The Silver Case is pure Goichi Suda, riveting and moody in idiosyncratic ways, but also frequently confounding
Building up your stats and skillset between runs is a great reason to keep playing, though the lack of content may leave anyone not interested in high scores wanting
Blizzard promises that this isn't the end of StarCraft, and there are already plans for more balance updates and story campaigns. And I'll probably end up playing more of it, just to see how those plans play out. I still think I like the series' characters and world enough to check in with them from time to time. I might even go back and play through the whole series in the future. But at this point, StarCraft will have to find a newer, weirder place to be in if it really wants me back.
Controller incongruities aside, Amplitude works as both a look at what rhythm games used to be and as testbed for some interesting new ideas (even if they don't all work). It doesn't offer a new instrument you can pretend to play or change how we think about music games, but it doesn't have to do any of that. It's content to give you a solid, lasting sense of satisfaction from pushing buttons in the right order and hearing some good music.
Lots of characters and online modes to tinker with, but the single-player portion feels limited
It's still a good proposition, but without something new to get people talking again, Rock Band 4 argues as strongly for the series' depreciation as it does its relevance.
You’ll want to play Wheels of Aurelia several times to see all the paths you can take, but practical issues make that a chore
Some technical and matchmaking issues mean you can't always enjoy Deformers at its best, but when you can it offers a great multiplayer time
This is still an incredibly fun fighting game to have at the ready and online, but Ultra's new modes and features are all minor additions
Reliving Persona 3 through its soundtrack proves a fun endeavor, even if it's not always the reunion it could have been
Seeing Persona 5's cast back together makes for some fun conversations between songs, but replaying the short setlist gets old quickly
Afterparty isn't the most groundbreaking work about hell or its denizens, but it zeroes in on its characters' personal demons with a sobering clarity that makes for an adventure with a sharp, biting wit.
It mostly relies on borrowed ideas, but when its snarky tone isn't getting in the way, Immortals Fenyx Rising is a solid open-world adventure.
Despite my issues with it, I'm having way more fun with Battleborn than I thought I would. It took a while, but I've managed to find a couple of characters whose playstyle I really like, and that's enough to keep me going for a while longer. And I've had enough exciting matches that I see its potential.
Playing by the rules can still be fun, and despite my misgivings I'm interested in seeing more Hitman in the coming months. Its lavish environments allow for enough outcomes and stories that I can't dismiss its decision to trade real freedom for bespoke scenarios out of hand. And most importantly, the illusion it offers of getting in and out without being seen and on your own terms lingers just long enough to be worthwhile. I'm just disappointed it was an illusion in the first place.
Creature in the Well has a promising premise, but fails to build it into something as challenging (and rewarding) as it ought to be.
Varied fundamentals and a new mission-based mode that drills into the series' intricacies almost help offset a disastrous story mode and lack of online options
Kids is a brief-but-effective example of using game mechanics to impart concepts and ideas, even if those ideas are simple
Warhammer: End Times — Vermintide gets so many things right, and its designers have made enough smart decisions about how to deviate from the Left 4 Dead, that it makes the difficulty knee-capping and technical mishaps all the more disappointing. It's absolutely worth a look if you're looking for something to do with friends and love slay hordes of monsters. Just don't be surprised if you find yourself quitting earlier than you might want to.
But that idea has so much potential, and when it's implemented eloquently I'm uplifted by it. When it gives you tasks that complement your powers, Gravity Rush transcends its mediocrity through the sheer power of flight. But then it tumbles back down into complacency, leaving me to wistfully pine for the skies again.