The Mario series has branched out into a ton of different genres over the years, including the role-playing game genre. Which means it’s time to rank all 12 of the best Mario RPGs so far.

12. Paper Mario: Sticker Star (3DS)

Kicking off the ranking of all of the Mario RPGs out there is Paper Mario: Sticker Star for the Nintendo 3DS. Just because it’s in last place doesn’t mean this was necessarily a bad game, but as you will begin to realize, this franchise is capable of so much more.

Believe it or not, but there’s actually eight different God of War games that have released ever since the very first game came to the PS2 back in 2005. During that time, we’ve seen Kratos develop as a person, breaking free from the rage-riddled chains that shackled him in his early ventures to become a more well-rounded person and, in his own unique way, a rather fantastic father figure. But not all entries in the series are equal. Some were great and others… namely Ascension, less so! With God of War Ragnarok now available on PS4 and PS5, we thought this was a prime time to return to our ranking and run through all God of War games from worst to best.

8. God of War: Ascension

God of War: Ascension was the prequel that nobody remembered asking for and it ended up receiving a lot of flack from those looking for a more of a story progression rather than another prequel. But, that doesn’t mean Ascension was a bad game, it was actually far from it. The main point of contention with this particular entry in the series is its choice of primary targets. Where all of the previous games in the franchise pit you against gods and titans, Kratos is after the furies this time around and, as cool to look at as they may be, they just don’t carry the same weight as individuals like Athena and Cronos.

This post will contain a major spoiler for Assassin’s Creed Origins that concerns a character reveal as well as the ending of the game. If you’ve yet to play for yourself and don’t want to be spoiled, turn back now.

There are a lot of moving pieces to Assassin’s Creed Origins. While Ubisoft initially said that players would be following the adventures of Bayek of Siwa, there’s actually a lot more for players to experience, which even includes another playable character in Egypt. Aya, Bayek’s wife, is also seeking justice and is helping her husband with his mission. As a close aide to Cleopatra, she has access to information and resources that make her invaluable in taking down the Order of the Ancients (an order that would eventually become the Templars). Plus, she’s no slouch when it comes to combat either, having taken out a few of the Order’s top ranking officials herself.

Warning if you don’t want to be spoiled on anything, and find this easter egg for yourself, don’t read any further.

Links between Assassin’s Creed and Watch Dogs have been established for some time now, with Abstergo having some affiliation with Blume and ctOS, the system that runs the cities of Chicago and San Francisco where both Watch Dogs games take place. There was even a crossover where Watch Dogs protagonist Aiden Pearce kills an employee of Abstergo, Olivier Garneau, who was marked as wanted by the Brotherhood when examined through ctOS.

November 2017 Game Releases

(Week One: Nov. 1-4)

November 2017 starts things off a bit slow, but has one huge game to kick off the month. Call of Duty: WWII is due out on Nov. 3 and is finally bringing fans back to the war that started it all for the series. A new zombie mode, plenty of multiplayer action, and a dark, emotional campaign await players looking forward to the next CoD. PS4 also gets an exclusive in the form of .hack//G.U.

Assassin’s Creed Origins on PS4

I last plunged a hidden blade into the throat of some corrupt official within Ubisoft’s rich, historical universe two years ago. At that time the Assassin’s Creed series was starting to show its wear and tear after being annualized for so long. Cracks were showing within its once pristine facade, and fans were understandably growing bored. For all the new bells and whistles each release boasted, the games, with very few exceptions such as Black Flag, were pretty much the same ol’ thing each and every time. Ubisoft surprised the world by taking a break, giving the next entry more than the usual 12-month gestation period. The result of that extra year of development is Assassin’s Creed Origins, a game that looks to move the series forward by taking fans further back than they’ve ever been.

Players take on the role of Bayek of Siwa, a Medjay of Egypt whose responsibility is to protect his people. Unfortunately, a run-in with some masked figures working in Egypt’s shadow sends Bayek on a quest for revenge that spans the whole of Egypt and sees him entrenched within the ongoing civil war. Through his trials and tribulations, the birth of a creed that will eventually lead to the brotherhood fans know today is revealed.

Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Videogame doesn’t sound like a game I’d get into. I’m going to be honest, most licensed video games, outside of FIFA, Madden, and NBA2K, tend to give me the heebie-jeebies. It’s not that all “official video games” are bad or anything like that, but that subtitle does have a tendency to be tied to less than stellar experiences. But after seeing the first trailer for the game, you can say that interests were piqued.

