The Ascent carries a sense of ever-present strife and conflict. It's gory, like a classic '90s video game. And it's an absolute blast.

The Mr. X Nightmare update makes the beat-’em-up gameplay of Streets of Rage 4 even more playable with power-ups that can turn a player’s fighters into virtual gods.

Skyward Sword HD has either directly addressed serious issues in the initial 2011 release, or made enough changes to soften what problems remain in the core game. 

While independent games long ago helped popularize the idea of concocting digital worlds built primarily for exploration, a so-called “wholesome games” movement has created a makeshift genre that’s brought more visibility to games in which the joy is uncovering a universe rather than obliterating it, often with ideas on how to be better custodians of our current one.

Monster Hunter Stories 2 is all about hunting ferocious monsters, many of whom are ugly as sin. But the Stories spin off tales that deepen the game’s lore while maintaining its famously playful charm.

Sumire is undoubtedly a kid-friendly game, but it is not childish. The feelings it touches on suggest the sort of wisdom an adult might look to pass on to a child to prepare her for a world that is beautiful as well as disappointing.

The strength of Mario Golf: Super Rush is in its core mechanics. And, of course, the cuteness of its iconic characters.

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, the 17th game in the series about an adventurous tinkerer and his robot companion, is another lighthearted adventure that coasts on lame jokes and madcap action sequences.