Philip Kollar
Second Son is more of the Infamous you already know
Doki-Doki universe is a gleeful game of self-reflection
It's not the most stable racer, but Need for Speed Rivals puts spectacular ideas to great use
Nevertheless, a month past its release, it's safe to say that Splatoon functions well enough, has an active community and continues to grow in the right directions, even if some obvious areas of improvement remain.
Episode 3's unforgettable villain made me feel like a bad guy...in a good way
Risk of Rain is a great blend of difficulty and approachability
Republique continues to impress with its willingness to grow from episode to episode
Rise of the Tomb Raider executes the franchise formula with confidence
Syndicate doesn't get everything right. It doesn't solve all of the series' problems, and at this point, I'm not sure if any one game could. However, it's the first step in a uniformly positive direction that the franchise has taken in years.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is far and away the best game in the series so far
Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold gets the series back on track and builds on its strengths
Devil Survivor 2 brings many disparate styles together in a great combination
I Am Setsuna is a somber yet joyful nostalgia trip
Despite the new protagonist, this game serves as a celebration of everything the Uncharted series has come to represent over a decade of mostly strong releases from Naughty Dog. And because of the new protagonist, it also offers a glimpse into what the franchise could become in the future, with some new developer leading the way. Naughty Dog did right by our memories here, and I hope that whoever takes on Uncharted next does right by them.
Absolver recognizes its singular goal of building a robust, satisfying martial arts combat system. It leans into those strengths, and it's a better game for it.
Revelations 2 is the most self-assured Resident Evil game in a long time
Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is a flawed but appreciated push in a new direction
Citizens of Earth is rooted in the past but still forward-thinking
Infamous: First Light is at its best if you've never played Second Son
Final Fantasy 14 redeems the series' greatest disaster