In a private room at New York Comic Con, the game’s team showed me what would be the first trailer for Monster Energy Supercross. I got to see the cover star walking to his bike and then suddenly there were jumps, dirt spraying across the screen, bikes vying for the top spot, and a crowd going wild. As this happened, one of Milestone’s team members leaned in and said: “that’s all in-game.” The attention to detail was impressive, with game races looking just like the real thing.

MIDA Multi-Tool (Exotic Kinetic Scout)

It’s no secret that scout rifles, particularly the MIDA Multi-Tool, have taken over Destiny 2’s Crucible, and that includes activities within the PvP side of the game such as Trials of the Nine and the newly available Iron Banner. The weapons offer a simple and efficient way to take out opponents from a distance, so they’re a no-brainer. Have a few of your teammates running a MIDA, and you can team-shoot down a lane and eliminate even the toughest Guardians (even while they’re in their super).

Puzzle Fighter was one of those classic games that had just the right mix of two genres you’d probably never think of pairing to present a truly memorable experience. Mixing Tetris-like gameplay (or a possibly more apt comparison, Dr. Mario) with the world of Street Fighter proved to be just as engaging as the biggest puzzle games on the market. But that was a long time ago, and that space began being filled by similar titles that went with a Bejeweled-esque match three approach. Despite this, Capcom has decided that it’s time to revisit the classic, albeit from a different angle. And you know what? It’s pretty damn good so far.

Now we must start off by saying that this is a free-to-play mobile game. There is no console release planned (though I would love this on the Switch, 3DS, or Vita). Normally that would be enough to turn someone away, but hear us out. The game is actually a well-done sequel to the 1996 PS One Release.

Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV looks like a very weird game. And honestly, after playing it myself, it actually is. It is, for all intents and purposes, a virtual reality fishing game. You cast your line, you get a fish, you reel it in, you put it in a bucket. Although there’s more to the experience, that’s the core of the gameplay. And you know what? It’s way more fun than I, or probably anyone else for that matter, ever thought it would be.

The demo I got to play was relatively short. I just had to catch a few fish before facing off against some horrifying looking sea monster. However, in this short space of time it was the mechanics that sold me on the experience, despite how straightforward they were.

Tokyo RPG Factory cut their teeth on I Am Setsuna, a smaller RPG than most modern fare that took a new approach to traditional JRPG mechanics.  I missed the boat on the studio’s first outing, but I decided to not do the same with their next project, Lost Sphear.  This past weekend, during New York Comic Con, I had a chance to sit down with Lost Sphear and check out how it was coming together, along with some new mechanics that left me pleasantly intrigued. 

As soon as I sat down, I was treated to the opening moments of Lost Sphear. As the “Man Called King,” I took out these powerful, robot-like enemies in an attempt to save my kingdom, failing in my endeavor only to learn that this was some sort of dream. Lost Sphear actually puts players in control of a young man named Kanata in a world that hasn’t seen a monster in quite some time, at least not until one fateful morning. After a random sighting, Kanata, along with his friends Lumina and Locke, seek out a random threat in order to keep the people of Elgarthe calm and safe.

Destiny 2’s first faction rally has come to a close. Guardians from all around the world pledged their allegiance to either Dead Orbit, Future War Cult, or New Monarchy and put boots to ground as they earned their favor. Killing enemies, delving into Lost Sectors, challenging other Guardians, and completing end game content allowed players to earn tokens which they could turn in for faction-exclusive gear, while also contributing to their chosen banner’s victory. It was an interesting event that got everyone on and venturing into public spaces, an element of the game that, if used to its fullest potential, will keep Destiny 2 alive for years to come.

Cuphead on Xbox One

Cuphead is not an easy game, and that’s important to open up with. Video games have taken to skirting high difficulty in order to be more accessible and draw in larger, sometimes more casual, crowds. Sure there are outliers like Dark Souls, Nioh, and brutal indies like Spelunky and Super Meat Boy. But major releases tend to be easily beaten. Cuphead, with its amazingly adorable visuals and fun musical score, could’ve easily gone the accessible route and drawn in so much more than it probably will. The fact that StudioMDHR Entertainment decided to stick to a brutally challenging experience is commendable, but it does put Cuphead in a rather tricky position.

