The original Alan Wake was a decent enough shooter, but Alan Wake 2 is a mind-blowing surprise in the survival horror genre. Drawing inspiration from Twin Peaks, public access talk shows, and previous games in the Remedy canon, the game is a playable hallucination. As FBI agent Saga Anderson, you blast supernatural enemies in the haunted Pacific Northwest. And as Alan Wake himself, you’ll rewrite reality to escape your dark prison. These two threads twist and combine to create a game David Lynch would be proud of.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is a delightful reimagining of Capcom's other zombie-slaying franchise. You still play as a photojournalist, Frank West, who slaughters the undead inside a shopping mall. However, this version features modern visuals and conveniences, bringing the 2006 release up to today's standards via enhanced graphics and gameplay.

The Dead Space series got put on ice after devolving into mediocre action schlock, completely abandoning its horror roots. Fortunately, this excellent remake of the first game returns the frights and places a fresh coat of paint on Isaac Clarke’s journey through undead-infested spaceships. New weapons, features, and missions give you plenty of reasons to revisit this nightmare.

Devil May Cry innovated the character-action genre with its stylish blend of sword- and gun-based combat. Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition shows why this franchise is still the category's king. Four playable characters (Dante, Nero, V, Vergil) give you multiple ways to approach your onslaughts. But the goal remains the same: kill all demons. 

Gamers have slayed Doom demons on every device imaginable since the early 1990s. So, how does its dev team keep this first-person franchise fresh? In Doom: The Dark Ages, the answer is to go back in time. This prequel sees the Doom Slayer in a vaguely medieval fantasy world where monsters still blast lasers, but you can bash them with a mace when not shooting them with guns. The setting inspires other novel mechanics, including piloting a giant mech and parrying with a shield. A more open, improvisational gameplay style makes this a great Doom for newcomers.

The “Souls” franchise has been a utterly singular force in gaming this past decade. No one else besides its developer, FromSoftware, makes games as mysterious, intricate, and punishing as Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro. So, how has the company topped itself? Elden Ring takes everything you love about the Souls games, and blows it up into one of the most impressive, elaborate, and meticulously crafted open worlds we’ve ever seen. They even got George R.R. Martin (the Game of Thrones guy!) to help with the lore.

The Far Cry series loves its villains, and Far Cry 6 features the most dastardly one yet. Dictator Antón Castillo, played by Giancarlo Esposito, rules the island nation of Yara with an iron fist. To take him down, arm yourself and build your own guerilla uprising in this open-world, sandbox shooter.

Forza Horizon may be a spin-off title, but this open-world racing game stands as one of Xbox’s best franchises, period. Forza Horizon 4 takes the automotive action to the United Kingdom, with a beautiful countryside that shifts with the seasons. The game also embraces its semi-arcade roots by letting you take your real race car into gloriously plastic Lego lands.

Forza Horizon 5 takes everything we’ve loved about the franchise and finds ways to make it better. Mexico makes for an excellent open-world racing playground, with its wild mix of climates and locales. Next-gen horsepower delivers the most gorgeous Forza game yet. And if you somehow grow tired of all the content the developers provide, construct your own custom missions using the new EventLab.

While Gear of War 4 started this new trilogy with a game very much in line with the originals, Gears 5 takes the franchise in fascinating new directions. You’ll still stop and pop nasty aliens with your chainsaw gun, and the multiplayer is what you expect, but the revamped campaign spreads action sequences across a series of open worlds. Gorgeous visuals and compelling characters suck you into the Gears universe like never before. 

Gears of War’s methodical pacing always felt more tactical than your average action-packed shooter. So Gears Tactics feels like a natural series evolution, and a great entry point to the turn-based strategy genre. Plot your routes. Determine the best time to take cover. Know when to slice open a foe with, you guessed it, your chainsaw gun. In a mad world, it pays to be patient.

