Ranking The Best Video Games Of January 2016

10. The Banner Saga (Console)

Metacritic Score: 78 (XBO), 79 (PS4) The Verdict: A whole two years after it first arrived on the PC, Stoic's widely-acclaimed RPG finally lands for console gamers, and unsurprisingly, it's still totally freaking awesome. What the game lacks in first-rate production values and an especially unique story it more than compensates for with its superb personality, wealth of choice, and high level of challenge (a few genuinely irksome difficulty spikes notwithstanding). In addition, certainly more so than any recent Final Fantasy game, there's a pronounced feeling of artistry dripping from the title: it may lack the million-dollar cut-scenes of Square Enix's franchise, but the painterly visuals have their own distinct charm, and it goes without saying that Austin Wintory's (Journey) musical score is stunningly ethereal. The odd bout of frustration aside, this is a terrific RPG that you owe it to yourself to play immediately if it somehow passed you by.
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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.