Norsca is a brilliant last hurrah for Total War: Warhammer. It's full of spectacle, monsters and thrilling wars, but where it really succeeds is in its campaign twists.
I don't think Aven Colony is terrible, despite these 1,500+ scathing words. The combination of survival and constructing a frontier colony is still an intriguing concept, and Mothership Entertainment have used the alien world conceit to create some novel, if ultimately irritating, obstacles. But the balance is all off, and its slog of a campaign and the attempts at streamlining make this a disappointing extraterrestrial outing.
Housemarque and Eugene Jarvis have created something very special, and I suspect, enduring.
I'm conflicted. Conceptually, The Crimson Court is very much my cup of blood, but the execution, particularly when it comes to the first mission and the curse, sometimes feels off. That said, Red Hook has clearly been taking feedback seriously, and changes have already been made to make things a little less punishing.
Despite the concessions made in the name of ambition, it's an impressive dungeon romp.
The campaign isn't great but Steel Division's tense, tactical combat is great with friends.
From the interface to economics, it sports some of the best systems I've seen in a 4X game, and like Endless Legend, it's simultaneously confident and experimental, finding new ways to spice up a genre that can too often be bland.
Syberia 3's seven year delay wasn't long enough.
While decent RTS campaigns increasingly feel like my white whale, I can usually depend on Relic for something better.
These enhancements are great, sometimes even game-changing, but Paradox are offering so much for free that it makes the actual premium DLC less vital.
Halo Wars 2 is simultaneously conservative and inventive. It's definitely trying to evoke traditional RTS games – which is not entirely a bad thing given the recent dearth of them – especially when it comes to the campaign, but elements like base construction and Blitz mode make it stand out enough that it doesn't feel like you're just going through the motions for the hundredth time.
Sanctus Reach’s unit and faction design and flexible mechanics deserve a much better campaign and fewer constantly recycled objectives.
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is secretly last year’s best stealth game.
Together for Victory doesn’t simply buff the Commonwealth nations to make them more viable however – it gives them more options and more nation-defining decisions, especially in regards to creating an alternate history. It’s an entirely different focus, and a welcome one. There’s more room now to carve your own path, as Hearts of Iron IV takes another step toward being more than just a World War 2 game, instead becoming a 20th Century sandbox.
The Wood Elves are a worthy addition to Total War: Warhammer’s burgeoning list of fantastical armies. Distinct and terribly tricky, they make the game feel new again, while forcing half-arsed commanders like myself to up our game.
