As a first step towards a future of more live service content, The Division 2 already feels amazingly complete. It works from day one, its various systems are staggeringly deep and its combat is in a class of its own. Everything else that’s still to come over the next couple of years? That’s a satisfying cherry on top of an already massive sundae of excellence.

Who would have thought that the battle for the Iron Throne would have ever been so brutal? Game of Thrones may be famous for its lush setting, stellar acting and an incredible eye for detail, but it’s also a series that has earned a certain infamy for taking all of those elements and wrapping them up in a layer of brutality that is simply shocking.

There are games out there that are bright,happy and optimistic, that aren’t all about death and consequences and just remind you that, hey, there is good out there in the world. So I’ve compiled a list of games that I’ve been delving into to raise my spirits and, maybe if you’re struggling too, they can lift yours too.

For better or for worse, exciting times lie ahead of us. It’s a brave new world out there for video games and for many of us, we didn’t even see it sneak up on us.

Every now and then, there’s a little coded language that pops up in The Division 2, a barrier to play that must mean something. Something to do with trotting foxes and Zulu time, I’m certain. Many agents died to uncover the origins of these error codes, partly because I’m a terrible logistics support person who kept sending IT soldiers into dens of action that they were woefully unprepared for.

The second episode in DontNod’s teen adventure, sees some decent plot developments but very little in the way of engaging game experience.

My favourite part of The Division 2 so far? Washington DC. Sandbox games aren’t going anywhere for the foreseeable future, but there’s something special about a game that absolutely nails its environment. Having a metropolis filled with character, beauty and a sense of isolation that highlights its design is something special, an idea which The Division 2 simply excels at.

There’s plenty of fantastic acting inside of Devil May Cry 5, a game that is already cementing itself as one of my personal highlights not only of the year but of this gaming generation.

This April, one of the greatest sagas in all of fantasy is coming to an end. Armies of the seven kingdoms will battle, the Whitewalkers will seek to blanket Westeros in an infinite blizzard and treachery will consume anyone who dares to sit upon the Iron Throne. Sound unfamiliar to you? Well if you’ve been living under a rock for …

What TKO studios brings to the comic book table, is more than just an industry shake-up to go along with their fantastic series. It’s an eye that is fixed on the future, as TKO Studios feels like the right change for the market and our constantly evolving need to stay entertained.

A hand cannon reborn! A curse reignited, as the legend of Dredgen Yor lives on again in Destiny 2. While the rogue Guardian may have fallen at the hands of Shin Malphur and The Last Word, Dredgen Yor’s legacy lived on through the centuries thanks to one iconic weapon that would become the bane of many a Guardian in the Crucible: Thorn. How do you get it? Here’s how!

The Mother City is getting a second pop culture event, in the form of Comic Con Cape Town. That’s a big deal for the city, but one that has raised a few concerns in the local convention scene. Like most things in life, there’s more to the story and after we’d had a chat with FanCon’s Mahdi Abrahams yesterday, we grabbed Comic Con Africa’s portfolio director Elaine Crewe for a quick chat.