Leif Johnson's Reviews
The wackiest bits of Trials Fusion's Awesome Level Max DLC end too soon, but there's plenty of other content to savor.
Trove generally mixes elements of Minecraft and traditional MMOGs well, but it grows tedious in the late game.
Old-school adventure game mechanics make a great return to form in King's Quest: A Knight to Remember. This tale is funny, beautiful, and challenging enough to make up for a few plodding quests and frequent load screens, and it maintains its personality from start to finish, sprinkling the first episode of its story with happy highs and tragic lows.
The White March Part I provides some incentive to return to the Dyrwood in the form of a higher level cap, and the delightfully brutal combat, but few of the other new features leave a lasting impression. Despite an avalanche of possibilities provided by the wintry setting and the two ostensibly unique companions, the first half of The White March never feels like more than a side quest that was never implemented. There's still plenty on offer here for players who enjoy Pillars' combat above all else, but it's an expansion best suited to new players rather than veterans.
What it lacks in new features it makes up for in improving old ones, such as a better experiences in the Matrix as well as improved interface options.
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a clever and fun 2D space-shooter that can teach us something about cooperation.
Might and Magic Heroes 7 is a loyal but buggy sequel that manages to scratch a very old PC gaming itch.
Although slow and complicated at times, Elite: Dangerous nevertheless provides a rewarding open-world experience on Xbox One.
While echoes of the original release pacing problems remain, the Director's Cut does much to add variety to the experience with new features such as perks, quirks, and precision aiming. It's likely not enough to warrant a replay if you've already finished it, but if this is your first foray into inXile's bleak vision of the future, this is the best place to start off.
Poor creation tools and an aversion to genuine, interesting decision-making keep Sword Coast Legends from succeeding.
Heart of Thorns expands Guild Wars 2 in meaningful ways, but hasn't yet mastered its own masteries system.
Game of Thrones gets the feel of Martin's universe right, but it relies too heavily on familiar themes to form a memorable identity of its own.
Knights of the Fallen Empire represents the pinnacle of this troubled MMORPG's storytelling prowess, but unfortunately its other elements fall short. The overly easy combat is a sad shadow of what Star Wars: The Old Republic has offered in the past, and the endgame leans too much on recycled content and samey instances.
An attractive medieval survival sandbox that unfortunately gets bogged down in too many demands for time.
Shorter and far less focused on exploration than its preceding episode, King's Quest: Rubble Without a Cause still usually manages to deliver smaller doses of the art style and writing that made the series premiere so appealing. There are plenty of fun puzzles in store along with a timer mechanic, but the cramped, dark setting and lack of visual variety tends to rob these elements of the charm they could have.
The PC port doesn't introduce much new and certain elements could be stronger, but Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen still shines as a uniquely enjoyable RPG.
Gemini: Heroes Reborn is short, drab, and derivative, but it nevertheless generally remains fun throughout its five-hour running time. In its best moments, it mixes familiar elements from beloved platformers and puzzlers to create an experience that, at least for brief moments, captures the essence of the show.
Blade & Soul's phenomenal combat isn't enough to make up for its dated quests.
The White March: Part II expansion for Pillars of Eternity boasts better pacing and lore than its humdrum predecessor, but at the cost of a running time that feels somewhat inadequate. A welcome new Story Time mode helps dull the force of the brutal combat though, and memorable settings and enemies make this an expansion to savor.
It's light on features for an expansion, but Mercenaries adds some welcome volatility to the 4X sandbox.