Halo Wars 2 is an RTS for the layman. Easy-to-learn mechanics and basic micromanagement keep the game interesting and engaging, but it lacks the strategic depth to keep hardcore RTS fans invested for long.
Gears of War 4 offers brutish new weapons, new monster fodder, and excellent multiplayer modes, but the game drops the ball by introducing weak characters and a predictable story.
Dragon's Dogma nails combat and adventure, though it misses the mark somewhat with its story elements. If you overlook the game's rougher edges, you're in for great over-the-top action and high adventure.
Transformers: Devastation plays it safe when compared with other Platinum Games titles. It borrows and streamlines gameplay mechanics from other games, but makes the experience satisfying nonetheless.
Garden Warfare 2 fleshes out the team-based shooting antics of the original with new characters, fresh game modes, and a richer single-player experience.
High-flying martial arts action, excellent art, and years of polish and content updates make Blade & Soul's Western launch well worth the wait.
Despite its rougher edges, Mass Effect: Andromeda is a fine third-person shooter that features terrific space exploration. If you can overlook the clunky menus and graphics issues, you're in for some fun space hijinks.
A visual tour de force, Uncharted 4 rarely drops its cinematic facade and reminds you that it's a video game. The visuals and presentation elevate the fairly ho-hum gameplay.
Final fantasy XV has solid open-world exploration, enjoyable action, and plenty of content, but it's packaged together with awkward gameplay decisions and a mess of a story.
Star Wars: Battlefront is a decent shooter that injects a handful of gimmicks to keep the gameplay interesting. However a lack of variety in the maps, game modes, guns, and character development prevents the game from reaching its potential.
Wasteland 2 is a wonderful post-apocalyptic classic RPG romp through the radioactive dunes of Arizona and California. The game is unabashedly old school with its lack of hand-holding and harsh scenarios.
Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham delivers exactly what you would expect from a Lego game: simple combat, light-hearted storytelling, and lots of smashing and collecting. Some rough edges sully the overall enjoyment, however.
Iron From Ice, the first chapter in Telltale Games's Game of Thrones series, lays down a great foundation. The presentation suffers from weak visuals, but the story scenarios, intense rhetorical dueling, and dynamic protagonist perspectives recreate a world rich with intrigue and drama.
Sea of Stars is a vibrant, beautiful RPG that's packed with gameplay conventions from yesteryear, but it has enough flair to stand out from its inspirations.
Final Fantasy XVI for the PlayStation 5 marries iconic series elements with brutal political intrigue and intense action to create a gripping entry unlike any other in the franchise.
Wild Hearts is a refreshing take on monster hunting that features huge creatures, cool weapons, and highly useful support systems.
Hi–Fi Rush drums new life into the action genre with fun cartoon-like visuals, excellent music, rhythm-focused gameplay twists, and addictive melee combat.
The Dead Space remake is a brilliant shooter that once again delivers gruesome body horror and satisfying gunplay, but spices up the familiar elements with new weapons and frights.
Crisis Core Reunion is a thoughtful, high-quality remaster of the PSP classic. The main story remains melodramatic, but the revamped battle mechanics deliver lots of baddie-bashing fun.
Rumbleverse might be a ridiculous, cartoony dust-storm of wrestling action, but it's shockingly fun and extremely balanced. A few hit detection issues aside, the free-to-play game is one of the most addicting and accessible melee-focused battle royale titles around.