My Time At Portia is one of the most wholesome, relaxing and chilled experiences of this generation. It's the perfect post-Sekiro experience, with a cast of wonderful characters, and a beautifully picturesque world with tons of activities to occupy your time. Sure, it's very much like Stardew Valley, but the emphasis on engineering over farming makes it its own beast. The loops might not be as alluring as Stardew's, but it's game that you won't regret playing, and will satisfy your inner soul.
The Division 2 is almost certainly a step up from its predecessor, offering more content than you can shake a stick at and enough tweaks to make it feel somewhat fresh. While Massive has attempted to rectify the issues of the original, it hasn't quite managed that yet: yes, enemies are still kind of bullet-spongey and the missions can get quite repetitive after a while, but aside from that, The Division 2 is an impressive follow-up, building upon what was already a solid foundation.
Divinity Original Sin 2: Definitive Edition is a fine installment in the Divinity series and despite a few odd design decisions and the balance being completely out of whack, it's still a truly memorable and enjoyable experience.
Hitman 2 is a solid follow-up to our 2016 Game of Year, delivering five huge killer sandboxes to explore to your heart's content. Yes, the maps might not be as unique as iterations gone-by and there is seemingly fewer than normal, but boy, are they great maps. Factor in Contracts mode and the excellent Ghost Mode, and Hitman 2 is very much worth your time. Where else can you dress up as a mascot or get involved in a poisonous drinking game to take down a target? Answer: no-bloody-where!
Rare Replay is undoubtedly an insane amount of value for money, shining a light on one of the world's most celebrated developers and 30 of their biggest titles. A great mix with some classics, not so classics and games that slipped under our radar, all brought together with slick presentation and an incredible amount of fan service. All hail Rare.
PES 2016 is undoubtedly a great football game, as good as it's been in years. Sure, it's better on the pitch than PES 2015, but it's let down somewhat by some cavalier keepers who couldn't catch a cold.
Halo 5: Guardians is an exciting Halo package, marred only by some questionable design decisions, like microtransactions and some shoddy friendly-AI in the campaign. It's not a classic Halo, but 343 is moving in a good direction with the franchise.
Forza Horizon 2 is another impressive racer from Playground Games. That said, while the original Horizon nailed the single-player and lacked on the multiplayer front, Horizon 2 is the polar opposite to that. If they can nail the two at once in the inevitable sequel, then Horizon will surely take the crown off Motorsport.
Watch Dogs is an unmitigated triumph, that's for sure. Considering the game is a new IP, it does a lot of things incredibly well and lays the foundation for a franchise that has the makings of being a potential Assassin's Creed beater. Despite a few puzzling design decisions and an almost glacial start to the campaign, Watch Dogs is worthy of your time. There's no doubt about that.
A triumphant return for PES this year, after spending many years rotting away in the lower leagues. While PES 2015 might not match EA and FIFA's spending power in terms of licenses and what not, where it matters, on the pitch, this ageing superstar is getting a recall to the first eleven.
Dragon Age: Inquisition is the game that Dragon Age II should have been. Set in one of the most diverse and awe-inspiring game worlds in quite some time, Inquisition will have you searching every nook and cranny, spreading your influence as far as you can get it. Let down by a few bugs and some questionable design choices, it's still one of the year's best RPGs. Easily.
Hogwarts Legacy is an absolutely magical video game, one that is packed with awe-inspiring moments full of mystery and wonderment. Come for Hogwarts itself, a magic school oozing with secrets to behold, and stay for the combat, the engaging story and the frankly astonishing Room of Requirement.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a harrowing journey into the fragility of the mind. It's a masterpiece in storytelling, and while the game mechanics itself might not complement that throughout, they do a decent job of allowing Ninja Theory to deliver a mature story revolving around a sensitive subject matter. We hope that this opens up the door for more budget priced triple-A experiences, because this one was one hell of a ride!
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is a stellar follow-up to MachineGames' 2014 reboot of the franchise, one with super-satisfying combat and a wacky, engaging story. Sure, it might go a little too far at times, but you'll have a blast with The New Colossus from start to finish, that's a promise.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is an impressive sequel to the brilliant Human Revolution. In the grand scheme of things, there are very few monumental changes, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? And everything that was broken in Human Revolution? It's all fixed. Held back from true greatness by the odd grumble here and there, Mankind Divided is worthy of anyone's time and money.
Starfield is the perfect example of a video game that is equal parts brilliant, and equal parts flawed. Its open-world is nothing short of staggering, while its animations and dialogue are something best left in the past. Regardless of that, though, Starfield is truly an iconic experience, and will go down as an all-time great - of that I have no doubt.
Persona 3 Reload is an absolutely brilliant remake of a 2006 classic. While the original P3 is effectively where the current behemoth of a franchise marked out its identity, Persona 3 Reload is most certainly the best iteration of that series-defining game that has ever existed.
Persona 4 Golden has absolutely withstood the test of time, delivering a fantastic story with a truly likeable cast of characters. Could more have been done with the visuals? Perhaps, but it’s still a brilliant game nonetheless. A true classic, now available on your console of choice. Sweet.
While Halo Infinite's campaign structure is new territory for the series, and will likely divide opinion, it tells a good story, and creates moments that rank it in the top half when it comes to good Halo campaigns. Throw in a phenomenal multiplayer arena and some stellar shooter mechanics, and it's safe to say that 343 has finally put their stamp on the wonderful world of Halo.
Life Is Strange: True Colors is a return to form for the franchise, which delivers a captivating story from start to finish, one that will see you go through all the emotions. Just like Alex Chen herself.