If you enjoyed the first Pillars of Eternity, then there's a damn good chance you'll mine even more enjoyment out of the sequel. Quite a few of the smaller niggling issues that hampered the first game have been addressed, and you're certainly not as burdened to remember nearly as much history to understand character motivations. If you're new to the franchise, you'll be a bit under pressure to read up on characters and events from the first game, but it caters to new players (or those who have simply forgotten everything from the first game) well enough, is one of the best story-telling experiences I've had in recent memory, and is otherwise bloody fantastic isometric RPG.
The historical strategy game's enjoyable combat is let down by some frustrating bugs, and a tutorial that rushes through itself. In the end, Numantia really does feel like it needs one or two more rounds of good polish. Still, if you're a fan of hex-based combat and you're willing to push through all those issues, there's a good game lying beneath.
The areas in which Total War: Warhammer 2 improves on its formula are plentiful, resulting in one best put together Total War games to be released. While the fantastical Warhammer setting won't appeal to some, particularly a few of those who've enjoyed Total War's previous historical releases and were expecting more, it's wonderful to see the wonderful world of Warhammer come to love so expertly and vividly. If you've played and enjoyed Total War: Warhammer 1, then it's a near given that you'll love what's on offer here.
Dawn of War III is a solid entry into the series, the campaign is a refreshing and well-built return to form. I've had as much, if not more fun in multiplayer than I've had in the previous games. All that remains now is to wait for the inevitable expansions, desperately hoping they bring your favourite faction back (c'mon Tau and Necrons!)
It’s rare that a game allows me to use my failures within itself to build a unique narrative, and that in itself allowed me to approach Torment: Tides of Numenara from a new light. Ironically, the lack of a Game Over led me to be more cautious as I know the world has evolved, even if just by a tiny bit, as a result of my failures.
Slight frustrations aside, I’ve really enjoyed Battlefleet Gothic: Armada. It’s a fantastic micromanagement heavy “naval” skirmish game that drips with the Warhammer 40k flavor. It’s always great to see a genuinely good Warhammer game, particularly a 40k one, that’s not something of a throwaway these days.
Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is a fantastic Homeworld game, and a fantastic RTS game in its own right. It's a great middle point between the classic formula and the rather intimidating full three dimension movement of the franchise, as well as just being a damned good RTS in a time when games in the genre are an increasingly rare sight.
Pillars of Eternity is a wondrous return to form, the latest and greatest from a recent move to revisit RPG classics. It's certainly the best RPG experience I've had for many years, and a massive part of that is how it approaches its story telling. If you enjoyed the Infinity engine games, you will have an absolutely fantastic time with Pillars of Eternity. It's a huge reminder of all the things I never knew I sorely missed from the roleplaying genre.
The huge amount of work that went into modernising and reinterpreting the many visuals, from the ships to the wonderfully abstract nebulous backdrops feel like a massive love letter to both the original game, and to the fans who love it.