Mike Epstein's Reviews
An entertaining remix of familiar action mechanics and narrative tropes, Evil West is a solid modern beat-em-up that puts combat first.
Guilty Gear Strive continues the series' legacy of complex and rewarding technical fighters, enhanced with a new look, characters, and ideas that bring its bold, complex gameplay to new heights.
Hood gives you glimpses of a new and exciting multiplayer concept, but its many, many design flaws keep the game from delivering.
Returnal blends elements of shooters, roguelikes, action games, and horror to redefine bullet hell and conjure a mysterious, moody masterpiece.
Oddworld's newest revival looks incredible, but its classic stealth-platforming feels old-school in all the wrong ways.
Evil Genius 2 makes good on its spy-movie supervillain concept with a challenging management sim that requires cunning and patience.
After almost five years, Dead by Daylight has grown into an incredible slasher film simulator, and the best asymmetrical multiplayer game around.
Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection is an honest, faithful homage to a series known for being so difficult, it's nearly unplayable.
Destruction AllStars has solid driving, but its demolition derby-style car combat drags as much as it thrills.
Olija's quick, zippy combat, platforming puzzles, and minimalist storytelling all shine in a small, pixelated trifle.
Super Meat Boy Forever makes some big mechanical changes but maintains its predecessor's reputation as one of gaming's toughest, most satisfying platforming challenges.
More than 25 years later, Myst remains iconic. In virtual reality, the puzzle box still confounds, even as it shows its age.
Tetris Effect: Connected extends the magic of the original to multiplayer in familiar and innovative ways.
Fuser's core mashup-making mechanics are compelling, but they're best enjoyed as a creative pursuit rather than a challenge-based game.
Time and the enhanced power of the Xbox Series X has given Ori and the Will of the Wisps the superior technical performance to match its smart, precise gameplay.
Though Sackboy: A Big Adventure's aesthetic is a bit basic, its solid platforming presents a good challenge.
Open-world exploration is the central idea and purpose of The Pathless, and its beautiful world rewards embracing your wanderlust.
Bugsnax' unique concept is so compelling you'll want to see and catch every one of its cute, crawling culinary creatures.
Transcending its role as an introduction to the PS5's features, Astro's Playroom is a quick and delightful celebration of PlayStation's history.
Ghostrunner is a hard-charging parkour climb, but summiting its platforming challenges is a thrill worth fighting for.