Smart attention to details like zoning and policy decisions make Cities: Skyline the most authentic city-builder you can play.
Minor refinements have noticeable impact on MLB 15: The Show, another rousing simulation of the national pastime.
Speedy arena combat and a cartoon personality make The Weaponographist a retro-flavored dungeon worth crawling.
Magicka: Wizard Wars does a lot of things right, but there is too little under the cowl.
Magic combat and co-op play remain brilliant in Magicka 2, but the sadistic solo experience along with a few bugs and design problems cause some of this spell to fizzle.
Atmosphere and a good story make the tactical RPG Legends of Eisenwald a compelling trip back to Germany in the Middle Ages.
Blues and Bullets makes its debut with a stylish first episode that sets a striking—if slightly uneven and glitchy—crime noir tone.
Hacking and slashing are the highlights of a so-so expedition to the Deep Roads in the Descent DLC for Dragon Age: Inquisition
It's easy to sell the first installment of The White March short when comparing it to the main game, because it just feels like more of the same. While that isn't a deal breaker, as the adventures here would have fit almost seamlessly into Pillars of Eternity proper, this first expansion is a little too predictable and a little too rough around the edges.
After Dark may not be a revolutionary addition to Cities: Skylines, but the number of impressive new features and enhancements offered here is more than good enough to get my vote again.
The revived King's Quest takes a step back in Rubble Without a Cause, the oddly depressing second chapter in this modern take on the legendary Sierra adventures from the 1980s.
Hard West is a satisfyingly creepy mash-up of six-gun horror and tactical combat.
The White March Part II wraps up the Pillars of Eternity saga with heavy combat and a one-note mythological quest.
Fortified has an impressive pulp sci-fi pedigree and speedy co-op play, but the blending of shoot-em-up and tower defense gameplay stumbles.
With the addition of Snowfall on top of the After Dark expansion released last fall, Cities: Skylines is starting to take shape as an expansive city-building franchise that offers something for any wannabe mayor. One caveat here is that you don't really get a tremendous amount of content, and that what's present is pretty much relegated in specific maps, leaving the impact of this expansion on the overall game fairly minimal. That said, the winter wonderland atmosphere does freshen up the visuals so even while this expansion is not essential, spending a little time in a virtual snow globe city remains awfully appealing.
Hack and slash your way through the brilliantly realized horror-fantasy world of Grim Dawn, an instant classic in the action RPG genre.
Another year of subtle improvements and gameplay additions make MLB The Show 16 a must-buy for baseball fans.
Baldur’s Gate gets an impressive expansion in Siege of Dragonspear, a new D&D epic that fills some blanks in the original saga after nearly 20 years.
Tower defense goes to the stars with Space Run Galaxy, a game that blends tactical thinking, twitch action, and starship trucking.
Roguelike hack-and-slasher Necropolis offers intense combat and a quirky setting, along with repetition, confusion, and permadeath difficulty.