For the uninitiated into the grand strategy genre this might be a daunting order, but for those who are it's a wonderful entry that shines. Both full of detail and freedom and simple enjoyment. Its faults are few, though frustrating when they rear their heads, and it's much easier to find enjoyable, happy things in it than anything bad. A delight to play.
As a Total War game, Total War: Warhammer comes off as being a bit confined in terms of bounds, yet varied within said bounds. Boasting a lot of options, it is a genuinely enjoyable experience as it does take advantage of its licence. As a Warhammer title, it is a solid and enjoyable experience even if it's quite clear a lot was filed off either to make it work as a game or for future DLC. As a whole? It's a good new direction for the series to head in, and, hopefully, will let it expand beyond the confines of history into new, fantastical realms.
Overwatch has all the glitz and polish expected of a Blizzard game, with all the usual underlying quality. It is highly unlikely that this game will go under or stop being supported, as well. However, its volume of content is a bit questionable for a game that costs $40 to even play. With that said, every other aspect shines, and is helped heavily by its unique MOBA-esque character system and the ability to switch in the middle of a map. It has been said that new champions and the like will be free, and if that's true, Overwatch will only climb uphill.
Attack on Titan has, arguably, the best possible flaw: a desire for more of it! With some fast-paced and outright enjoyable fighting, the game is an outright joy. The story won't hold much surprise for fans, but, at the same time, it's still a good one. The question really isn't so much 'Is it enjoyable?' but 'Is it long enough to justify a purchase?' Sadly, the answer isn't clear enough of a yes, but almost everything else is very solid and well-made.
Runbow is simply a pleasant and enjoyable game. Between the colourful and pleasing levels, good balance in difficulty, and solid multiplayer, it's a joy to play, and is outright beautiful in its simplicity.
While Total War: Attila is a glorified expansion, it is a glorified good expansion, as it brings forth plenty of refinement and ideas… just not enough to make it a distinctly different game from its predecessor. Even so, it's still a wonderfully solid and enjoyable title, and still worth its price to newcomers of the series. For people who already own Rome II, it might be worth waiting for the price to drop, but, ultimately, it is a game that should be gotten.
Heroes of the Storm is a well-made game all around. While it has its downsides, the upsides most certainly outweigh them, and make it a stunning game regardless. Its faults lie mainly in how it can often be a bit too fluid, making it hard to form set strategies, as things can be shaken up a bit too much. However, it does manage to remain true to the basic MOBA formula, while finding its own very distinct, new ways of approaching it.
In the end, the real question is not 'Is Ys VI a quality title?' but 'Is it worth its asking price?' Solid action, well-utilised visuals, and a great soundtrack make The Ark of Napishtim a more than solid title on the whole for someone who is walking in knowing what to expect it is. For those looking for a longer adventure, despite its charm, they would be better off looking elsewhere for their jollies.
The reasoning for such high praise of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn should be obvious. At the end of the day, the simple fact is that Square Enix actually put in effort and care and managed to craft something that truly is Final Fantasy through and through. It would have been so easy to declare this game a lost cause or just do the minimal amount of work to make it viable, but, instead, the developers dedicated themselves to turning this MMO on its head - and they succeeded.
Crusader Kings III is a massive step up in all regards featuring many QoL changes and improvements. While some features, such as the character designer, are sorely missed, the major improvements, refinements, and the like, ensure that fans of the series will almost certainly enjoy the new title. While it is more welcoming to newcomers than prior entries, it may still be too dense for those not interested in the heavy political focus of the franchise.
With the build-up of two prior games to firmly provide a foundation, some truly dark and disturbing moments, emotional highs, strong character connections, and overall glimmer of hope, there is no doubt as to what the final score could be for Muv-Luv Alternative. To consider it anything less than wonderful is to short-sell it due to its powerful moments and well-written plot.
Honestly, this review could go on a lot more, but so much of it is attention to details and improvements on the prior title that it would miss the point. That point being that Total War: Warhammer II is a game where you can have a T-Rex throw down with a Wizard. There are great strategy elements, the new vortex victory is a great refresher from normal conquest types, and the new races are all great; but reading this review means missing out on the dino action. Still reading?
Stormblood is simply amazing. Not much more can be said about it. With a very well-crafted story, some tense and epic battles, two new classes, and wonderful zones, saying anything else would ruin so much of the expansion and what makes it great.
What more can really be said? Everyone was expecting a nice and self-contained story at best, a bit of a romp, and nothing exceptional. Getting a well-crafted story, developers learning how to up their game to create intense battles from their prior experiences, and so many other improvements, was simply not expected. There is a distinct rift in quality between the base game and this expansion, and considering A Realm Reborn was already very good, this new rift showcases just how great Heavensward is.