Leana Hafer

“Anno 117: Pax Romana is a gorgeous antique city-builder that sucked me in for dozens of hours as I planned out my next district or simply watched the bustle along my aqueduct-accented boulevards. I think this series and I were always destined to hit it off, but we kept missing each other or meeting up at the wrong times. I really get Anno now, and I could hardly be more enthused. The fantastic, deep trade system with a side of exciting naval combat really seals the deal. I could take or leave the campaign, but I still don't think I've run out of things to do in the highly customizable endless mode. It may not quite be fit for a triumph, but is certainly worthy of a standing ovation.”

“Europa Universalis 5 is definitely hurting for some balance tuning at the moment, but its depth of simulation and ultra detailed map might make it the most on-paper impressive historical strategy game of all time.”

“Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 takes another flawed but unique and remarkable bite at the jugular, with plenty to love and loathe alike, but I certainly enjoyed my time as an elder vampire at the very least.”

“Hades 2's art is breathtaking, its characters are captivating, the combat is fast, fun, endlessly varied, and tactical, and the music is spectacular.”

“Stormgate still has a long road ahead of it, but it's already a special game, combining the familiar and the fresh into a satisfying RTS experience.”

“Tron: Catalyst competently gets the job done as an action game, but it's rarely more than just good.”

“Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's Brushes With Death DLC isn't bad at all - it’s simply a bit threadbare as a standalone experience, and it didn’t feel like a strong follow-up to what had come before.”

“Kaiserpunk is a city builder with some cool ideas and a novel premise, but lots of bugs, an interface that lacks basic functionality, and a cumbersome strategic map left me feeling shell-shocked.”

“Two Point Museum is a rewarding, deep, challenging, and highly entertaining tycoon game with lots of variety and an excellent interface.”

“Armed with excellent melee combat and an exceptional story, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is one part sequel and one part coronation, bringing a lot of the original's ideas to fruition.”

“Civilization 7's improved warfare and added bits of narrative flair give me reasons to keep clicking one more turn late into the night, but the desire to streamline and simplify this legendary 4X series feels like it has also gone a bit too far, particularly when it comes to the interface.”

“Planet Coaster 2 may share the same problems as its predecessor, but it's even better at all of the things it was good at, with water attractions alone being reason enough to dive in.”

“Dragon Age: The Veilguard refreshes and reinvigorates a storied series that stumbled through its middle years, and leaves no doubt that it deserves its place in the RPG pantheon. The next Mass Effect is going to have a very tough act to follow, which is not something I ever imagined I'd be saying before I got swept away on this adventure.”

“While Ara: History Untold is a visually captivating historical 4X with an interesting underlying economy, it gets bogged down well before the midway point.”

“The War Within is the best World of Warcraft has been on all fronts in many years, making this two-decade-old MMO feel fresh and thrilling again.”

“Still Wakes the Deep's nearly on-rails structure and ineffective scares undersell its otherwise fantastic setting.”

“Manor Lords is a gorgeous medieval city-builder that kept me occupied for hours building my perfect, cozy hamlets, but it definitely feels very early in its Early Access development.”

“Millennia focuses too much on the ways it wants to mix up the Civilization formula without building the base of a strong Civ-like first.”

“Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is an ultra crunchy, 130-hour space epic with excellent writing and combat, but unfortunately, also a lot of bugs.”

“Persona 5 Tactica is a big bag of bite-sized Phantom Thieves adventures that keeps the spirit of the series alive and shows that it can work great with a grid-based battle system.”