With the pedigree of a studio like Bioware at the wheel, many were looking to Anthem for incredible storytelling and complex and deep RPG systems that would place the title alongside the studio’s best. While it’s clear that Anthem did not perform to the expectations of some, it’s still a title that has enormous potential, and a game that I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with, regardless of a crash or two, or six, or twelve..

If more of the same Crackdown experience is what you’re after, then this latest and long-awaited sequel will whet the appetite of those who have grounded their expectations into not expecting any real innovation from the series. For those who expected at least some growth to the series, well…

Metro Exodus is a game that I can understand that there will be people who are not going to enjoy it. It’s a series that has a very unique feel and pacing and I can see why some people may find the series boring. Metro Exodus ticks all the right boxes for me as a Metro title while also evolving the core concepts the series is based on.

Apex Legends is a Free-to-Play Battle Royale game from Respawn Entertainment that was essentially announced and released on the same day and was also noted as being a spin-off of the Titanfall series. Taking place some 30 years after the events of the stunning Titanfall 2. Apex Legends also happens to be the best Battle Royale game on the market, bar none.

For fans of the series, especially those that have consumed each of the near dozen Kingdom Hearts games, Kingdom Hearts 3 is a celebration of the series, a culmination of nearly every plot thread the series has left untold. For newcomers, it can often be confusing in knowing who is who and the overall narrative at play, often having to sit through story recap videos or having your friends get you up to speed, or at least, attempt to.

With a heavy emphasis on intense gore and moody atmosphere, the remake of Resident Evil 2 is more horrifying than its ever been. While there is much of the original’s DNA here to satisfy those who grew up playing the now 21-year-old classic, Capcom has made some significant changes to make it feel like a completely new experience

Originally released on the PlayStation 2 back in 2001, Capcom has splashed a new coat of paint on the original Onimusha. While I would have preferred to have seen a remaster of the superior version that released a year later on the original Xbox, it is still an absolute delight to revisit one of Capcom’s greatest, and yet lesser known, franchises.

When Darksiders 2 was released, it was better in nearly every way, It was a stellar sequel that paved the way for future installments to adapt and innovate upon. However, Darksiders 3 feels like lesser of a sequel than its predecessor, and more of a step backwards for the franchise, despite being a fairly enjoyable experience.

While certain aspects of the game work extremely well and can be a very enjoyable time with the right group of friends, Fallout 76 is a technical mess that lacks polish in nearly every moment to moment experience the game offers. Fallout 76 is most certainly a good game, it just doesn’t feel anywhere remotely finished.

While the series has been noticeably silent for nearly half a decade, Soul Calibur VI still brings with it the same addictive gameplay its always been known for, while also feeling a bit dry in its various modes and online offerings.

Where Red Dead Redemption 2 excels so perfectly is in its storytelling. It’s not a far off assessment to say that this might very well be one of the best written games ever crafted, not only in its main quest, but in its side activities as well. In fact, the side quests are probably my favorite moments I’ve had during my 60+ hours with the game.

While I was quite taken with Origin’s use of Egyptian history, albeit a mostly fictional one, Its mechanical flaws and mediocre side-quests held it back from being a truly remarkable game. While some of those flaws still exist here in its follow-up, Odyssey improves greatly on its open world, its quests, and offers us a better game overall.

With the announcement that Game Pass would include all future first party titles on the day of their release, I recently got behind the wheel of Forza Horizon 4 and left my backlog in the dust. While often overlooked during conversations about first party dominance, Forza Horizon 4 is one of the best brand exclusives out there right now and a much needed win for Microsoft.

Shadows: Awakening is a very ambitious action RPG that has a huge cast of playable characters called puppets and they will be absorbed into a demon called the Devourer and used to complete a goal set forth by a mage named Krenze, a man with a hidden agenda.

Lara Croft has been a gaming icon for over twenty years, spanning numerous reboots and three major motion pictures. The character has been portrayed by several actresses, all doing their part to bring the character to life in one form or another. When Crystal Dynamics rebooted the franchise some five years ago, it reintroduced us to Lara Croft all over again.

The team behind Zombie Army Trilogy is back with another third-person co-op shooter. Now that I've spent a solid five days pushing through the campaign and each of the five maps available in horde mode, I can unquestionably state that Strange Brigade is an absolute riot!

While 2015's Helldivers did manage to be a fairly entertaining title, it failed to be memorable or leave a lasting impression like other titles of its ilk. Warhammer 40K - Inquisitor: Martyr is the latest sci-fi based hack and slash dungeon crawler to see a release and while it is certainly fun and action-packed, the title is certainly rough around the edges. 

Where Warhammer: Vermintide and its recent sequel at least looked to build upon the Left 4 Dead formula with their progression system and fantasy setting, Earthfall simply tries to exist by running around in the skin of Left 4 Dead, expecting different results with what can feel like a bare minimum effort. 

Blending Left 4 Dead with the Warhammer fantasy genre almost seems like a match made in heaven. The original Vermintide shamelessly borrowed from the Left 4 Dead formula while keeping the action consistently flowing and offering up a diverse cast that would banter back and forth as we chopped up the hundreds of enemies that came our way. 

My experience with the NieR franchise is mostly limited to the release of NieR: Automata when it launched on the PlayStation 4 last year. I did play a few hours of the original NieR back on the Xbox 360 some 7 years ago, but I would be surprised if I played more than 4 or 5 hours of it.