In recent years, Bandai Namco has proved it knows how to make the best of Dragon Ball Z. One of the most beloved anime in existence has garnered a well-earned cult following, DBZ has a huge canon of interconnected stories, and with Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, players get to experience the length and breadth of Goku's story from all-out battles to the silliest of side-quests.
BLACKSAD: UNDER THE SKIN
If you've been hankering for something to fill that gap left behind by the criminally underrated LA Noire, then Blacksad: Under The Skin could be the case you've been waiting for. Set in an alternative take on the United States in the 1950s - alternative in its use of anthropomorphic characters, to be precise - you play John Blacksad, a trenchcoat-wearing private investigator (who also happens to be a cat) with all manner of cases to solve.
DARKSIDERS GENESIS
Despite going down with publisher THQ all those years ago, the Darksiders franchise refuses to go quietly into the night. It's already returned with a full fat sequel in Darksiders III, and now it's been given a dungeon-crawling makeover for semi-sequel of sorts Darksiders Genesis. Strife is the focus of this new story set long before the events of the first game.
NEED FOR SPEED HEAT
Need for Speed has had a rocky road on current gen hardware. Developer Ghost Games has delivered some decent efforts, but while the likes of Rivals and Need for Speed were fun but a little forgettable, Payback's scale and customisation were lost to a heavy-handed microtransaction system. Heat represents an attempt by the studio and EA to turn the franchise's reputation around with a return to the street racing of Underground (without NFS's awkward FMV sequences) with the notable absence of any loot boxes.
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE
The latest Call of Duty has arrived, bringing with it the return of original developer Infinity Ward and a re-imagining of the sub-brand that put it and COD on the map - Modern Warfare. And there's plenty to be excited about. A new engine brings a more tactile and visceral feel to weapons and movement in multiplayer, while the return of story mode offers a new take on the world of contemporary shadow warfare (with some added Captain Price, naturally).
FINAL FANTASY XIV: SHADOWBRINGERS
Final Fantasy has been dipping its toes into the online RPG market for quite a few years now with Final Fantasy XIV, and the bold MMORPG now has a fresh expansion that extends the reach of its lore and introduces brand new locations, questlines and characters to the fold. There's now a brand new race in the mix - the Viera - and an additional job role, the Gunbreaker.
SNIPER GHOST WARRIOR: CONTRACTS
While it has its fun moments, it's safe to say Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 was a bit of misfire thanks to a larger scale and an open-world that failed to come together. For the next instalment in the series, developer CI Games has scaled things back by creating multiple sandbox maps in a similar vein to the recent Sniper Elite games. Each has a main target, and a series of side-missions that offer the opportunity to earn more money and learn more information about your central mission.
RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2
While its launch was somewhat overshadowed by revelations around the 'crunch' utilised during its development - and the questionable working conditions in which developers at Rockstar had to operate in - no one could deny the final product was incredible. Say what you will about the company that produced it, but Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the games of the generation.
THE BLACKOUT CLUB
This generation has proved that not only is survival horror in rude health, but it's operating at a whole new level when placed from a first-person perspective. But combining it with co-op play? That's a tougher nut to crack, but developer Question is ready to give it its best shot with The Blackout Club, where a group of teenagers must use their wits to uncover a sinister nightmare unfolding in their sleepy town.
THE ELDER SCROLLS: ELSWEYR
There are plenty of things that made The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim so beloved in the eyes of RPG fans, but being able to battle giant dragons while exploring its snow-capped world was easily one of the most memorable. Now, almost eight years on, those winged beasties are back in the latest expansion for MMORPG, The Elder Scrolls Online.
