Jez Corden
If you enjoyed Shadow of Mordor, you'll also enjoy Shadow of War, but if you feel fatigued as I do from this type of formulaic open world game, Shadow of War amplifies the issues with the genre rather than improves upon them.
Overall, Ghost Recon: Wildlands is a solid sandbox adventure for groups of up to four friends. In solo play, Ghost Recon: Wildlands loses a bit of its mojo, but the game's unprecedented scale and piles of content should prove euphoric for fans of open world games.
If you're a fan of strategic management games, you have to give Planetbase a look. It's very good value for money. And who knows? Maybe you will enjoy the added challenge missions they throw in more than I did. Either way, Planetbase is well worth your attention.
This game simply might not have been ready to emerge from its cryo-sleep, but the building blocks of an amazing game reside in Mass Effect: Andromeda. Hopefully, it will improve with future updates.
World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is somehow a breath of fresh air and a celebration of classic design principles in equal measure. The return to more dynamic, old-school talent trees enhances the class fantasy with a seasoning of new abilities across the board. At the same time, the retreat of pressuring, artificial power-gating systems promotes a more healthy gameplay loop. The game is also gorgeous, with a more promising storyline, elevated cinematic delivery mechanics, and deeper core systems which make for one of WoW's best expansions in years.
Initially, I was concerned Dying Light 2 wouldn't find its own voice in a world crammed with shallow open worlds designed for busy work rather than fun, but the more I played, the more I found that wasn't the case. Dying Light 2 truly shines with its high-stakes nighttime gameplay, which turns the modern and tired open-world formula on its head. While some of the writing isn't the best and next-gen console performance is a bit disappointing, Dying Light 2 offers a tight experience that builds on the original.
FUGA: Melodies of Steel cuts through the bleakness of its setting with heartwarming characters and childlike optimism, although its punishing turn-based tactical play may force you into gut-wrenching perma-death situations. FUGA is an underrated gem, and deserves the attention of JRPG fans everywhere.
UI anomalies and enemy pathing issues aside, Evil Genius 2 is a deep and addictive simulation strategy game that will satisfy your inner desire to, you know, take over the world.
Despite its imperfections, ReCore is exactly the type of game I want Microsoft Studios to take seriously. ReCore leans on some beloved gameplay conventions while injecting injected some of its own, gloriously unique and fulfilling elements. The RPG layer provides boatloads of additional gameplay and the setting, story and characters are just something I want to see more of.
Othercide could use some quality-of-life improvements, but this is one of the most stylish games I've played in years, complete with oppressive gameplay that is as thrilling as it is rewarding.
Held back by a few flaws, Gears Tactics remains a rock-solid turn-based strategy game fans of the genre will love.
We can't get enough of wanton 4-player zombie slaughter, and Zombie Army 4 sits among the best of them.
Green Planet is an awesome addition to Surviving Mars, but it puts a spotlight on some vanilla features that could use some love.
Stellaris is a personal favorite, and it's great to see it make the leap to Xbox One, but Paradox and its partners could really seal the deal by bringing across mouse support, which the Xbox One now has. Hopefully we'll see it materialize down the line, but for now, the gamepad controls are pretty great as is.
Where RAGE 2 truly shines is its relentless, unapologetic, apocalyptic violence, which has long been id Software's forte. If your video game library is hungering for fresh blood, guts, and gasoline, you should definitely buy RAGE 2.
I'm still loving Stellaris, and I eagerly anticipate where it'll go next.
If you enjoyed Assassin's Creed IV's naval combat and Assassin Creed Origins' shift to an RPG-like progression system, Odyssey is a match made in Elysium. Odyssey does not revolutionize the franchise, but it's a capable entry that will satisfy fans for dozens and dozens of hours.
The lack of polish in some of the systems will get improved with patches, but the missed opportunities with the campaign content frustrate the full package. But ultimately, this is one of the best multiplayer shooters you will play this year, and maybe the best until the next Battlefield. So if you love competitive FPS games, yes, you have to buy this.
If you can forgive its quirks, State of Decay 2 will infect you like few other games can.
I would've liked to have seen a little more story content, even if it was just some additional lore, but that's a personal gripe. Most players will probably be too busy relishing the bloody carnage the Necromancer can bring, which is considerable. This is a great addition to Diablo III, one I highly recommend to fans of all of Diablo's existing classes.