With 'Dragon Age: Inquisition' BioWare delivers the very best entry in the series - and one of their best RPGs - to date.
'Refreshing' could be applied to several aspects of the game's design, with performances and an attention to detail that place it among – if not ahead – of the franchise's best. And with no discernible shortcomings when placed next to its American-Revolution-predecessor, Black Flag is the step into next-gen that many fans have been waiting for.
The Walking Dead showed that mainstream audiences had long overlooked what classic adventure games had to offer; The Wolf Among Us proves that the best from Telltale is yet to come.
Episode 4 packs enough subtlety and top-notch cinematic storytelling to convince players that the final chapter of Bigby's case will be more than worth the wait (if not a second playthrough).
XCOM 2 hits Xbox One and PS4, letting console gamers feel the tension, desperation, and satisfaction of strategy for themselves.
Long beloved as one of LucasArts' best adventure games, 'Grim Fandango' receives a brand new remaster keeping the original spirit - and difficulty - intact.
MachineGames has accomplished their task of bringing some dignity back to the franchise, delivering a shooter that gets more right than many of its better-funded, blockbuster peers. Shooter fans may have had their doubts, but would be wise to play The New Order sooner rather than later.
It may seem less of a fairy tale, but it's still one accomplished story. And with gameplay that is both approachable and engaging without sacrificing depth, the team at Supergiant have shown that they're just getting started.
In the end, Ubisoft used an established combat and traversal system to tell a story set in an explosive and ugly period in history. And by letting the gameplay do the talking, it largely succeeds.
The online experiences may be underwhelming or downright frustrating for some, but that's not enough to overshadow the strong precedent Ghost Games has set for the next generation of online racers.
'Forza Horizon 2' has delivered an over the top, open world hit for the Xbox One.
South Park: The Stick of Truth defies the odds simply by doing the brand justice, but also sets a standard that future South Park games (or DLC) can aspire to. It's not perfect, but it is the game South Park fans have waited for, beyond a doubt.
Turn 10 may not have crafted the biggest, boldest, and most definitive Forza experience with Forza 5, but they have delivered one of the Xbox One's best titles so far. Not to mention a breath of fresh air for the franchise's devoted fan base, and a promising step forward for the series as whole.
Telltale has kept up its quality of writing, atmosphere and mystery, beginning to tie together story threads while heightening anticipation even further. However, there's no question that the relatively slower, methodical pace of this episode will leave less of an impact on some players. Those who favor a slow burn will still welcome the experience, but if Telltale hadn't made audiences wait four months to play this episode, they would have had a much easier time keeping both groups happy.
The first episode, "Faith" plants many seeds that we expect to see return in later installments, but so far, the new episodic series is off to an impressive start. Offering an experience that new Telltale fans are sure to eat up, an adaptation of "Fables" that the comic's fans will approve of, and a story sure to scratch the itch of mystery fans, The Wolf Among Us has already put The Walking Dead in good company.
Forza Horizon 3 takes the franchise's action to Australia, turning in a racing experience so refined... we don't know what's next.
The game that launched the 'Resident Evil' series' HD overhaul brings it up to date for newcomers, but doesn't change enough to make it worthwhile for veterans.
'Tales From The Borderlands' brings the franchise's trademark humor to a new genre - even if it's not what Telltale fans have come to expect.
The mystery is what drives The Wolf Among Us, with the many colorful characters, suspects, and witnesses encountered along the way heightening the overall experience and imbuing it with undeniable style. But with a two-month layoff, the connections to Episode 2 will seem more tenuous than the storytellers would likely wish. So whether that means players should hold off to play the game through in one extended setting, or simply replay past chapters and refresh their memory, it shows just how distinct The Wolf Among Us is from its zombie colleague.
As it stands, Resident Evil 4 is as strong an experience as it was in 2005, no matter how pretty it looks. But as the "ultimate edition" of the game, this port stumbles where it doesn't have to, and invites criticism instead of silencing it once and for all. A shame, but for those who never played through the title, or those thinking of strolling (or sprinting) down memory lane, this one is a no-brainer.