Suda51 has always seemed like one of the most down-to-earth Japanese directors in the industry. When talking to you, he'll find the most relatable thing he and you might have in common, whether it's mutual friends or a similar taste for pizza toppings. We got a chance to talk to the famously punk rock game developer earlier this year about his newest title Travis Strikes Again, a possible No More Heroes 3, and more.

Travis Strikes Again is the newest game with Travis Touchdown. You specifically don't call it No More Heroes 3, is there a reason for that?

I wanted to give Travis a new adventure and a new experience. Up until now you know he's been fighting as an assassin, but this time I wanted him to actually go inside the world of video games. So I thought it would be a good chance to make it a new IP of its own, that's why it's not No More Heroes.

Why did you decide to make it a co-op game first and foremost?

When we first saw the announcement of the Switch and we saw the two joycons, our lead programmer said "This we could so something interesting with!" So it was actually the lead programmer's idea to do co-op. It extremely fit the Switch well, so I gave it the okay.

You were at the Switch reveal, actually, that very first showing of the system. When did Nintendo and you start talking about a new Travis Touchdown game?

I don't remember super clearly, but maybe two or three months before? Yeah, that sounds about right. We got together and I said "Travis has been asleep too long."

It's been a long time since you directed a game - I think the last one was actually the first No More Heroes. Why did you come back for this game specifically?

I wanted to make a game with a small team game. I wanted to go back to that indie feeling. As you can see, we’re part of the Nindie Arcade, so we’re being treated as an indie. That’s what I wanted to do. Having a team a lot smaller, maybe about ten people, everybody in the same room so we can all see one another - that's the kind of environment I wanted to make a game in again, so that's why I decided to come back to the director's chair.

So this is actually the 20th anniversary of Grasshopper Manufacture, so this is the perfect opportunity for me to come back and make a game with a small team again.

You mentioned before this is not a No More Heroes game and is actual a Travis Touchdown game. Do you think you'll ever make another No More Heroes in the traditional style of the first two games?

Yeah, of course. This is its own game, but I'm planning to continue the series with a third game as well.

Are there any other games Grasshopper has made that you'd want to do something similar like a spin-off with?

Not...really, but if I had to choose, Shadows of the Damned for sure.

We're surrounded by Smash Bros. right now which exists because Nintendo has made so many characters, but Grasshopper has made a lot of characters, too. If you had to make your own character crossover game with all Grasshopper's characters, who would you main?

Oh! Hah, that's tough question. Travis is an obvious choice, but maybe someone from The Silver Case? There's a character named Kusabi from The Silver Case, he was the main character. He'd be fun to play as, so either Travis or Kusabi. Yeah, that would be cool.

You can read our latest preview for Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes right here. The game releases for the Nintendo Switch on January 18.

Whether you love them, hate them, or forget they exist until they pop on your screen and interrupt your game, achievements and trophies are (literally) a required feature of all PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam games. I fall into the love camp, and these are some of my favorites from 2017.

The achievements and trophies I find most interesting aren't the ones that mark your progress in a storyline or reward you for attaining a certain number of headshots. I like the ones that force you to think outside of the normal functions of the game or reward you for doing something weird.

Follow the links to see 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017's best achievements and trophies.

Astro Bot Rescue Mission

Astro Bot had a number of goofy trophies that reward you for interacting with the game in novel ways. For the Spider Boss, you are removing a giant spider’s clothes as a way to defeat it, and I like that you are rewarded for averting your gaze. I also particularly liked that Shuhei Yoshida is called out in a trophy that you can earn while playing around with the credits. The other two are just silly ways to interact with the game that I had not considered.

Gentleman - Finished off the Spider Boss while looking away Shoot the Shu! - Blasted the President's name in the credits Blrgggbl!! - Splashed yourself with the water gadget Space drift - Hit Astro with the controller in the VR menu

Detroit Become Human

Any game that rewards you for reading magazines should be highlighted because I heard reading magazines is good for your health.

BOOKWORM - Find every single magazine in the game

Fallout 76

[See Detroit: Become Human’s entry above.]

LITerally - Read 20 Magazines

Guacamelee 2

I really enjoyed Guacamelee 2 and got every trophy except for the one you get for replaying the game on the hardest difficulty (who has time for that!?). I like this egg one because I never did figure out if there was any use or advantage to laying eggs. If there is, please let me know in the comments.

These are not fertilized - Lay a dozen eggs

Lego DC Super-Villains

This is a nice call out to the relationship that can be explored between Batman and Joker in Telltale's Batman games.

The Enemy Within - Take a selfie with Batman whilst playing as The Joker

Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 & 2

I like the incentive to check out the game in Japanese because it is something I had never done despite being a big Mega Man X fan. I include the “He Wanted You to Have This” trophy here because growing up and playing that game pre-internet, I refused to believe that was something that could be done.

He's Actually Called Vava (Curiouser and Curiouser) - Complete the opening stage of any game in both the English and Japanese versions. He Wanted You to Have This - Receive Zero's beam saber in Mega Man X3.

Nippon Marathon

Nippon Marathon is a weird on-foot physics-based racing game. If you get yourself covered in enough crap, you might be declared that smelliest player, which is exciting?

Smelliest Player - Be declared the smelliest - Get away from me!

Red Dead Redemption II

Most of Red Dead Redemption II's achievements involv killing, studying, or killing and studying every creature in the game, but this one makes you the hunted instead of the hunter.

Grin and Bear it - Survive 18 bear attacks and kill the bear each time in Story Mode.

Sea of Thieves

Sea of Thieves was an underwhelming experience for me overall, but its insistence on making you a goofball with the achievements is something I can get behind. These are my favorite kinds of achievements – rewards for just doing weird, seemingly innocuous things in the game. Also, you’ve got to love the little Perfect Dark reference.

A Titanic Ensemble - Give your ship a Captain's send-off by playing a song aboard it while it sinks. Tactical Chunder - Throw vomit on an opposing pirate while they're holding a sword. Handbrake Turn - With the ship's wheel fully turned in a direction, drop the anchor. Perfect Dark - Sail through a storm with no lights during the night.

Shadow of the Colossus

The 2018 remake of Shadow of the Colossus is fantastic and it really stayed true to the original in all the right ways. The trophy is a reward for discovering one of the few new additions to the game, which is a fun reference to The Last Guardian.

Boon of the Nomad - Find Barrel in Hidden Cave

Spider-Man

I liked being rewarded for climbing the tallest building in the game and just hanging out – something I would have done anyway. I also love the “With Great Power…” trophy because it’s a nice moment for Peter, and it’s something you can discover on your own outside of the main story or side missions.

Hero for Higher - Perch atop Avengers Tower With Great Power... - Pay respects at Ben Parker's grave

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

These two trophies are basically opposites, but I like them both as weird, totally optional objectives.

Como Te Llama - Pet 5 llamas Thanksgiving - Shoot a turkey with a Flare Round

State of Decay 2

Most of State of Decay 2’s achievements are rewards for doing a certain number of things a certain number of time. “Men Without Hats” is one of the few goofball ones and who doesn’t love The Safety Dance?

Men Without Hats - Shoot the helmet off an armored zombie.

Tetris Effect

This is something you will probably earn through normal play, but I wanted to give it up for the weird text formatting.

tceffE ediS sirteT -.noisnemid desrever gniyonna na ni yalP

Many game enthusiasts are aware of the SNES SimCity game - but there was also an 8-bit NES version planned that didn't really see a lot of time in the public eye. Until now! The Video Game History Foundation has a great video showing off the game lost to time. It's impressive just how much of the SimCity flavor and feel fits into an 8-bit infrastructure.

Check out the video below to see the game in action and read more about the game and how The Video Game History Foundation acquired the footage here. For even more on SimCity, check out our podcast this week for an interview with Will Wright!

The Super Nintendo was home to a library of amazing role-playing experiences, punctuated by huge titles that are still beloved today like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI. There are many niche or sleeper titles that are easy to miss when dutifully probing the annals of RPG history on the platform as well, so today I present a challenge - what's your favorite RPG on the SNES?

You can pick one of the big ones, but if you want a more interesting exercise, dance around the Chrono Triggers, FF's, Secret of Mana, and Earthbounds of the world and maybe grab a Lufia or Breath of Fire out of the ether. Barring the big ones, I think my favorite is Robotrek - crafting my own custom battle bots was a super refreshing experience, I went back to the rental store a few times to get that one done. 

Red Dead Redemption II is one of our favorite games of the year, and a big part of why is its memorable cast of characters. From the maddening leader Dutch to grifter Hosea, foul-mouthed Sean, lewd Karen, impertinent John Marston, and the loyal Arthur Morgan himself, there’s more than enough characters for you to love and hate in the Van der Linde gang. But really, who’s the best of the best of this gallery of rogues? Let’s saddle up and find out, partner. Here are all the members of Dutch’s gang ranked from worst to best.

Be warned: MAJOR spoilers ahead for Red Dead Redemption II's story. Do not read unless you've finished the game.

24. Micah Bell Ugh. Do we even need to talk about this jerk? Loud, obnoxious, always picking a fight, thinks he’s more clever than he actually is. Stuck somewhere between being a vile, bigoted bully and the tag-a-long who’ll do anything to win validation, Micah sucks in every way possible. Trashboy supreme.

23. Leopold Strauss It’s bad enough that Strauss is a loan shark. However, it’s his cruel business that results in Arthur getting infected with tuberculosis when our antihero goes to collect a debt from the Downes family.  It doesn’t help he’s downright sleazy and seems to derive pleasure from causing others misery. Yuck.

22. Bill Williamson Bill Williamson has the distinction of being one of the characters who appears in the original Red Dead Redemption as one of John Marston’s targets. Like his appearance in the original game, Bill’s just kind of stupid. And a bully, always picking fights with someone, needing to have others praise him. You can always count on finding Bill sulking, whining, or getting ready to throw down with someone because they made him feel small. What a baby.

21.Simon Pearson Unlike the last three, Pearson isn’t awful. He’s just kind of a dork, as Sadie reveals when she reads his letter to his aunt out loud featuring Pearson outright lying about his accomplishments in a bid to impress her. However, he’s not harmful to the group and fulfills an important role: feeding everyone, which goes unappreciated by the whole gang. Pearson’s biggest crime is how uninteresting he is. But hey, at least he gets out of this adventure alive!

20. Kieran Poor Kieran. As a former O’ Driscoll wanting to find his place within the Van der Linde gang, there’s a lot of pathos in his struggle for acceptance. However, that journey is cut short just as everyone starts to warm up to him, raising the stakes to take down Colm O’Driscoll.

19. Jack Marston From the outset, Jack’s an interesting character, but the vast majority of that interest comes from what you know about his role in the original game. In Red Dead II, Jack’s essentially a callback machine more than a character.

18. Molly O’ Shea Molly doesn’t get much time as anything more than someone begging for Dutch’s approval and failing to find it. However, the stomach-churning scene where Miss O’ Shea drunkenly brags about a betrayal she likely didn’t commit and is gunned down by vengeful mama bear Susan Grimshaw is one of the game’s biggest moments.

17. Reverend Swanson Swanson’s an interesting character in that he bounces back and forth between a wise man and fool, often doling out helpful advice to the gang members just as much as he needs to be rescued from his alcoholic adventures. He’s also responsible for that badass “You’ve got to love yourself a fire” speech, so full marks for that one, bud.

16. Uncle If there’s one face of Red Dead Redemption II that’s launched a thousand memes, it’s Uncle and his tragic case of LUMBAGO. Picked on just as much as Pearson, everyone regards Uncle as a fool. However, he’s not actually that dumb, as revealed when he does an AMAZING roast of John Marston’s attempts to woo Abigail with a “dream home” that’s essentially an outhouse. “I’ve had better nightmares than this dream.” Sick.

15. Javier Escuella For all his wacky shenanigans and boasting in Red Dead Redemption, Javier doesn’t get that much time front and center in the prequel. You usually see him sitting near a campfire silently or playing a few songs to woo the crowd. However, dude looks rad as hell. He's easily the best dresser in the whole outfit (outside of Arthur, of course), and there’s one scene where beats the living daylights out of Micah, so, y’know, that shoots him up several spots alone.

14. Karen Jones The lewdest, drunkest, most unapologetic member of the group, Karen is basically Red Dead Redemption II’s Pam Poovey, and we adore her. Whether she’s putting on a schoolgirl act to distract some tellers during a bank robbery or getting in drunken arguments with other members of the gang, Karen steals every scene she’s in. Now if only we could figure out where the hell she went.

13. Mary-Beth Gaskill Though her quiet demeanor and absence during the story missions of Red Dead Redemption II might have you wondering why she’s this high on a list, players who have talked to Mary-Beth in their free time will know she’s secretly one of the most interesting characters for Arthur to interact with. A con woman who’s sweet on Arthur, their conversations have an honest, gentle quality to them. There’s also a lovely dance scene the two can have during a party sequence.

However, Mary-Beth’s best moment comes in the epilogue when John runs into her outside of Valentine and learns that she’s become a successful novelist and seems genuinely happy. A necessary bright spot in this epic, dark tale.

12. Sean MacGuire The life of the party. A proud Irish immigrant, Sean is one of the beloved younger members of the group, boasting and ridiculing his fellow gang members with colorful language. His sudden death is also the first truly shocking moment in the story, kicking the Van der Linde gang’s descent into overdrive and leading into one of the best missions, “Blood Feuds, Ancient And Modern.” Ah Sean, you were gone too soon.

11. Susan Grimshaw The hawk of the camp, the stern Miss Grimshaw’s job is to keep everything up and running to make sure the camp's inhabitants stay in line, which she does vigilantly. Grimshaw’s amusing scenes, including one where she forces Arthur to dunk his face in a barrel and bathe if he comes back to camp dirty, are undercut by her ruthless dedication to the Dutch's rules. Her cold-blooded, vengeful killing of Molly O’ Shea is a testament to this. Even though there’s a poetic quality to her shocking death by gunfire, it didn’t make us miss her (or hate murderer Micah) any less.

10. Abigail Marston The no-nonsense, constantly flustered Abigail Marston of the original Red Dead Redemption returns as…a no-nonsense and constantly flustered gang member. Sure, Abigail might not actually experience that much change between the two games, but Red Dead Redemption II helps us understand why she is the way she is. It’s because she’s a savvy woman on the fringes of the action forced to watch the idiots in her life make the same mistakes over and over again.

However, Abigail just can’t help caring for people, even when they’re absolute morons. It’s her best and worst quality. Her genuine desire for her and her family to buy land and have an honest living is the series’ seed of hope.

Also, she shoots John Milton in his big, dumb head so big ups to Mama Marston for that.

9. Tilly Jackson Another of the younger member of the crew, Tilly’s sometimes supportive, sometimes raw conversations with Arthur about the cruelty of hunting animals and hurting people are among the best bits of writing in the game. John meeting up with her in the epilogue to find she’s happily married with a kid marks another one of Red Dead Redemption II’s rare happy moments.

8. Josiah Trelawny Trelawny is one of the most interesting members of the gang. A smooth-talking trickster who comes and goes as he pleases, the gang often finds their need to save him a hassle. However, Trelawny is often paying back Dutch and the rest with helpful tips and distractions — even if he never gets his hands dirty. Curious players who discover Trelawny’s big secret, and the reason behind all his time away from the group, in Saint Denis are in for a big surprise that’s likely to leave a smile on their faces.

7. Lenny Summers LEMNY. A drinking mission with Lenny proves to be the game’s comedic high point, guaranteeing Lenny a high ranking. However, even outside of that, Lenny has some of the best conversations in the game, whether he’s talking to Arthur about white privilege, teaching Sean to read, or just being his enthusiastic self. His shocking death during the Saint Denis bank robbery proves to be one of the cruelest gut punches in a game filled with them.

6. John Marston The John Marston of Red Dead Redemption II is very different than the man we knew in the original game. He’s crabby, wild, unnecessarily vicious, and sometimes just plain stupid. However, like Arthur, John undergoes his own quiet change during the events of the story. He learns to care for his wife and son and grows wiser, coming up with some of the best plans for the gang’s heists. By the closing credits of Red Dead Redemption II, we’ve watched John become the man we knew him to be in the original game: loving, faithful, honorable, and tragically doomed.

