While the puzzles get repetitive, the ever-changing environments and heartfelt narrative see you through to the end of the journey
Pony Island's action sequences are repetitive and unforgiving, but the bizarre narrative doles out intrigue and humor in equal parts
Enjoying everything Bravely Second has to offer still requires putting up with a lot of filler
Mutant Year Zero builds on some promising ideas but comes crashing down hard on an unsatisfying cliffhanger ending
The Sinking City succeeds at creating a memorable world and twisting narrative that pulls players beyond its mediocre gameplay
Some of Borderlands 2's gameplay and humor feels understandably dated, but the core loop remains satisfying
While still far from perfect, Escape Plan Bravo contains enough good moments to get me excited for the final entry
Too much trial-and-error plagues the puzzles, which also don't have enough strategy or interesting choices
The super-sized environments require more patience than ever, along with a willingness to continually revisit the same locations
The classic Tetris and Puyo Puyo action is enjoyable, but the new modes are letdowns
Donkey Kong Adventure offers up more turn-based entertainment, but its timing and standalone nature limit its appeal
Superficial shakeups leave New Dawn feeling familiar to a fault for longtime Far Cry fans, but the gunplay is still satisfying
Last Year's core gameplay is solid, but the thrills are short-lived due to a lack of content
Already-limited offerings are diminished by a quasi-free-to-play monetization scheme
Telltale avoids a complete flop with a more engaging second half and a well-done finale
JazzPunk is good for a few chuckles and the novelty of how absurd the game is
Atlas Mugged delivers a solid opening and a few chuckles, but I would've liked more meaningful choices and character development
There's only so much fun you can get out of playing the same level over and over again
Furi's sole focus on cripplingly difficult boss fights is the definition of niche. Those who aren't up for the challenge will be disappointed
The cat-and-mouse gameplay is exciting and captures classic horror-movie moments – when the game actually works, which isn't often enough