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Even without Seasons and shared world aspects, the design and overall quality of Forza Horizon 4 can't be ignored. Fundamentally similar to its predecessors but still incredibly well crafted, Playground Games' latest is another amazing journey.
While in the last few years, FIFA games have been focused on making flashy, headline improvements in terms of modes or presentation, FIFA 19 instead chooses to make those improvements on the pitch. Off the pitch, there's not quite as much to talk about (other than the excellent House Rules Kick-Off matches), which is obviously a little disappointing, but thanks to a consciously slowed down pace and much more involved and methodical on-pitch gameplay, FIFA 19 proves to be a solid upgrade, and an excellent simulation of the beautiful game.
Destiny 2 Forsaken provides one of the best narratives the franchise has ever given us and the wealth of content available in both the Tangled Shore and the Dreaming City will undoubtedly be more than enough for players to enjoy for quite a long time. And with the promise of even more content coming out in Year Two, Destiny 2 is in the best place it can be right now and for the months to come.
Boundless is tons of fun for any fan of the crafting and building genre but it won't be the game to convert a non-believer.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna, The Golden Country is a hell of a package, and a must-have for Switch owners who are JRPG fans, and who enjoy the Xeno- games. Monolith Soft have, yet again, crafted a world worth fighting for.
EA has an impressive sports line-up, but this year's NHL entry clearly got a bit less love than some of the more universally adored sports.
A few hiccups along the way, especially in relation to some pretty serious online multiplayer instabilities, definitely bring down the experience in 2K19. Thankfully though, these quibbles don't tarnish what is definitely the best option for your basketball fix this year.
The improvements to NASCAR Heat 3 are so profound that it's hard to believe that this is even from the same team. It's still no Forza, or even Driveclub, but the game is moving in a decent direction that makes it easier and fun to play than previous games.
NBA Live 19 is a great improvement over previous years' iterations, but the developers need to show some extra confidence to ever make the game feel like a true slam dunk.
V-Rally 4 requires immense suffering just to eke a modicum of enjoyment from its frustrating, archaic game design. The few things it does right is not remotely worth the price of admission.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is another compelling reason to jump, run and suffer in Lara Croft's boots. Stellar production values, new mechanics and a deftly paced campaign do wonders even if the formula is pretty familiar by now.
Fans of the series, and of strategy games, will be well served by what is one of the best strategy RPGs we have had in years with Valkyria Chronicles 4.
Living Dead Zombies, then, is pretty much what you would have expected it to be if you've played Far Cry 5's last two DLCs. Just like its two predecessors, this final piece of DLCs for Ubisoft's massive open world shooter doesn't really leverage the base game's biggest strengths, but it provides a unique flavour of experience of its own. It's a little bit on the shallow side and can be a bit repetitive, but it's definitely not unenjoyable.
Some persistent issues might hold Spider-Man back from the incredible heights many were hoping it would touch, but a strong core, a great love and respect for its source material, and a number of incredibly fun mechanics make it a dream come true for fans of the famous wall-crawler.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 is absolutely amazing on the pitch, proving that as far as pure simulation goes, Konami's franchise still reigns supreme. But in all other areas, its refusal to improve is starting to become increasingly frustrating, to the point where several such flaws are actively damaging the experience in many ways.
A number of small flaws keep Strange Brigade from greatness, but its style, humor, and core gameplay make for a satisfying romp solo or with friends.
Dragon Quest XI is a stellar game that displays a great command of the ins and outs of its genre the way few other games can and do. What it lacks in originality, it more than makes up for with its confident execution of ideas, showing that a game doesn't need to be revolutionary or the freshest thing on the block to be an incredible experience. With a memorable cast of characters, a well-told, briskly paced story, stunning and vibrant visuals, and a beautiful and extremely varied world as its setting, Dragon Quest XI serves as yet another excellent instalment in this amazingly consistent franchise.
Not quite the ultimate Monster Hunter experience, Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is nonetheless accomplished enough on its own merits for Monster Hunter fans to give it an earnest go.
Battle for Azeroth is off to a solid start, but Blizzard has a lot to improve if they want to win the war.
Of the four Yakuza releases in the last year and a half, Yakuza Kiwami 2 truly stands as the best of them all, and is the definitive Yakuza experience.