If you're a fan of city-building gameplay Surviving Mars is a must-buy title. Even if you prefer a more creative experience you can tailor the difficulty to that end, or ramp up the scarcity for a true survival experience, where battling the elements almost feels more like a real-time strategy.
Exodus's combat has room for improvement, particularly when it comes to enemy A.I. behavior. The gunplay is tight and well-built, with an emphasis on customization, allowing you to play how you want to play.
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.
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.
Minecraft Dungeons meat is in its satisfying combat and complex character-building opportunities, and in that, the game delivers by the truckload.
While Quantum Break exposes the Xbox One's technical limitations, Remedy has crafted a masterpiece that earns its place among the best that the console has to offer. Quantum Break is the first thoroughly unmissable, truly unique console exclusive the Xbox One has. Every single Xbox One and W10 gaming PC owner should pick up this game, and the big-budget publishers out there funding similar cinematic experiences should take note. Quantum Break has permanently altered the way I want to experience storytelling in games.
Powerful characters, nuanced story-telling, and stunning visuals make Mafia: Definitive Edition one of the best story-driven games of the year.
Resident Evil Village is one of the first games that feels truly "next-gen," with absolutely stunning tech bolstered by the industry-leading RE Engine. Stunning visuals, truly bizarre creatures, a memorable parade of eccentric characters, and truly satisfying gameplay make Resident Evil Village soar, even if a few quirks in the plot delivery deflate the spectacle. Resident Evil Village is a truly excellent game and one of the best entries in the legendary franchise. Long may it continue.
Death's Door is a near-flawless isometric action-adventure full of heart, humor, and honest-to-goodness combat excellence.
Resident Evil 4 is a true technical marvel on Xbox Series X, with utterly stunning visuals and wonderful ray-tracing implementations. While the game is a bit thin in the "survival horror" department, Resident Evil 4 is an absolutely spectacular action horror game with varied and satisfying combat, memorable characters, and a meaty amount of content.
With incredible writing, its slow-burn stories snowball into immense moments, and tight RPG/FPS combat thrills in spaceship battles, grounded firefights, and zero-G death ballets — Starfield is a landmark experience with a bright future ahead of it.
Dragon's Dogma 2 is an enigma of a game. Every aspect of it, every system, and every quest is a jigsaw puzzle to solve — that experience will not be for everyone. But it was for me. Playing through Dragon's Dogma 2 without a guide was a truly fantastic experience, with a near-constant drip-feed of "eureka!" moments alongside spectacularly rewarding combat highs. Dragon's Dogma 2 celebrates the patient and committed. For those looking for a relaxing and straightforward experience, perhaps look elsewhere. And it's certainly true that Dragon's Dogma 2 has flaws — particularly with performance on consoles. However, for those who want cavernous depth at every turn, Dragon's Dogma 2 may be your game of the year.
My attention has been held captive for weeks by Darkest Dungeon. It's well worth a look for fans of punishing, tactical games.
If you're looking for a story-focused game where your choices truly matter, set in a rich, nuanced world absolutely crammed with sci-fi obscurities, fantastical beasts, and mind-warping trans-dimensional phenomena, you will adore Torment: Tides of Numenera.
I would've liked to have seen a little more story content, even if it was just some additional lore, but that's a personal gripe. Most players will probably be too busy relishing the bloody carnage the Necromancer can bring, which is considerable. This is a great addition to Diablo III, one I highly recommend to fans of all of Diablo's existing classes.
If you can forgive its quirks, State of Decay 2 will infect you like few other games can.