John Schutt
Insurgency Sandstorm offers a more hardcore experience for players who want it but is still accessible enough for newcomers to the franchise.
The Division 2 is an improvement on the first game in almost every way, and it's both a fun game and a satisfying investment.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is probably the best game From Software has ever made, and it's worth every second of your time playing.
Great gunplay can't salvage an empty world, shoddy writing, and multiple wasted opportunities.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night stands as one of the best Vania games of recent memory, and one of the most satisfying games of 2019 so far.
A classic science-fiction story functionally told, ARMA 3 Contact doesn't try to reinvent any wheels in its narrative or gameplay. Instead, it occasionally fails to find its feet even with a strong premise and interesting aliens.
Rebel Galaxy Outlaw is one of the best space sims of recent memory, with a strong narrative, fast-paced combat, and amazing music with few stumbles.
Borderlands 3 is the best Borderlands has ever been. It's beautiful, funny, and frantic in the best ways. There are issues, but those shouldn't deter you too much from having an absolute blast.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint is an average, functional open-world shooter, but not much more.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has real potential, but a lackluster campaign and frustrating design decisions make for an experience we've seen done better before.
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is the new standard-bearer for DLC quality in a AAA title. For fans of its genre, nothing beats it.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is another triumph return for the series — a beautiful game with only the smallest blemishes to its luster.
Modern Warfare 2 Remastered is a mostly commanding return of the game's classic single-player, though not without a few hiccups.
Ghost of Tsushima offers an amazing open-world experience and satisfying combat, only mildly held back by its writing and characters.
Far from being a pretender, Mortal Shell is a sometimes exceptional entry to the genre. Its stumbles are noticeable only because there is so much to enjoy.
Like the core game, Subject 2923 is so much more fun than it has any right to be. Despite little frustrations, the core package remains enjoyable.
Hades is everything great about the roguelite genre all but perfected. Few games aim as high, and fewer still reach their goals. Hades does, exceeding even the loftiest expectations.
In Ghostrunner, a single slash divides life and death. It's fast, frenetic, and, even in the face of its weaker moments, endlessly satisfying.
Despite a few hiccups, Beyond Light sets the stage for a triumphant year of Destiny 2. If the franchise continues this way, the best is yet to come.
Fantastic and fantastically flawed, Cyberpunk 2077 has the makings of a masterpiece held back by incongruities of narrative and confusing design choices, but it's worth playing for its world alone