Batman: Arkham Knight
The fourth installment in the "Batman: Arkham" series, "Batman: Arkham Knight" was the first in the franchise developed for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. As such, the game is absolutely gorgeous.
In addition to climbing and gliding across Gotham, this game marks the debut of the Batmobile, allowing you to charge through the streets blazingly fast. When the going gets tough, however, the Batmobile transforms into a tank mode that lets you maneuver more deftly through the city's winding corridors.
"Batman: Arkham Knight" also features incredible voice acting across the board, especially from Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, who perfectly nail the chemistry between Batman and The Joker (respectively).
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Child of Light
"Child of Light" is an unusually intimate and beautiful game unlike anything else you've ever played.
It's structured like a fairytale, meaning all the characters speak in rhyme, and the art style looks like it was carefully painted by hand with watercolor.
You play as Aurora, a young girl stranded in the middle of a fantastical world trying to find her family and return home. Along the way, you'll meet magical creatures, fight evil goblins and demons, slowly unraveling the mysteries of where you are and how to escape.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Dishonored: Definitive Edition
When "Dishonored" came out in 2012, critics were blown away by its ability to seamlessly blend stealth and action gameplay.
You play an assassin framed for the murder of Dunwall's Empress, and it's your job to set the record straight. Whether you do so vengefully or with tact is up to you.
Rather than have highly structured levels with just one solution, "Dishonored" lets you choose how to proceed: take out enemies one-by-one without ever being detected, or blast in and use any number of supernatural abilities at your disposal.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Dragon Age: Inquisition
If you've been itching for more high fantasy in your life, look no further than "Dragon Age: Inquisition."
This massive role-playing game comes courtesy of BioWare, a game company famous for its skill at telling stories of such a high quality that someone walking by might think you were watching the latest episode of "Game of Thrones."
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
Far Cry 4
"Far Cry 4" came out fairly soon after the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One came out, so a lot of people who purchased their systems recently missed out on this excellent game.
This explosive and thrilling first-person adventure game pits you against both man and nature for survival in the fictional Himalayan country of Kyrat — and it doesn't hurt that it's absolutely stunning to look at.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Final Fantasy X|X-2 HD Remaster
Getting either "Final Fantasy X" or "Final Fantasy X-2" on their own for less than $20 would be a steal, but you can get the remastered versions of both together for an incredible price right now.
Both games are excellent, offering massive and epic storylines. And with their updated graphics and sound, they look great.
Platform: PlayStation 4
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
This remaster of a gaming classic from 2006 recently got a complete visual overhaul, and right now, it's at the perfect price to grab if you have yet to play it.
You play Marcus Fenix, a soldier who leads "Delta Team" — an elite group of soldiers tasked with destroying a bunch of creepy alien creatures called the Locust Horde.
It's dark, it's gritty, and you get to shoot a bunch of alien bug things with giant ridiculous weapons. What's not to love?
Platform: Xbox One
Infamous: Second Son
"Infamous: Second Son" puts you in control of Delsin Rowe, a young troublemaker who discovers he has supernatural powers.
He's not the only one who's recently acquired powers, and that puts a giant target on their backs. It's not long before the Department of Unified Protection starts to use any means necessary to capture and control everyone exhibiting special abilities.
Use your newfound powers (which you can customize and change on-the-fly) to fight back against the D.U.P. in a beautiful and amazingly accurate re-creation of Seattle, Washington.
Platform: PlayStation 4
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
"LEGO Marvel Super Heroes" — aside from being one of the only good Marvel games to come out in recent memory — is adorable, fun, and offers a ton of replayability to ensure that even if you complete the main story, there are still a ton of secrets to uncover.
This game has an insanely massive character roster: You can play recognizable Marvel characters like Iron Man, The Hulk, and Black Widow, but you can also play obscure characters like Moon Knight and Squirrel Girl.
The LEGO art style means that enemies explode in showers of bricks and LEGO pieces, so it's a perfect candidate to pop in your game console during a family game night.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U, PC.
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
"Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor" takes place in the Lord of the Rings universe. You play as Talion, who, along with his entire family, is murdered by agents of Sauron.
Talion's spirit merges with that of a mysterious being, allowing him to walk the line between life and death, putting a number of supernatural ghostly abilities at his disposal with which to avenge his family.
Additionally, "Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor" has an innovative nemesis system, meaning that if you ever encounter an enemy who later runs away, the next time you see each other, he'll remember you and want revenge.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Minecraft
"Minecraft" is one of those video game staples that everyone needs to own — it provides a giant open sandbox in which to play, create, and explore.
