Halo 5: Guardians

Available on: October 27 (Xbox One)

Cortana is (possibly) dead, Master Chief has gone AWOL, a new generation of Spartans have arrived in full force, the Forerunner have returned. Oh, and there's aim-down sights now; everything about Halo 5: Guardians seems to be deconstructing the sci-fi shooter series, giving us new twists and taking unexpected turns. These changes make us nervous, but also terribly excited.

After all, Halo - much-loved as it is - is a bit long in the cybernetically-enhanced tooth at this point. Developer 343 Industries has taken the reigns from former developer Bungie and made the games unmistakably their own, but this is the team’s first full effort on Xbox One. However, with gorgeous presentation, an intriguing storyline, new characters, new squad-based gameplay mechanics and a refined multiplayer experience, Halo 5 is shaping up very nice indeed.