Some story reveals aren't expounded on nearly enough for my taste, and I certainly wish we had more time to explore some regions of Thedas that we're finally getting to see in a game. I'll forever mourn no longer directly controlling my companions. When all is said and done though, every prior Dragon Age game has managed to make me feel something, to grow attached to characters, cheering for their victories and mourning their passing. By that ultimate personal metric, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a success.
Starfield: Shattered Space returns to Bethesda's design roots, giving a singular location to explore in a DLC that's tinged with terror. Despite not exploring this science-fiction horror tone as much as I'd have liked, it's still a fun experience worth checking out, with art direction that's genuinely stunning.
Frostpunk 2 pushes the boundaries on what a city-building game and a survival experience can be, telling stories of human hope and despair in tandem. With beautiful visuals and a radically increased gameplay scope over its predecessor, only a handful of issues mar the ice.
World's Edge and its partners successfully revive the most underrated Age of Empires game with the launch of Age of Mythology: Retold. More than a pure definitive edition, this classic strategy game gets a full-blown remake with smart gameplay changes and a bevy of options to make it approachable. Aside from a few bugs and glitches that should be addressed, it's a phenomenal game for RTS fans to sink their teeth into.
Homeworld 3 offers the experience of handling a full fleet with aplomb through tactical gameplay options that live up to and build on the systems of its predecessors. With gorgeous atmosphere and crisp audio design, it's a game that asks big questions of its new cast of characters with some solid writing. Not every narrative decision lands, but Homeworld 3 stands on its own feet as a worthy new entry in the long-running franchise.
Thrones of Decay is a strong addition to the DLC roster for Total War: Warhammer 3. New leaders, units, and faction mechanics make multiple races worth revisiting, but the Dwarfs end up feeling left behind compared to the forces of the Empire and Nurgle.
Solium Infernum does a great job capturing the machinations of Hell's denizens in a fun strategy game that doesn't overstay its welcome. Amazing artwork and some unique mechanics help it to shine, though some tedious systems drag the pace down in longer games.
Helldivers 2 is a fantastic co-op game where anything can and will go wrong, thanks to several clever design choices. Calling in orbital bombardments while laying waste to alien swarms and robot armies has never been more fun. However, server capacity remains an ongoing problem for anyone looking to get in.
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is a fun RPG with stellar writing that truly captures the dark future of eternal war. Choices and options aplenty never detract from or feel ill-suited to the setting, and a clever layout makes this a solid entry point for any Warhammer newcomers. There are a number of bugs to be wary of, with progression issues popping up from time to time.
Dune: Spice Wars is a solid strategy experience that allows players to win or lose through politics, not just combat. The game clearly uses Dune as a setting, not just an aesthetic. The Xbox controls can be convoluted to learn, however, and the tiny UI elements could present a challenge for some prospective players.
Remedy Entertainment crafts a suspenseful journey full of twists, examining its title character in spades. It's a messy, imperfect narrative that doesn't even try to wrap up every plot thread, but delivers a raw, emotional ride. Solid third-person survival horror-gameplay helps carry that journey outside of a handful of technical issues.
Star Trek: Infinite is a fun strategy game and a great entry point to the genre for newcomers that doesn't cost as much as many big games, but a plethora of bugs bog down the gameplay and mission design.
Total War: Pharaoh introduces a number of great new systems and mechanics for the long-running strategy franchise, and there's plenty of fun to be had staving off an ancient apocalypse, but a large number of bugs bring down the experience.
Mortal Kombat successfully resets the timeline with a strong campaign and fun gameplay. Not everything receives the same care and attention, as customization in multiplayer leaves a fair bit to be desired, with microtransactions aplenty. It's still a game worthy of the Mortal Kombat name however, and a great excuse to test your might by yourself or with friends.
CD Projekt RED brings a thrilling race against time where you must save the president and go undercover, all while trusting no one. Combined with the free but accompanying 2.0 update, Phantom Liberty delivers an experience that even disappointed players of the base game should definitely check out.
The latest DLC for Total War: Warhammer 3 has some fun new lords and units, but a steeper cost means it's not quite the obvious jump-in point that past packs have provided. All three Legendary Lords provide new ways of engaging with the existing factions, with the Changeling's campaign providing a particular highlight.Whether or not you should jump on this pack immediately depends on just how many of the three leaders you're interested in trying.
Immortals of Aveum provides a great deal of first-person spell-slinging fun, but writing and balance issues keep this new adventure down from what it could have been.
A great new storyline and a stellar new class mean Necrom is a fantastic addition to the long-running saga of The Elder Scrolls Online.
With better exploration, fantastic combat, and emotionally-resonant story, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a must-play adventure marred only by some performance issues.
Ultimately, 'Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores' feels like a good tease. It flirts with the concept of some biggest things yet in this story but doesn’t quite commit to most of them in full. It’s always great getting to spend more time with Aloy, and while I wish a couple of things were explored further, it’s still a fun ride that hints at some of what is to come.