Jeff Gerstmann
The ways that Axiom Verge resembles Metroid help set up and drive home the ways that Axiom Verge is most definitely not Metroid.
Super Mario Maker lets you create as many Kuribo's Shoe-focused levels as your heart can take and then some. The pipes work and you can make giant goombas and stack them up as high as the screen. You can press play and get served up an endless array of user-created levels of varying degrees of quality. If any of that sounds even slightly appealing, you'll probably love this thing to death.
Titanfall 2 goes for feel above all else, and it feels fantastic.
All in all, it's a great game, it's Guerrilla's strongest release to date, and I suspect I'll go back in after the fact to clean up whatever side quests and errands I have remaining, if only to spend a little more time in that world.
Control feels like Remedy firing on all cylinders, resulting in a smart and sensational action-adventure.
But Rez Infinite is the thing we've been waiting for since before we knew this was a thing we could even reasonably expect to wait for. Strapping Rez to your face and living inside it is the ultimate realization of this story, setting, and gameplay. As someone who has returned to Rez nearly annually for damn near 20 years, Rez Infinite is the version I'll play.
Mortal Kombat X moves forward with a snappier version of the previous game's fighting and some cool new characters, but the story and other features around the edges feel a bit rough in spots.
Far Cry 4's open-world provides ludicrous moments and enough chaotic fun to make it worth your while.
Advanced Warfare's increased focus on player mobility makes a huge impact that freshens up the action and, in some ways, makes every other game in the franchise feel obsolete by comparison.
Diablo III is a great game that, despite its mouse-and-keyboard roots, adapts to consoles surprisingly well.
Second Son is a focused open-world game that offers terrific graphics and enjoyable abilities, but it would definitely benefit from a little more variety.
Forza Horizon 2 is a solid open-world racing game that takes Forza's slavish devotion to car culture in a friendlier direction.
Killer Instinct shows you the ropes quite well and has a combo system that's fun to execute, though slightly less fun to defend against.
Titanfall's focus on player mobility and big-ass robots sets it apart from other competitive shooters and makes much of the game look like one big highlight reel.
You'll spot some rough edges and notice some omissions, but Halo 5 looks great, plays well, and has enough options to keep you coming back.
The side content is too repetitive, but The Division's main content and exciting multiplayer component stand out and make this thing worth seeing, provided you've got some like-minded friends around.
Forza Horizon 4's connected world and seasonal weather help make what's otherwise a very familiar-feeling experience feel fresh one more time.
Adam Jensen's return is largely successful, even if the conspiracy surrounding him could've been a little more engaging.
Superhot is an intense and thrilling blend of action and puzzle with a solid bit of narrative to tie its murderous mysteries together into something worth seeing.
Gears of War 4 is a good reminder of why Gears of War was so cool in the first place.