FAR: Lone Sails banks a lot on the chilling atmosphere of its journey, but that solitude outstays its welcome, even before its weak conclusion.

Instead of attempting to evolve Metroidvania design beyond the well-established template, Hollow Knight doubles down on its oppressive atmosphere and deep world-building, and it's all the better for it.

The endlessly charming and memorable moments of Pokemon Snap are successfully preserved in this "new" entry, though there's a lot of excess here that absolutely should've been trimmed.

D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die could've been one of its generation's most legendary head-trips had it gotten a proper completion, but as it stands right now, Season 1 is a weird little experiment whose core mechanics are just a bit too under-developed.

It wouldn't be surprising at all to think that Katamari Damacy would be the inspirational spark for thousands of up-and-coming game developers, a success story that shows that even the oddest, most avant-garde ideas still deserve a chance to exist.

Hi-Fi Rush pushes past its flaws with a big, dumb grin on its face, air-guitaring its way on stage and fondly reminding us that there are still plenty of places that the action game genre can go.

Inside is Super Limbo, which depending on who you ask, could mean an engrossing atmospheric puzzle game or an unshakable feeling of déjà vu (often times both at the exact same moment)

From the story to the characters to the mysteries, everything Rain Code does, Danganronpa did better.

Sonic Generations succeeds both as a fantastic celebration of Sonic's history and as a wildly replay-able platformer that's a blast to experience.

If you can separate it from the other games' legacy, and can ignore the story frequently tripping over itself, DmC is a respectable enough translation of Devil May Cry's stylish action game mechanics.

Back in 2011, it didn't feel like game worlds could get any bigger than Skyrim, and while modern AAA games have proven that to be incorrect, The Elder Scrolls V feels like just the right size to get absolutely consumed by wanderlust without feeling too overwhelming.

In a time when so many want to have absolute control over their gaming experience, the companion of The Last Guardian is an anomaly, one whose strange, almost autonomous behavior makes the entire journey seem all the more real.

AAA projects from Sony have lost a lot by doubling down on their "cinematic" aspects, yes, but God of War 2018 manages to stay interesting by frequently reminding the player that this is still Kratos we're playing as.