The dark side wins out here, as good as Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is in so many areas it just can't overcome the aggressive, anti-consumer practices that are on display in their most egregious form to date in a $60 game.
Need for Speed Payback is another miss for the franchise. The racing feels good, the presentation is great, but everything surrounding it is absolutely abhorrent.
Threes is definitely the star of the show in NHL 18 with only marginal improvements made to the rest of the franchise's modes.
The real star of the show for Diablo III in 2017 is patch 2.6.0. The Necromancer is an expensive luxury for those that really want to have everything that the game offers.
Ever Oasis is a perfect blend of management simulator and action-RPG. Despite being on a handheld, this deep RPG's stylish presentation and many gameplay systems come together in a way that few games do.
Treyarch has certainly taken care in bringing these older maps back from the dead.
As it stands, Sapienza is a step down from the original release. There's far less story in this second helping to really keep you engaged for the coming episodes. Hopefully, IO will keep delivering the same top-notch gameplay and level design, but add a little more story to the experience to make them truly feel like episodes, because at this point they just feel like levels.
The wait has been long for a new Hitman game, and good as it may be, this one's going to have you waiting even longer for the full experience.
Platinum Games' take on Transformers is an interesting and welcome change of pace for the property. The developer's brand of polished, fast-paced, flowing combat feels right at home in the Transformers universe. For fans of the original cartoon series, this is a can't miss title even if its beauty is only skin-deep.
While the combat system itself is the real star of Transistor, Red's journey through Cloudbank is definitely one worth taking.
Dark Souls 2 is From Software's "something for everyone" version of the popular role playing series. Prepare to Die, a little less.
The single player, story mode, and challenges contain more than enough content to keep solo players occupied, the real fun is in being able to experience this game with others, where Kinect Sports Rivals shines.
We've seen more inspired work from the various Call of Duty teams in the past, when it comes to creativity and level design in the competitive component of this content. For those that dip their toes into the improving Extinction mode, this DLC has a lot more value.
The humor is the star of the show, so long as your content with passable gameplay being your only roadblock to the next joke or collectible to reminisce over. Seventeen years in, we probably won't see a better South Park game ever made.
Thief feels like a game that couldn't even get the basics right, let alone offer anything new and interesting. It will almost certainly be a let down for fans of the series, and new comers will likely expect much more from such a respected series and developer.
Strider makes a great first impression, but really shows its true colors as the short title wears on. Little variety in the environments, a lack of challenge in combat, and a little too much handholding at times, outweigh the flashy presentation of this reboot.