Revisiting Hyrule for new shrines and challenges highlight Breath of the Wild's high points, but also retreads some of the less-than-stellar boss and dungeon design
Travis Strikes Again returns to the more stylish tendencies of early Grasshopper Manufacture, with decent combat elevated by a strong sense of style and writing
You’ll want to see everything the game has to offer, then show your friends to justify the new PlayStation VR you just bought
New players may have issues diving into deeper intricacies of the fighting system, but this is still a fun fighter that balances absurd fun and technical mastery
The new characters, balance, and improvements should give veterans lots of dig into. Newcomers or casual fans won't find too much to keep them busy this time around
Though a ton of fun with friends locally, the new single-player and online modes may not offer much to those hoping to play long-term
The Origami King keeps its RPG systems and character work light, but revamped combat and solid gags throughout are the course-correction Paper Mario needed.
Soma isn't much of a horror game, but that's not a big loss. It uses horror trappings as a jumping off point to find more intelligent and interesting trails to follow. Its follow-through, save for a few instances where I felt it succumb to the bindings of its genre, is impressive. When it talks about something, it goes for it, and the results are rarely pretty or happy but almost always intriguing.
Death Stranding is a breathtaking experience only marred by some unnecessary combat and a story that is often more complex than it should be.
The loop of finding better cards and making your way through a tough area is fast and enticing – when you're dealt the right hand
The mix of roguelike modes lets you play at different paces, but once I had my one incredible run to victory, I felt like I'd seen everything the game had to offer
The Evil Within 2 offers some enjoyable scares, but it never transcends or deviates from the many works it draws from
Though the map is too constrained at first, Timespinner's characters, traversal, and avenues for exploration make it worth checking out
Samurai Shodown's varied attacks and techniques have plenty of depth for those who dive into multiplayer, though the modes and options are lacking
Cadence of Hyrule is a great ode to the Legend of Zelda and its soundtrack, even as some roguelike elements weigh it down
Skullgirls: 2nd Encore is a good buy for anyone looking to get into fighting games, but it's far from a perfect one. After picking up a lot of good knowledge from the tutorials, you may want to move to a less intricate and combo-centric game with a less intimidating online crowd. If you haven't tried Skullgirls yet, this is this best place to start, but if you've already played it, there's not much reason to switch to this version for now.
The original Gears of War holds up better than you might think for a game that inspired years of me-too shooters. It may not be worth $40 for everyone now, but if you haven't touched the series before and want a good starting point before Gears of War 4 hits next year, this is the best place to start.
But I keep thinking back to that jump I made, to all the times I saw the lights down on Earth. I think back to that feeling of weightlessness, and how it's finally given me the space game I wasn't getting anywhere else. For all it's lacking as a traditional "game," that alone makes Adr1ft's short excursion into the unknown one worth taking.
Unfolded is playful, and despite its limited scope, its fumbles, and its twee preciousness, I can't help but smile while playing it. And we don't get enough games that play around with what the hardware they're on can do. Those simple interactions might be mere gimmicks. But if you have children who can revel in the magic of seeing the results of their creativity on-screen without having to delve into an editor for hours, or aren't afraid to get a bit precious yourself, Tearaway Unfolded is a story worth playing.
Wandering around Gravity Rush 2’s enormous cities is a lot of fun, but the mission design feels limiting and dated.