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.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is easily the most personal and customizable game in the franchise.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is like returning to an old friend. It has the same charm that we fell in love with but has adapted to modern sensibilities. It plays like it belongs in 2020 but not as just a game that meets the bare minimum. It's one that exceeds standards and aligns itself as one of the year's best.
Where dogs are usually considered "man's best friend," Stray suggests that cats may be robot's best friend. This is a game that wears its heart on its sleeve and expertly weaves its themes into everything the player does. There will likely be many people who buy this game because they want to play as a cat and their itch will be scratched, but there's also a high chance they will come away moved by its story of companionship and get caught up in its soothing and equally mesmerizing atmosphere. There are a lot of amazing looking games coming this fall, but Stray has already cemented itself as a contender for awards season.
Ultimately, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 captures the essence of the character on a micro and macro level. While it isn't without its flaws, Spider-Man 2 is a sensational follow-up to the previous games and yet another winner for PlayStation players.
NHL 17 is one of the best hockey games of this generation. It doesn't feel like a slightly upgraded version of the last game, it builds upon old ground and makes it feel fresh and new through awesome new modes and great gameplay.
A wonderful story and an intriguing world filled with eye candy that only the Elder Scrolls series could deliver.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm manages to capture the emotional heartache that the first game gave you and amplifies it to create a masterfully crafted story that is bursting at the seams with realistic human drama and remarkable characters.
Telltale's first episode of Batman: The Enemy Within shows an incredibly promising start for the rest of the season thanks to its original story, refreshing takes on iconic characters, and lack of technical flaws.
Dark Souls Remastered is truly the definitive way to play the game. Thanks to tons of polish and technical improvements, the infamous RPG now feels much more competent and coherent, giving players little excuse to blame the game itself when they die. FPS chugging is next to non-existent, creating one of the smoothest Dark Souls experiences to date.
It's incredibly clear a lot of love and care went into this collection, this was no cash grab from Capcom. It serves as a love letter to the franchise by keeping everything both good and bad in the ports while also adding small features that won't scare away the modern gamer.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 fires on all cylinders and hits every target with immense precision. This is the peak of zombies, one of the best battle royale experiences in the genre, and one of the most fluid, engaging, and tactical Call of Duty multiplayer modes to date. Even with the removal of a traditional single-player campaign, Black Ops 4 feels like you're paying $60 for a game that you could value at $100 or more.
Ultimately, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a triumphant test of Lara's mind, body, and spirit. Intertwining story and gameplay, Eidos Montreal successfully completes Lara's long and tiring arc.
All in all, The Elder Scrolls Online's Summerset expansion is yet another worthy addition to the MMO. Thanks to its ability to expand the lore in meaningful ways in this already super crowded game, let us all explore a breathtaking new world, and add great new side content, Summerset is another achievement for the game.
Even though it sometimes feels uncharacteristically by the numbers in some places or fails to have a noticeable amount of pizazz, Devil May Cry 5 is a hell of a good time. With plenty of wonderful character moments that'll make fans gush, a glorious frenzy of bloody action, and a healthy dose of great metal music to score it all, Capcom has triumphantly returned yet another beloved franchise to its former glory.
Life is Strange 2 is easily a worthy successor to the original by both remaining true to the tone of the series and finding refreshing ways to separate itself from it. In the first game, I definitely felt a lot of emotions but in Life is Strange 2, not only do I feel, but I found myself involuntarily emotionally reacting to the events of the game. Dontnod has created something truly special once again and the wait for these remaining episodes will be harder than it has been waiting in the past.
Respawn has successfully entered the battle royale genre with Apex Legends, allowing itself to take notes from its predecessors and come in and build upon the foundation laid before them. By refining the formula rather than making a significant effort to reinvent the battle royale wheel, this studio has proven themselves as unmistakable masters of their craft with both the Titanfall series and now Apex.
By combining flashy set-pieces filled with spectacle, neverending charm, and a mechanically sound VR gameplay experience, Blood and Truth serves as another success for PlayStation.
Even though it's just the campaign, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered is a healthy dose of nostalgia.
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.