More than a half a decade since the last major Halo game, Halo Infinite reminds us why Xbox’s original killer app forever changed shooters two decades ago. Halo Infinite polishes Halo’s already excellent gunplay to a blinding sheen, and marries it to an open-world format that delivers on the original promises of Halo: Combat Evolved’s expansive opening levels. Meanwhile, phenomenal free online multiplayer lets everyone get in on the Spartan action.

Halo is one of the most important franchises not just to Xbox, but to the gaming industry itself. So we were pretty disappointed when Halo: The Master Chief Collection launched as a broken mess. Fortunately, years of updates turned it into a glorious compilation. Enjoy the first six Halo campaigns, as well a robust multiplayer mode, all in one package.

After a surprise launch on Xbox Game Pass, Hi-Fi Rush is already one of 2023’s most exciting releases. Tango Gameworks calls upon its long-lost character-action game heritage to make a rhythm game version of Devil May Cry. You'll do more damage to enemies if you attack them on time with the beat. As you gain more combat options, the game feels like a musical performance. The vibrant, cel-shaded world makes this a symphony for your eyes and ears. 

High on Life takes place in a comedic, sci-fi world full of slimy, foul-mouthed aliens. That’s because it’s the newest release from Squanch Games, founded by Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland. The wacky organic weaponry adds loads of creativity to frenetic combat encounters. The levels are packed with details to gawk at as you return to old stages to explore and find the new path forward.

Immortality takes Sam Barlow’s brilliant detective mechanic, first pioneered in Her Story, and blows it out into an absolute masterpiece of interactive drama. Discover the fate of a mysterious actress by viewing clips from her lost movies. Selecting a person or object takes you to another related clip, even if the connection runs on dream logic. Determining meaning by the interplay of images makes this one of the finest, and most unsettling, celebrations of filmmaking as an art form.

Wolfenstein was the perfect Nazi-killing audition for MachineGames' bold take on Indiana Jones. By focusing more on puzzles and stealth than straightforward fighting, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle delivers a first-person Indy fantasy that is heavier on adventure than action. Of course, you’ll still get to swing that whip. The gorgeous presentation does justice to a cinematic storyline that tops the recent films.

Developer Double Fine Productions always likes to keep players guessing, and its latest adventure game, Keeper, is no exception. You play as a towering living lighthouse, able to move around the world on spindly legs, traveling through psychedelic landscapes. There is a goal to accomplish as you and your bird partner interact with the environment to save it from corruption. However, Keeper's joy lies in absorbing the surreal sights.

Midnight Suns applies a gothic spin to the Marvel universe, teaming up mainstream heroes like Iron Man and Captain Marvel with supernatural vigilantes like Blade and Ghost Rider. Did we also mention it’s a tactics game? Developer Firaxis, best known for the awesome XCOM reboot, gives you plenty of tools for devising superhero strategies. Then, when the fighting is over, get to know your favorite heroes by socializing with them.

Even compared with other Metal Gear Solid games, the original Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater stood out. The prequel dropped Naked Snake into the Cold War for dirty sneaking through Russian jungles. It was a masterpiece of stealth game design, and that's still the case in Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater. More remaster than remake, Delta gives Snake Eater dramatically updated visuals while leaving the core game untouched. It's a great, modern way to play a fundamentally fantastic game.

You don’t need a powerful PC to take to the skies. With Microsoft Flight Simulator, Xbox players can soar across a stunningly detailed and accurate world created through real-time, online map data. Intuitive assists let you fly these complex machines without familiarizing yourself with a flight stick. Just sit back and let the clouds pass by.

With Mortal Kombat 1, the famously bloody fighting game finally breaks free of its infamously stiff gameplay mechanics. Thanks to high-flying air combos and creative tag-team Kameo fighters, MK 1 is as fun to play as it is for horrified onlookers to watch. The package also includes a cinematic story mode that reboots the Mortal Kombat universe, as well as an Invasions mode packed with live-service content.

Obsidian Entertainment is one of the most versatile teams under Microsoft’s umbrella, and Pentiment is further proof of the team’s creative chops. Taking place in a gorgeous world rendered in Renaissance-style art, this adventure game challenges you to solve a mystery by making impactful choices.

