Uncharted: The Lost Legacy makes for a fun but brief journey while still boasting the same level of high quality that we have seen in past entries. While I would've loved to see more original content in this standalone journey, The Lost Legacy at the very least proves that the Uncharted franchise can still provide us with countless other adventures with Nathan Drake out of the picture. Despite not knowing when, where, or what the next Uncharted game will be, The Lost Legacy gives me hope and makes me excited to see what comes next in this series that I so enjoy.
The WipEout Omega Collection is a great bundle of racing games that still hold up quite well today. Returning fans of the franchise will find that the racing is as good as it ever was, but may be disappointed with the lack of extras included. Newcomers who are interested in giving the series a shot will find WipEout to be unlike any other racing game currently on the market, which is oddly refreshing for a collection of old games. All in all, the WipEout Omega Collection does its job as a remaster bundle even if it does feel sparse with bonus content.
NBA 2K18 is the biggest departure that the series has had in recent years, which is both good and bad. Elements such as MyPlayer feel like they have the potential to be fantastic, but are still too mired by microtransactions and bugs in its current form to truly be the experience that I was hoping for. Gameplay continues to be the reason to pick up any NBA 2K game however, and NBA 2K18 doesn't miss the mark when it comes to putting forth the most realistic basketball sim on the market. With a few patches over the course of the next year, I'm hoping NBA 2K18 can continue to improve and fix many of the issues that I have with it out of the gate this season.
There's still a ton to love within Shadow of the Tomb Raider and if you enjoyed the previous two games in this new era of Lara Croft, then I absolutely expect that you'll dig what's found here. While I find this to be Lara's weakest adventure of the bunch, I'm still excited to see what lies in store next time around for one of gaming's most prominent characters.
I trust DICE, I think they're a great developer, and I have no doubt that six months from now when all of the promised content for Battlefield 5 has finally made its way into the game that this will be one of the best multiplayer shooters on the market. But at this moment, it simply feels like more of what we've already seen before with some slight tweaks that only series veterans will truly appreciate.
All-in-all, a second portion of Overcooked‘s co-op insanity was exactly what I was looking for. As they say though, variety is the spice of life, and I think Overcooked 2 could have used just a bit more of that: variety. Still, the resulting sequel isn't bad by any means and will absolutely fill you up if you're looking for precisely more of what the original had to offer. If Ghost Town Games were to go back for a third romp in the kitchen though, I'd love to see a few new things seasoned in next time around.
Despite being a bit bland on the gameplay front, Travis Strikes Again is more often than not an enjoyable jaunt back in the shoes of the titular Travis Touchdown.
Wolfenstein Youngblood is hit and miss in a lot of ways, but at the very least, MachineGames has been able to capitalize on the promise of making a fun co-op shooter.
Remedy Entertainment's latest game, Control, continues to embrace the weirdness that has permeated in the studio's past titles but fails to excel in any one area.
My Friend Pedro is an enjoyable score-focused shooter that is sometimes undermined by its level design.
In a time where Star Wars games aren't being made by the dozen however, Battlefront II at least still knows how to elicit the nostalgic, warm feelings that I have for this universe despite its many problems.
A Way Out has some ambitious, fantastic ideas at its core, but it's unfortunately surrounded by tiresome gameplay mechanics and a story that is just a bit too straightforward. While I think that the co-op focused nature of A Way Out could have better been executed upon, I endlessly credit Hazelight for trying something that I've never really seen done in this manner. Despite my issues, I really love the experimentation seen in A Way Out and hope to see more unique ideas like it in the future.
Purchasing NBA 2K19 for yourself just depends on what you plan to play within its larger package. If you were already put off by MyCareer last year, then not much has changed to win you over this season. If you're looking for the best basketball sim on the market though to just play with friends or play by yourself in some of the more team-based game modes, you cannot do better than NBA 2K19. Despite there being so many fundamental changes that I want to see from this series moving forward in regards to many of its abrasive practices, at least the actual basketball has continued to be phenomenal without skipping a beat.
If you're looking to enjoy more of what Prey already was, then I think there's a lot to like with Mooncrash. The core systems and mechanics of Prey are still readily found in Mooncrash and as such make for a lot of fun, challenging objectives to overcome. For me, it was an experience that lost steam the longer I played, but I can't deny how much I enjoyed its initial opening hour.
NBA 2K20 feels like the smallest leap that the series has made in years, even if the core gameplay still remains enjoyable.
To that end, I would express that Hitman 3 isn't a game you necessarily need to look to pick up right this moment, but it's one you should have on your radar in the future. And even if you are looking to snag it now, what's here boasts countless hours of gameplay for you to get lost in. Hitman 3 is a title that will surely keep you quite entertained in this dry period of gaming releases -- especially if you've got nothing else to play.
As a whole, Lost Judgment is yet another strong outing for developer RGG Studio. Although this sequel is largely only a half step up compared to its predecessor, there's still so much to do in this world that can easily keep you entertained for hours on end. Even though I would have loved to see some more drastic improvements to many aspects of Lost Judgment, I still can't deny that I've had a great time in this second outing with Yagami, and I hope to see the series continue well into the future.
Back 4 Blood isn't perfect by any means, but it's absolutely the closest we've gotten to a new Left 4 Dead game in the years since Left 4 Dead 2. Because of this, it's hard not to have fun with B4B, even if it doesn't always feel inventive and has some notable drawbacks. Despite some qualms, if you're hungry for a new co-op shooter to jump into with some friends, Back 4 Blood has more than enough meat on the bone to keep you entertained for quite some time.
Despite being so old, this is one of the more inventive and creative RPGs that I have ever played, and it really shows where some of Square's ideas for later projects came from. Those who have been waiting patiently for decades to experience Live A Live will no doubt be happy with this remake, and anyone else who is merely looking to scratch their itch for a new RPG to play should find a lot to like here, too.
Despite a handful of nitpicks, Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed has been a fun trip down memory lane. This updated remake of the classic alien shooter doesn't bring a whole lot new to the table, and by modern open-world standards, it definitely feels dated in some areas. Still, if you're someone who grew up playing the original Destroy All Humans! 2 like I did, I'm hard-pressed to think that you won't have a good time coming back to this extraterrestrial adventure in 2022.