Shaan Joshi — Gaming Editor
Super Mario Odyssey
Like most people, I was originally skeptical of Super Mario Odyssey and its weird, anthropomorphic hat with a penchant for possessing Mario’s friends and foes alike. Thirty-something-odd hours later, and I can’t even begin to imagine what a new Mario game would be like without Cappy in tow. Unsurprisingly, Nintendo has knocked it out of the park once again, delivering platforming perfection to what I used to call my “dedicated Breath of the Wild machine”.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Aside from its numerous technical achievements (have you seen how good this game looks?) and its implementation of binaural audio, I have to give credit to developer Ninja Theory for tackling subject matter that is usually reserved for other media: mental illness. It’s by no means perfect (and really, is any game truly perfect?), but it’s a title that everyone should at least try. A real “game for change.”
Linelight
I’m a big fan of puzzle games, but some fall short by providing players with challenges that center around understanding cheap gimmicks, or simply brute forcing their way to success through trial and error. Linelight, on the other hand, does an excellent job of slowly drip-feeding players with mechanics that they must fully master in order to continue. Throw in a stellar soundtrack and vibrant yet minimalistic visuals, and you have one of the better indie games of the year.