From its NES era to the 3D masterpieces on the original Xbox, Ninja Gaiden has been the unflinching gold standard for action games. A partnership with PlatinumGames, makers of the similarly acclaimed Bayonetta titles, brings us the newest shinobi simulator: Ninja Gaiden 4. This entry differs from its predecessor, and not just because of the new playable character. The brutal combat trades some of the complex depth for simpler, more over-the-top, arcade-style flash. Still, between the creative carnage and demanding challenges, Ninja Gaiden 4 is worth a pick up.

No Man’s Sky always sounded too good to be true. An infinite universe full of procedurally generated planets to explore? But that’s exactly what we got, and thanks to free updates, we keep getting more. Pilot living ships and tame alien pets. Even if you enjoyed the game the first time, if you dive in again you may be surprised by what you see.

Obsidian Entertainment is one of the most versatile teams under Microsoft’s umbrella, and Pentiment is further proof of the team’s creative chops. Taking place in a gorgeous world rendered in Renaissance-style art, this adventure game challenges you to solve a mystery by making impactful choices.

After more than 15 years, Double Fine delivered an excellent sequel to its cult hit Psychonauts. In this mind-bending platformer, you’ll explore subconscious realms and use psychic powers to fight mental baggage. Even if you haven’t been waiting more than a decade for this sequel, Psychonauts 2 is a unique and creative journey that everyone should play.

When Rare lets its imagination run wild, the former Nintendo studio makes magical games like no other team. Sea of Thieves lets you and your friends team up online to live your pirate fantasies. Find buried treasure, engage in naval warfare, and shove whole fruit in your mouth. Thanks to a recent Disney partnership, you can even hang out with Jack Sparrow himself.

Building off its experimental predecessor, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is an interactive, arthouse action game where grappling with mental illness is just as harrowing as slaying monsters. As Senua, you trek across ancient Iceland, meeting allies, solving puzzles, and surviving intense sword battles. Streamlined gameplay lets Senua’s Saga focus on delivering a powerful narrative with gorgeous, photorealistic visuals.

South of the Midnight is to testament to the power of specificity. As a game, it’s a pleasant throwback to an earlier era of action-adventure titles, with its blend of nimble platforming and straightforward combat. However, the experience is greatly enhanced by a stunning presentation and emotional storytelling, transporting you to a mythological version of the American Deep South that we rarely encounter in games. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you’ll fight a giant alligator.

Bethesda takes a break from Elder Scrolls and Fallout to deliver a new role-playing experience. Fans of previous Bethesda games will recognize many of the same design ideas, along with some new outer space-themed innovations. Starfield may not change your life, but it has an impressive galactic scale.

Respawn’s single-player Star Wars saga continues with this new Cal Kestis adventure. In Jedi Survivor 2, you explore tightly designed 3D platforming maps and open worlds full of characters and quests. Fans of the new High Republic stories will appreciate the plot twists. Of course, you master different lightsaber styles and use a blaster, too.

Tetris Effect: Connected somehow makes an already perfect puzzle game even more transcendent. Hypnotic visuals and entrancing music blur your body and mind together as you drop blocks. New multiplayer modes link souls together across the world for pure puzzle game bliss. 

There's more to the Elder Scrolls than just Skyrim. Back in 2006, Oblivion blew our minds by offering a vast fantasy world to explore, one filled with quests to tackle and magic to master. This loving remaster preserves the original experience, including some amusing bugs, but significantly improves the visuals. Oblivion Remastered does what we want any good remaster to do: give veterans and new players alike a reason to play one of the greatest games ever made.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon turns Sega’s melodramatic crime saga into a full-on JRPG. Instead of beating up thugs in real time, your party vanquishes urban foes in turn-based combat. Between this revamped fighting system and new lead character, Ichiban Kasuga, Like a Dragon is the Yakuza reboot that curious newcomers have been waiting for.