Matt Paprocki's Reviews
Lego Jurassic World is as expected: Legos, dinosaurs, and puzzles. But, the formula is too familiar and needs more chaos theory.
The sky hates you. Plants hate you. Saws hate you. And evolution? It's trying to eliminate your fluffy, winged existence as a species, and yet, it's quite enjoyable.
Rare Replay is a compilation with selective eye sight, but portrays the studio for what they did best: Character.
UbiSoft thinks it's okay to plaster paid DLC characters on the box art, which sums up what happened to the otherwise great Toy Soldiers series.
If Until Dawn were the movie it was trying to be, it's Rotten Tomatoes score would be single digits.
Madden 16 is what the NFL wants to believe its league is: Clean, friendly, and inspirational. It's not.
Mad Max is bloated, full of busy work, and keeps women locked in chains. Fury Road this is not.
Forza continues to be part of Microsoft's dwindling core of exclusives and while fun, it's beginning to lose its grip as sequels blend together.
A proud legacy follows Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5, a legacy which is pushed through walls, caught in geometry, and smothered by inexcusable anti-consumer nonsense.
Uncharted's flubs are many, but the series is keen on narrative and character - enough to see it through three games.
Bernie Sanders could use Assassin's Creed Syndicate's tale of greed and capitalist abuse at campaign rallies. It's too routine after a dozen games.
Somewhere exists a thing which explains the basic tenants of Halo 5's story, but it's not Halo 5. Then, once vaunted multplayer is bogged down by microtransactions. For shame.
Black Ops III tries something different, but it's wrong headed approach ruins otherwise strong context.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is not only essential, it's poised to be endearing snapshot of America's battle over religious freedoms.
Yo-Kai Watch's decidedly foreign lore doesn't trample an accessible series of lessons for children worldwide.
NBA 2K17 is a worthy if subtle upgrade
With its inconsequential story and addiction to inane splatter kills, Rebellion's Sniper Elite 4 doesn't subvert expectations. It doesn't have to necessarily: The appeal of shooting digital Nazis may never stagnate, and increasing the scale of each stage means more Nazis to kill and an increased potential for strategy. But a bigger scope makes the inherent problems more visible.
In the end, Yonder isn't inventive, exactly, as the multitude of ideas and cross-media inspirations converge somehow into something infinitely familiar. Missions are cut down to absolute basics to fulfill an open world quota, but it's possible to forgive this when traipsing through this aesthetically pleasing land and helping these delighted folk. And as importantly, there's bravery in eliminating things like combat and leveling, allowing Yonder a rare, distinctive brevity.
Although EA Vancouver planned a three-year rejuvenation of their hockey series, NHL 18 seems like it's on the downside of generational sports games. While Threes adds some zest and significant features, that's the only notable addition to the game. When the introduction menu pops up and “What's New” offers only three choices (one being a tutorial), 2017 is not a good year. NHL 18 is (as always for this series) more than competent, but for the first time in a while, it's a “wait for next year” revision.
Of course, it's no surprise that NBA 2K18 looks good; the series has looked the part since its advent on the Dreamcast, staying relevant visually and staking out its own part of basketball culture. NBA 2K18 continues the trend, capturing the feel of basketball's urban centers in The Neighborhood.