While the AI features touted by Microsoft's Copilot PCs are a flat miss, the new Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite hardware inside Copilot PCs is a definite win. Finally, after more than a decade of effort, Windows on Arm is a viable alternative to traditional x86 processors--and it's especially alluring if you long for longer battery life. There's reason to be skeptical., Games are often developed with a highly specific platform target. Even ports that seem simple, like a move from PlayStation 5 to Xbox Series X S, can take a lot more effort than you might think.

It's been a terrible year for game developers, but an amazing year for games. There were some missteps along the way -- if you'd asked me to predict this list a year ago, I would've mentioned both Redfall and Starfield -- but overall it's been a packed year unusually low on disappointment. We've never tried to name a single title as "the Game of the Year." Instead, it's become a tradition to get the whole team together to talk about our individual favorites. So here are those games, presented in alphabetical order to avoid hurting any of our writers' feelings. Feel free to sound off about what your favorites are in the comments; there are no wrong answers. I rarely have time to finish games these days, but I devoured Alan Wake 2 in just a few weeks. For me and my limited gaming time, that felt miraculous. I'll admit, I'm a mark for Remedy Entertainment. I've been following its work since the first Max Payne arrived on PCs in 2001, right as I was gearing up to head to college and building my first desktop PC. Yah, I was one of the cool kids on campus..) Max Payne blew me away with its fluid slow-motion gunplay mechanics and immersive narrative. As a lifelong console gamer until then, it was a big step forward from something like Tomb Raider.

When a video game is successful, a string of sequels is usually inevitable. With fans clamoring for more, developers want to deliver. Sometimes these follow-ups run out of ideas, and many series overstay their welcome, but some are gone too soon. We've handpicked a few franchises that disappeared abruptly despite their success. All of them deserve a reboot, a remake, or a remaster.

The remaster has a huge, overwhelming legacy to live up to. While "Diablo III" is now thought of as an exemplar in the genre and Blizzard's history, it previewed and launched under immense criticism due to how many aesthetic and gameplay changes it made from "Diablo II." It felt faster, and added a dodge mechanic so the game felt more like an action brawler. The characters looked cartoonishly like "Warcraft" creatures. "Diablo II: Resurrected" seeks to retain the darker, gothic appearance of the original two games.