Latest Reviews
Back in 2012, I called Sleeping Dogs one of the biggest -- and most pleasant -- surprises of the year. Two years later, the surprise has obviously dissipated, but that doesn't take away from what United Front Games achieved here. Playing the Definitive Edition reminded me how much I enjoyed...
Driveclub
Driveclub is the best-looking racing game I’ve ever seen on a console, but down deep it’s a more modest, conventional arcade racer than the sprawling, open-world types we commonly see today. While it successfully creates fast and fun races with a great sense of speed, the overly aggressive AI grates,...
Costume Quest 2's combat and story are both surprisingly good for an RPG that concludes in roughly a half-dozen hours. A few weird design choices in regards to the health system and navigation meant that just a bit too much of that time was spent backtracking and squinting at a...
Project Spark is a commitment, and a huge time investment to really make something substantial. It’s also a worthwhile endeavor for anyone who’s ever wished to make games. Learning the obtuse and complicated systems is surprisingly enjoyable, because you’ll see satisfying results instantly when you conquer a problem. So far, there...
Fairy Fencer F
Fairy Fencer F is a plucky little role-playing game that hides its best assets under a blanket of banality. Beneath the subpar graphics and cliche story lies strong combat, lovable characters, and an abundance of customization options. It may not be the deepest or most innovative RPG, but it has...
Alien: Isolation seemed like the perfect Alien game on paper, and for the first handful of hours it even seems to deliver on its promise on the strength of its outstanding art and sound that faithfully recreates the ambiance of the classic horror film. Instead, what was the Great Xenomorphic...
What’s even more impressive is that you right from the start, you can wander anywhere you want without without a single loading screen to pull your out of the experience. Seriously, I can’t count the number of times I stopped moving and just lingered on a view throughout my three-hour...
In most ways, Skylanders Trap Team is the best game in the series. The abundance of inventive and genuinely fun characters, and the inclusion of playable villains, means there’s always some amazing new trick to try. The new versions of Skystones and tilting lock puzzles are fun enough that I’d...
There are plenty of good things to say about Persona 4 Arena Ultimax. It looks and plays great, it’s easy to dive into for beginners, and rewarding to learn for veterans. It’s irresistible sense of style speaks for itself, but given how much I love its predecessor, the biggest compliment...
Gauntlet
Gauntlet can't quite strike the balance between the nostalgic arcade experience and a modern-day replay-friendly adventure. It's cool that there's such a varied experience amongst the iconic quartet of heroes, and four-player co-op is almost always fun with the right crew, but its repetitive structure works against its longevity.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor stands out from other open-world action games by putting a great new layer on top of the trail that Batman blazed. I was surprised at how well it integrates its excellent combat with rewarding feedback and progression not just for me, but also for my enemies....
The first Forza Horizon set a new standard for open-world racing games, and Forza Horizon 2 has comprehensively updated that standard. The location is right, the car list extensive, the handling nuanced but accessible, and the visuals are excellent. Above everything it’s always fun, whether you’re in a ludicrous Land...
