Devil May Cry 5 is a firework. If you’re the one with the lighter, then setting the explosion off is a simple as flicking your finger.
Kiwami has a much smaller scope than something like Yakuza 0 but I think that also gives it a lot of focus. While the series is now famous for side quests and random activities, Kiwami has a focus and drive to it that I really enjoyed by the end.
Resident Evil 2 provides some of the best moments in the franchise. That can mean turning to flee as an unstoppable tyrant stomps closer and closer to you, using a flamethrower to dispose of a plant-infested zombie, or puzzling out where to place the Queen piece in a puzzle. The raw experience of playing Resident Evil 2 is visceral, bloody, and often incredibly rewarding.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey's defining characteristic is how often it seems to be anything other than an Assassin's Creed game.
Valkyria Chronicles 4 is a confident game that doesn't always earn its bravado. It is beautiful, thrilling, and paradoxically fractured. But if you're able to endure the clumsier scenarios, you'll find a rousing war story with plenty of challenge.
Dark Souls Remastered is a close replication of the source material, allowing new players to see what the big deal was and veterans to test their mettle once more. There's already been a generation of undead warriors who completed their journey and rang the Bells of Awakening. Now it's time for another.
Even in its current seemingly incomplete state, Sea of Thieves is still rewarding.
It is a game full of smart moments, perfect for bringing together dedicated gamers and curious onlookers alike.
Metal Gear Survive's team managed to make a game both bad to play and fascinating to examine. Survive finds itself in small moments but is lost to grinding, mindless gameplay.
I'll remember Celeste for a long time to come, thinking back on its mystical ruins and wind-swept peak. It's a joyous game brimming with hope and one of the best video game jumps ever.
In spite of technical flaws and the dreary mirror it holds up to us, Battlegrounds in consistently enjoyable and surprising. There is a reason why it is the battle royale game.
Breath of the Wild's latest adventure is well worth the time and effort, ending on on a triumphant high.
Star Wars: Battlefront II frustrates me in ways I never knew I could be frustrated. It is both a lovingly crafted companion to the films and a tangled mess of corporate meddling. There is a strong heart at the center but finding it means peeling back layers of unnecessary and infuriating nonsense.
It's a playable Saturday morning cartoon: silly, janky but for a brief period of time, a fun distraction.
The New Colossus crafts a world that can deliver exciting action and human drama. The messy gunfights give way to something much larger. The New Colossus examines violence, resistance, and the necessity of revolution. It's bloody and occasionally silly but never stupid or crass.
Fire Emblem Warriors lacks charm but compensates with spectacle.
It's delightful and fun and worth the effort it'll take to clear.
Tacoma ultimately succeeds as a piece of emotional storytelling. Every moment spent with the crew is spellbinding, as their strengths and struggles play out in painful detail. The experience is sometimes frustrating, but Tacoma leaves a lasting impression.
Sonic Mania clearly articulates Sonic's true appeal: Sonic is pure joy, a spinning ball of fun blazing a trail towards the next adventure.
I do not regret my time with A New Frontier, but the emotional core at the center of the series seems rotten. There are seeds of greatness here, but A New Frontier never gave them the necessary time to grow.