The basic premise of Cuphead is simple; Cuphead and his brother Mugman grew up on Inkwell Isle, a place full of tons of interesting denizens such as pirates, silverware, and candy. One day they roamed further than they were supposed to and found themselves in a casino where they started to rake in the gold (turns out the brothers are insanely lucky). Unfortunately, that casino belonged to the devil himself (so much for that insane luck) and he played a trick on the boys to steal their souls. In order to keep their souls, they make a deal to collect debts owed to the devil instead. That’s the setup for the boss gauntlet that is Cuphead, and it works rather well, especially when given the art direction.

Forza Motorsport 7

(Xbox One, PC – Oct. 3)

October 2017 Games to Look Forward To

Kicking off October 2017 is one of Microsoft’s biggest franchises, and it’s heading to both the Xbox One and Windows 10. Forza Motorsport is one hell of a racing series, and over the years Turn 10 Studios has been refining their formula. As a result, the upcoming Forza 7 looks to be one of the best games they’ve ever put together.

October 2017 Video Game Releases

(Week One: Oct. 1-7)

October brings us fully into the fall gaming season, leading us into what will become a jam-packed holiday season as everyone fights to get their hands on some of the biggest games of the year. With the summer firmly behind us, there are some major titles releasing across all platforms in the coming weeks, some even going head-to-head to see who comes out on top. However, the first week is relatively light when compared to what the second half of the month has in store for gamers.

Destiny 2 on PlayStation 4

Last week, when Destiny 2 first started rolling out around the world, I shared my initial thoughts on Bungie’s latest outing. I was quite impressed with the steps forward that the developer has taken from the first game. The worlds felt more inviting, activities were both more challenging and more rewarding, and there was a story, a legitimate story, starting to blossom within the actual game. I didn’t have to step away from my PS4 and check in some Grimoire to seek out the meaning of something I found, it was just there. Yet I needed more time. I needed to see if I was just wearing rose-colored glasses, overly grateful for the improvements brought to the universe.

Destiny 2 is very similar to the first game. A lot of the structure is the same, the controls are pretty much identical, and if you enter any of the menus as a veteran player you won’t be lost at all. Even the ebb and flow of gameplay, as well as the grind, is reminiscent of Destiny 2’s predecessor. These were things I knew going in, and to be honest I was a bit worried. The original Destiny had this cycle of playing the content, grinding to a cap, then taking a break until the next expansion or major update. Many players had their fill of the first Destiny after the first few weeks. It wasn’t that it stopped being fun, it just stopped being engaging.

Skyburner’s Oath (Solar Scout Rifle)

The next seven exotics we’ll be listing in this article are among the best of the best when it comes to dealing with hordes of adds, bosses, and Cabal enemies. While you don’t necessarily need any of these weapons to complete the Leviathan Raid in Destiny 2, they definitely do help out a bit. Still, skill trumps gear, so play with what you’ve got if you don’t have certain items on this list. 

Rat King (Kinetic Sidearm)

Top 10 Best Exotic Weapons in Destiny 2

Weapon Perks:

Over the course of Destiny’s life a lot of its praise and criticisms have centered on how the game rewarded players. One of the first massive gripes levied against the title revolved around the Cryptarch and how engrams would sometimes decrypt as a lower rarity or you wouldn’t see any increase in Light. Another major issue was addressed around the time of Rise of Iron, where Bungie provided more options for players to reach that pinnacle Light Level without being restricted to just one or two game modes. Yet, even with all the fixes, things still aren’t as rewarding as they could have been in Destiny 1. Yet, from what we’ve played of Destiny 2 thus far, the developers seem to finally be tackling this issue head on in a way that is a definite plus for the player.

First is the amount of loot you get while playing.  You’ll get some type of reward from every single thing you do, though it’s not always necessarily weapons or armor. Things like Tokens (which are used to level up specific vendors), consumables, and more are common rewards for your efforts. And while they may not be gear you can equip then and there, a lot of what you find, especially Tokens, help contribute to your endgame gear acquisition overall. Collect enough Tokens and you can get a legendary package from its respective vendor. Even loot you find but can’t use can be broken down and used to level up the Gunsmith who will give you exotics with each new milestone.

At the end of The Taken King’s raid, King’s Fall, players officially defeat Oryx and send his corpse hurtling towards Saturn. Eris Morn sticks around, but an ending after the main story shows that her loyalties lie with a queen. From that point on, many players felt that the Taken would somehow be tied to Eris, especially after noticing that when Destiny 2 starts, she’s nowhere to be found. When asked, Cayde-6, and some other NPCs, state that she hasn’t been seen since Ghaul took over the city. So her whereabouts are a mystery.