Ultimately, Wolfenstein: Youngblood feels more like the product of a shareholder meeting, where non-gamers pushed this idea of turning Wolfenstein into a quasi service-type loot shooter, only without loot.
The future of Gears of War has never been so bright — and sure, there's room for improvement, but this is the evolution that the franchise desperately needed.
This is a staggering achievement that strategy game fans shouldn't miss out on.
While rough around the edges, The Outer Worlds journey across the stars is an instant-classic RPG fans cannot miss.
Civilization is a legendary strategy franchise, and to finally get it on Xbox One is a dream. Just be warned, this is one hell of an addictive game.
For what it lacks in scope, Bad North makes it up with an addictive, rewarding roguelike strategy gameplay layer.
We can't get enough of wanton 4-player zombie slaughter, and Zombie Army 4 sits among the best of them.
Two Point Hospital is a rewarding and addictive sim that must not be missed.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps triumphs despite some rough edges, with what might be the most satisfying and evocative platformer ever made.
DOOM marches back to the gates of hell with confidence, but some of its attempts to try new things fall flat. Literally.
Bleeding Edge misses its mark, but there's a spark inside this game worth keeping your eye on.
Held back by a few flaws, Gears Tactics remains a rock-solid turn-based strategy game fans of the genre will love.
Minecraft Dungeons meat is in its satisfying combat and complex character-building opportunities, and in that, the game delivers by the truckload.
A perfect blend of satisfying Wild West tropes, a surprisingly compelling story, and an endlessly-gratifying tactical layer that will make you feel like the architect of a bandit-murdering Rube Goldberg machine. With guns.
Othercide could use some quality-of-life improvements, but this is one of the most stylish games I've played in years, complete with oppressive gameplay that is as thrilling as it is rewarding.
Many of Battletoads' design sensibilities may seem archaic in 2020, but that was ultimately Dlala trying to build on the chaotic formula set by the original. Battletoads struggles as a single-player game but soars as a varied couch co-op experience party game for up to three friends. And hey, it's often laugh-out-loud funny too.
Wasteland 3 is a testament to the power of the branching narrative, taking it far beyond binary choices and into a grand canopy of cause and effect. It gives the wintry climbs of Colorado a lifelike quality that must have been painstaking to build. The most impressive RPG in years, Wasteland 3 is a masterpiece.
Powerful characters, nuanced story-telling, and stunning visuals make Mafia: Definitive Edition one of the best story-driven games of the year.
Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world masterpiece that features some of the most immersive and liberating storytelling this industry has to offer. With full freedom to choose V's personality, looks, and gameplay style, Cyberpunk 2077 gives the player an unrelenting amount of control in a world that delivers dozens upon dozens of hours of high-quality content. Cyberpunk 2077 is a mammoth achievement and solidifies CD Projekt RED's place at the top of the pile.
Blizzard clearly learned from the mistakes from Battle for Azeroth's endgame launch state, injecting piles of content that actually contribute to player power in meaningful ways. On the one hand, the time gating on the story elements is irritating, but it's not like most players will find themselves short of things to do. Shadowlands has some of the most stunning art in the game's lengthy history, and the cinematic treatment represents a step up for the studio. Despite balance issues, Shadowlands may end up among the likes of Legion and The Burning Crusade as one of the game's best expansions to date.