Alex Navarro
Firaxis' sci-fi spin on Civilization V has some intriguing ideas that, sadly, don't come together into an equally engaging experience.
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.
NBA Live 15 makes some key improvements, but this franchise still doesn't feel quite ready for prime time.
Assassin's Creed: Unity is at once an object of exquisite beauty and exhausting boredom.
The move to more powerful consoles has resulted in a prettier looking wrestling game, but also a far less enjoyable one.
Hotline Miami's thrillingly brutal gameplay is stretched to the point of breaking in this aesthetically pleasing, but otherwise disappointing sequel.
It's squid kids and ink blasting abound in Nintendo's exceptionally fun new online shooter.
Her Story is a bold and largely successful experiment in interactive crime fiction.
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.
It doesn't offer many surprises, but Syndicate represents a return to form for Assassin's Creed.
WWE 2K16 improves on the many things wrong with last year's game, but not nearly enough.
Campo Santo's debut adventure offers up a taut mystery built around two tremendously engaging characters.
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.
Mafia III is a smartly written and enthralling open-world action game bogged down by technical issues and a repetitive structure.
Odyssey takes Origins' formula and expands it to the point of nearly breaking.
Red Dead Redemption 2 offers up an astoundingly engrossing world that's remarkably easy to get lost in.
Kojima's first post-Konami project is a bizarre, self-indulgent mess that never quite manages to tie its myriad pieces together.