Shawn Zipay's Reviews
The Medium is quite offensive to those who suffer depression or trauma. It uses people who suffer as a narrative crutch to tell its story. I expected better.
Overall, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope is far closer to Until Dawn than Man of Medan was. It is a horror movie wrapped in a video game shell that makes for a thrilling, tense, and frightening experience whether you are playing solo or with a good friend.
There are certainly some areas of the game that could have used a bit more polish in this release, but I believe that fans of the franchise, especially fans the original Age of Empires III, will very much enjoy what is being offered here.
There just is not very much to praise here. If you enjoyed the colorful sandbox action of the original, you will probably find some enjoyment with Crysis Remastered. If you are like me and thought that the original was lacking, even back in 2007, you will not find any reason to pick this up in the here and now. It is also hard to recommend the game in 2020 when so many other games have come and gone that have better stories, better writing, and better gameplay in every conceivable way. It's a very dated game, but at least the water looks pretty.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is very nearly the perfect remake. Without a doubt this is the definitive version of both titles currently available. It is welcoming to those who have never played the game while being an immediate blast from the past with us old farts that spent their formative years playing these games for hours at a time.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is an absolutely wonderful gameplay experience. There is just something undeniably magical about flying around and seeing sights that you may have only read about in a book or seen online. With so many of us still in quarantine and self-isolation, there has never been a more perfect time for this level of escapism.
Maneater is one of those rare titles that shows a lot of potential but ultimately just fails to deliver. The game is not "bad" per se, but it's not one I would be quick to recommend. As for the game as it stands right now, I would wait for a sale.
There are a few sparks of a great game hidden deep within Disintegration. Sadly, none of those sparks ever manage to catch fire.
Half-Life: Alyx will go down as a watershed moment for VR gaming. Valve's years of work in VR are on full display here, featuring gameplay memories that will last a lifetime.
Persona 5 Royal is a master class in improving upon what is already great.
Need a fun, atmospheric, campy, and sometimes humorous co-op zombie shooter? Zombie Army 4: Dead War is pretty much a no-brainer.
Superliminal challenges players to change how they perceive their environment in order to progress. This works both for and against the game. While it may take you a little to start thinking outside of the box, sometimes literally, it soon becomes second nature. You start to look for the things around you that can be shrunk, enlarged, or used in abstract ways.
Journey for Elysium is a game that does not quite offer enough challenge for puzzle fanatics nor does it quite offer enough pure exploration for fans of "walking sims." It's not bad but it never really excels in any meaningful way.
GreedFall is the next Dragon Age or Witcher experience in everything but name. Spiders delivers a fantastic fantasy action-RPG that you do not want to miss.
The Surge 2 is better than its predecessor in almost every regard. If you liked the first game, you're going to love this one.
Despite a few issues with combat, The Sinking City features solid world building, strong crime solving mechanics, and is the best Lovecraft game released in recent memory.
Judgment is so much more than a simple spin-off of the Yakuza franchise. It is a stellar title that offers a ton of memorable gameplay, an amazing story, and fantastic characters.
Incredible from start to finish. Every once in a while there comes a new game release that defies all expectations. A Plague Tale: Innocence is one such game. Thanks to a delicate balance of satisfying gameplay and an engaging story, A Plague Tale will sink its hooks into you right from its opening chapters.
Close to the Sun is just not that great of a game. The low price certainly works in the game's favor, but even then, it is difficult to recommend without considerable hesitation. The setting, the concepts, and the ideas presented are all fantastic, but the actual execution, the simplified gameplay, and the lack of resolution on multiple plot points left me very disappointed.
Last Year: The Nightmare delivers a well-crafted gameplay experience that ultimately comes up short on content.