Minecraft: Story Mode will never have the same kind of success that Minecraft does. That's OK — few things do. But what's important here is that Telltale gets what makes Minecraft tick and has translated that into something that fits its story-focused mold.
At its core, Shadow of Mordor is a fresh, exciting game. I love what it does to make every enemy feel special. Open-world games like Assassin's Creed and Grand Theft Auto haven't really done much to expand on the possibility for emergence in the genre. They look like a pair of Casio digital wristwatches compared to the complex moving parts of Shadow of Mordor's intricate cuckoo clock.
Peggle 2 is a delightful game. The basic gameplay is still satisfying, the world is more colorful and alive than ever, and the music will cause your ears to explode with joy. Outside of the framerate issues, PopCap nailed the presentation.
Gat Out of Hell can stand on its own. Yes, it is undercooked, and it has problems, but the core mechanics and gameplay still work.
ColdWood has succeeded in a handful of bold ways with Unravel. It is showing EA the value in smaller, quieter games. It also feels like another fresh take on the side-scrolling platformer. And while Unravel drove me mad a couple of times, I was mostly thrilled by its wonder and adventure.
So don’t sit this one out. Pick it up, play through it, complain about it with me, but then stick around for all of its joys.
I never should have doubted Image & Form, and I hope the studio knows that my expectations are now sky high for whatever it does next.
Finally, Capcom has put a lot of game into Resident Evil 2. It has four remixed campaigns — two each for the playable characters Leon and Claire. But Capcom has also revealed plans to add even more. That includes a mode that randomizes where items are as well as new player characters.
Far Cry 5 is mechanically sound and varied. You'll find something that entertains you, and Ubisoft has nailed all of the underlying elements of character and world progression. At the same time, it squanders some decent writing because it can't decide what kind of game it is.
I'm glad that Sony saw this one through. The publisher could've canceled it even in the face of fan hype, but it stuck with Team Ico and gave The Last Guardian a chance to wow fans. The final product doesn't feel like a 2016 game. Instead, it's this strange adventure that invites you to get lost in its world. I love that, and I think anyone who loved Team Ico's previous games will appreciate what they find here.
Forza 5 is a fine way to spend a console launch. I'm not all that into cars, but I found an exceptionally built game that is welcoming to rookies.
Mario Kart is typically the best racer for most people. That's no different with Mario Kart 8.
Sunset Overdrive is a really good time. If you also regularly run with an online crew that enjoys a good "us versus waves of baddies" modes, you will likely get even more mileage out of it.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker most reminds me of the old Game Boy version of Donkey Kong (often called Donkey Kong '94). Both are spinoffs of other games that focus on small stages where you need to get to the end while collecting tough-to-get items.
This is probably the weakest episode yet, but only because of those very minor problems in the first section of the game. Don't take that as some kind of damning criticism because this is still a very good experience.
Bayonetta 2 is surprising. Some of that is because it is an M-rated Wii U exclusive. It's also because it is a good game in a genre that doesn't seem long for this world. With everything moving open-world and online, Platinum is still sticking to it's area of expertise. And it's working.
What a good game. It's really good. It's just so easy to pick up and get lost in for a few hours at a time. You can credit Techland for that success because it picked a few ideas and really got them right. The zombie-infested world is pretty and dangerous, and your character is fun to control. On top of that, the mechanics and the systems keep the core from getting boring.
I love that this game exists. It checks the boxes that it absolutely needs to hit.
Clubhouse Games is the kind of game that actually makes a platform for me. The Switch wouldn’t be the Switch without Zelda and Mario, but this is the kind of release that fills out a library. Clubhouse Games is something that you will look back on years from now, and get to say, “oh, yeah — I love that game!”
We're lucky to live in a world with Shadow of the Colossus. I hope that more people get the chance to play it now and it goes on to inspire a generation of indie developers. But, more than anything, I'm just happy to play it again.