Red Dead Redemption 2 offers up an astoundingly engrossing world that's remarkably easy to get lost in.
Odyssey takes Origins' formula and expands it to the point of nearly breaking.
Mafia III is a smartly written and enthralling open-world action game bogged down by technical issues and a repetitive structure.
It's light years from being a great game, but there's still something at the heart of No Man's Sky that speaks to the would-be explorer in all of us.
Campo Santo's debut adventure offers up a taut mystery built around two tremendously engaging characters.
WWE 2K16 improves on the many things wrong with last year's game, but not nearly enough.
It doesn't offer many surprises, but Syndicate represents a return to form for Assassin's Creed.
For the second year in a row, Madden makes smart, interesting changes that genuinely improve the experience.
Avalanche's take on George Miller's post-apocalyptic wasteland is replete with striking visuals, basically enjoyable busywork, and not much else.
Her Story is a bold and largely successful experiment in interactive crime fiction.
It's squid kids and ink blasting abound in Nintendo's exceptionally fun new online shooter.
Hotline Miami's thrillingly brutal gameplay is stretched to the point of breaking in this aesthetically pleasing, but otherwise disappointing sequel.
The move to more powerful consoles has resulted in a prettier looking wrestling game, but also a far less enjoyable one.
Assassin's Creed: Unity is at once an object of exquisite beauty and exhausting boredom.
NBA Live 15 makes some key improvements, but this franchise still doesn't feel quite ready for prime time.
The deep and challenging gameplay this series is known for is still front and center, but NBA 2K15's myriad technical problems put a damper on the experience.
Firaxis' sci-fi spin on Civilization V has some intriguing ideas that, sadly, don't come together into an equally engaging experience.
Access Games' episodic follow-up to Deadly Premonition is a tremendously strange trip.
Whatever steps forward NHL 15 has taken in visual presentation hardly make up for the alarming gutting of many of the series' best features.
It's got its share of holdover problems, but Madden NFL 15 at least represents a positive step forward for this series.