5. Charles Smith One of the best new additions to Red Dead’s world, by the time II starts, Charles has only been with the Van der Linde gang six months. However, he quickly proves himself to be one of the most dependable members, shining as a hunter and soldier. Smith’s wry sense of humor and inclination to ride up with his fellow outlaw no matter the danger makes him incredibly likable. Here’s hoping we get some DLC playing him.

4. Hosea Matthews The Grifter Grandpa, Hosea is sweet and funny most of the time and is responsible for hatching most of the group’s scams. His venture into the Rhodes saloon with Arthur, disguised as his brother Fenton, is amusing as hell. For all his wisdom, Hosea is most interesting when the cracks in his sweet facade show, like when he fends off Bill’s bullying by pulling his pistol or mocks Catherine Braithwaite as her life burns down around her. Alongside Lenny, Hosea’s sudden demise is heart-wrenching and also the moment that signals without a doubt that the gang is doomed.

3. Sadie Adler Full of hate and fire, Sadie Adler’s transformation from grieving widow to vengeful outlaw is fantastic. Over time Sadie eventually emerges as one of the gang’s best gunners and even turns into one of the best bounty hunters around by the time the credits roll. It’s a very satisfying arc to watch, filled with beats that are both horrifying but entertaining to watch — usually involving an O’ Driscoll biting the dust. The best thing that can be said about Sadie Adler is that she just doesn’t give a damn what you or anyone else thinks about her, and that’s probably why she’s so good at anything she puts her mind to.

2. Dutch Van der Linde The leader himself. One could argue that the entire story is mostly concerned with Dutch’s breakdown, which is why Dutch gets all the big scenes as we watch him slowly unravel. The writing for his character and the work of voice actor Benjamin Byron Davis successfully leads you into believing in the man’s inherent charisma even when it’s clear that he has no plan or hope, and is just someone clinging for survival. However, it would be a disservice to call Van der Linde a coward or rat. His return in the epilogue to help John finish off Micah is a fantastic finale and one that indicates some vestige of the brave, honorable man that Dutch Van der Linde once was lay among all the wreckage he’s wrought on himself.

1. Arthur Morgan When Arthur was revealed to be the protagonist of Red Dead Redemption II, people didn’t really know what to make of him or how he was going to compare to John Marston, one of the most beloved characters in video games. Morgan’s gradual transformation from unlikeable, gruff henchman works because it’s supported by a powerful underlying pathos that slowly unfolds throughout the course of the story. Whether it was the fact that Dutch and Hosea took in Arthur and groomed him to be a psychopath in order to earn their love, the failure of his relationship with Mary Linton, or the death of his son Issac, Arthur has lived a hard life.

A key plot twist halfway through the game reveals that Arthur has been diagnosed with tuberculosis. There’s no plot fussing or hope-clinging, it is then and there Arthur (and us) know he’s going to die. That moment becomes a crossroads for our hero. How does he choose to live out his last days on earth? As someone fully embracing wanton nihilism and murdering, looting, and destroying their way through the world? Or someone ever so gradually trying to improve the lives of those around him? It’s ultimately a choice left up to the player. But regardless of the decision, Arthur Morgan emerges for the first time in his life a man free of the manipulations around him. He rebels against Dutch, advises (and possibly aids) brother-in-arms John Marston to leave the outlaw life, and goes out on his own terms.

More than anything, Morgan reflects the difficulty of the word “redemption.” In the original Red Dead, John Marston’s redemption was clear, with him sacrificing himself up to save his family. However, Morgan’s a more complicated protagonist and his redemption is more of a question mark than an absolute. Does Morgan redeem himself? Does it matter? Even if he doesn’t, he’s still one of the most fascinating character arcs we’ve seen in games ever. Period.

For more on Red Dead Redemption II, check out our list of 101 things you can do in the game as well as our Red Dead Online impressions.

‘Tis the season to publish misleading retrospectives about how great video games were in 2018! Well, buckle up, because I’m going to tell you the truth: 2018 was a terrible year for gaming. From over-designed, big-budget juggernauts to try-hard indie darlings, the cascading disappointments of the past 12 months should be enough to make any gamer seek a better hobby. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do that, because it’s my job to save you from yourselves by assembling lists that tell you which games to avoid.

Here are the fruits of that labor. The games below have been touted as some of the best of the year, but none of them deserve that honor, and I’m here to tell you why.

10. Tetris Effect This is literally what the back of the box said when Tetris released on Game Boy in 1989: “Beams, boxes, zig-zags and L-shaped blocks drop down a narrow passage. Feel your pulse quicken as you spin, shift and align the shapes for a perfect fit. It’s challenging and demands split second decision.” It’s almost 30 years later, and that’s still the general summary of the recently released Tetris Effect. All you need to add is “Now with more than three music tracks,” which tells you everything you need to know about this so-called update.

9. Dead Cells For anyone who has never heard of Spelunky, The Binding of Isaac, Rogue Legacy, or any other roguelite from the last decade, Dead Cells is innovative and clever. I mean, how often can you explore some procedurally generated dungeons and fight a bunch of monsters using a random assortment of weapons, and then start all over when you die? Oh, and wait until you hear the best part: Developer Motion Twin draws inspiration from Metroid, and everything is presented with a retro visual vibe! What a special and unique experience.

8. Monster Hunter: World For a long time, the clunky combat and pointless grinding of Capcom’s Monster Hunter was primarily contained to handheld devices. However, Monster Hunter: World breaks the quarantine and inflicts the series’ outdated formula to a new group of carriers. Are you infected? Symptoms include: forgiving endlessly repetitive quests, a love for slow and lumbering animations, and not asking why a creature doesn’t react to repeated blows from an eight-foot greatsword. If you exhibit any of those warning signs, keep your distance from Monster Hunter: World until you regain the ability to think rationally.

7. Dragon Ball FighterZ Just because a studio can capture the essence of a property in a video game doesn’t mean that it should. If you are an undiscerning adolescent, Dragon Ball FighterZ has all of the dumb characters, nonsensical plotlines, and overwrought action you could want. This means Arc System Works created the most authentic Dragon Ball video game ever – so playing it ranks just below “watching Dragon Ball” on the big list of mistakes you will eventually regret when you’re older.

6. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Here’s a game-development tip: If you can’t win on quality, go for quantity. Is your naval exploration boring? Are your quest objectives too repetitive? Don’t worry! As long as you choke players with content that unfolds slowly over dozens of hours, they’ll think they’re getting a good deal. As a bonus, if you can toss in some sexual encounters and flashy combat, they’ll be too distracted to notice that your “Assassin’s Creed” game isn’t even about assassins.

5. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Every year, a new Call of Duty comes out. And every year, it stinks for one of three reasons. 1) It is too much like the last entry, 2) it isn’t enough like the last entry, or 3) it just heartlessly chases industry trends. So why does Black Ops 4 fall short? I didn’t bother playing it (I was too busy with Fortnite), so just pick your favorite reason and move on; once next year’s entry comes out, nobody will remember this one anyway.

4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Can I be honest for a minute? I don’t like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but I also don’t like making fun of it. The people who love this game have so little; they don’t know there’s a whole world of video games outside of franchises from Nintendo (and its select partners). They don’t have the skill to compete in real fighting games, and their parents won’t let them buy anything above an E10+ rating. Life is hard enough for Smash Bros. fans, and they don’t need my insults stealing what little joy life has in store for them.

3. Spider-Man Just what the world needed: another reboot of the Spider-Man mythology. Who will Peter be dating this time? Where does he work? Will Green Goblin appear immediately, or just eventually? No matter how you shuffle the narrative pieces, it’s still just Spider-Man. The most common defense of this predictable adventure is that it finally nails the sensation of web-swinging…which is exactly what people said about Treyarch’s Spider-Man 2 (which released in 2004), so congratulations to Insomniac for slightly iterating on another company’s success from 14 years ago.

1. & 2. Red Dead Redemption II/God of War (tie) I know this is a big debate this year, and I’m just as stumped as anyone else. I mean, how can you decide which of these bloated triple-A moneypits is more overhyped? Is it the cowboy game that somehow feels more archaic than its predecessor that released eight years ago? Or is it Quiet Angry Dad Simulator, which people only love because Kratos finally stopped yelling constantly? Both of these titles are monumental achievements in obsessive detail, exhausting naval-gazing, and self-congratulatory flourishes. Don’t make me pick just one – they’re both losers in my eyes.

It’s that time again. As we look back on the year that was 2018, it’s time we all reflect on how great it was for gaming. But things can get contentious as we finally get down to brass tacks and argue over the most important category of all: the GOTY. That’s right: Goku of the Year.

In a year with so many Gokus competing for the crown, GOTY was a hot topic, as Game Informer editors had at least one conversation about putting this list together. While the heavy-hitters are all accounted for in games like Dragon Ball FighterZ and Xenoverse 2, some Gokus came from places you wouldn’t expect, meaning the category wasn’t the given it is every year. We took every Goku we could think of that technically qualified, then ranked them by how “Goku” they are. Read on and agree with our flawless text justifications of gut reactions.

10. Captain Ginyu (Body-Swapped With Goku) - Dragon Ball FighterZ

Everyone remembers that classic part in Dragon Ball Z where, after nearly damaging his own body to death, Captain Ginyu uses his Body Change ability to swap bodies with Goku, giving him access to all of Goku’s powers. In Dragon Ball FighterZ, Ginyu is able to do this with any character, though it’s important to point out that, when he does this to Goku, Ginyu’s body technically qualifies for this list, because that’s Goku’s mind in there. But this is the absolute minimum of Goku you can have and still qualify. This particular version of Goku doesn’t last all that long, either, making it hard to justify placing him higher.

9. Zamasu (Fused) - Dragon Ball FighterZ

If Goku Black qualifies for this list (he does and I'll explain why in the next entry), then so does the fused Zamasu, who combines Goku Black and Zamasu from another timeline’s to create one enormously powerful being. That said, the actual Goku here is so diluted by Zamasu that he just can’t hang with the primo Gokus. He’s a fun enough character in FighterZ, though, so he’s got that going for him.

8. Goku Black - Dragon Ball FighterZ

Okay, look. I was hoping you wouldn't read this far in. But long story short: “Goku Black” is basically a character named Zamasu using Goku’s body for his own ends, and why am I explaining this, anyway? Anyone who cares enough about reading this entry already knows this whole backstory, and people who don’t know it probably aren’t reading this. Ultimately, what puts Goku Black/Zamasu over body-swapped Goku is that they last longer and are more impactful to their respective plotlines. Goku Black would also be able to pass a fingerprint test and use Goku’s ID, which are two of the strongest qualifications you can have as a Goku.

7. Goku & Chao Spirit - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Although the Goku in the “Goku & Chao” Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate isn’t the kind we’re normally used to, you can’t deny it’s a Goku of some kind. That’s more than you can confidently say about everyone below him on this list. We don’t know much about how spirits work, however, when it comes to possession by two people. Do Goku and Chao posses the body they inhabit simultaneously? Do they take turns? The lack of answers here makes it hard to know who strong the Goku we’re getting here is, which makes it hard to move this entry up the list.

6. Gogeta - Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2

Gogeta wouldn’t be able to pass that fingerprint/ID test I mentioned earlier. You got me. But I think we all know Goku’s full mind and body rest inside the fusion-being Gogeta, (albeit diluted by Vegeta’s mind and body) so he counts as Goku. His origin via fusion dance hurts his ranking, however, since Gogeta can only exist for about half an hour at a time (less if he takes severe damage), so he’s not going to move up this list no matter how much you liked Wrath of the Dragon.

5. Vegito (SSGSS) - Dragon Ball FighterZ

Fusion via Potara earrings is more stable than fusion via dance, since the former lasts for at least an hour or could be permanent, depending on the arbitrary needs of the plot if a Supreme Kai did the fusing. This objectively makes Vegito the more potent Goku of the two fusions. Also, let’s not kid ourselves: Vegito is cooler than Gogeta. He dresses way better.

4. Goku (SSGSS) - Dragon Ball FighterZ

Although Goku’s Blue form is one of his strongest, this version of him technically has a non-zero amount of godly presence in him, which dilutes the overall percent of Goku here. Goku Blue is great if you want a stronger Goku, but poor if you just want pure, uncut Goku.

3. Goku (Super Saiyan) - Dragon Ball FighterZ

While this is undeniably the Goku we all know and love, this is a slightly different flavor of Goku, like Cherry Goku. Otherwise we’d just call him Goku.

2. Goku (Ultra Instinct) - Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2

Similar to Super Saiyan Goku, though this is more of a mental state where he’s... really perceptive? Cleared his mind completely? I’m not sure I totally get what’s going on. Still, I’m willing to give this white-haired version the slight edge, since he’s also way more powerful, which counts for something.

1. Goku - Dragon Ball FighterZ

This right here? This is Goku.

So there you have it! Goku is your GOTY. Hopefully next year yields as many great and technically qualified Gokus as 2018 did.

For more on Goku, check out this image.

The metagame of Overwatch is constantly in flux. The addition of new heroes and reworks of existing ones frequently shifts the balance. Some heroes receive nerfs or buffs, while others can be drastically altered, becoming a shadow of their former selves (RIP Mercy’s Team-Res ultimate). We’ve seen characters like Symmetra switch classes, while others like Torbjörn can no longer act as extra support by dropping armor. On the one hand, this encourages people to explore the roster and approach new strategies, but sometimes these alterations have a negative impact on the game. As the game stands now, snipers are extremely overpowered, and this problem has only been exacerbated by the addition of Ashe.

I know what you’re thinking: “Get good.”  Yes, I’ve adjusted my strategy to be more cautious of this aspect, but it gets frustrating whenever I enter a match and three are immediately locked in. It’s affecting team composition, leading to people choosing snipers over more dynamic heroes such as healers and tanks. It makes it difficult to play the game the way it’s meant to be played. It feels like there should be some fall-off for effectiveness beyond the first sniper, but that’s not currently the case. 

I thought maybe after the “honeymoon” stage with Ashe, this obsession would lessen, but it hasn’t. Now I’m at the point where what was once a fleeting frustration is now heavily impacting my fun. The balance seems way too shifted in their favor. Hanzo gets his Dragonstrike ultimate much too quickly, and it’s devastating, to boot. Ashe’s range is ridiculous for a shotgun. Most heroes can barely survive any of these long-range threats; headshots knock out the majority of the roster except for tanks, and even then landing a couple of shots can make fast work of them. 

The bigger issue is snipers just don’t seem all that punished for missing a shot. They can easily recover thanks to their fire and shot-charge rates. But shouldn’t they be punished? Isn’t that the point? High skill required but with extremely satisfying rewards?  A sniper should not stand a chance when coming face-to-face with a DPS or tank, but I’ve seen plenty of Hanzos escape with a quick dash jump. 

Matches quickly become focused on finding and killing the sniper above all else. And even there, I feel like we need more plentiful counters to these snipers. Yes, D.Va is great for her ability to fly to them, but outside of finding them with someone like Soldier or Orisa, it’s hard to exactly reach and shot them down.

Right now, sniping rules the roost, overtaking team composition and warping how the game is played. If there’s anything I want Blizzard to do, it’s to restore some of the balance. Snipers shouldn’t be dominating, racking up the kills above other classes like attack or tanks. Sadly, it’s currently a sniper’s world in Overwatch, and we’re just living in it. Here’s hoping change comes soon, because frankly, I’m sick of seeing my teams and the gameplay revolve around them. 

2018 is finally drawing to a close, causing gamers around the world to reflect on what an amazing year we’ve had. While the industry’s heated Game of the Year arguments are mostly focused on the world’s best Western and world’s worst dad, there were a ton of other games that I loved just as much in 2018 (well, almost anyway – I really wanted to be a cowboy as a kid, okay?).

I’ve already written about how much I enjoyed hunting giant monsters, web-slinging through New York City, getting unceremoniously shot in the back, and hanging from Zeus’ giant dong this year. My latest obsession, however, has been a little game called Just Cause 4, which I was too busy reviewing to offer up the usual FTAP treatment when it released – I just hate when real work stands in the way of getting stupid!

Anyhow, I’ve written about my love of blowing stuff up in video games before, and the Just Cause series has been a favored outlet for my destructive tendencies ever since the first entry. Just Cause 4 is no exception – however, that apparently makes me an exception, given the number of irate Just Cause “fans” complaining about JC4 on the internet. Their shared insistence that “the PS2 totally had better graphics!!!” makes me think there’s some kind of coordinated troll-bot shenanigans going on, as does their mutual talking point about how “the water is hideous!” Have we learned nothing from PuddleGate?!

