Etherborn is a compelling, gravity-shifting puzzle platformer, but its convoluted plot and limited worlds stop it from being exceptional.
In the end, Chinese Parents is ultimately a tribute to, well, Chinese parents — their tremendous expectations on their children, the unconventional ways they express their form of tough love, and all the familiar eccentricities of Chinese parental love.
Every shootout is an opportunity to execute a thoroughly balletic performance of sorts.
The game forsakes worldbuilding as it increasingly gives itself over to making the most digressive of statements.
It’s a pity that the game fails to take advantage of these analogies and delve into their immense potential. Instead, it’s too fixated on traditional jump scares to embrace the twisted, palpitating gut of its story about a flawed protagonist and his struggles with inner demons.
A Plague's Tale's emotive story of resilience is underscored by a backdrop of screeching rats, the unremitting horrors of war, and a genuinely likeable cast of characters.
n the vein of so many B movies that seek to provide the campiest of thrills, God’s Trigger takes delight in its over-the-top violence, cheesy monologues, and nonsensical plot. It’s what makes the game so memorable, even if that means it never defies genre expectations. God’s Trigger is no rousing masterpiece, nor does it want to be.
For a game that revolves around the beauty of languages, it’s a disappointment that Heaven’s Vault can’t find the right words to express itself.
It would be remiss of me not to point out the small but diverse roster of characters in Apex Legends. Out of the current band of eight Legends, the presence of four people of color and two LGBTQ characters is a heartening first step. In particular, the mysterious hunter Bloodhound is probably the most — if not the first — prominent example of a nonbinary character in a mainstream shooter. Yet Apex Legends also faces the same narrative challenges that the relatively progressive Overwatch had with inclusivity. In a genre that carries a greater emphasis on gameplay rather than storytelling, injecting meaningful representation can admittedly be a trying process.
Call of Cthulhu's survival-horror elements don't come close to capturing the existential unease of Lovecraft's original story. Rather, they simply feel exploitative.
The universe of this game is one that could have benefited from a sense of atmosphere that's rooted in the past.
The exhilarating rush of running along walls, leaping across rooftops and hanging to the ledges of buildings are perfectly captured in Mirror's Edge Catalyst. Just don't expect too much from its non-existent plot.
Samorost 3 is an enthralling trip that fuels your wanderlust. Just like visiting an old friend, it’s tempting to pop by again after you’re done - if only to relive your memories.
Like Ken in his black training shirt, Street Fighter V offers a different fighting experience without losing its soul and essence. If Capcom can fix the frustrating PC issues with the keyboard, this game would truly be impeccable.
Not for the faint of heart