Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory has been long time coming. Even with its faults, Square Enix and indieszero deliver a rhythmic fantasia that captures the series' music at its very best.
It's taken a long time to get here but The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 4 is a well-rounded experience, brimming with memorable characters, storylines and world-building. Despite a few stumbles in pacing and localization, not to mention performance issues, it's an incredible role-playing experience.
Serious Sam 4 won't rewrite the book for narrative FPS campaigns and that's perfectly fine. It sticks close to the series' roots while offering some contemporary improvements and improved presentation. If you're hankering for some straightforward shooting action that doesn't take itself too seriously, Sam "Serious" Stone's got your back.
Surgeon Simulator 2 leverages its predecessor's unique gameplay into a full-fledged experience with a story and co-op. Despite some positives here and there, annoying controls, boring puzzles and tedious gameplay make for an overall trying time.
Wasteland 3 is a heady crescendo of post-apocalyptic story-telling. Its combat is compelling and fun while its characters and overall plot are engrossing, even when it goes to some dark places. A must-play for tactical RPG fans.
No matter how you spin it, Fast and Furious Crossroads is just plain bad in nearly every way.
Disintegration is a straightforward experiment that offers an intriguing if derivative world to explore and characters to like. Its FPS/strategy mix of gameplay is inherently limited, especially in multiplayer, but the campaign still makes for an enjoyable romp.
Despite some interesting ideas, Someday You'll Return is much less than the sum of its parts. It's not unplayable or a buggy mess but fails to really conjure any kind of intrigue or dread despite its attempts.
Despite its setting, XCOM: Chimera Squad is very much a spin-off from the main series. Its RPG-like characterizations and new mechanics gel well, even if it lacks some of the more defining features of its predecessors. Well worth a look, especially for those seeking a faster-paced tactical experience.
It's been a long, long wait but Black Mesa is here. If you've never experienced Valve's original masterpiece, want to wax nostalgic about real story-telling in an FPS, or just want an excellent game to play, Black Mesa is where it's at.
Mandate of Heaven may not be a total overhaul to the series' formula but it still offers a lot of new things. The familiar map and lackluster new units are offset by the entertaining new styles of play, new heroes and interesting events. Definitely worth checking out if you've been itching to get back into Three Kingdoms.
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep is a decent start for the next year of content, banking heavily on nostalgia and few mechanics. If you just want an excuse to play Destiny, it should suffice.
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne has everything that a fan could possibly want - challenging monsters, tons of new weapons and armor, an incredibly in-depth combat system with even more nuance thanks to new moves and mechanics, and a boat-load of new quests. The typical annoyances remain but don't let that stop you from undertaking this icy exodus.
Despite concerns with the shift in setting, Age of Wonders: Planetfall presents a fun, 4X-style turn-based strategy experience. It's already stellar combat is bolstered by some solid diplomatic options, excellent race design and well-designed environments.
Total War: Three Kingdoms could have scraped by with minimal new features. Thankfully, it combines the Three Kingdoms universe with a bevy of compelling features and improvements to deliver a worthy follow-up in the series.
The mystery unravels at a decent pace in Close to the Sun but limited gameplay, some flat characters and a fairly uncompelling narrative make it passable at best.
Anno 1800 nails its gameplay loop with aplomb while adding plenty of new features to expand it further. From the grand aesthetic to the rich atmosphere and gameplay depth, Blue Byte's latest is a return to form for the franchise.
Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition is more than a blast from the past - it's a compelling game in its own right. Though it serves as more of a base for greater things than a pinnacle for the genre, there's still plenty of shooting, looting and Vault Hunting to be had.
Returning to what made fans fall in love with the series, Tropico 6 is an endearing, personality-filled city-builder that lets you think outside of the box. El Presidente has never looked this good, bribes or no.
Tetris Effect isn't just Tetris as you remember it. It's a completely new experience that's meditative at times and wholly engulfing in others. Whether you like it challenging or enrapturing, Tetris Effect will appeal to the fan in you.