Daniel Bischoff
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze barrels some monkeys, blasts them into some trouble, but ultimately provides an archipelago of satisfying hardcore gameplay for Wii U.
Sure, this Mario game has claws, but it's plenty friendly so don't worry about getting scratched.
Battlefield has always focused on slower, more purposeful action, but what does the numeral 4 even mean here? Is Battlefield 4 worthy of a brand new integer? Maybe not.
In the end, XGen's writing is entertaining enough, the digging puzzles are devious, and with co-op and Hardcore mode anyone can find an experience they'll enjoy.
Dozens of hours of gameplay, the only racing game on PS4 at launch, a fantastic showpiece for your next-gen hardware of choice, and a hyper-connected experience—Rivals is one of the best games to own on PlayStation 4. Rev your engines, folks, this will be on hell of a ride.
[W]ith persistent cooperative play and plenty of exploration, genuinely fun combat, and gorgeous 1080p graphics, it's hard to find a better value for your digital currency of choice.
Her imprisonment and Sucker Punch's use of a familiar location at the crux of this story breathe new life into neon-powered gameplay loops that had already proven themselves one of the best open-world mechanics yet.
Middle-earth just wants the player to explore it like a playground. You can climb up structures, leap from them to tackle a wild creature of the land, and even enlist your own group to drive the dramas that ensue. Shadow of Mordor paints the pictures that rest somewhere between bookends.
I've played enough Mario Kart in my life to know that this is the best version of the venerable kart-racer since the Nintendo 64 era.
If I couldn't recommend the game to you based on its intense sense of motion or wild enemy and environment design, then I'd say the third-person shooter combat and unique upgrades will do the trick.
Smash is fun. That's one of the most boring words to use in a video game review, I know, but I can't sum it up any other way. Nintendo's developers made it an obvious objective and they've unequivocally hit the motherload. You'll feel like you did too, so make sure you're tossing opponents off-stage to explore it all.
Even at less than two hours of playtime, I can't complain when it costs more to go to a movie. In that way, Entwined feels like Journey and that's high praise for upstart developer Pixelopus.
People love scores, the score here isn't changing.
With all the playtime, all the free updates, all the unique class-changing items, and the online community that will surely stick with the game post-launch you'd have trouble finding a game with much more to offer.
Grand Theft Auto V is one of the most expansive and impressive games I've ever played.
For a fantasy game presenting dozens of hours of gameplay, Dragon Age: Inquisition largely delivers on its promises, both mechanically and in gameplay that fans will want from the third title in the series.