While I could write an exhaustive and inconvertible defense for *checks notes* why I enjoyed playing a video game…I thought I’d instead share my adoration of Just Cause 4 in video form instead. That’s right – even though I couldn’t write a column about my stupid antics in Just Cause 4 while I was reviewing it, that didn’t stop me from recording dozens of videos of said stupid antics. YOU’RE WELCOME.

1. Barrel O' Monkeys Explosions

One of the biggest draws of the Just Cause 4 series is goofing around with the physics and Rico’s infinite supply of tethers. In this instance, I was trying to tether a series of barrels together into a platform, which I planned to attach a balloon to and ride into the stratosphere. Alas, things never go as planned.

2. The Beetle Booster

One timeless Just Cause shenanigan? Putting a rocket booster (or 10) on the back of a car. Even a banged-up Beetle can become a blistering speed demon – or an improvised missile, as the case may be.

3. Turbo Tractor

My Beetle exploits led to an obvious question – what other vehicles can I send rocketing out of control? There’s no way “TRACTOR!” wasn’t the answer.

…Also, the honking is what really sells this clip, if I do say so myself.

4. Stunt Driving: Part I

Turning cars into giant and deadly ground bloomers is fun and all, but I really wanted to see if I could max out a car with rocket boosters and have it still remain drivable. The results depend entirely on your definition of “drivable” – there was definitely a second or two in there where I was on a road.

5. Stunt Driving: Part II

Still not satisfied, I decided to take a more scientific approach to my experiment, by…well, grabbing the fastest car I could find and slapping a bunch more rockets on it. This time the success depends on what your definition of “flyable” is.

6. Rocket Semi

Look, I knew there was no way in hell a semitruck would perform better than the previous sports cars – I can’t even keep it on the road BEFORE the boosters. But can you really argue with the results?

7. Who Needs The Fortnite Bus?

My experiment with the semitruck got me thinking – perhaps a bus would fare better? It didn’t. However, a bus with some added balloons for stabilization ended up being way more entertaining than I anticipated.

8. Car Surfing EXTREME

At some point, I had to face the facts: Maybe the problem wasn’t the rocket boosters at all – maybe it’s my driving. So I removed myself from the equation and assigned a poor hapless civilian to the driving instead. She really performed her duty flawlessly – right up until the flying off and exploding in the distance, at least.

9. The Full Circle

Another random experiment I spent way too much time on? Seeing if I could get a car to do a full loop over an overpass after connecting it with tethers and rocket boosters. DO YOU SEE WHY I LOVE THIS GAME NOW?!

10. The Regrettable Flying Cow

I’ll be honest – I really feel bad about the cow. Not so bad that I wouldn’t totally do it again in a heartbeat, but really kinda bad.

11. Lady Rocket

Interestingly enough, I don't seem to feel bad about this one at all. What does that say about me? Nothing good, I suppose, but that's what you get for wearing highheels on the beach!

12. Unexpected Outcomes

I'm sorry, but what was I supposed to do in this situation? Just look at the guy sitting on the hood of his car and NOT attach a bunch of rockets to the back? Ultimately, the surprise was on me, but I have to give him props for handling the loss of his car so well.

13. Close But No Cigar

Even when things are going wrong, Just Cause 4 is hilarious. Like the time I had to escort a hacker through this military base when it was on high alert. We ALMOST made the jump…

14. How Do Planes Work Again?

Look, some of Just Cause 4’s rocket booster options are a bit confusing, like the mod that changes the directional thrust of a booster when it’s applied. On the plus side, we now know what would happen if you accidentally threw your plane into reverse while you were flying it. That’s realistic, right?

15. How Do Planes Work: The Rebuttal

In my defense, I’m apparently not the only one who doesn’t get how airplanes work, as evidenced by this pilot I ran across during a story mission. I really hope I never go through a takeoff like this in real life.

16. Now THAT'S A Merry-Go-Round

Fun fact: Just Cause 4 has a little seaside amusement park, which I can only assume the developers included for Rico to terrorize. First up, the merry-go-round, which I turned into a…merry-go-rounder? I dunno. I’m just tickled by the plumes of fire shooting out of the horses’ asses.

17. Ferris Wheel Fail

Next I tried to spice up the Ferris Wheel, though all I really managed to do was prove I don’t understand how Ferris Wheels work…

18. Ferris Wheel Redemption

Attempt number two went much better. Am I the only one who would be totally fine if the Just Cause 4 DLC was all exclusively carnival-themed?

19. Pirate Ship: Part I

It wouldn’t be an amusement park without one of those stupid pirate ships that’s really just a glorified swing for people who are too afraid to go on real rollercoasters! Not the Just Cause 4 pirate ship, though – this sucker is for daredevils only!

20. Pirate Ship: Part II

Eventually, I tracked down the pirate ship in the street and got it upright again with some balloons. My attempt to turn it into an airship didn’t go so hot, though…

21. Pirate Ship Part III

My attempts to turn it into an actual pirate ship also didn’t pan out – at least not with me as the captain, anyway. I did enjoy watching it sail off into the distance like the end of The Goonies, however. Apologies for the summary execution in this clip – that lady’s stupid boat engine was REALLY loud…

22. Now I Know How Birds Feel

Look, I know I make being a professional gamer look super easy, but even I make mistakes every now and then. Luckily, even those are SUPER ENTERTAINING.

23. GIANT BALLS

As we all know, you can’t truly claim that you’re up to shenanigans unless there are giant balls involved (once again, see my Assassin's Creed Odyssey photo tour for verification). Thankfully, Just Cause 4’s giant balls are also highly explosive.

24. Not My Best Landing

I’ll be honest: The title of this video is “Not My Best Landing,” but this CLEARLY IS MY BEST LANDING.

25. Wingsuit Super Fail

And finally, nothing sums up all the majesty and mania of Just Cause 4 quite like this video.

Hello friends. It's the holidays and you know what that means: it's time for the third edition of our favorite badass lines from games in the year (here's 2016 and 2017).  2018 was a fantastic year for games and for writing in games as well, so we've got a lot of rad threats, boasts, jokes, and other amusing quips for you this year. So let's get to it.

Warning: some strong language ahead!

Red Dead Redemption II

It's a western, of course it's going to have fantastic acts of bravery and foolishness as well as clever dialogue to go along with them. Here's the best of the best from Rockstar's opus.

Dutch to Kieran: “I got a saying, my friend. We shoot fellers as need shooting, save fellers as need saving, and feed 'em as need feeding. We're gonna find out what you need.”

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Arthur: “As long as we get paid or you get shot, I’m happy.”

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Arthur: "Maybe when your mother's finished mourning your father, I'll keep her in black on your behalf."

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"That didn't go very smoothly."

Arthur: "They can put that on my gravestone."

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Dutch: "This place ain't no such thing as civilized. It's man so in love with greed he has forgotten himself, and found only appetites."

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Anthony Foreman: "She killed my cousin!"

Susan Grimshaw: "I don't care if she shot your daddy and cooked your momma for breakfast. She's mine, she ain't yours."

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Dutch: "Get down here YOU INBRED TRASH."

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Dutch: "If you ain't gonna be civilized about this..." [shoots man in the face]

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Hosea Matthews strolling out of a burning house: "So much for the g_dd_mn cribbage game."

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Hitman 2

While Hitman might not be a serious that comes to mind when you think of great writing, there's a load of clever puns and double entendres hiding in IO's latest entry in the assassination simulation series.

47 disguised as a doctor, about to poison his target: " Come on in. Have a seat."

Target: "So what's on the menu? Something that'll take care of this hideous pain in my neck, I hope."

47: "I promise: once I'm done , you won't feel a thing."

---

47 disguised as a tattoo artist: "Can I finish my work now?"

Drug lord, waiting to be inked: "Do what you do best, man."

47: "You got it." [Slams the needle into the drug lord's ear]

God Of War

Sure, the majority of God Of War's great writing is in its plot and earnest, emotional characterizations, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have some great exchanges. Some big spoilers for the story ahead.

Kratos to Atreus: "Don't be sorry. Be better."

---

Kratos to The Stranger: "You do not want this fight."

The Stranger: "Oh, I'm pretty sure I do."

---

[Kratos and Atreus spot a big monster.]

Kratos: "We will fight it."

Atreus: "Why?"

Kratos: "Because you are afraid."

---

Atreus, mocking: "Are you going to carry that crystal everywhere?"

Kratos: "I just might."

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Mimir: "So, you value your privacy more than your family?"

Kratos: "I'm going to cut off your head now."

Mimir: "Fair enough."

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Atreus: "Why did they kill that elf? He did nothing wrong!"

Kratos: "You do not know that. Never assume."

Atreus: "But he didn't even defend himself."

Kratos: "That was his decision. We make our own."

---

Kratos silencing Mimir: "Quiet, head."

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The Valkyries before they crush Kratos' neck: "VALHALLA!"

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Kratos to Athena: "I am your monster no longer."

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Kratos to Atreus: "Boy. Listen to me. I am from a land called Sparta. I made a deal with a god that cost me my soul. I killed many who were deserving...and many who were not."

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Atreus: "Is this how it always ends? Sons killing their mothers? Their fathers?"

Kratos: "No. We will be the gods we choose to be. Not those who have been. Who I was....is not who you'll be. We must be better."

Overwatch

Overwatch got a big shot in the arm this year from constant events and additions to the game, including the fantastic outlaw Ashe (voiced by Jennifer Hale of Commander Shepard fame) to the heroes' lineup. Ashe has more than a couple of doozies.

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Ashe, activating ultimate: "B.O.B! DO SOMETHING!"

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Ashe, on respawn: "You're gettin' me riled up."

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Ashe, getting 10 votes in post-game: "Now you know what it's like to work with the best."

Far Cry 5

Far Cry 5's got some uneven places, sure, but it's also home to some of gaming's most memorable threats and insults this year.

Joseph Seed giving a eulogy for his brother: "A seal has been opened. My brother, John, was loved by few. Feared by many. Misunderstood by all except me. John was not born a monster. He was just a child when our family was torn apart. He was loving, kind, full of joy. He was easily preyed upon. John was not perfect and sometimes, he was not even good. But he was my brother. And those responsible for his death will be punished. I promise you that."

---

Joseph Seed being arrested: “There they are… the locusts in our garden… You see they’ve come for me. They’ve come to take me away from you. They’ve come to destroy all that we’ve built. We knew this moment would come. We have prepared for it. Go. Go. God will not let them take me.”

Adelaide: "Those peggy s_itbirds stole my Tulip. She's the nimblest g_ddamn helicopter this side of Montana and I'll be g_d-damned if those f_ck trumpets are going to take her from me. I won that bird in my divorce fair and square. The walking erectile dysfunction who took her painted her that awful shade of peggy mayonnaise so the only way you'll be able to find her is to ID the pilot. Should be easy to spot him. The only other birds around the area are flown by women. We all used to fly together on weekends but that friendship went tits up after those thunder c_nts joined Eden's Gate

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Adelaide:  "I'll teach those t_at waffles you don't get between a woman and her divorce settlement."

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Detroit Become Human

Bros 4 Lyfe Connor and Hank had an assortment of memorable quips during their CSI meets Blade Runner-like adventure.

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Hank: "Well I don't need assistance. Especially from a plastic a__hole like you. So just be a good little robot and get the f_ck outta here."

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Connor: I didn't come here to wait until you feel like working.

Hank: Listen, a__hole, if it was up to me, I'd throw the lot of you in a dumpster and set a match to it. So stop pissing me off.

---

[Hank slaps Connor]

Hank: "You b_stard! You saw I was going to fall and you'd rather let me die than fail your f__king mission?"

Connor: "I had to make a choice. It seemed to me..."

Hank: "What am I to you? A statistic? A zero, a one in your f__king program? Is that how you see humans, you b_stard?"

---

Police Chief, talking about Connor: "It's a state of the art prototype!  It'll act as your partner."

Hank:  "No f__king way! I don't need a partner, and certainly not this plastic p__ck!"

[Connor looks on with blank stare. Blinks.]

---

Connor: "Is there anything you'd like to know about me?"

Hank: "Hell no...well, yeah. Why'd they make you look so goofy and give you that weird voice?"

Connor: "CyberLife androids are designed to work harmoniously with humans. Both my appearance and voice were specifically designed to facilitate my integration."

Hank: "Well, they f__ked up."

---

Destiny 2: Forsaken

Forsaken makes a big gambit, killing off the character in its universe with the most likable personality: roguish gunslinger Cayde-6. Before he goes out though, he's got some wonderful zingers. True to his character all the way to the end.

---

Cayde-6, mortally wounded as a villain approaches to finish him off: "This is...sort of awkward but do you have a gun I can borrow?'

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Petra explaining the dire situation at the prison: "Right now gen-pop is running wild. Fortunately, the main arena and lower levels remain on lockdown. But if the core systems fail, containment is going to be a problem."

Cayde-6, excited: "Just another day at the office." [turning to player] " All right, partner. This is a Cayde-6 in riff, watch me for the changes and try to keep up. Now let's go to prison!"

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Cayde-6 mowing down enemies: "Ok, these guys REALLY wanna dance!"

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Cayde-6 shooting a computer console: "Tech support...with extreme prejudice."

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Wounded Cayde-6 after slaughtering an entire room of bad guys: "Is that...really all you got?"

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What about you, reader? What were some of your favorite zingers, threats, or just great bits of dialog from this past year?

Another banner year for board games brought us dozens of remarkable projects that meld art, design, and strategic depth to bring friends and families together around the table. From ancient Japan to the Wild West and out into the depths of space, this year’s best releases offer options for veterans and newcomers alike.

In previous years, this article has offered separate sections for traditional tabletop games and role-playing releases. This year, the latter has been split off for ease of reading. Feel free to click over into our list of the Best Role-Playing Releases of 2018 after you’re done here.

In the sphere of board, card, and miniature games, this year offered no shortage of excellent products, exhibiting the ongoing innovation and flexibility that has characterized the tabletop world in recent years. Below, you’ll find ten selections that represent some of the most fun and engaging products that hit shelves in 2018. If you’d like, you can also click over into lists from previous years, with our selections from 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012.

Entries below are listed alphabetically. Where available, you can find links in many entries to more extensive write-ups from throughout the year.

When you’re done, make sure and share some of your favorite tabletop games from 2018 in the comments.

Betrayal Legacy

Publisher: Avalon HillWho’s it for? Horror fans in for the long haul

Betrayal at House on the Hill has entertained gamers for years, as players work together to plunder a haunted mansion until one of you turns traitor. The new legacy game replicates that conceit, but extends the story across generations of families that return to the same perilous locale. As the centuries pass, new horrors reflect historical fears, and your personal and unique stories and artifacts come back to haunt you.

This new twist on the familiar game wins points for ease of entry. New players will be surprised at the simplicity of play in the first session, and potentially surprised at how little info you have as the game begins. How do I win? Why are we here? The game does a phenomenal job of relaying that and other info as the sessions unfold, gradually unwrapping a mystery that you’ll be eager to resolve. Like most legacy games, the important thing here is that you should really play with the same group throughout the many sessions. If you have that kind of consistent gathering, Betrayal Legacy offers many hours of intrigue and supernatural fun. To learn more, you can read our interview with the game’s lead designer, Rob Daviau.

Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game

Publisher: Portal GamesWho’s it for? Investigators looking for immersive deduction

Combining innovative board-game mechanics with a real-world online database, Detective seamlessly integrates digital elements into play. As the web of clues broadens in each case, players must connect the dots, even if they don’t have the full picture. Immersive in a way few other board games have managed, the thought-provoking gameplay creates the illusion of real police work.

While Detective is a board game at heart, the integrated online database makes you feel like you’re surreptitiously logging into the FBI’s records to mine for clues. That same online tool ends each session with a quiz that determines how effective you’ve been in your investigations. Whether through character bios or narrative sequences in the online database, Detective playfully integrates familiar tropes of detective fiction, like rainy nights and frustrating red herring clues. This isn’t a party game for a crazy night with friends; instead, dive into Detective when you want an immersive evening of critical thinking and cooperation. To learn more, read our complete review.

Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar

Publisher: Restoration GamesWho’s it for? Nostalgic gamers who can’t wait to knock their friends off the volcano

Children of the ’80s may recall the original Fireball Island, which found players rolling a marble down the 3D board to knock their friends off. The remake maintains the fun premise, but layers on modern design and components, reinvigorating the beloved game for a new generation with brisk playtime and playful presentation.

