Zack Handlen
A solid addition to the Telltale roster that accurately captures its source material while falling prey to the faults of the studio's other licensed games.
Paper Mario: Color Splash has vibrancy but little depth
Bound’s two left feet get in the way of its stunning ballet
The game offers the same mix of exploration and action that makes up every Uncharted, and while those fundamentals aren't as strong as its storytelling, no one who's enjoyed the rest of the series is going to find anything here to turn them off.
Star Fox Zero has many parts and little time for any of them
Beasts are the beauty of the frantic, overstuffed Far Cry Primal
If Unravel gains strength from its single-mindedness, it also never succeeds at becoming more than what it seems: a modest, melancholic but ultimately heartwarming effort.
At its best, playing Fatal Frame feels like a more interactive version of movies like Ju-On, putting the player in a terrible place where the only relief is the occasional pause before inevitable doom. The situation is slightly more optimistic, but the feeling of inevitability is hard to shake. Even the few supposedly safe spaces (Ren's study, Yuri's apartment) feel like flickering candles in a world of ever-growing darkness. At its worst, Fatal Frame is bogged down by repetition and a frustrating, if inspired, combat system. Your ability to overlook this will likely depend on your appreciation of candlelight.