Middle-earth Shadow of War consistently shocked and surprised me around every corner, with every Orc betrayal, every revelatory fortress takeover, and menacing look from the Bright Lord. It gripped me in ways I certainly didn't expect having played the first game, and I'm already missing my trip through Mordor. I can't wait to see more from this excellent franchise.
While I do feel like Agents of Mayhem has a bit of a generic streak, I don't believe it's a bad game.
There was some doubt that Uncharted could continue without Nathan Drake, but The Lost Legacy proves the series can march on with another lead role. I loved the previous titles in the series, and although this new one can miss the mark at times, it's a beautiful treasure hunting romp that brings back that same Uncharted feeling.
It may be a little unorthodox, but it's executed fantastically. If you're looking to be simultaneously terrified and intrigued, you need to spend a few days with Daniel Lazarski as an Observer.
Aside from improvements to the story overall, the first episode looks and feels much better than other Telltale Games I've played recently, with a marked upward shift in dialogue choices, graphics, and quality.
Namco Museum is a fantastic self-contained package with an interesting offering of games that arcade fans will enjoy tearing into.
Splatoon 2 is a measured dose of the same game you likely remember from the Wii U, a colorfully-inked tour-de-force of multiplayer action with a single-player afterthought. You'll want to clock hours and hours in-game for sure, but you'll be left scratching your head at some of the strange decisions Nintendo made this time around. Luckily, there's still plenty of fun to be had here, even if you can't decide if you're a kid or a squid.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is an excellent remaster with plenty to offer fans new and old. If you never experienced the game during its heyday or simply couldn't get past some of its shortcomings, The Zodiac Age is a perfect way to re-enter the game or start from scratch.
Danganronpa: Ultra Despair Girls offers an exciting and decidedly chilling story for fans who have followed the series since its inception, with callbacks to the original game and important revelations those in touch with the games won't want to miss. Unfortunately for newcomers or those who aren't as in tune with Danganronpa, there's not much here to convert anyone.
PaRappa the Rapper: Remastered is an excellent re-release of a PlayStation classic, even if it feels as though it squandered some of the potential it has as a new PlayStation 4 release. It still has the same excellent music, memorable characters, and zany charm it had when it originally released, and if you never got a chance to check it out, you’re in for a real treat. I hope Um Jammer Lammy gets the same treatment going forward.
Weirdly enough, despite how frustrating and silly all of these problems were, I still wanted to push ahead and see more, but not because I expected anything to improve. Part of it was my nostalgia for the Mass Effect trilogy. Another reason I wanted to keep going was because I genuinely hoped there might be some way to redeem all of the bad parts that have kept me steaming and laughing my head off at the same time.
Fast RMX is, however, an excellent racer that’s every bit worth picking up to add to your arsenal of Nintendo Switch games. There are plenty of tracks, vehicles, and reasons to keep coming back for more. But the one you can’t ignore is the greatest of all: The speed. It may not be the racing game you asked for on the Switch, but it’s the racing game you didn’t know you needed.
Snipperclips - Cut It Out, Together! is an impressive showing both as far as first-round Nintendo Switch games go and puzzle titles in general. It’s a bargain for the amount of time you’ll get out of it, and it’s rife with color, intrigue, challenging puzzles, and adorable graphics. The only real problems arise from the fact that it’s meant to be played with others, so if that’s not your bag you won’t get as much out of it. For everyone else, however, this is a system-seller, especially since you can enjoy it on the go. You’ll want to cut in on a Snipperclips session, that’s for sure.
For one of the earliest Nintendo Switch experiences I’ve had with the console, Just Dance 2017 was a disappointing departure. Though its slick and easy to use interface combined with the Switch-centric Tabletop Mode are boons for those looking to dance, there’s little substance here, certainly not enough to recommend shelling out cash for Just Dance Unlimited or even playing this game instead of just turning on the radio and dancing to your own routines. It will likely please casual fans who don’t know any better, but if you really want to learn how to dance wait for the inevitable full-body VR trainer or just roll it on back to Dance Central, the undisputed dance trainer of the last decade. You’ll surely learn a lot more, and it’s still great at parties.
To all Resident Evil fans out there, I say welcome home. You’re going to enjoy your stay with the Bakers.
All in all, I didn't really enjoy the game as a whole when looking at its mechanics, narrative and characters separately, thanks to technical issues and bizarre choices that mar it as an interactive experience. But I did find a forever friend in Trico, who I'll remember for the rest of my time in gaming. If you do play The Last Guardian, I surmise that's the takeaway you'll have from it too.
Watch Dogs 2 is a rare sequel where the developers took a chance instead of sticking by what was a successful formula. Although I personally wasn’t a fan of the original Watch Dogs, the game sold well and Ubisoft could have easily slapped some new paint on it and released another dreary, boring game. They didn’t though, and I hope it’s a trend other developers pick up on because Watch Dogs 2 is a superior product.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is the first product of Activision’s new three-year production cycle on Call of Duty titles, and the extra time taken on it shows. While Infinity Ward might have played it a little too safe when it came to the competitive multiplayer mode, the improvements in the single-player campaign and Call of Duty: Zombies are substantial. The single-player campaign, in particular, hooked me, and I hope that future campaigns in the Call of Duty universe get the same care.
As the 30th anniversary of Final Fantasy approaches, there’s no better way to celebrate the adventures that we’ve treasured than World of Final Fantasy. Even though the game is a huge crossover event, by making everything make sense in its own world of Grymoire, the game doesn’t rely exclusively on nostalgia to hook players. Even though you’ll see Sephiroth, Squall, and other friends in your quest, even those who somehow don’t know these iconic characters can get enjoyment out of the great gameplay and light-hearted story of World of Final Fantasy.
I found Toy Odyssey to be, all in all, an enjoyable little romp evne if it wasn't something I probably would have picked up and played on my own. It still managed to be fun and exciting, with an impressive attention to detail and plenty of reasons to keep coming back, as long as you space out your visits to the toy room by a few days proper.