Fireball Island is that rare project that should appeal to almost any player group. Set it up with the kids in your family, and their eyes will light up the same way that kids from the ‘80s would with the original. But even experienced gaming groups will be happy with the throwback aesthetics, simple but lightly strategic gameplay, and awesome physical components. At the end of the day, it’s hard to beat those clacking marbles as they knock your foolish tourist characters off their precarious perches around the island.

Gen7

Publisher: Plaid Hat GamesWho’s it for? Sci-fi explorers hoping to survive deep space

You are the seventh generation on your deep space colony ship, and things are going very wrong. In this story-focused game, players work to survive one new disaster after the next, using each character’s unique capabilities to confront the unknown. Characterized by seemingly impossible decisions, Gen7 draws players into its tense narrative with innovative gameplay and smart writing.  

While the setting is entirely different, Gen7 is the spiritual successor to Dead of Winter, a zombie-themed survival game that won tremendous praise back in 2014, including a mention on this list from that year. Like that game, Gen7 succeeds because of its branching narrative and complex moral and ethical choices, which often put players in tense showdowns about how to best proceed and save the ship from a mysterious threat. Perhaps the most intriguing element of the game is its replayability; after playing through the full campaign, a second run might yield a dramatically different story.

Keyforge: Call of the Archons

Publisher: Fantasy Flight GamesWho’s it for? CCG fans who want to get right into the action

Many shy away from card duelers because of the implied investment in both time and money. Richard Garfield, the creator of Magic: The Gathering, brings us this new twist and remedy to the dilemma. Each deck comes as a complete and fixed named set, one of billions of potential possibilities. The quick-playing, combo-focused play is rewarding to learn and deeply challenging to master.

When they first hear about this idea, many players balk and doubt. “Sure, they say each deck is different, but it’s probably all an illusion.” It’s not. While similarities are certainly present, the game’s something of a technological marvel, with what I can only assume is a relatively complex algorithm that spits out meaningful decks that will combo well with themselves. The result is the type of strategic card dueling that you’d expect out of a CCG, but without the bother of having to customize and buy individual cards to get a good set. For some players, that customization is why they love card gaming, and Keyforge won’t be for them. For other players who enjoy the actual gameplay of card duelers far more than the surrounding work to get into a game, Keyforge’s unique deck system can be a game changer.

Reef

Publisher: Next Move GamesWho’s it for? Abstract strategists ready for an ocean escapade

The environmental overtones of this game are abundant, but it’s the elegant play that wins accolades. Players build their own coral reef from colorful, stackable pieces, and score points for creating particular configurations. Learning the rules takes minutes, and is welcoming to all ages. Don’t be fooled by the colorful aesthetic; this is an engaging challenge for players of any skill level.

While it doesn’t aim to compete with larger and more expensive games for table impression, Reef’s delightful shaped pieces and unique theme invites players in who might not otherwise be interested in the wars and sci-fi concepts of many board games. Elegant design, smartly and succinctly written rules, and an unusual idea can take a game a long way to success, and Reef has all three.

Rising Sun

Publisher: CMONWho’s it for? Experienced shoguns ready to visit mythical Japan

The breathtaking art and miniatures may be the thing that catches your eye, but it’s the manifold strategic choices that make Rising Sun an instant classic. Lead your clan to victory across a mythological feudal Japan, where honor must be satisfied as you wage war, forge alliances, and summon legendary monsters. Innovative turns and action options are sure to impress experienced player groups.

While the setting and theme is entirely different, Rising Sun comes from the same design/art leads that brought us Blood Rage back in 2015, which saw Viking clans battling it out as Ragnarok descended. Rising Sun maintains the same commitment to mechanics that reinforce theme, but the Japanese aesthetic has a particular beauty that is especially striking. This is a big, deep, and rewarding game that will find its best home with players who embrace epic board games. Even so, I think many players will be surprised at the ease of play and intuitive turn structure. Get more detail on Rising Sun in our full article.

Root

Publisher: Leder GamesWho’s it for? Whimsical woodland creatures ready for a brutal fight

Marvelous asymmetric design takes center stage in Root, in which equal but drastically different factions of anthropomorphized animals battle to seize control of the forest. The cute characters belie a ferocious war game in which each faction must capitalize on their unique strengths. Cute yet cutthroat, Root will impress longtime gamers through depth and flexibility.

Root features four distinct factions, and each one plays different from the last. The Marquise de Cat has vast resources and military dominance. At the other end of the spectrum, the Vagabond is single character who scores by helping or hurting other factions. The fact that players of such dramatically different playstyles can both have a good shot at winning speaks to the intricate balance at play, and layers on replayability that is hard to match.

Stuffed Fables

Publisher: Plaid Hat GamesWho’s it for? Families ready for cooperative adventure 

Families can’t go wrong with this delightful fantasy about stuffed animals who must save their beloved little girl from an evil mastermind. The pages of the adventure book serve as the actual board, with each page a new story to explore. Everyone cooperates to win, sharing stuffing after the baddies knock it out, even as the narrative beats quietly echo the milestones and trials of actual childhood.

Stuffed Fables comes from designer Jerry Hawthorne, the same mind that brought us another fantastic family game called Mice & Mystics. Stuffed Fables shares the spark of that game, but the story book concept offers an ease of play and quick set up that is immensely appealing. To read more about how this is one of the best kid-friendly games on the market, and learn about other great games to share with kids in your life, check out these selections.

Western Legends

Publisher: Kolossal GamesWho’s it for? Cowboys ready for a sandbox of outlaws, marshals, and gunfights

It’s a good year for open-world cowboy exploits. In the board-gaming world, Western Legends puts you in the shoes of a fabled gunslinger like Annie Oakley or Billy the Kid, and sets you loose to make your fortune. Rob the bank, or win a hand of poker. Rustle cattle, or hunt down outlaws. The breadth of activities is impressive, and victory is possible on either side of the law.

Western Legends features some beautiful art, great components, and an appealing table setup. However, it’s the give and take between law and outlaw that gives the game its replayability and frequent moments of emergent surprise. While other board games have tapped the Western theme, I’ve yet to encounter one that so ably draws on so much of the Old West mystique from so many angles. Read our complete evaluation to learn more.

It’s been an awesome year for tabletop games, and now more than ever, publishers are competing to draw new and lapsed players back into the fold with accessible rules, innovative mechanics, and appealing themes. Any of this year’s selections can offer hours and hours of fun, but if you don’t see what you’re looking for, try clicking into the Top of the Table hub from the banner below for additional ideas. Or, if you like, I’m always happy to field emails from gamers looking for the next great project to bring to their table. Drop me a line and let me know what you’re looking for! And happy gaming in 2019!

Thanks in part to new avenues of discovery, role-playing games are experiencing a surge in popularity that is frankly astounding to players who’ve enjoyed the hobby for decades. After many years during which the hobby was a niche experience, the arrival of streaming gaming groups and increased community building through the internet has meant millions of new players entering the fold.

While much of that growth has been fueled by Dungeons & Dragons, other games and publishers have been also seen a Renaissance of creative output.

In previous years, this list of role-playing releases served as the second half of our larger article on the best board, card, and miniature games. This year, we’re splitting into two separate articles for ease of reading, but you should feel free to check out whichever interests you. Click here to read the sister article on the best tabletop board, card, and miniature games of 2018.

Even after separating out the two topics, you’ll discover that this list includes both traditional and non-traditional role-playing releases. In most cases, the games on this list skew toward player-driven storytelling and character progression, but the waters are muddy these days, and in the end it often simply came down to a judgment call for which list a given project might be considered.

As in previous years, the selections below represent everything from the spread of the RPG experience, including core game books, campaign settings, adventures, and more. If you’d also like to explore selections from previous years, you can investigate 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012.

Enjoy, and let us know about your favorite role-playing experiences of 2018 in the comments below.

Entries are listed alphabetically.

Choose-Your-Own-Adventure: House of Danger

Publisher: Z-Man GamesWho’s it for? Nostalgic readers who remember flipping through the original books, or new players looking to get a feeling for role-playing on easy mode.

For many years, choose-your-own-adventure books were a staple for kids looking to mix a love of reading with an enthusiasm for games and decision-making. 2018’s House of Danger board game is a revival of one of those books from 1982, now overlaid with cards, dice, and the ability to play with anywhere from one to eight players. While it might easily have also found its way onto our list of great board games, it snags a spot here because of its central focus on storytelling and choices. With very simple rules, this is an ideal way to flirt with role-playing games, but without the need for a game master, lengthy rulebooks, or adventure planning.

In the game, you play as a psychic sleuth trying to figure out the strange going-ons in a local mansion. Armed with your wits and a growing collection of seemingly innocuous items, you must confront one challenge after another and repeatedly decide how to overcome the challenges and investigations in front of you.

Retro design of the box and components recalls the game book that served as source material, but it’s the updated gamification of the experience that makes this worth a look, especially as a way to instill the joy of communal narrative crafting into a new generation of players.

Delta Green: A Night At The Opera

Publisher: Arc Dream PublishingWho’s it for? Lovecraft enthusiasts ready for half-a-dozen remarkable, scary adventures

Delta Green grew out of the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game and subsequently took on a life of its own, and eventually emerged as its own independent game. The Agent’s Handbook for the newest update to Delta Green made an appearance on this list back in 2016, and the game has since released the rest of its core content, and is fully available for exploration. For those unfamiliar, Delta Green follows a secret and rogue government agency in the modern-day world that holds back the tide of horror implied within Lovecraftian fiction.

For players eager to see the best that the game has to offer (after snagging the Agent’s Handbook and Handler’s Guide), A Night at the Opera is a phenomenal collection of adventures that showcases just how cool the game is. While available as six independent modules, A Night At the Opera collects them all together, and offers options for how to connect the storylines between them, leading to a complex web of conspiracy and terror.

In one adventure, players must confront a rapidly spreading fungal infection that is more than it appears to be, before they become victims themselves. In another, the agents investigate a physics facility that may have stared too deeply into the unknown, and woken something incomprehensible. Each of these stories is thoughtfully constructed, and does a great job of showcasing the strength of the Delta Green game. If that sounds like fun, and you'd like to try your hand at this intriguing game, be aware that you can also track down Delta Green: Need To Know, an introductory product version of the rules that can get you in the door without the full commitment to the core rulebooks.

Numenera: Destiny

Publisher: Monte Cook GamesWho’s it for? Players ready to settle down in one of the best RPGs of the last decade

The original release of Numenera ranks among the best role-playing game products of the last decade. 2018 saw a surprising release from Monte Cook Games, in which that original core rulebook was revised, updated, and re-released as Numenera: Discovery, and added a new companion book called Numenera: Destiny. With a core premise that flips traditional role-playing adventuring on its head, it’s that second book that gets a nod this year.

For those unfamiliar, Numenera catapults players a billion years into Earth’s future, where characters live in the detritus of incredible advanced civilizations that have come and gone in the many eons between now and then, utilizing wild technology as if it’s magic. Until now, Numenera focused on the characters setting out to uncover and seek out new places and items; Numenera: Destiny still encourages exploration, but shifts the focus to building and establishing communities, and helping to pull the world up out of ignorance and into knowledge.

New character types focus on those themes of growth, leadership, and defense, grounding PCs in a group, city, or locale for focused role-playing and an ongoing interconnected narrative. Build bases and vehicles. Establish a university or church. Embrace crafting and concoct new cyphers. For Star Trek enthusiasts, if the original Numenera (and its Discovery revision) is Voyager, then Destiny is a bit like Deep Space Nine. It’s a wonderful twist on expectation, and a surprising evolution of an already excellent game system.

Dungeons & Dragons: Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica

Publisher: Wizards of the CoastWho’s it for? Old-school players longing for the old days of varied campaign settings, and Magic card players ready to jump into role-playing in one of their favorite worlds

Back in the day, D&D players gloried in the varied settings available for the game. From Dragonlance and Eberron to Spelljammer and Dark Sun, these twists on the established high-fantasy milieu of D&D were always exciting to discover. Of course, from a business perspective, those multitudinous settings had an unfortunate side effect – splintering the community of players. Wizards of the Coast has mostly spent the early years of the 5th edition firmly focused on fleshing out different corners of a single campaign world (the Forgotten Realms). But with the recent success of the game, the publisher is increasingly flexing its muscles into new destinations, and I’m thrilled at the shift back to one of my favorite aspects of the game – a distinct and unusual world to play in and discover.

In 2018, that flexibility took the form of the Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica. This isn’t an entirely new world to discover; Ravnica has repeatedly featured prominently in the Magic: The Gathering card game fiction. But this role-playing incarnation really brings the setting to life, with in-depth descriptions of locations, settings, characters, creatures, and most importantly, the guilds.

Ravnica is a massive city world controlled and swayed by ten immensely powerful guilds, each of which control different aspects of the flow of military might, magic and technology research, entertainment, and more. By focusing in on one particularly vibrant part of the city, the setting book offers a wealth of adventure hooks and opportunities for deeper development by a dungeon master. Gorgeous illustrations bring life to new races and subclasses to play, maps help bring a sense of geography to the landscape, and a brief adventure helps get you started in your own campaign across the steampunk-with-a-twist city. 

Invisible Sun

Publisher: Monte Cook GamesWho’s it for? Experienced role-players looking for a trip into the surreal

Monte Cook Games bet big this year on the deluxe treatment for its new game, Invisible Sun. An expensive price point and a massive and mysterious black box seemed like they might have been hard sells, but the role-playing community recognized the potential for quality, and finding a copy of the game now might well be tricky thanks to widespread demand.

The unusual black box opens up and contains a treasure trove of gorgeous gaming materials, including a Tarot-like deck of cards, secret envelopes and other hidden curios, and critically, four full hardbacked books that describe the rules, magic, characters, and setting of this wildly original game.

In highly player-driven narratives, everyone at the table controls a magical being who has awoken from the shadow of normal modern life, and into a world defined by impossible dreamscapes and creatures. A vast and detailed mythology draws inspiration from real world occultism, but the chief draw is the truly surreal setting, in which ideas manifest as real things, and entire worlds are defined by emotional states and forces of creation. In my complete write-up, I described Invisible Sun as the role-player’s RPG; I’ve never encountered such an imaginative and challenging backdrop for deeply affecting character narratives.

Kids on Bikes

Publisher: Renegade Game Studios/Hunters EntertainmentWho’s it for? Kids-at-heart who want to tell their own story about a group of kids thrown into adventure over their heads

Fiction is filled with stories about kids and teens who find themselves caught up in dramatic exploits that defy the tedium of an otherwise normal life in their home town. Whether you look to Goonies and Stand by Me, or Stranger Things and E.T., these stories strike a chord through their relatability, friendships, and sense of danger. Kids on Bikes is a lightweight RPG that nails a lot of what’s best about those stories, letting a group of players craft their own setting and characters, and then breaking you loose into unknown peril.

As a game of Kids on Bikes begins, players take turns answering questions that help to shape and define the game they’re going to play in. What’s the time period? Where do you live? What’s the tone of the story? Through this process, and through the gameplay that follows, the game does an amazing job of enmeshing the whole player group in a part of the process often reserved in other games solely for the GM. Characters are defined by the tropes you choose for them, making them fit comfortably into narrative rules you’ll recognize from the movies, TV shows, and books that inspire the game.

Once into the adventure, the game has mechanics in place that emulate the flow of these kinds of stories. Specifically, your limited ability set means that you’re likely to fail a lot in the early part of the story, getting you into deeper trouble with each step. But those same failures provide tokens that you can use to push extra hard against adversity in later conflicts, potentially saving the day in those critical final moments of the narrative. Throughout each encounter, the simple resolution systems encourage deep focus on narration and atmosphere.

Kids on Bikes has drawn comparisons to another excellent recent RPG called Tales from the Loop, which offers many of the same opportunities for narratives about kids confronting danger. While the two games are indeed similar in concept, Kids on Bikes distinguishes itself with the ability for the player group to shape their own setting, where Tales from the Loop has its own detailed universe preset. If the idea of communal setting development at the table sounds exciting, Kids on Bikes could be the project for you.

