Scott Butterworth
Tex Murphy's latest weaves campy live action, silly puns, and convoluted mysteries into a fun, if dated adventure.
Escape Dead Island questions how we perceive reality, alongside questionable zombie-killing and stealth.
Rock Band 4 recaptures the unadulterated gratification that made the series such a hit half a decade ago, but mainly because it's a relatively unchanged, repackaged Rock Band 2. A lack of content and general stagnation hold this particular iteration of Rock Band back, but new ideas like Freestyle Solos genuinely enhance the core experience, which remains a sincere and joyful celebration of music.
Devastation leverages the Transformers license masterfully and delivers tight, satisfying action with incredible flair. Honestly, I had fun just driving around trying to do donuts, and at one point, I randomly picked up a taxi and threw it over a building just for laughs. That's pretty great. And when that perfect rockin' soundtrack kicks in as you face off against Megatron, that's even better.
Embarrassing acting, questionable songs choices, and unwelcome microtransactions spoil the biggest mechanical improvement to music gaming in years.
Need For Speed borrows from the series' past to create an excellent street racer with a handful of obnoxious but ultimately forgivable problems.
Left 4 Dead's frantic four-player co-op gets medieval with melee combat, mutant rats, and mixed results.
After more than a decade of handheld titles and digital re-releases, Mario Tennis finally returns to consoles with Mega Mushrooms, online multiplayer, and a disappointing lack of content.
The Wild Run expansion improves Ubisoft's lackluster "carPG" The Crew in a number of ways but can't quite redeem the entire experience.
The rhythm game that put Harmonix on the map returns with spot-on mechanics and a brand new setlist that can't quite compete with the original.
Though its plot doesn't fully pay off, Firewatch gives you a thorough, thoughtful insight into the formation of a meaningful relationship.
Dying Light's latest DLC supplements the full game's first-person parkour with customizable dirt buggies, drastically different environments, and a conspiracy-driven mystery.
A more complete, more refined version of the already stellar original, though arduous progression and empty solo missions spoil some of the fun.
Despite oddly overpowered enemies and repetitive level grinding, The Division succeeds thanks to its rich world, strong campaign, and impressive online functionality.
The studio behind imaginative indie hits Machinarium and Botanicula debuts its most ambitious game yet: a beautiful yet simplistic point-and-click adventure.
The combat is frantic and tense, but often feels samey and superficial. The in-match leveling works wonderfully in the campaign, but can become problematic in multiplayer. The varied cast of heroes adds longevity, but the game still feels relatively content light. With so many moving parts that never quite gel, I found plenty of things to love but just as much to feel confused by and ambivalent about.
Despite its ambitious premise, Homefront's efforts to reclaim Philadelphia are sabotaged by technical issues, faulty mechanics, and predictable storytelling.
Catalyst's combat stumbles, but the fluid freerunning and enticing open-world challenges overshadow most of its shortcomings.
With its customizable missions and randomly generated areas, Underground's Operations breathe new life into an ailing game.
Though its patience-testing puzzles hit a few sour notes, Song of the Deep still delivers a rich, imaginative undersea adventure.