Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection is an attempt to make an old-school absurdly difficult quarter muncher a game worth playing in the modern era, and it delightfully succeeds.

If you never played the original then picking this up is a no-brainer. 3D World is a fantastic Mario adventure, and you shouldn’t miss it. However, if you already played the original on the Wii U, Bowser’s Fury and the added online play don’t quite make it worth the full $60. That being said, it’s absolutely worth it if the price drops even a little, or if you just really want to play 3D World without having to hook up the Wii U. It’s a great game, but it still feels like Nintendo should have done more with it.

Persona 5 Strikers is a worthy addition to the Persona 5 game line. If you enjoyed the previous exploits of the Phantom Thieves, then you will love everything this game has to offer.

Little Nightmares II is just a worse game than the original. Everything they added to the system feels clunky at best and unfair at worst. It’s a shame because this same story, with its same environments, same levels, same enemies, and same music and sound would have been infinitely better if they kept the mechanics from the original.

In a world where you can pick up The Last of Us Remastered for a song, there’s no reason to waste your time on Earthblood. Paradox Interactive is no stranger to game development. I wonder which team lead is asleep at the wheel such that Earthblood was allowed to go out the door in its current state.

Destruction AllStars may not be a killer app that sells you on a PS5, but anyone who owns a PS5 will be happy to add it to their library. It is definitely one of the best perks of owning a PS5 yet.

You’ll likely have a really good time with Gods Will Fall. Straight up, it’s a good game. A lack of polish keeps it from being a great game, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had here.

Olija is, simply put, a great 2D action-adventure game. Developers Thomas Olsson and Skeleton Crew Studio knew exactly what they set out to deliver. This is a focused, refined adventure that’ll captivate you for a short while and provide you with a bite-sized albeit worthwhile journey.

The Medium is at its best when you are exploring its remarkable, beautiful worlds, or enjoying the excellent composition and art direction. Unfortunately, the gameplay does not meet that high mark, and often detracts from what is otherwise a stellar aesthetic experience.

Redout: Space Assault is a reminder that I should fire up Star Wars: Squadrons again. While it’s visually appealing given its discount price, it fails to deliver fun and engaging mechanics. If you want an indie and don’t dig on Star Wars, there’s House of the Dying Sun, an excellent indie that’s over four years old and retails for $20. Even in a genre as niche as the space shooter, there are better options available.

Cyber Shadow packs a lot of quality into a small six-hour package. If you love indie platformers and have a soft spot in your heart for games like Ninja Gaiden and Shatterhand then you won’t want to pass this one up.

Hitman 3 was a fun game, but I definitely put it down quicker than I did Hitman 1 or 2. If you wanted more of the same it gives you that on top of being a really convenient platform for the content of the previous games, but that doesn’t change the fact that this feels much more like an expansion pack than a new entry in the franchise.

Super Meat Boy Forever is a fun little distraction. Though it fails to live up to the legacy of its predecessor, it’s entertaining for a few playthroughs. If you loved Super Meat Boy, you might just get a kick out of Forever… or you may not.

The Pathless is a gorgeous, exhilarating and frenetic game which unfortunately often stumbles in its own tracks.

Godfall could scratch that action game itch if you don’t mind how lackluster it is in other areas. A paid expansion is coming out in 2021, so I’m curious to see if that’ll address any of my concerns about the campaign.

I want to recognize how ambitious and fun this game is while simultaneously warning people about how incomplete and sloppy it is. Whether or not this is a worthwhile purchase will be entirely up to whether or not you want to brave the bugs, glitches, and general half-baked feel in order to get to the core roleplaying game underneath.

Twin Mirror is the inferior Dontnod offering of 2020, and probably one of their most disappointing games yet. It is mediocre in every sense, failing to live up to the potential of its concept and the reputation of its developer.

This is not BOTW2, but it’s still a very fun game that is worth your time. It’s fanfiction with an awesome hybrid action-RPG with BOTW mechanics attached. Just don’t get too wrapped up in the non-canon Ganon and you’ll be fine.

The Pathless is as majestic as it is haunting. It’s ruminative and captivating. Above all, it’s one of the most incredible meditative adventures ever created.

Bugsnax is a truly weird game that is worth trying just for the concept. As the theme song goes “Everyone’s talkin' bout Bugsnax.” Well not everyone, but maybe they should be.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War brings the series back to the start in a much-needed way. Treyarch proves yet again that it is the king of multiplayer, providing exceptional, genre-defining gameplay along with a decent mix of new maps and modes that help with the lack of Zombies content. And Raven Software takes the single player campaign in a different direction that stumbles a bit in execution but lays the foundation for games to come.

If you are a die-hard Kingdom Hearts fan that loves the music and needs to play every game, then yeah, this game is for you. However, it just feels sloppy for a full-priced game. There are better rhythm games out there, and better Kingdom Hearts games out there, so unless you really need a combination of the two, you can safely pass this one up.

Miles Morales’ biggest problem is by far its length which will turn some people off. But honestly, there’s room for more short form experiences, even as major console release titles. Miles Morales doesn’t waste any time with padding and instead keeps pushing high quality Spider-Man gameplay at you, which in my opinion is a strength, and not a weakness.

Fuser is a great little program that serves as an introduction to the art of DJing. It’s just not much of a game. So think about this as purchasing entry-level DJ software, and as entry-level DJ software, it’s pretty good. It’s never going to be as powerful as dedicated DJ software, but if you just want to have a bit of a DJ fantasy then Fuser will give you just that.

If Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is an indication of the direction the series is going in from here, I’m all in. Valhalla sheds light on the Viking era in a distinctly hopeful way with fantastically written characters and story arcs that feel like you’re bingeing an excellent show. The gameplay is at its finest, too, brilliantly balancing stealth and combat in equal measure. If it weren’t for an overwhelming number of frustrating bugs and the lack of quality side content, this could have been the best Assassin’s Creed yet.

The latest Dark Pictures Anthology installment takes narrative risks and refines mechanical gameplay. While I still take issue with photorealistic graphics, Little Hope is still worth visiting.

Ghostrunner is an all-around great action game. The first-person parkour mechanics will make you feel like a badass, as will chopping up bad guys. The game doesn’t always control perfectly, but everything still comes together to create an awesome, action-packed cyberpunk experience.

Watch Dogs: Legion is an interesting game with an innovative system and a compelling story. It’s not a blockbuster hit and it probably won’t make the running for GOTY this year, but its experimental systems and socially resonant plot make it worth checking out.