And BioWare’s skill for storytelling extended from those inter-character dynamics to planet explorations and the discovery of varying civilizations and political constructs that wove into the story in a way that forced you, as Shepard, to contend with them.For more, see our full Mass Effect 2 review here. Well-written dialogue choices and their resulting relationship branches made every dynamic feel like they were wholly your own. The series reintroduced us to BioWare’s talent for connecting players to the game world’s diverse cast of amazing characters, both new and returning. Mass Effect 2 is one of the best role-playing, cinematic, story, and character-driven experiences of the last decade. For more, see our full Fallout: New Vegas review here.

The fact that we get to decide the outcome makes it even better.

House feel like anything but a black-and-white choice between good and evil. Several factions with deep, shades-of-gray characters populate the wastes with interesting moral decisions, making the conflict between the New California Republic, Caesar’s Legion, and the mysterious Mr. Fallout: New VegasĪll of the Fallout games are great, but New Vegas stands above the rest thanks to the depth of its characters, its dark sense of humor, and the flexibility of its story. The compelling single-player espionage story coupled with an exceptional multiplayer suite and what would ultimately become the new foundation for the Zombies mode forged a gameplay trifecta that still shines from a design perspective, even if its visual fidelity pales in comparison to its modern-day descendants.For more, see our full CoD: Black Ops review here. The first installment of the Black Ops sub-series in Call of Duty remains one of the best games in the overall franchise to date. For more, see our full Civ 5 review here. Especially after its second expansion, this hex-based iteration of the legendary human-history simulator series does a fantastic job of letting you play out basically unlimited 'what if?' scenarios with all manner of distinctive world leaders.Its more restrained one-unit-per-tile tactical combat and an innovative approach to government make it feel like very much its own game, even among its similar siblings. Civilization 5Ĭivilization V takes the depth that makes 4X strategy amazing and simplifies it in a way that allows just about anyone to get a lot out of it. Retracing the protagonist Daniel’s steps through the ever-more-disturbing halls of Brennenburg Castle yield frights that startle in the moment, and revelations that still unsettle hours after playing.For more, see our full Amnesia review here.

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