The Medium is uninspired, from puzzles to characters. If you’re looking for an interesting world to explore, it delivers with stunning art direction, but for those looking for a richer experience, The Medium feels skin deep.
As the video game industry experienced tumultuous change in the last decade, Kentucky Route Zero has felt like an anomaly, unconcerned with industry trends. Even as an episodic game, developer Cardboard Computer took years at a time to release acts — something most episodic titles try to avoid. It’s like Kentucky Route Zero was rejecting every rule, doing things its own way. Through that, it became one of the most important experimental games ever, establishing itself as a major player in the discourse of whether games are art. Kentucky Route Zero screams an emphatic and stubborn “yes” to that question.
“Little Nightmares 2″ shattered my expectations. I expected something scary, but the impeccable sound design, terrifying enemy encounters and clever puzzles make it worth revisiting, even after completion. This nightmarish experience has a lot to offer. Just don’t expect to get much sleep after playing.
Player choice is one of the best parts of Obsidian’s new RPG, The Outer Worlds. The game’s connections to Fallout: New Vegas are undeniable and can hold it back in some instances, but it still carves a pulpy, sci-fi identity of its own.
Though it has an intriguing premise, Memoranda is held back by its obtuse puzzle design and vague storyline
Aside from a few highlights, Syberia 3 is frustrating with a simplistic story that never captured my attention
Despite some decent puzzles, a confusing story and bland characters worsen the experience
Despite providing some interesting backstory for the Until Dawn universe, my enjoyment of The Inpatient is held back by dull characters and inconsistent scares.
Wayward Sky is a whimsical universe, where its charm almost makes up for its overly simple gameplay
Despite its two strong protagonists and their engaging plight, lackluster supporting characters and a mundane setting make this episode less compelling than the last
The Sims 4 is a lesser version compared to The Sims 3, but with some improvements post-launch and dynamic emotions in the mix, it still has a lot to offer
Another Lost Phone tells an interesting story in an inventive way, but its characters are forgettable
The puzzles are entertaining and exploring the neighborhood is a joy, but these moments are brought down by repetition
While searching and scanning for items remains tedious, the conversations with the holograms are the highlights
Despite a thrilling conclusion, this episode suffers from imbalanced pacing and annoying characters
The wilderness is satisfyingly unforgiving. The world is fun to explore, but story mode offers a lackluster narrative
Sea of Solitude provides an insightful look at mental health and its characters evolve in meaningful ways
Dream Daddy is a fun and surprisingly wholesome game about not just dating, but also the highs and lows of parenthood
Outlast 2 successfully builds on the foundations of the original, leaning more toward captivating, mind-bending horror
The open world is filled with oddball pedestrians to spy on, and both main and side missions offer plenty of enjoyment with variety that the previous game lacked