Steven Messner
Technical faults aside, Planetside 2 remains a wonderful online experience capable of absorbing dozens upon dozens of hours. That endless tugofwar might seem exhausting from the outside, but once you're in the thick of battle it is as thrilling and engaging as few games ever manage to be.
OlliOlli2 has extracted the very essence of skateboarding and poured it into two-dimensional bliss.
Legions of Steel has a solid foundation that is spoiled by a lack of ambition and poor design.
The Taken King might not make up for that first year and all of its shambling about, but it puts Destiny on a path that, as someone who spent all of last year whining endlessly to anyone who would listen, I can finally shut my mouth and just enjoy the game. If that isn't an incredible feat, I don't know what is.
It captures the spirit of Warhammer's lighter side and translates it beautifully onto the screen.
While the sweetest fruits will be saved for those with an appreciation of philosophy and history, the elation of solving a puzzle that you spent an evening trying to crack is a reward that anyone can enjoy.
Though A Fistful of Gun has potential, the empty multiplayer servers and repetitive campaign puts a bullet in any momentum it has going.
Light on content but heavy on freedom, Rebel Galaxy is a charming romp through a frontier brimming with choices to make.
With boring combat and a limited custom campaign toolset, Sword Coast Legends fails to capture the spirit of a true pen and paper role-playing experience.
Star Wars Battlefront fails to match the ambitions of its visuals with equally as impressive gunplay, leaving it in the awkward position of looking amazing while also being rather boring.
Helldivers is hands down one of my favorite multiplayer experiences of this year.
I cannot help but smile every time I think about Dragon's Dogma.
Blade and Soul's excellent PvP is buried beneath a mountain of tired MMO tropes that are sometimes frustrating and rarely innovative.
What makes Darkest Dungeon a fascinating experience isn't the rich character progression and overarching strategy, but the way it manages to make each character feel like a living, breathing human before asking you how much you'll ruin them to increase your bottom line. There's pockets of subtext that I continually filled with my own moral struggle. Spaces left ingeniously blank where, when I allow myself to reflect on my actions, I realize that the greatest evil isn't waiting at the end of a dimly lit crypt. It is sitting right in this chair, typing these words.
Stardew Valley is the rare kind of imitation that breaks free of the boundaries of its inspiration, becoming more than just a clone but an experience that thrives independent of its origins.
It's exciting to play an MMO that understands the importance of building a world worth living in, not just erecting a corridor of static set pieces to run through on your quest for power.
The Banner Saga 2 is a beautiful sequel. There are moments where, as I watch the drama unfold in the dialogue and cutscenes, I almost forget I'm playing a game that came out in this decade. There's an evocative sense of timelessness about the story and world that few RPGs create.
Tree of Savior's biggest grind lies in chipping away all of its flaws just to experience its nostalgic charms.
Overwatch is like going for an evening of speed dating and realizing everyone you meet is marriage material. I'll stare at the character select screen before each match, unable to decide which hero I want to play because I want to play them all.
If Blizzard can continue to deliver, Legion sets the stage for what could be the best chapter of World of Warcraft yet.