Legend of the Five Rings Core Rulebook

Publisher: Fantasy Flight GamesWho’s it for? Players who delight in court intrigue, high romance, and a touch of magic inspired by the historical cultures of Japan, China, Korea, and Mongolia

Inhabit the lives of samurai and courtiers in this mythical setting chiefly inspired by feudal Japan. Legend of the Five Rings has had a long life ahead of this recent release in the form of both role-playing and other tabletop games, but the new RPG edition is especially striking in both presentation and gameplay.

The new RPG borrows liberally from Fantasy Flight’s excellent narrative dice mechanics, which do an admirable job of adding storytelling nuance to task resolution. But make no mistake; the core of the game maintains the focus on honor, romance, and impossible decisions that has always made this setting so appealing.

While combat and adventure is certainly in the mix, Legend of the Five Rings will appeal most strongly to players eager to explore character drama, court intrigue, and the ceaseless tension between honor and desire. Characters in the RPG must always contend with the weight of family expectations, duty, and the often-contrary pulls of love, freedom, or impropriety – the resulting table dramas are great fun, whether your chief inspiration are Chinese epics like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Kurosawa films, or great novels like Across the Nightingale Floor.

The beautifully illustrated core rulebook has the full experience on offer. If you’d prefer to get your feet wet first, the Beginner Game boxed set offers pre-made characters, an introduction to the rules, and a great starter adventure.

Star Crossed

Publisher: Bully Pulpit GamesWho’s it for? Experimental role-players ready to explore the vulnerability (and frequent hilarity) of forbidden romance

Some readers may recall a remarkable game from the mid-2000s called Dread; the horror RPG encouraged players to live out a horror storyline, pulling blocks from a Jenga tower to emulate moments of narrative terror. Star Crossed takes that concept in an entirely different direction; two players take on the role of individuals who are desperately attracted to one another, but for one reason or another, they cannot act on their mutual desire.

Perhaps you control two princesses from warring galactic dynasties whose only wish is to float off into space together. Maybe you encounter your soulmate, but she is queen and wife to your best friend, the king. Did you accidentally fall for the nascent artificial intelligence you just helped create? What will you do?

As the story of your impossible romance unfolds, discrete moments will ratchet up the tension and attraction between you and your partner across the table, necessitating a pulled block from the wooden tower. If the tower falls, you give in to your ill-advised desire, and the game’s rules help determine how it all turns out.

Star Crossed is a fascinating two-player RPG that has obvious value if you and your romantic partner are both into the hobby, but particularly comfortable friends could also get a big kick out of the experience, perhaps even with an audience. While it’s frequently funny and ridiculous, Star Crossed can also be melancholy, tragic, and sexy, sometimes all in the same game. This is a game that is meant to make you feel uncomfortable and surprised, and its greatest triumph is how well it emulates that feeling of not knowing if it’s going to work out with someone.

This crowd-funded project released to backers already this year to secure consideration here, but watch for a broader release in the coming months.

Starfinder: Pact Worlds

Publisher: PaizoWho’s it for? Established players of this sci-fi/fantasy RPG who are ready for a deeper dive into this richly drawn universe

The Starfinder Core Rulebook was one of my top picks from 2017, and that’s definitely the place to start if you want to invest in this awesome RPG. There, you can wrap your head around this sci-fi setting, which sees the high fantasy of the Pathfinder role-playing game catapulted into the distant spacefaring future. If you shared my delight at the creativity and depth on offer in that initial book, the Pact Worlds book is the next step on your discovery of the universe.

While Starfinder campaigns can sprawl across distant stars and other strange locales, the centerpiece locations of play are the 14 planets of the Pact Worlds. Sketched in brief in the Core Rulebook, this new Pact Worlds book offers far more detail to help fuel your session planning. I love the focus on distinct alien cultures, the details of which make for the fictional texture that helps bring a game night to life.

Beyond fleshing out the individual worlds, Pact Worlds offers tons of new options for players, including new archetypes, starships, character themes, and even new races, including the chance to play as a plant! Starfinder is one of the most flexible new game systems of recent years, and this supplement proves it has the flexibility to continue its growth.

Vampire: The Masquerade: 5th Edition

Publisher: ModiphiusWho’s it for? Gothic enthusiasts willing to explore the darker side of the role-playing spectrum

Vampire has a long and tortuous history in the role-playing world, with its many incarnations spawning equally varied opinions. It’s enough to understand that the game has always appealed to a specific niche in the gaming community, for whom heroic adventuring isn’t nearly as interesting as an exploration of darker storylines about politicking cabals, the melancholy of immortality, and the unceasing hunger for the forbidden. If that sounds intriguing, the new 5th edition is a beautifully crafted entryway into a vast fiction.

You play a Kindred, a vampire living on the edge between your need for blood and a humanity that is quickly fading in the rear view mirror. In many ways, Vampire: The Masquerade’s focus on story-over-rules was ahead of its time; that trait remains consistent in the new edition, letting groups set their own approach to play to match how much dice rolling they want to do (if any). My favorite aspect of the game is the Memoriam concept, which sets aside dedicated opportunities mid-session for your immortal being to cast back into his or her memory, and relive essential moments from decades or even centuries earlier. For returning players, the 5th edition also advances the metaplot of the universe up to today, offering new fertile ground for conspiracy-laden tales.

Decidedly mature themes about blood, sexuality, and corruption weave throughout Vampire, and it’s not a game for everyone. For those who are ready for its horror vibe, the new 5th edition is a thoughtful streamlining and well-organized synthesis of what makes this such a nuanced universe.

The role-playing landscape is richer than it has ever been, and this year’s selections only scratch the surface of what’s available. If you’re looking for a new RPG to try, or if you’re looking to get into the hobby for the first time, feel free to drop me a line, and I’ll be happy to offer some personalized recommendations. You should also feel free to peruse the backlog of Top of the Table by clicking into the banner below, where you’ll encounter several other role-playing games that might strike a match in your imagination.

Microsoft broadened the Xbox's focus from being a games machine with the Xbox 360 to an all-in-one entertainment device with the Xbox One. That strategy may not have attracted gamers in the early days of the new-generation transition, and the console continues to recover from those missteps. Even so, the Xbox One is home to an increasing library of great games. In our continually evolving feature, we're highlighting the 10 essential games on Xbox One.

Please note that while the list below contains 10 entries, we aren’t actually ranking them – if a game has made it this far (and managed to stay here), it’s a must-play, period. As such, we’ll be listing entries in reverse chronological order. Also, you’ll find rundown of previous entries at the bottom of the list. While those titles have gotten bumped for bigger and better experiences, they are still all great games in their own right and worth exploring if you’re already caught up on the latest hits.

Red Dead Redemption II

Release: October 26, 2018

Fans of the first Red Dead Redemption had to wait more than eight years for the prequel, but many would agree the result was worth the wait. Learning the backstories of Dutch van der Linde and the varied cast of outlaws that make up his gang is enthralling, and taking part in the tale of protagonist Arthur Morgan is something that will likely stick with players for the rest of their gaming lives.

Click here for our review.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

Release: October 12, 2018

The initial disappointment of no traditional single-player campaign faded for many once they got their hands on Treyarch's interpretation of the battle royale genre with Blackout. If dropping onto an island in a winner-take-all melee isn't your thing, Black Ops 4 also includes the latest Zombies mode, as well as traditional competitive multiplayer.

Click here for our review.

Forza Horizon 4

Release: October 2, 2018

The Forza franchise has overtaken the competition to become arguably the premier racing video game franchise. With the fourth entry in the more casual-facing Horizon series, developer Playground Games delivered a gorgeous recreation of the U.K. for players to tear across in a seemingly unending collection of fun events.

Click here for our review.

Monster Hunter: World

Release: January 26, 2018

Capcom’s reinvention of the Monster Hunter franchise not only smooths out many of the series’ rough edges but takes things to the next level. With gorgeous visuals, awesome co-op, a rewarding gameplay loop, and satisfying progression mechanics, Monster Hunter: World is the best entry in the beloved series to date.

Click here for our review.

Cuphead

Release: September 29, 2017

Xbox gamers delighted in making a deal with the devil and paid for it in trials by fire. Yes, this 2D action game is challenging, but those who take the time to learn the patterns of the bosses and develop strategies find an undeniably rewarding game.

Click here for our review.

Fortnite

Release: July 25, 2017

Fortnite’s pivot toward the battle royale genre proved successful, as the combination of the intense fight for survival and structure building meshed to create one of the biggest phenomena in gaming history. With continued support through a seasons-based structure, Epic has kept its massive player base happy.

Click here for our review.

Path of Exile: The Fall of Oriath

Release: August 24, 2017

A satisfying, free-to-play RPG, Path of Exile’s appearance on Xbox One gives players a deep experience with addictive gameplay loops. Add excellent developer support and you have a game that’s worth braving the steep learning curve.

Click here for our review.

Inside

Release: June 19, 2016

Playdead’s follow-up to its beloved platformer Limbo, Inside doubles down on the thrills and mysteries the studio’s previous 2D platformer gave players. Not only that, but Inside defies all expectations to deliver one of the most memorable, jaw-dropping finales in recent memory.

Click here for our review.

Overwatch

Release: May 24, 2016

The Overwatch Blizzard launched in 2016 was great enough to score a 10 from Game Informer’s Daniel Tack and claim “Game of the Year” honors from the magazine, but the version millions of players still enjoy to this day is far superior to the one at launch. With free updates, timed events, and unlockables galore, Blizzard’s supremely balanced first-person hero shooter gives players myriad reasons to come back time and again.

Click here for our review.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Release: May 19, 2015

As one of the greatest role-playing games of all time, CD Projekt Red’s 2015 title is a must-play. Several games attempt to tell stories that incorporate player choice, but The Witcher 3 masterfully weaves in player-driven decisions on an impressively grand scale.

Click here for our review.

The games bumped off our Top 10 in previous updates were: Grand Theft Auto V, Ori and the Blind Forest, Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Titanfall 2, Dishonored 2, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Destiny, Fallout 4, Batman: Arkham Knight, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Titanfall, Sunset Overdrive, and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Those are still great games, so give them a try, too!

For more of the Top 10 games for each console, check out our list for PlayStation 4 and Switch.

When Overwatch launched in 2016, it immediately garnered acclaim for how well-balanced and endlessly replayable it is. However, Blizzard was not satisfied resting on its laurels. Over the course of Overwatch's existence, Blizzard has continually tweaked, tuned, and reworked various aspects of its popular heroes.

These are the 10 biggest changes Blizzard has made to how Overwatch's characters play since launch.

10. Rest In Peace, Reaper Orbs One of the biggest perks to playing as Reaper was that every character that died left behind orbs that the ghastly shotgunner would absorb and convert into health. In June 2017, however, the orbs were killed off in favor of Reaper simply self-healing a percentage of damage dealt. The grave cannot hold Reaper, but his orbs seem to be gone for good.

9. Junkrat Becomes Immune To His Own Bombs In March 2017, the explosive-loving nut was given the green light to get even more aggressive as his bombs could no longer hurt him. While he'd later receive the ability to throw additional mines, being able to blast explosives without fear of hurting yourself allowed Junkrat to truly get wild with his strategy.

8. D.Va Gets A Missile Barrage D.Va's Meka received a big upgrade in August 2017 when Blizzard installed a new missile system. While the upgrade came alongside a decrease to her powerful defense matrix, many fans agree the new offensive option was a fair trade. While just a few months later the missiles were nerfed, they remain a viable option in nearly every combat scenario.

7. Torbjörn Gets Nerfed On Consoles Shortly after Overwatch launched on consoles, it quickly became apparent that Torbjorn was a major problem for gamepad players. Those who weren't playing on mouse and keyboard were being wiped out by well-placed turrets, so Blizzard evened the odds by reducing the damage of the auto-aim sentry.

6. Hanzo's Scatter Gives Way To A Storm In April 2018, the arrow-based sniper was stripped of his most polarizing ability: the scatter arrow. In place of the geometry-based attack, Hanzo received storm arrow, an ability that lets him fire off arrows in rapid succession. The attack was so powerful that Blizzard announced that it was nerfing the ability just weeks after its implementation.

5. Torbjörn's Turret And Ultimate Get Reworked

The Halloween Terror event in October 2018 also brought a complete rework of everyone's favorite Swedish engineer. Torbjörn lost his ability to toss armor to teammates, but he gained more versatility with his turret. Instead of having to hammer the turret to level it up, it automatically reaches what was previously considered level 2. In addition, Torbjörn gained the ability to toss his turret short distances. His molten core was completely reworked. His previous ultimate, where he gained extra armor and a faster rate of fire, was renamed "Overload" and moved to a regular ability on a cooldown. However, it no longer affects his turret. Torbjörn's new ultimate retains the Molten Core name, but the ability changed to feature him spraying lava all over the floor, burning any opponents that step in it.

4. Mega Bastion Buff February 2017 saw one of the biggest buffs any character has ever received, as Bastion received a boost for each of his modes (recon, sentry, and tank), as well as the ability to heal on the go. The changes were met with significant outcry from the community, to the point that Blizzard announced it was rolling back the changes within a week.

3. Symmetra's Shields When Overwatch launched, Symmetra was a substantially different hero than she is today. Initially, she was able to give small shields to individual heroes, and only possessed one ultimate. Starting in November 2016, Blizzard changed her by giving her photon projector attack much more range and giving her the ability to bank all six sentry turret charges at once. Blizzard also reworked her by replacing her individual shield ability with a projected shield and granting her an additional ultimate option: a useful shield generator.

2. Symmetra's Second Shift While Symmetra's first rework made her substantially more viable, a second rework in June 2018 transformed her a into destination character for many players. Her photon projector no longer locked onto nearby targets, but it became much more powerful. With her second shuffle, Symmetra went from the provider of shields to the bane of those who would hope to accomplish that task. If Symmetra aims her photo projector at a shield, it does standard damage, but it also grants her ammo as she fires while ramping up the damage she gets from firing at opponents normally. This means that as soon as that shield falls, she has a super-powered laser with a full clip of ammo to obliterate whoever is behind it. In addition, Blizzard’s second reimagining of the character drops her number of sentry turrets down to three, but allows her to throw them across the map, introducing an element of surprise. Blizzard also got rid of her shield generator ultimate and her projected barrier ability, and moved her teleporter ultimate to a short-distance standard ability that works on a cooldown. Tie this version of Symmetra together with a new ultimate ability that places a massive shield wherever you want, and you have character that is more accessible and viable in a broader spectrum of scenarios.

1. Mercy Takes Flight In 2017, the Overwatch team identified a fundamental problem with Mercy's original ultimate: the fact that it revived every fallen hero within a certain range encouraged the healer to hide until her ultimate was ready rather than getting into the middle of the action. In fall 2017, Blizzard rolled out a rework that changed her ultimate to one that put her wings to good use, allowing her to fly around, healing or damage boosting everyone in proximity to her, while moving her revive a single-use ability on a cooldown. The initial changes were so drastic that Mercy became the only viable solo healer and completely turned the meta upside-down. Since its introduction, Blizzard has scaled back some of Mercy's powers, increasing the cooldown time on her revive, reducing the speed of her Valkyrie ultimate, and eliminating instant resurrections. Mercy is still one of the best healers on the roster, but she's much more balanced now.

Death comes quickly in roguelikes, and progress is often made by the seat of your pants. Dead Cells embraces these elements, but also rewards the player well for their time spent with power boosts that make subsequent runs easier. We talked to Sébastien Bénard, a game designer at Motion Twin, about Dead Cells’ surprising origins, how the community helped shape it, and whether or not we can expect a sequel.

From the outset of development, did you always see Dead Cells as a roguelike, or did that aspect emerge over time? No, it definitely wasn’t something we envisioned. The first version used to be a free-to-play tower defense game for mobile. It’s really not the same thing.

How did you transition from a free-to-player tower defense formula to the Metroidvania roguelike we see today? Those seem like two radically different designs. Actually, it was quite a chaotic process. At the beginning, the first version of this game, which used to be called Hordes Zero, was started like three or four years ago. We had lots of issues with it because it wasn’t fun, especially for that type of game. We struggled with this for quite a long time, until a friend at a different company told us that a prototype section we made was more entertaining than the actual game. It was a realization for us because we understood we should focus on the single-player experience first, instead of making it multiplayer or that game. From this point, it was a matter of cutting a lot of elements from the original project. We gave up everything that was related to tower defense, and went in the direction of a platformer like Metroidvania instead.

