Latest Reviews
Steel Division 2 continues the series’ tradition of tactically deep, enjoyable, historically-grounded World War II real-time combat. The new Eastern Front divisions bring plenty to the table to reinvigorate the multiplayer and skirmish modes. The combat mechanics themselves haven’t evolved all that much, but they work well enough without trying...
Super Mario Maker 2 is the most accessible game design tool ever created, and that core is just one part of a greater whole. I spent hours building levels, testing them, and starting over again, and I feel like I've only barely scratched the surface of what's possible. The Story...
There is no shortage of good Metroidvanias these days, but Bloodstained does show that Koji Igarashi’s particular brand of “Igavania” still has teeth. Exploring the castle’s many secrets is a delight, and there is a dizzying array of weapons and powers waiting to be bent to your will. Castlevania: Symphony...
The Sinking City’s creation of a new Lovecraftian vision paired with compelling stories, exciting environments, and memorable characters make for one of the better Cthulhu lore games I’ve played. Its commitment to tastefully updating the storytelling methods, while preserving the setting and tone of Lovecraft shines through the tedium and...
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled’s difficulty, memorable track design, and addictive Power Slide mechanic make it a kart racer worth playing, especially competitively (though new players should check out a guide or two first). In single-player it’s richer than what the genre normally provides, but at the expense of a cheap...
Judgment
Although I wish there was more depth to its detective work, Judgment’s smooth and spectacular street fighting, eclectic array of side activities, and suspenseful serial killer-based plot makes for the best original Yakuza game of this console generation. With its high-quality English-language dub and all-new cast of characters, it’s also...
Like the John Woo movies that it successfully emulates, My Friend Pedro is all about the action – and that action is excellent. The slow-motion gunplay, fantastical stunts, and score-attack-driven mechanics all work together to create one hell of an adrenaline-filled ride, even if it doesn’t give you much reason...
Elsweyr is a worthy successor to last year’s Summerset chapter, even though the main quests don’t live up to the hype. It’s actually the excellent storytelling and exploration in the side quests that outshines the underwhelming dragons with heartfelt drama and comedy. Meanwhile, the new Necromancer class is by far...
Dauntless
Dauntless is a surprising achievement not only for its insanely fun and accessible monster hunting action, but also for its seamless cross-platform multiplayer and non-intrusive free-to-play mechanics. Removing much of the supporting systems' complexity from games like Monster Hunter leaves a core that’s immensely fun to dive into for quick...
Warhammer: Chaosbane can stand proudly alongside some of the best games that have used the foreboding, Gothic Old World as a setting. Action RPGs like this live and die based on fun combat and well-designed classes, and developer Eko Software really hit it out of the park on both of...
Outer Wilds
Outer Wilds’ tricky exploration and puzzle solving is definitely an acquired taste. Its very specific brand of active storytelling differs wildly from highly guided open-worlds that many of us think of when we talk about non-linear gameplay. Though it can be confounding at times when events don’t unfold in precisely...
Cricket 19’s presentation and gameplay may feature more distracting niggles than an Australian slip cordon, but in spite of such grievances it’s still the closest to the real thing that a cricket game has ever been. Scenario mode is a welcome inclusion in terms of the almost limitless replayability it...
