Cade Onder
The Last of Us Part II tells a deeply upsetting, bold, and powerful story that is sadly held back by painful pacing issues. The game's structure not only holds it back narratively but also from a gameplay perspective as well. Still, Naughty Dog's PS4 swansong often operates at a level many other games never have and likely never will.
Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated definitely shows its age in this "remake". It has a weirdly structured story, a few poor boss fights, some bizarre bugs, and some other elements that could've used some proper touch-ups. That said, it still delivers on being a fun and easily accessible platformer that captures the heart and soul of the beloved Nickelodeon cartoon.
Playing Maneater, I personally had a lot of fun going around playing as a huge shark controlling the ocean despite being repetitive. The repetitiveness along with the lack of a worthwhile story did lessen my enjoyment with the game. In the end, though, I did enjoy the game greatly with its stunning visuals and fun game mechanics.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is easily the most personal and customizable game in the franchise.
Even though it's just the campaign, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered is a healthy dose of nostalgia.
While enjoyable and filled with plenty to enjoy, Resident Evil 3 unfortunately feels like an uneven mishmash of horror and action. It wants to do two things at once and while it does them in a passable way, it doesn't always feel like it reaches its full potential especially when following in the footsteps of Resident Evil 2 Remake.
Doom Eternal's issues feel like a victim of ambition. They wanted to double down on the balls to the walls craziness and instead of saying no to some ideas, it feels like they crammed absolutely everything into the game. While Eternal manages to still be very fun and a worthy entry in this legendary franchise, it needs to realize there is such a thing as too much of a good thing sometimes.
By delivering the thrills of being part of "The Show" through energetic, immersive gameplay and a plethora of varying content, MLB the Show 20 is another great entry in the annual series. Despite some modes not getting the love they deserve and some additions not adding a ton of value to the experience, Sony San Diego still continues to prove they're more than deserving of the MLB license.
Dreams is not only a technical wonder that is borderline sorcery but it's a revolutionary PS4 exclusive. It's a wholesome space to create, share, and play where people are constantly setting new standards, pushing new limits, and blowing your mind. Media Molecule has made something that should've been impossible work and work very well.Simply put, Dreams makes you believe in the magic of video games.
Patapon 2 is still best-in-class when it comes to the rhythm-action genre but there are some areas where it doesn't hold up, specifically in its clarity and technical prowess. However, if you're looking for an incredibly engaging and euphoric game to help tide you over until 2020's big hitters start to drop, you can't go wrong with this remaster of this beloved PSP title.