Wolfenstein II's stealth, gunplay, sprawling levels, and different abilities offer plenty of scope for a variety of player approaches, while its excellent writing and voice acting serve a great story that successfully manages to blend an often serious tone with moments of levity and pulp. It's an affecting yet cathartic title, and one of the very best games out this year.
Star Wars Battlefront II's campaign is merely okay, and its multiplayer is hamstrung by an awful upgrade system. There's also the spectre of loot boxes hanging over it like a Lightsaber of Damocles. However, it looks and sounds amazing, and gameplay-wise delivers the goods.
When it's on song, the game is immersive and intriguing; at other times, it can be deathly dull. It's nice to see an RPG trying to do something a bit different and succeeding in many ways, but KC:D has an unfortunate "hmm, I wish this was Skyrim" vibe that many gamers may find difficult to shake off.
Far Cry 5 is a handsome, mechanically dazzling, engaging title fused to story that doesn't deliver despite early promise.
Space Hulk: Tactics is probably the best video game adaption of the classic board game yet, with decent presentation and some welcome additions. But the faithfulness of its adaption only highlights the limited "tactics" offered by the board game's basic setup, and its lower budget makes for a lack of polish in some areas. Strategy buffs may be diverted for a bit, but won't fall in love.
8-Bit Hordes is a pleasantly diverting and fast-paced “blast”-style throwback to the heyday of the RTS, with plenty of charm. It's also easy to pick up and play. But its major lack of depth will turn off hardcore strategy fans, and several annoyances detract from what would otherwise be a polished product.
Far Cry: New Dawn offers fans of the series much of what they have come to like about it and does some good work as a direct sequel, but its reduced scope has led to some changes that are not for the better, and it definitely stands as a minor entry
World War Z is probably actually up there as film tie-in games go, and is capable of offering some nifty zombie action that can get your pulse racing. But once you've seen its tricks, it all gets a bit samey fast - faster because we've seen something very similar before - and it's hard to imagine it having much of a shelf life
Rad isn't really dramatically reinventing any wheels, but it's the perfect wee game to have sitting on your HD for some casual fun. You can bust out a run in its delightfully weird world in an hour or so and have a slightly different experience each time. It may not inspire the sort of rabid devotion of something like Spelunky, but it's a great gaming snack between meals.
Gears 5 is a return to form for the venerable series, and though some new ideas and better writing aren't quite executed to perfection, they bring a welcome sense of freshness to a series where the fundamentals are as strong as ever.