How difficult of a decision is that to scrap a large chunk of a project that you’ve vested years of development into? It was not a difficult process, because we have quite a bit of experience with projects we decided to transform into something else. Even if you have a clear idea of the game when you start making it, sometimes it’s just not as much fun as you hoped. For this one, when we decided to drop everything we knew we were moving onto something more focused and more simple. It was more a relief than a difficult decision.

Roguelikes are often punishing in difficulty. Dead Cells is a little friendlier in how it handles that element. Can you talk about the balance you struck? That’s something that took quite a long time. We knew at the beginning we wanted something difficult, but not unfair. This idea was something we kept from the beginning. For example, when you are talking about combat, it’s a matter of making the player know what happened to them. In games, when you get killed for no reason or can’t understand why, we tried to avoid that. You need to know why it was your fault.

You have a great art style and the world seems interesting. Why did you steer away from a central story? We wanted to have some narrative aspects, but not much. It’s an action game and a roguelike. We didn’t want to stick a story in there that wasn’t fitting. We think it gets in the way. We don’t want players spending too much time reading things. Additionally, most of the time in action games, when you have lots of cinematics, you just want to skip them and get back to the combat.

Out of all of the games that hit Early Access, Dead Cells seemed polished, fairly complete, and the vision was locked in stone. Did you learn anything from launching that early version, or was it just to get players excited for the final game? We definitely learned a lot. It was our very first PC and Steam game. We weren’t exactly confident when we went to Early Access. We also hit at a point where it didn’t seem like a good time to go on Steam. As soon as we hit, though, we were very surprised by the community that developed. Players understood what we were doing with the game. It was really interesting because players understood what was good for the game and what wasn’t. At the beginning, we were thinking it would be 80 percent of ideas from us, and 20 percent from the community, but actually we understood it was 50/50. We had our vision, but got lots of suggestions for balancing that came from the community. It was a surprise for us.

You have a big community behind Dead Cells, but Motion Twin rarely does sequels. What is next for the team? Most studios would likely green light a sequel given its success. In terms of a sequel, we know for sure it’s not a good idea to dwell on your success. If you create a big hit, it’s best to use this energy to make something different. I don’t think we’ll make a Dead Cells 2. We’re more open to creating more content and opening the game up more to the community. If we did make a Dead Cells 2, it’s because we really need the money (laughs). We don’t want to stick to the same thing though, so I think if we did come back it would be something quite different, not a platformer or roguelike along these lines.

[This interview originally ran in Game Informer issue 306]

After a festive holiday season, Game Informer's annual 12.31 Super Replay usually brings suffering. In years past, this day has kicked off complete playthroughs of stinkers like Overblood, Overblood 2, Blue Stinger, Illbleed, Raw Danger,Martian Gothic: Unification, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Vampire Hunter D.

Figuring out which game will be honored with this spot is a stressful decision that usually takes a full year to figure out. That wasn't the case this year. The community figured it out for us. We had the somewhat official I Watched the Entire Overblood Super Replay group vote for a Super Replay earlier this year. With hundreds of votes cast, the poll ended in a tie between Killer 7 and God Hand. Rather than just flipping a coin to see which one we would do, I decided to record both of them. We knocked out Killer 7 earlier this year, and almost rolled right into God Hand, but couldn't find a window to get it done in a productive way. I shelved the Super Replay until 12.31. It was one of the games I was considering years ago for this spot anyway.

Now it's here, and I think the community made the right choice. This game is absolutely bonkers and is a sheer delight to take in. God Hand was created by Clover Studio for Capcom and released in America on October 10, 2006 exclusively for PlayStation 2. Enjoy the Super Replay. I know it was a long time coming. We haven't produced as many as we have in the past, but it isn't because we are slacking off. The recording of the Game Informer Show takes up considerable studio and editor time, and we just haven't had the window to crank the out like we used to. I'd like to say we'll try to do more in the future, but I'm always thinking that, and the stars just haven't aligned.

The end of 2018 is finally upon us, which means it’s time for you to share your favorite game of the year. And what a year it’s been! From generation-defining blockbusters like Red Dead Redemption II and God of War to magnificent hits like Spider-Man and Assassin’s Creedy Odyssey – not to mention the plethora of amazing games that came out of Japan, like Monster Hunter: World, Yakuza 6, Ni No Kuni II, Valkyria Chronicles 4...what was I even talking about? Oh yeah: There were a ton of great games to play this year!

The voting for our Readers Choice Awards has already ended, so if you were looking to lend your support to your favorite game…you’re out of luck. However, I'm offering you an even better opportunity today – rather than just casting a vote in some meaningless poll, you can use your powers of persuasion in the comments section below to inform, entertain, and influence your fellow readers about your favorite game of 2018! Perhaps you’ll even convince some on-the-fence players why your choice is indeed the one true Game of the Year. And if your choice is Red Dead, you’ll actually be right!

Share your pick for Game of the Year in the comments below!

Pokémon Go captured the world when it launched in summer 2016. Beyond the excitement of traveling to new locations to catch monsters and meet like-minded trainers, one of the things that made Niantic's collaboration with The Pokémon Company so interesting was the mystery that surrounded nearly every element about the game.

The mystery was thrilling at first, but after a while, being in the dark wore on users of the app, and they decided to do something about it. Players scoured their local areas, data-mined the app, and started crowd-sourced sites on where to find the best monsters and how to be the most efficient trainers they could be.

Each time a new major update hits, the sense of mystery in Pokémon Go is reinvigorated. However, thanks to the methods discovered and created by players in the original release, light is shed on each successive update quicker than ever before.

Check out the latest information on Pokémon Go below, and if you have anything you think would be helpful to add, let us know in the comments section.

People still play Pokémon Go?

Yes. Lots. After an initial boom when the game launched in July 2016, the mainstream hype died down. However, a dedicated (and sizable) player base has remained. As recent as June 2018, Pokémon Go was in the top 20 free games on the iOS App Store. In May 2018, games and interactive media researcher SuperData reports that Pokémon Go was the fourth highest grossing mobile title in the world, beating out juggernauts like Clash Royale, Clash of Clans, and Candy Crush Saga. That same report states that summer 2018 saw Pokémon Go hitting its highest player count since 2016 when the game exploded into the mainstream.

In addition, in September 2018, Niantic CEO John Hanke stated that, "tens of millions of Trainers around the world played Pokémon GO together every month, with a 35% increase in active usage since May."

Alright, now that we have that out of the way...

Well, I've never played it. How do I start and what should I focus on at first?

Well, all you need to do is download it on the iOS App Store or the Google Play store. It's a free app with optional microtransactions. Once you're in, you'll be asked to choose a starter Pokémon. You can choose between Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, or do a secret trick to get Pikachu as your starter.

Once you're up and running, simply walk around and start catching things that you encounter and spinning the disks of each PokéStop you stumble upon to earn items. Each new monster brings you one step closer to filling up your Pokédex, which is, for many, the ultimate goal of the game. Each time you catch a Pokémon, you earn candies, which can be used to evolve some Pokémon or, when combined with stardust, power them up. I'd recommend holding off on powering up any Pokémon until you get to a higher level, as each time you level up your profile, you are able to catch more powerful monsters. Until then, just save up your candies not used for evolution and stockpile any stardust – you'll love having an abundance of stardust later on when your monsters are ready to take on gyms. For more on gym battles read below.

How do gyms work?

In summer 2017, Niantic reworked the gym system to get rid of the need to train in order to earn more slots. Instead, each gym has six permanent slots available to whatever team controls it. When you interact with a gym for the first time, you gain a gym badge, which levels up based on your interactions with that particular gym. In addition, each Pokémon now has a stamina meter, which depletes over time or any time that creature loses a battle against a rival team. The stamina directly impacts that Pokémon's CP, meaning that a less motivated Pokémon is less effective in battle. When the Pokémon's stamina meter reaches zero, it returns to its trainer after its next battle. Players with Pokémon that are losing motivation to battle can replenish their stamina by feeding them berries. Each berry slightly increases the Pokémon's stamina meter and awards the trainer with 20 stardust.

Each gym has has also added a PokéStop disc to spin. If your team is in charge of that gym, you get bonus items. You also earn more items the higher leveled your badge is for that gym. The first time you visit a gym PokéStop each day, you earn a free raid pass if you don't already have one in your inventory.

For our impressions on this iteration of the gym system, head here.

What's a raid and how do I get a legendary Pokémon?

Occasionally, extremely powerful raid bosses take over a gym. This is signaled by the creature appearing on top of the gym with a timer above its head. Within that time limit, you can trade in a raid pass (you get one free raid pass per day as outlined above) to battle that creature. These aren't your typical monsters, however. These bosses are supercharged to require multiple players most of the time. That means that instead of facing a Tyranitar with 3,000 CP like you would in a standard gym battle, the Gen 2 leviathan is even larger in size and features a ballooned CP of over 30,000.

Depending on the difficulty of the raid boss, you'll want to join up with a group of players. You can bring up to 20 players into the same battle against the boss, but you don't always need that many. For level 1 raid bosses, you can likely take them down on your own, while you probably want a handful of players for level 3, and anywhere from 9 to 20 for level 5 bosses.

In addition, Niantic now has exclusive raid battles where you must receive a special invitation in order to participate. The invitations are based on if you have completed a raid in the gym that the exclusive raid boss is taking over. Because of the exclusive nature of these battles, trainers are given additional notice so that they can gather a big group of players. The first exclusive raid boss is Mewtwo, but other powerful creatures will join in the future.

Each player brings a team of six Pokémon they select during the two-minute waiting period in the lobby. While the game typically recommends creatures, those are usually not the best options. Pokémon like Blissey and Snorlax might have high CP and stats, but that's mostly thanks to their defense. Instead, look for Pokémon that don't only have more offensive abilities, but also play into the weakness of the raid boss. For example, if you're facing off against Arcanine, a fairly strong water Pokémon fares better than even a high CP Blissey. Save your Blisseys for defending gyms. If all of your Pokémon get knocked out, you can rejoin the battle as long as you're within the time limit. You can either select a new team or quickly use healing items to revive the ones that were just defeated.

If you manage to defeat the boss, it shrinks down to normal size and more normal CP; the over-30,000 CP Tyranitar shrinks down to just over 2,000 CP. You earn raid-exclusive items like rare candy and TMs. Rare candy can be exchanged for a candy for any Pokémon of your choosing, while Fast TMs and Charged TMs re-roll a Pokémon of your choosing's fast and charged move, respectively. Based on a number of variables including how much damage your team dealt, whether your team currently controls the gym the raid is taking place at, and how much damage you dealt, you earn Premier Balls, which are used to try and catch the raid boss. The higher you get in the tiers, the more difficult the raid bosses are to catch. Legendary Pokémon in the fifth tier are particularly difficult to catch, so you absolutely want to use Golden Razz Berries and try your best to be accurate with your throws.

If you manage to catch the raid boss, it becomes your Pokémon and you earn some candy for that creature. You are free to do with the Pokémon what you wish. However, the only catch is that you are unable to station legendary Pokémon in gyms.

Pokémon that appear as raid bosses when there isn't an event taking place

Level 1 Buizel Drifloon Duskull Shinx Shuppet Snorunt

Level 2 Mawile Misdreavus Sableye Sneasel

Level 3 Gengar Machamp Pinsir Raichu (Alolan) Scyther Sharpedo

Level 4 Absol Houndoom Marowak (Alolan Form) Tyranitar

Level 5 - Legendary Heatran

Level 6 - Exclusive Deoxys

What are quests and how do I get mythical Pokémon like Mew?

In March 2018, Niantic introduced Research Tasks to Pokémon Go. These are split into two categories: Field and Special. Field tasks are often simple and can be easily completed without going too far out of your way. Redeeming these field research tasks yields you either item bonuses or an encounter with a Pokémon. Once you complete a field task, you can redeem them toward research progress. You can only earn one stamp per day, but upon completing seven daily field research tasks (they don't have to be consecutive days), you earn an encounter with a super rare Pokémon.

Here are the Pokémon Niantic has given to players on their seventh field research stamp to this point:

April 2018 – Moltres May 2018 – Zapdos June 2018 – Articuno July 2018 – Snorlax (with exclusive Body Slam move) August 2018 – Raikou September 2018 – Entei October 2018 – Suicune November 2018 – Shedinja December 2018 – Random Legendary Bird

The special research tab tracks your progress toward catching a mythical Pokémon. The first Pokémon offered is Mew. While most of the quests are rather straightforward, some have some quirks you should be aware of.

Some tips for the Mew special research quest:

If you're close to evolving a Magikarp into Gyarados, hold off until you reach Stage 6 of the questline, as that is one of your tasks. It's an easy one to complete if you have the candies, but if you don't, it can be quite the grind since Magikarp requires 400 candies to evolve. Stage 5 features the task of catching a Ditto. Unfortunately, this is completely random. Two field research quests (Battle in 5 Raids and Make an Excellent Throw) have the potential to deliver a Ditto as its reward, but those are rare quests to receive. However, Ditto can take the form of the following Pokémon, so if you catch all of the following monsters you encounter, you increase your chances of stumbling upon one:
Gastly Gulpin Hoothoot Mankey Pidgey Rattata Sentret Taillow Whismur Yanma Zigzagoon Zubat

For the quests that require you to battle in raids, all you need to do is trade in a raid pass for it to count. This means that if you're pressed for time, you can just trade in your raid pass and then leave to get credit for it. Practice throwing excellent curveballs, as that is one of your final tasks before encountering Mew.

Once you reach Stage 8, all that's left to do is catch Mew.

At Pokémon Go Fest 2018 in July, attendees could complete exclusive research tasks to earn Celebi. In August 2018, the questline (with different quests) released to the general public.

Some tips for the Celebi special research quest:

Step 2 requires you to make three new friends. If you don't have anyone else you can add, putting out a call on social media or on the Pokémon Go Reddit often works well. Steps 4 and 5 require you to walk Eevee for 10 km and evolve it into either an Espeon or Umbreon. Depending on how often you walk with Pokémon Go, this could take a while. It's important to remember that in order to get Eevee to evolve into Espeon or Umbreon, you must still have them as your buddy after walking 10 km with them. Eevee turns into Espeon if you walk 10 km with it, then evolve it during the day, while walking 10 km and evolving it during the night will yield an Umbreon.

Some tips for the Meltan special research quest:

Step 3 brings back everyone's favorite objective: Catch a Ditto. See above for tips on completing this frustrating task. Step 5 asks you to evolve a Grimer, so if you have one to evolve, save it for this quest. Step 8 requires you to catch an Aerodactyl. Unfortunately, those are extremely rare in the wild. Look for them to pop up during raid events, or find a "Hatch Two Eggs" quest that rewards you with a wild encounter. If you own a Switch and a copy of Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu or Let's Go, Eevee, acquiring Meltan is easier as you can link the games together and receive several Meltans every week.

What is Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee and Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu? How does it interact with Pokémon Go?

Let's Go, Eevee and Let's Go, Pikachu are Nintendo Switch games that released on November 16. The games are set in the Kanto region from Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow. The games take other elements from Yellow in having your starter Pokémon be either Pikachu (your starter in Yellow) or Eevee (your rival's starter in Yellow), and designating a Pokémon to walk with you outside its Poké Ball.

Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee and Let's Go, Pikachu feature many elements of the core games, but capture mechanics like Pokémon Go. Instead of using a touchscreen, however, you use the motion controls of the controllers to fling your Poké Balls. You can also play the games in handheld mode, minimizing the motion controls. Two players can explore cooperatively at the same time, and even throw Poké Balls at the same time to make capturing easier. Players can also use a new Poké Ball Plus accessory, which is sold separately and doubles as a replacement for the Pokémon Go Plus accessory outside of the Switch games, instead of the Joy-Con controllers.

You can read our review of Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu & Let's Go, Eevee here.

If you connect your Switch and Pokémon Go accounts, you can transfer Gen 1 Pokémon from Pokémon Go to Let's Go, Eevee and Let's Go, Pikachu. You do this by linking your Switch with your Pokémon Go account in the options section of both games, then initiating a link in the Go Park in Fuchsia City (since Fuchsia City is rather late in Let's Go's story, you'll need to play for many hours before you can do this). You can transfer any Gen 1 Pokémon (including shiny Pokémon). The only exceptions are the event Pikachus and Raichus with special hats.

