DMC4's legacy is inextricably tied to the combo MAD scene, but that meme-ability has somewhat overshadowed the careful design and engineering underpinning it -- this game easily has the best enemy synergies in its genre, and its controls allow for endless amounts of intrinsic enjoyment.

One of the best examples of deep, well-considered systems not only contributing to a game's emotional experience, but also still being enjoyable in a really straightforward, gamey way.

Way more polished than it has any right to be -- the way lock-on and aerial momentum work give KH2 a rhythm all its own, and people are still discovering new ways to combine its off-kilter systems.

Most satisfying space control of any melee action game and possibly the most instantly gratifying, zero-fat campaign in its genre. Has a true arcade spirit that even other genre greats don't quite match and has managed to stand shoulder to shoulder with them in record time for me.

Makes you consider the true value of every individual punch or kick in a way no other action game really does.

A single five-minute playthrough can make my entire day.

One of the best things about Crackdown is that it's not concerned with scripting out every set-piece in the most obviously "cool" way: it's just one big city completely open from the start, with about a dozen assassination targets roaming it. Combine that with super-powered systemic shenanigans and you have a deceptively simple premise that vindicates the Grand Theft Auto formula in a way I'm still waiting for other open-world games to catch up to.

A perfect little world.

"it’s insane to me that humans are so good at flipping 1s and 0s that they can make rail grinding feel like that in a video game" -- Tweet I wrote about Skate 2

The level of risk-reward in Vanquish's mechanics makes it the greatest pop-off delivery system of our time.