Pairing the tactical brilliance of the Total War series with the rich lore of the Warhammer universe is a natural fit, and Total War: Warhammer 2 fulfills the promise of that combination. It is a deep and challenging experience with an epic story to tell. It is also one of the most overwrought games of the year, a game where complexity seems to be piled on for complexity's sake.
In XCOM 2: War of the Chosen, fighting a losing battle might be just as much fun as fighting and winning.
I grew attached to Duskers through fuzzy, real-time surveillance footage
Stellaris isn't astounding yet, but in time, it may just get there
In spite of a few glaring technical issues, XCOM 2 represents a high water mark for the entire franchise. Firaxis successfully tells an evocative story. It treats players with respect and includes so many small quality of life improvements over the original they are simply too numerous to mention. It is challenging enough at its basic difficulty level to feel like a complete experience. Despite the bugs, it's still the best-looking, most exciting turn-based tactical game I've ever played.
Tropico 5 made me feel powerful in the worst way
Banished is a deep, difficult exercise in survival
World of Warplanes needs some tune-ups before it can soar