Any Pokémon you transfer from Pokémon Go is stuck in Let's Go forever, so make sure you don't send one of your favorite raid monsters over. Regardless of which Pokémon you send over, you receive a Mystery Box in Pokémon Go in exchange for your transfers. You can receive a new Mystery Box seven days after opening your last one. When you activate the Mystery Box in Pokémon Go, Meltan spawns all around you for 30 minutes. The Mystery Box acts much like an Incense, meaning only you can see them; other trainers in the area will not be able to participate.

What's the deal with in-game weather?

In its December 2017 update, Niantic added a new mechanic where the weather in the game mirrored the weather around you. While this makes for new environmental backgrounds and a change to the map your character traverses, it also affects which Pokémon appear more commonly. If you see a Pokémon spawn on the map with a swirl pattern beneath it, that means it is a result of the new weather mechanic and that if you catch it, you receive an additional 25 stardust. The weather system also makes the affected Pokémon stronger in battle. For instance, on a clear day, not only will fire Pokémon appear more commonly, but their attacks are also more effective if you take on a gym or raid.

Check out which types are made more common and stronger in the list below.

Clear - Grass, Ground, Fire Rain - Water, Electric, Bug Windy - Dragon, Flying, Psychic Snow - Ice, Steel Fog - Dark, Ghost

[Source: Niantic]

Where can I find a specific Pokémon?

Due to the nature of Pokémon Go's spawns, there is unfortunately no reliable way to tell you to go to a specific spot to always catch a specific Pokémon. However, many monsters do "nest" in the game, meaning that if you go to a particular spot while their nest is located there, you're likely to catch several of that monster.

Nests are not mentioned in Pokémon Go itself, but you can find out what nests are around you (and even search on specific species of Pokémon) using The Silph Road's Nest Atlas tool. This tool features reliable crowd-sourced information from Pokémon Go players all over the world who report the nests they encounter.

If you find an accessible nest of a creature that you need, it's not a good idea to wait. Nests migrate approximately every two weeks, which means many of the nests near you will be replaced by another creature. The silver lining is that the Weedle nest next to your house could very well become a Kabuto nest for a couple of weeks.

What Pokémon are region-exclusive?

Just like in the mainline Pokémon games, some monsters can only be found in certain regions. While Niantic has remained steadfast in keeping some the regional exclusives just that, it has bent the rules in some select instances like Pokémon Go Fest in Chicago where Heracross appeared one year, then Torkoal the next, and the European Safari Zone event. In September and October 2018, Niantic also ran an event where you could hatch Gen-1 regionals from 7km eggs.

Check out the full list of known regional exclusives below.

Tauros - North America Farfetch'd - Asia Mr. Mime - Europe Kangaskhan - Australia Heracross - Central and South America, Southern Florida and Texas Corsola - Tropical Regions (within approximately 30 degrees of the equator) Zangoose - Rotates Seviper - Rotates Relicanth - New Zealand Solrock - Rotates Lunatone - Rotates Torkoal - South Asia Illumise - North America, South America, Africa Volbeat - Europe, Asia, Australia Tropius - Africa, Middle East Carnivine - Southeast United States Chatot - Southern Hemisphere Pachirisu - Upper Northern Hemisphere

[Source: Reddit, Pokémon Go Hub]

What do I get from eggs?

If you can't find a particular Pokémon, sometimes the best way to find it is to leave it up to the roulette that is hatching eggs. You get eggs from PokéStops and can hold up to nine at a time. In order to hatch eggs, you must equip an incubator and walk the distance required for the type of egg it is.

Each trainer is provided one incubator that can be used an infinite number of times. Additional incubators can be earned through leveling up (though that becomes much rarer at higher levels), but the easiest way to get more incubators is to buy them for 150 Pokécoins each in Pokémon Go's in-app shop. Unfortunately, every incubator earned or purchased outside of the original one can only be used to hatch three eggs.

A popular strategy is to use limited-use incubators on 5km and 10km eggs, while only using the unlimited-use incubator every trainer has on the multitude of 2km eggs you're sure to encounter. This will ensure you don't burn through your premium incubators on eggs that not only hatch quickly, but are also less likely to yield anything good. In addition, the higher the egg distance, the more candy you'll receive for the Pokémon that hatches.

These eggs look different based on how far you must walk to hatch them. 2km eggs are colored with green spots, 5km eggs feature yellow spots, while 10km eggs have blue spots. While it might sound like you'd only want 2km eggs so that you can burn through them and gather as many Pokémon as quickly as possible, the higher the distance required by the egg, the better the pool of Pokémon is that can hatch from it.

You cannot acquire regional-exclusive Pokémon from eggs not found in those regions, and stats have shown that if you visit the same PokéStops every day, you'll likely hatch the same handful of Pokémon each time. In addition, only the most basic form of that Pokémon's evolution chain is able to be hatched, meaning you'll never find a Tyranitar or Dragonite in your eggs, but rather those Pokémon's pre-evolution forms, Larvitar and Dratini.

Beginning in June 2018 with the introduction of friend gifts, a 7km egg was introduced. 7km eggs are only obtainable by receiving a gift from a friend when you have at least one egg slot open. At their introduction, 7km eggs hatch Alolan variants of Kanto Pokémon. The list of Pokémon that hatch from that has since fluctuated through limited-time events.

To see what species of Pokémon come from each egg type, check out the most recent list below.

2km Eggs

Aron Barboach Bidoof Charmander Cleffa Igglybuff Kricketot Luvdisc Machop Pichu Poochyena Shellder Spheal Starly Swablu Swinub Taillow Togepi Wailmer

5km Eggs

Azurill Baltoy Corphish Elekid Girafarig Makuhita Mantine Mudkip Nosepass Onix Pineco Scyther Shuckle Snorunt Treecko Tyrogue Wingull Wynaut

7km Eggs

Diglett (Alolan) Geodude (Alolan) Grimer (Alolan) Meowth (Alolan) Sandshrew (Alolan) Vulpix (Alolan)

10km Eggs

Bagon Beldum Chansey Dratini Feebas Larvitar Mareep Porygon Trapinch

[Source Ranked Boost, Pokémon Go Hub]

Sometimes, Pokémon from previous generations get a new evolution in a future generation, right?

We've seen Pokémon from Gen 1 get new evolutions in Gen 2, and Gen 4 is a huge one for new evolutions of preexisting monsters. Here are the Pokémon from past generations that evolve during Gen 4. For many of these evolutions, you need a Sinnoh Stone and a significant amount of candy. Check out the Evolution Items section of this guide for complete details.

Pokémon from Gen 1:

Eevee (Glaceon, Leafeon) Electabuzz (Electivire) Lickitung (Lickilicky) Magmar (Magmortar) Magneton (Magnezone) Rhydon (Rhyperior) Tangela (Tangrowth)

Pokémon from Gen 2:

Aipom (Ambipom) Gligar (Gliscor) Misdreavus (Mismagius) Murkrow (Honchkrow) Piloswine (Mamoswine) Porygon2 (Porygon-Z) Sneasel (Weavile) Togetic (Togekiss) Yanma (Yanmega)

Pokémon from Gen 3:

Dusclops (Dusknoir) Kirlia (Gallade) Nosepass (Probopass) Roselia (Roserade) Snorunt (Froslass)

[Source: Reddit]

How do I get coins and what do they do for me?

Pokécoins are the currency in Pokémon Go, and for many, they represent the free-to-play "catch." Coins can be used to purchase:

Poké Balls Revives Raid Passes Potions Incense Lucky Eggs Lure Modules Egg Incubators Bag Upgrades Pokémon Storage Upgrades

If you're trying to fill out your Pokédex, your best bet is probably to spend your coins on incubators, though a storage/bag upgrade or two will make things much easier on you. Lucky Eggs are good for if you're trying to up your player level, and Lure Modules are good for if you like hanging around an area with a PokéStop for at least 30 minutes. Poké Balls are often looked at as the worst value in the shop unless you rarely visit an area with multiple PokéStops, or you are in desperate need of some.

You earn coins by placing your Pokémon in a gym. For every 10 minutes your Pokémon occupies a gym, you earn a Pokécoin. However, you do not receive those coins until your Pokémon is knocked out of the gym. In addition you are capped at earning 50 coins per day, so it doesn't matter if you have one Pokémon in a gym for 10 hours, or Pokémon spread across seven gyms for weeks on end; if they get knocked out on the same day, you're only getting 50 coins total.

Alternately, you can purchase coins using real money. Coins are the only element of the game that can be purchased with real-world currency; you cannot buy stardust, Pokémon candies, or evolution items.

Which Pokémon are rare?

The list of "rare" Pokémon varies greatly depending on where you are located, but there are a few that are generally considered to be rare. Pokémon like Dratini, Dragonair, Dragonite, Lapras, Chansey, Blissey, Gyarados, Porygon, Unown, Snorlax, Aerodactyl, Larvitar, Pupitar, Tyranitar, Feebas, Milotic. Lotad, Lombre, Ludicolo, Trapinch, Vibrava, and Flygon, are typically considered the rarest, though some appear more commonly in some areas.

What is Community Day?

Beginning January 2018, each month has featured one Pokémon for three hours in a Community Day. During that window, the designated Pokémon appears everywhere. If you evolve the Pokémon all the way up to its ultimate form within that window, that Pokémon will know a move exclusive to the Community Day. In addition, shiny variants of the featured Pokémon spawn more frequently, giving players a chance to nab an extremely rare version of the featured monster.

You can see which Pokémon have been featured during Community Day below.

January 20, 2018 – Pikachu February 24, 2018 – Dratini March 25, 2018 – Bulbasaur April 15, 2018 – Mareep May 19, 2018 – Charmander June 16, 2018 – Larvitar July 8, 2018 – Squirtle August 11 & 12, 2018 – Eevee September 22, 2018 – Chikorita October 21, 2018 – Beldum November 10, 2018 – Cyndaquil November 30, 2018 - December 2nd, 2018 – All 2018 Community Day Pokémon January 12 & 13 – Totodile

What are "shiny" Pokémon and how do I get one?

Shiny Pokémon are different colored versions of existing creatures. They don't include any kind of special stat boost or exclusive moves, but they look different. Shiny Pokémon are typically extremely rare, but they are known to become slightly more common during certain events including Community Days. When you evolve a shiny variant of a Pokémon, the evolved form will also be shiny and of a different color.

Pokémon currently available with shiny versions

Absol Aggron Ampharos Altaria Arcanine Aron Articuno Banette Bayleef Beldum Blastoise Budew Bulbasaur Butterfree Caterpie Charizard Charmander Charmeleon Chikorita Cloyster Cubone Delibird Dragonair Dragonite Dratini Drifblim Drifloon Dusclops Duskull Eevee Electabuzz Elekid Elektivire Espeon Forretress Flaafy Flareon Granbull Growlithe Gyarados Hariyama Ho-oh Houndoom Houndour Ivysaur Jolteon Kabuto Kabutops Kingler Krabby Kyogre Lairon Larvitar Lugia Luvdisc Luxio Luxray Makuhita Magby Magikarp Magmar Mareep Marowak Marowak (Alolan) Mawile Medicham Meditite Meganium Metagross Metang Metapod Mightyena Minum Misdreavus Moltres Murkrow Natu Nidoran (♀) Nidoqueen Nidorina Omanyte Omastar Pelipper Pikachu Pineco Pinsir Plusle Ponyta Poochyena Pupitar Raichu Rapidash Shellder Shinx Shuppet Snubbull Squirtle Sunflora Sunkern Swablu Togepi Togetic Tyranitar Umbreon Vaporeon Venusaur Wailmer Wailord Wartortle Wingull Wobbuffet Wynaut Xatu Zapdos

[Source: Pokémon Go Wikia]

What are Alolan forms?

In Pokémon Sun and Moon of the mainline games, players travel to the Alola region. There, you encounter Pokémon from the first seven generations of the series. However, some of the Gen 1 creatures found in Alola have distinct appearances, and different or additional types to the ones you find in other regions. Beginning on May 29, 2018, Pokémon Go began introducing the Alolan variants of Kanto creatures into the game beginning with Alolan Exeggutor.

With the introduction of trading and friend gifts on June 21, 2018, you can now receive special 7 km eggs from friends. These eggs can hatch Alolan variants of Kanto Pokémon. Some Alolan variants, such as Rattata, as able to be caught in the wild, while others, like Raichu and Marowak, are raid bosses.

Check out the Alolan variants that exist below.

Diglett (Ground/Steel) Dugtrio (Ground/Steel) Exeggutor (Grass/Dragon) Geodude (Rock/Electric) Golem (Rock/Electric) Graveler (Rock/Electric) Grimer (Poison/Dark) Marowak (Fire/Ghost) Meowth (Dark) Muk (Poison/Dark) Ninetails (Ice/Fairy) Persian (Dark) Raichu (Electric/Psychic) Raticate (Dark/Normal) Rattata (Dark/Normal) Sandshrew (Ice/Steel) Sandslash (Ice/Steel) Vulpix (Ice)

What are Lucky Pokémon?

Lucky Pokémon can be obtained through trading with friends. When a Pokémon arrives from a trade, it has a chance to feature a designation that it is a Lucky Pokémon. This means that it costs less Stardust to power them up. In addition, Lucky Pokémon often feature high stats. Lucky Pokémon have a sparkly background and appears as part of that Pokémon's Poké Dex entry.

What are evolution items?

Before the Gen 2 Pokémon were introduced, all you needed to do to evolve a Pokémon was to catch enough of that creature to collect the right amount of candy. Since the introduction of the second generation of monsters, however, several Pokémon now require candy plus a special evolution item in order to get them to evolve.

These evolution items are found at PokéStops, though they are much rarer than items like potions and Pokéballs. Your best bet to acquire one of these evolution items is to hit at least one Pokéstop every day for seven days in a row. On the seventh day, the game awards you with a larger haul of items, increasing the chances of receiving a rare evolution item.

Each evolution item works with a very specific set of Pokémon, which you can see below.

King's Rock

Helps Poliwhirl evolve into Politoed (100 Candies) Helps Slowpoke evolve into Slowking (50 Candies)

Dragon Scale

Helps Seadra evolve into Kingdra (50 Candies)

Metal Coat

Helps Onix evolve into Steelix (50 Candies) Helps Scyther evolve into Scizor (50 Candies)

Sun Stone

Helps Gloom evolve into Bellossom (100 Candies) Helps Sunkern evolve into Sunflora (50 Candies)

Up-Grade

Helps Porygon evolve into Porygon2 (50 Candies)

Sinnoh Stone

Helps Dusclops evolve into Ducknoir (100 Candies) Helps Electabuzz evolve into Electivire (100 Candies) Helps Gligar evolve into Gliscor (100 Candies) Helps Magmar evolve into Magmortar (100 Candies) Helps Misdreavus evolve into Mismagius (100 Candies) Helps Murkrow evolve into Honchkrow (100 Candies) Helps Porygon2 evolve into Porygon-Z (100 Candies) Helps Roselia evolve into Roserade (100 Candies) Helps Rhydon evolve into Rhyperior (100 Candies) Helps Sneasel evolve into Weavile (100 Candies) Helps Togetic evolve into Togekiss (100 Candies)

What do berries do?

There are currently four types of berries in Pokémon Go that are meant to help you with the capture of wild Pokémon. You obtain these randomly through activating PokéStops (with the exception of Golden Razz Berries, which can only be earned in Raids). The Razz Berry was originally the only berry in the game, but with the introduction of Gen 2 monsters, Niantic has introduced Pinap Berries and Nanab Berries. When Raids were introduced in summer 2017, Golden Razz Berries were also introduced. You can only feed one berry to a Pokémon at a time, but the effect wears off if the creature escapes from a ball. If you miss your throw, the effect does not wear off. See what each berry does below.

Razz Berry - Makes the wild Pokémon easier to catch Golden Razz Berry - Makes the wild Pokémon much easier to catch Pinap Berry - Causes the wild Pokémon to reward you with double candy if you catch it Silver Pinap Berry - Causes the wild Pokémon to reward you with double candy if you catch it, and makes it easier to catch Nanab Berry - Makes the wild Pokémon's on-screen movement less erratic

What Pokémon aren't in the game?

