With Bethesda's latest swing at the Doom franchise, however, nostalgia isn't just a marketing gimmick. Everybody’s looking to slap a fresh coat of paint on an old brand and call it new. Why it’s great: These days, nostalgia - like zombies - has become a virus. How to play: Xbox One, Microsoft Windows ( watch the trailer) In itself, the combat, exploration, and item-hunting isn't all that revolutionary, but it’s this gripping blend of mediums that makes the game such a narratively compelling affair. At key points throughout the story, the digital cast - including Shawn Ashmore ( X-Men), Lance Reddick ( The Wire), and Aidan Gillen ( Game of Thrones) - rolls seamlessly from virtual action into fully produced 22-minute episodes of television.

But Quantum Break is more than just a video game - it's also a TV show.

The game's time-bending mechanics, which allow players to stop time and riddle their frozen enemies with bullets, or rewind events to search previously destroyed environments, make for a visceral experience its inclusion of story-changing junction points - where each choice affects the curving narrative - are an exciting (if somewhat borrowed) idea. With Quantum Break, the company moves on to time-travel sci-fi. Why it’s great: From Max Payne to Alan Wake, developer Remedy's obsession with high-concept gameplay and pulp storytelling has bridged every genre. How to play: PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux ( watch the trailer) Sony Interactive Entertainment Their walkie-talkie conversations, and separate views of the landscape, make these characters feel like two halves of a whole, adding up to a haunting trek through nature. Indie game developer Campo Santo manages this brilliantly as both the Ranger and Delilah independently observe and report on the goings-on across Yellowstone.

The hat trick of balancing compelling gameplay and character development between two people who never actually meet is no easy task. As players explore the colorful, stylized world of Yellowstone, a deeper story unravels and a complex friendship grows. The ranger's only companion is his supervisor Delilah, a voice over a walkie-talkie. Firewatch is among the best, focusing on a single park ranger patrolling Yellowstone National Park in 1989. Why it's great: The story-driven adventure game is making a comeback, despite a landscape loaded with first-person shooter and fantasy roleplaying titles.

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