Rather than give players strict gameplay objectives, the point of "Minecraft" is to build your own worlds. It's kind of like a video game version of LEGO.
If you want to learn more about "Minecraft," check out Ben Gilbert's excellent article on what makes this modern classic so special.
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
Ori and the Blind Forest
"Ori and the Blind Forest" is a beautiful and deceptively challenging puzzle platforming game.
The gameplay is inspired by classics like "Super Metroid" and "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past," but its art direction is inspired by animated films like "Spirited Away" and "The Lion King."
This combination of brutally difficult platforming with a painterly animated art style comes together beautifully in a game that ends up being unexpectedly poignant.
Platform: Xbox One
Rayman Legends
If you long for the golden age of 2D sidescrolling platformers a la "Super Mario Bros.," you can't miss out on "Rayman Legends."
The game has a wonderful illustrative art style that looks like it was ripped straight out of a storybook, and its intricately designed levels are deceptively difficult to master.
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Wii U
Sunset Overdrive
"Sunset Overdrive" bucks the trend of dark and gritty post-apocalyptic settings — instead of imagining the end of the world as being a terrible catastrophe, "Sunset Overdrive" shows a world that's ready to party.
Its vibrant color palette and wacky fourth-wall-breaking sense of humor make this game a must-buy.
"Sunset Overdrive" is made by the same people behind the "Ratchet and Clank" series, so there are a wide variety of both goofy and totally badass weapons to choose from, including a rocket launcher that shoots explosive teddy bears.
Platform: Xbox One
Super Mario 3D World
"Super Mario 3D World" is one of the best games for Wii U — it offers the high-quality platforming fun that comes standard in almost every Nintendo product, with the added bonus of allowing up to four players to play together.
Unlike classic sidescrolling Mario titles, "Super Mario 3D World" boasts, as you might expect, fully three-dimensional levels for you to explore.
Along the way, you'll pick up bizarre items that clone your character or turn you into a cat capable of scaling walls and pouncing on enemies.
Platform: Wii U
The Wolf Among Us
If you're getting sick of mindlessly blasting zombies in every other video game, give "The Wolf Among Us" a try. This video game adaptation of a comic book series is much more narrative-based than just about anything else on the market.
You play as Bigby Wolf (a humanoid version of The Big Bad Wolf) trying to get to the bottom of a string of brutal murders in Fabletown, a secret community of fairytale characters hidden in plain sight in the middle of Manhattan.
The meat of the game focuses on unraveling its intricate story, so you'll be interrogating witnesses like Snow White and Ichabod Crane, deciding whether to be aggressive or whether to take a more careful and subtle approach.
Every action you take will have repercussions down the line, so choose your words carefully.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition
Lara Croft, one of gaming's biggest icons, made a return to form in 2013 with an all-new reboot simply titled "Tomb Raider."
In "Tomb Raider," we travel with Lara through her first big adventure, learning how she transformed from a young archaeologist into the gun-toting badass we all know and love. As such, we see a much more humanized and vulnerable Lara which makes for a truly compelling experience.
Right now, you can get the remastered version of this modern masterpiece for less than $20.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Wolfenstein: The New Order
This first-person shooter is absolutely bonkers.
"Wolfenstein: The New Order" takes place in the 1960s and imagines an alternate history in which Nazi Germany won WWII. It's over-the-top, violent, and has a wickedly twisted sense of humor.
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
Rare Replay
Just one awesome game for less than $20 is a good deal, but "Rare Replay" is a collection of 30 of Rare's best games from the past several decades.
This massive collection includes classics like "Conker's Bad Fur Day," "Banjo-Kazooie," and "Battletoads," all lovingly gathered for the Xbox One. So, whether you're replaying your favorite games from the '90s or introducing your kid to them for the first time, it's hard to go wrong.
Platform: Xbox One
Buy it on Amazon.
The Last of Us: Remastered
In this action-adventure game, you play as Joel, a widower trying to survive in the wake of the collapse of human civilization at the hands of a ruthless virus. In his adventures, Joel is tasked with caring for a young girl named Ellie, who he ends up forming a bond with over the course of the game.
Through conversations, you learn more about each character and watch their relationship evolve over time. Aside from being a fantastic story, it's also one of the most beautiful games to ever come to PlayStation consoles.
Platform: PlayStation 4