You can see the latest list of creatures that have yet to be found in Pokémon Go below. Gen 4 has debuted, but not all its creatures are available. The following Pokémon (as well as every Pokémon Gen 5 and beyond) are still yet to be discovered in Pokémon Go:

Gen 1

N/A

Gen 2

Smeargle

Gen 3

Kecleon Clamperl Huntail Gorebyss Jirachi

Gen 4

Cranidos Rampardos Shieldon Bastiodon Burmy Wormadam Mothim Combee Vespiquen Floatzel Cherubi Cherrim Shellos Gastrodon Ambipom Glameow Purugly Bonsly Mime Jr. Happiny Gible Gabite Garchomp Hippopotas Hippowdon Lickilicky Tangrowth Yanmega Leafeon Glaceon Mamoswine Gallade Probopass Frolass Rotom Uxie Mesprit Azelf Dialga Palkia Regigigas Phione Manaphy Darkrai Shaymin Arceus

Can I trade Pokémon with friends?

Initially teased in a September 2015 announce trailer, Pokémon Go finally introduced trading and a friends list in June 2018. Using your friends list, you level up friends with every interaction you have with them. The more you trade and send gifts with them, the higher your in-game bond with that friend is. The stronger your bond with a friend on your list, the less stardust it costs to trade with them.

To trade, you must be in-game friends with the trainer you hope to swap with. While you can send gift packages you receive from Poké Stops to any trainer you're friends with, you must be within 100 meters of a trainer you want to trade with. Trades that involve Legendary Pokémon, Shiny Pokémon, or Pokémon not in one of the players' Pokédex is considered a Special Trade. In addition to costing a lot of Stardust (sometimes as much as 1,000,000 for low-level friends), you can only execute one special trade per day. This means you're finally able to get those regional monsters without traveling, but it's going to cost you Stardust.

When you swap Pokémon, they sometimes bring bonus candy with them. The further apart the Pokémon were caught from each other, the more candy they bring. This distance bonus maxes out at around 100km. Stats, such as CP and HP, change when a Pokémon is traded, so just because you send someone a strong Pokémon, that doesn't mean it'll be as strong when it arrives in their inventory.

Can I battle other trainers?

Another feature teased in the September 2015 reveal trailer, battling was finally implemented in Pokémon Go in December 2018. You can challenge friends to battles regardless of their locations. Once you select a friend to battle, you must choose a league. Great League limits maximum CP to 1,500 per Pokémon, Ultra League limits max CP to 2,500, while Master League has no CP limits.

Each trainer brings three Pokémon into a battle. Once the battle starts, it plays out much like a raid or gym battle. The biggest difference is that you can choose to use a limited number of shields in response to your opponent's use of their charged attack. To warn your opponent of an incoming charged attack, you must mash the screen to "charge" your stronger attack. In addition, using candy and stardust, you can also teach your Pokémon new attacks to diversify their abilities.

You can participate in unlimited battles, but you only receive rewards for your first three each day. The rewards range from stardust to Sinnoh Stones.

What is Pokémon Go Plus?

Pokémon Go Plus is an external device that links to your phone to let you passively play without having your phone open. It tracks distance for eggs and buddy candy, and even lets you catch Pokémon. You can read our full impressions here. Unfortunately for iPhone users, the device has had several issues since the release of iOS 11.

Another way to play Pokémon Go without having your phone constantly open is if you own an Apple Watch. Using the Apple Watch app for Pokémon Go, you can earn distance using the watch's pedometer, meaning you can earn distance doing stationary exercises, and get alerted of nearby Pokémon and PokéStops. Unfortunately, the app has stability issues, which you can read about here.

In addition, the Poké Ball Plus accessory launching alongside Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee and Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu for Nintendo Switch this November functions as a Pokémon Go Plus in addition to its controller functionality.

Each year, the Game Informer staff reviews a ton of games. Despite hundreds of games coming across our desks each year, only a select few are able to obtain special commendations reserved for the highest scoring titles. Games that earn an 8.5 or 8.75 obtain a Game Informer Silver award, while a score ranging from 9 to 9.5 earns that game a Game Informer Gold award. While most of the best games of the year fall into that range, the most elite titles ascend to the next level to earn a Game Informer Platinum award (9.75 or 10 score).

To help you keep track of the best of the best, we've compiled all of the top scoring games of 2018 here. Check out the games we've thought are the best of the year so far, and if you want to learn more, you can read the full review with a simple click-through.

Be sure to click on the blue game titles to jump to the full review text.

Batman: The Enemy Within

PS4, Xbox One, PC, iOS, Android March 27

“The Enemy Within is uneven, but its highs make for a superb adventure where you are held accountable for your choices.” – Javy Gwaltney

Yoku’s Island Express

PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC May 29

“To think, Sonic Spinball was onto something all of those years ago. Yoku’s Island Express is delightful and fun from start to finish.” – Andrew Reiner

Prey: Mooncrash

PS4, Xbox One, PC June 10

“Mooncrash is Prey at its best, featuring enough challenges and gadgets in a well-designed playground to keep you coming back for more.” – Javy Gwaltney

Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion

Switch June 13

“Fans of Splatoon’s single-player content should look no further than the exceptional Octo Expansion.” – Brian Shea

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit

PS4, Xbox One, PC June 26

“This inventive tale can be uplifting one minute and disheartening the next, but it strikes a consistent and compelling tone.” – Joe Juba

Pro Evolution Soccer 2019

PS4, Xbox One, PC August 28

“The gameplay is as engrossing as ever, but it and the marquee Master League mode are still looking for a few changes to take the series to the next level.” – Matthew Kato

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate

Switch August 28

“Hunting dangerous quarry is a thrill thanks to a preparation-focused loop and fun crafting, though the lack of substantial additional content makes the value of a return trip questionable.” – Javy Gwaltney

NHL 19

PS4, Xbox One September 14

"Welcome improvements to the general gameplay and franchise mode make this the best NHL in years, but the team still has a lot of work to do with modernizing its career mode and cleaning up legacy issues." – Matt Bertz

Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk

PS4, Switch, PC September 18

"While the title can be grindy at times and includes some frustrating maps and encounters, the core systems underneath are a joy to tinker with for hours." – Daniel Tack

Lego DC Super-Villains

PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC October 16

"If you hate Lego games, this isn’t going to change your mind. For everyone else, this is a delightful return to form which hopefully serves as a reference for TT Games’ future projects." – Jeff Cork

Gwent: The Witcher Card Game

PS4, Xbox One, PC October 23

"After years of iteration as a minigame and in beta, Gwent has come into its own as a great card game. It emphasizes keen decision-making over chance, and a great back-and-forth buildup ratchets up the tension across multiple rounds." – Suriel Vazquez

Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales

PS4, Xbox One, PC October 23

"Thronebreaker effortlessly infuses Gwent with the geopolitical underpinnings, fantasy tales, and difficult choices of The Witcher series." – Suriel Vazquez

Spyro Reignited Trilogy

PS4, Xbox One November 13

"If you’ve never played these games before, I can’t recommend them enough. From a historical standpoint, you can clearly see the foundation for Insomnaic’s Ratchet & Clank series in each level." – Andrew Reiner

Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu & Eevee

Switch November 16

"The feeling of amassing a giant collection of monsters and customizing your team never gets old, and the timeless turn-based combat is still fun to this day. Shoddy motion controls aside, Let's Go is a great time whether you’re a die-hard fan or a newcomer to the series." – Brian Shea

Artifact

PC November 28

"Artifact is absolutely not for everyone, but it excels at creating a crazy strategy cocktail pulling from every bottle on the shelf. For card game fans, Artifact is not to be missed." – Daniel Tack

Subnautica

Xbox One, PC January 23

”With a robust crafting system and several amazing secrets to find, Subnautica never ceases to entertain.” – Elise Favis

UFC 3

PS4, Xbox One February 2

“With an exceptional career mode and improved gameplay on top of its predecessor’s already-strong offerings, UFC 3 is the best MMA game ever released.” – Brian Shea

Frostpunk

PC April 24

“Don’t come to Frostpunk if you want sunshine, unicorns, and happy outcomes. This is a bleak game about making difficult decisions to survive inhospitable conditions.” – Matt Bertz

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

PC May 8

“A richly imagined seafaring setting lends novelty to what is ultimately an evolved iteration of very traditional isometric RPG fun.” – Matt Miller

Laser League

PS4, Xbox One, PC May 10

“The arena and its deadly lasers may be hectic, but the rapid-fire fun is constant.” – Matthew Kato

Dark Souls Remastered

PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC May 25

“A rock-solid framerate makes this the definitive choice for playing Dark Souls on console today.” – Daniel Tack

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

Switch June 29

“Wolfenstein II on Switch is the real deal, offering an only slightly degraded version of the bloody and memorable adventure.” – Javy Gwaltney

World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth

PC August 14

“It may not break new ground in comparison to the preceding expansion, but Battle for Azeroth provides a wealth of activities for players to enjoy and experience.” – Daniel Tack

Guacamelee 2

PS4, PC August 21

“Guacamelee 2 nails the Metroid formula while including its own style of combat and a great sense of humor.” – Kyle Hilliard

F1 2018

PS4, Xbox One, PC August 24

“Saying that you can have just as much fun in the shop as behind the wheel seems weird, but in the case of F1 2018’s career mode, it’s true.” – Matthew Kato

Mega Man 11

PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC October 2

"The new gear system is a cool mechanic, and Capcom’s level design feels classic in all the right ways. Mega Man 11 taps into the series’ past, but also serves as a solid foundation for the Blue Bomber’s next 30 years." – Ben Reeves

Return of the Obra Dinn

PC October 18

"Return Of Obra Dinn is a surprisingly hardcore detective title with a surreal bite, and one that shouldn’t be missed by anyone who loves a great challenge." – Javy Gwaltney

Soulcalibur VI

PS4, Xbox One October 19

"Whether you’re a newcomer or a dedicated fan, the latest retelling of the story of souls and swords is a captivating one." – Suriel Vazquez

Dusk

Switch, PC December 10

"Dusk might look and feel like a Quake mod, but it's so polished it feels modern. Anyone with even a hint of nostalgia in their bones for classic shooters should dive headfirst into Dusk." – Ben Reeves

Iconoclasts

PS4, Switch, PC, Vita January 23

“Iconoclasts plays well, looks great, and has some strong level design, but the unexpected highlight is a narrative that examines topics like religion and environmentalism in a well-realized world with real consequences.” – Kyle Hilliard

Celeste

PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC January 25

“A solid story and rewarding platforming sequences makes for a highly gratifying climb.” – Ben Reeves

Shadow of the Colossus

PS4 February 6

“Shadow of the Colossus is a masterpiece, and developer Bluepoint has done a fantastic job bringing it to a new generation.” – Kyle Hilliard

Crossing Souls

PS4, Switch, PC February 13

“Thanks to its robust battle system, intriguing character-switching puzzles, and beautiful storytelling, Crossing Souls is a fantastic adventure that goes beyond its nostalgic trappings.” – Javy Gwaltney

Where The Water Tastes Like Wine

PC February 28

“Where The Water Tastes Like Wine shines with its incredible voice work, well-told stories that take on lives of their own, and many profound moments.” – Elise Favis

The Forest

PC April 30

“Whether you’re building a camp on the island or searching for clues to your son’s whereabouts in dark and dangerous caverns, The Forest is a fantastic horror thrill ride.” – Javy Gwaltney

Dead Cells

PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC August 7

“The reward loops are addictive and continually open up new things for the player to explore.” – Andrew Reiner

Yakuza Kiwami 2

PS4 August 28

“Kiwami 2 is more than a great remake: it’s the best this strange, wonderful series has to offer and it shouldn’t be missed by fans of action or RPG titles.” – Javy Gwaltney

NBA 2K19

PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC September 7

“The most well-rounded sports game on the market once again.” – Matt Bertz

Valkyria Chronicles 4

PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC September 25

“This is a fantastic return for a series that has been struggling with its identity. Large maps and interesting abilities give you the freedom to explore different strategic opportunities, and your ingenuity pays off with enticing rewards.” – Joe Juba

Astro Bot Rescue Mission

PSVR October 2

"Astro Bot is an excellent platformer with great motion controls, and its execution in virtual reality creates something fresh in a well-worn genre." – Kyle Hilliard

Diablo III Eternal Collection

Switch November 2

"The long and short of it is that this is simply Diablo III on Switch. It’s the same great game, featuring frenzied action, alluring gameplay loops, and few technical compromises." – Jeff Cork

Tetris Effect

PSVR, PS4 November 9

"The presentation is such a natural fit for the gameplay, and it adds an unexpected layer of emotion. Monstars Inc. and Resonair should be commended for taking a calculated risk and delivering its own unique take on a gaming standard." – Jeff Cork

Beat Saber

PSVR, Rift, Vive November 20

"Beat Saber is a must-play for anyone interested in virtual reality, but not for the reasons we typically associate with the platform. It won’t make you crane your neck to take in the majesty of your surroundings, but Beat Saber uses VR to place you into the music and taps into your carnal desire to hit things with swords." – Kyle Hilliard

Dragon Ball FighterZ

PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC January 26

“Dragon Ball fans have plenty to enjoy in single-player, while fighting enthusiasts get a fast, dense game full of options.” – Suriel Vazquez

Into the Breach

Switch, PC February 27

“The simple presentation belies a deep and engaging gameplay loop that unfolds over multiple playthroughs, as new unlocks completely change required tactics.” – Matt Miller

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life

PS4 April 17

“Yakuza 6 delivers both quality and quantity, so saying goodbye to Kiryu doesn’t feel rushed.” – Jeff Cork

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Switch May 4

“Tropical Freeze stands among the best platformers of the last decade. Playing as Funky Kong is great for alleviating frustration or allowing skilled players to breeze through the game at high speed.” – Kyle Hilliard

Hollow Knight

PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC June 12

“Hollow Knight has some frustrations, but the urge to see what’s in the next room is a constantly compelling imperative moving you forward.” – Imran Khan

Monster Hunter: World

PC August 9

“Monster Hunter’s attempt to reach the PC audience performs beautifully and plays well.” – Suriel Vazquez

Destiny 2: Forsaken

PS4, Xbox One, PC September 4

"Forsaken is deep, mysterious, and vast, three words that echo what players most want from this growing universe." – Matt Miller

Forza Horizon 4

Xbox One, PC October 2

"Forza Horizon has long been my favorite racing series, and this installment shows that there’s plenty of gas left in the tank." – Andrew Reiner

Monster Hunter: World

PS4, Xbox One January 26

“Intense battles, rewarding progression loops, and excellent multiplayer experiences make this the best Monster Hunter game to date.” – Daniel Tack

Fortnite

PS4, Xbox One, PC, iOS, Android July 25, 2017 (Early Access)

“Playable, watchable, understandable, and enjoyable by just about anyone with a pulse, Fortnite is an absolute blast.” – Daniel Tack

Spider-Man

PS4 September 7

“The story shines as brightly as the gameplay – both deliver heart-pounding excitement.” – Andrew Reiner

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

PS4, Xbox One, PC October 12

"Blackout is the best battle-royale experience available today, zombies offers crazy customizable co-op, and multiplayer keeps things grounded for those looking for the classic core." – Daniel Tack

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Switch December 7

"A wealth of tweaks and new additions like the World of Light campaign help to keep Ultimate from feeling like a greatest-hits retread." – Jeff Cork

God of War

PS4 April 20

“An enthralling experience from beginning to end, with a mixture of great narrative moments and engaging encounters. God of War is a well-paced adventure that knows when to let the action simmer and when to make it boil over.” – Joe Juba

Red Dead Redemption 2

October 26 PS4, Xbox One

"Rockstar has once again created a game that redefines the open-world experience. Red Dead Redemption II is a triumph that every gamer should experience for themselves." – Matt Bertz

For more of our favorite games from recent years, head to the links below.

Top Scoring Games of 2017Top Scoring Games of 2016Top Scoring Games of 2015Top Scoring Games of 2014

Video games may be our primary passion, but several Game Informer staff members are also music aficionados. Each year, we like to share the soundtrack to our lives with readers with the off-chance that maybe our tastes and interests converge in more ways than one. With 26 contributors, the yearly compilation is quite eclectic. Expect many transitions into new genres as you meander through the long playlist.

If you want to get right to the good stuff, here is some guidance for fans of particular music genres. The hip-hop voyage starts with Kendrick Lamar and SZA's collaboration "All the Stars." From there it transitions to a groove-centric section starring music from Janelle Monae, Sia, and other ass shakers. 

Punk/metal fans should make sure to check out Idles, Daughters, Windhand, and Behemoth. More of a regular rocker? Give Ty Segall, Superchunk, and Snail Mail a listen.

Enjoy, and share your favorite songs of the year in the comments section below!