It's Hideki Kamiya and Capcom firing on all cylinders, with an incredibly challenging, massively replay-able, and damn near perfect action game.

Beyond its tense atmosphere and wild setpieces stands a horror-action triumph with near bottomless levels of depth, ensnaring its genre archetype into new levels of terror.

Against seemingly impossible odds, it translates the core elements of its series with dedication and honed study, while being a watershed moment for immersion in video games.

It's staggeringly ironic that a game with such a harsh commentary on the very idea of "sequels" would be a near-flawless example of one.

Nostalgia be damned: video games, platformers or not, don't get much more engrossing or much more fun than this.

While it occasionally gets too obtuse for its own good, Kojima and Del Toro's "playable teaser" is an unforgettable nightmare whose tragic disappearance only makes it all the more captivating.

Don't let the goofy bongos fool you: this is one of DK's best titles, a fist-to-face combo of stylish platforming and intense action that demands you sharpen your skills at every chance.

What it lacks in mechanical depth, it makes up for with style, creativity, and heart, and that's a triple threat that most games would never come close to achieving.

The contemplative Myst-like puzzles clash heavily with the underwhelming gunplay, but you'd be surprised just how much of the gruesome atmosphere manages to seep through.

This is one of the best manga/anime games ever made and a frantic, rampantly customizable fighting game in its own right.

It's not the most challenging of the "New Wave of Indie 3D Platformers" but it controls like an absolute dream and caps it off with a charming and imaginative vibe.

Even with a slightly less engaging second half, From Software's legendary title is a strikingly rebellious one, not just with its high challenge, but also its confident sense of trust toward the player.

It's the ultimate example of "your mileage may vary," one whose enjoyment is entirely dependent on the people you end up interacting with.

Ska Studios have done their homework, attentively creating a game that controls as fluidly as the best and most stylish action games of yesteryear.

It's a slow burn, sometimes too slow, but the moments of brilliance shine through, thanks to its confident and remarkably free-form approach to exploration (and the loneliness that often comes with it).