Andrew Reiner's Reviews
For the core game, I wish more of the action was in the hands of the player, but I can’t deny how enthralling the choices are, especially when they lead to absolute chaos. Once the frantic running through the woods begins, the dark mysteries and thrill of keeping people alive are powerful hooks that will keep you glued in suspense until the credits roll.
Rarely have I played a game where I wanted to restart a scenario to undo bad decisions as I have here. Swansong makes you pay for your missteps and should be an excellent game for watercooler discussions with others who have played it.
The gore may be too extreme and nauseating at times, but the decent animations, nice-looking restaurants, and compelling narrative kept me pushing through to the last cuts. Ravenous Devils is unlike anything out there, and it won’t be for everyone, but there’s no denying that it’s a nicely made and oddly enjoyable experience.
MLB The Show 22 doesn't put up an all-star performance this year, but continues to be consistent in all avenues of play and finds new ways to make you want to spend time at the ballpark. Playing with friends in cooperative play is the standout feature if you can use it, but the on-the-field play and March to October also impress.
Despite being periodically uneventful, the Skywalker Saga is a thorough and fun examination of all three Star Wars movie trilogies. It delivers the same sensation of being overwhelmed as opening a Blu-Ray collection of films and not knowing which one you should start with.
Wonderlands is upbeat and fun from start to finish, offering a rewarding adventure filled with goofy characters, imaginative bosses, and a great sense of ownership over your character through it all.
Stranger of Paradise is the strangest Final Fantasy game yet, bounding wildly between awful and fantastic. If you can tolerate Jack (and that’s a big ask), the excellently crafted combat is worth a look. You may be coming to this game for the story and Final Fantasy experience, but it’s all about combat and little else.
Shadow Warrior 3 rushes along with zaniness and gore dispensed in loads, and that combo is oddly satisfying. It feels different, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and is wildly aggressive in how much it wants to make you laugh. I appreciate this approach and had a good time with this game, despite how often it hits the same gameplay and humor notes. When most major releases these days are 100-hour juggernauts, Shadow Warrior 3’s five-hour playthrough is a nice alternative and is worth a look. Just be prepared to groan frequently and be oddly amused by those groans.
Techland has crafted a monster of a sequel that is bigger and better in almost every way.
This is a game that is worth struggling with to unlock new dinosaurs for the freeing sandbox mode
A rarity in gaming that is at its best when the characters are rambling on
Well worth revisiting over a decade later to see how your theories hold up. This is a great game to discuss with friends – a book-club experience for gamers
The world is fun to explore, and your time is rewarded with secrets galore and hats for your little Rot followers
Well worth the wait and better than the original, Psychonauts 2 hits its stride early and never loses steam
One of the better choice-driven games in recent memory that makes you feel like you have ownership over your actions and the narrative flow
It's as long as any other Ratchet game, but it feels like it flies by in a flash, and is a hard one to put down
It's technically a survival game, but it feels more like a grand adventure that is free of many of the genre's frustrations
Even without many new features, The Show impresses with its play and wealth of content. There's something for everyone
A roaring success both in its diverse co-op-driven gameplay and mature story themes that unfold in playful and heartfelt ways
An incredible continuation that is a showcase of clever stages and pitch-perfect twitch reflexes