Dated design, clunky multiplayer systems, and unacceptable load times make playing Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition a terrific chore.
Super Mario Bros. 35 is stressful, strategic, and quite a bit of fun, but its repetitive nature makes it feel a little less super after a while.
Bravely Default 2 is a long, familiar JRPG journey with excellent customizable combat and beautiful backdrops that pass the time as you work through its extended stretches of grinding.
Game Builder Garage is a robust, yet easy to learn, game engine that's absolutely delightful.
A beautiful modern rendering of a PlayStation classic, Legend of Mana retains both the charms and the problems from its initial release.
Exciting combat, fantastic art direction, and interesting environments only make me wish Boomerang X were twice as long.
Call of Duty: Vanguard's multiplayer doesn't do enough new to distinguish itself from the last few years to be a great game, but its excellent maps and Champion Hill mode mean that it's still a reliably good time.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer moves the formula forward with bigger maps and more customization without sacrificing its bulletproof mechanics. [OpenCritic note: IGN separately reviewed the multiplayer (8) and single-player campaign (6). Their scores have been averaged.]
Octopath Traveler 2 is a very enjoyable JRPG sequel that feels a little too safe and familiar.
Station to Station is a relaxing, cozy railway planner with clear goals, flexibility in how you accomplish them, and the absolute perfect amount of challenge. It doesn't try to be anything more than a fun and easy going experience, and the fact you can randomize levels and crank their difficulty up a bit provides some nice variety to how you approach each session. I love its voxel-based graphics so much, the music is soothing, and it just oozes charm. Even failing a level didn’t frustrate, because it just meant I got another opportunity to roll through the blocky countryside and do a little better. Its biggest strength lies in its simplicity, and it doesn't stray too far from that initial gameplay premise. Honestly, it doesn't have to.