At the beginning of this review, I outed myself as someone who's not a huge South Park fan, but I've watched enough of the show to understand that this is its modus operandi. It foregrounds loud, over-the-top, “edgy” humor, and it backgrounds surprisingly thoughtful character arcs. South Park: The Fractured But Whole matches the show's strange mix of intentions; it is totally aligned in that way. And in that way, it provided the perfect reminder for why the show (and, to a lesser extent, this game) aren't for me.
Like many of the Western RPGs that influenced it, Dragon's Dogma is an uneven experience, but it's one that rewards patience and perseverance, and it's a bold argument for why Japanese developers should continue making RPGs, with or without the inspiration from this side of the Pacific.
Everybody's Gone to the Rapture contains astounding humanity beneath its flaws
Resident Evil 0 is better in retrospect than it was at release
Xenoblade Chronicles X is an awesome game buried under a mountain of annoyances
Dark Souls 3 lives up to the formula in some respects but falls short a little too often
Powerstar Golf balances smart social features and tight core gameplay with shaky economics
The Walking Dead Season 2 may be better as a whole but it falters in the first episode
The Walking Dead Season 2 Finale is never quite as meaningful or powerful as the first season
Among the Sleep builds an engaging, terrifying experience on top of simple, buggy mechanics
Wildstar is familiar territory, but it's smartly made and fun nonetheless
The Last Tinker: City of Colors left me with a dopey grin
LittleBigPlanet 3's devoted fans will surely craft some excellent levels in the months to come, but mostly this feels like a proof of concept for a much better LittleBigPlanet 4.
Resident Evil is still a classic, but it's hard for some people to go back to
Axiom Verge works moment to moment but feels less successful as a whole
Conarium could have pushed deeper, but it stays true to the spirit of Lovecraft's work
If you can get past the microtransactions, Shadow Wars seems set to provide a much meatier extended playtime than Shadow of Mordor ever offered. But more than anything, that's my biggest disappointment with Middle-earth: Shadow of War: Everything about it seems to come with a caveat, some small annoyance or two that you need to dig past to get to the still-very-fun game underneath. The Nemesis System is still a wonder that has yet to be replicated. The movement and combat are thrilling.
Outlast 2 made me feel terrible, but that's by design
The Last Guardian bounces between highs and lows without ever fully living up to its legacy
Lords of the Fallen is a successful twist on an established formula