The Evil Within 2 is a better game than its predecessor; however, it’s also a less interesting one. The first game was fascinating and yet hard to recommend due to problems with pacing, sloppy storytelling, and plenty of bugs and glitches. The sequel corrects most of those problems and, to use a term I hate, is a far more polished experience as a result. I just wish Tango Gameworks hadn’t abandoned everything special about the original in the process.
Great Sonic games are a novelty these days. Fortunately, the novelty doesn’t wear off in a hurry. Sonic Mania is fast, fun, and full of surprises, from the first level until the last.
The Lost Legacy is another very good game in a franchise almost unrivaled in its consistently high quality. It’s just a shame we’ve seen it all before.
Remasters often make me reconsider my fondness for old games. That’s not true of the N. Sane Trilogy. Crash 1 is an okay game, Crash 2 is a good game, and Crash 3 is an excellent game. That’s as true today as it was twenty years ago.
Fast RMX isn’t quite the new Wipeout or F-Zero game that I so desperately want, however it is a damn good futuristic racing game and a bargain at $20. Its budget status shows up in a few places, such as the subdued music, barebones online, or lack of a notable difference between the difficulty modes. However, Fast RMX is exhilarating at top speed and rewards track mastery while minimizing annoying RNG elements. The three race tournaments make it perfect for short play sessions and it will help tide me over until a new Wipeout of F-Zero.
Steins;Gate 0 could be better. It could be shorter and do more to explain the complicated parts of its story. However, it's the follow up to one of the best visual novels out there. It contains the same awesome characters (and minimizes the impact of the annoying ones) and puts them through serious trauma until they come out the other end. It’s a tougher read than Steins;Gate, but you should persevere until you reach the other side. The reward is worth it and I cannot wait to see where this story goes next.
NieR: Automata has far too much padding and would be better as a 20-hour experience instead of a 40 hour one. Despite all that, I can’t deny that there are parts of this game that simply have to be experienced. The music and the story are phenomenal; it’s just a shame the combat doesn’t live up to the highs I experienced elsewhere.
Nioh is difficult and the frantic pace of its combat means that even Soulsborne veterans can expect a challenge. The lack of level variety is an issue, however I enjoyed every single fight thanks to the varied and deep combat. With three stances, five weapon types, skills, ninjutsu, and magic, it’s hard to get bored during a fifty to sixty-hour campaign and you’ll likely jump straight into new game plus without stopping for breath. Team Ninja set its sights high with Nioh, seeking to create a samurai-inspired Soulsborne game, with a distinct personality and combat style. Somehow, Team Ninja pulled it off.
Yakuza 0 is good enough that I regret not having played the other games. I plan to work my way through Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2, however I fear I may never play Yakuzas three to five. Still, Yakuza 0 has room for improvement which leaves me hoping that the best is yet to come. I’ll be there for the next steps in Kiryu’s and Majima’s journeys, even if I don’t know their entire life stories. Not yet, anyway.
Many have accused Battlefield 1 of being a WW2 shooter with a WW1 skin. I can’t argue with that, but I also can’t get that upset about it either. I love running out of the trenches with a group of teammates, as we charge towards the enemy and get mowed down by turrets and sub-machine guns. If we survive, there’s a good chance we’ll end up choking on mustard gas as we try to claim a control point. I’ve not experienced this in any modern FPS, and it does make a difference, regardless of historical accuracy. And that whistle. Holy crap, that whistle.
At $13, some people will no doubt find Donut County a little too expensive for such a short experience. A quick story playthrough is around 90 minutes to two hours, although if you go for all the achievements (which is definitely worth doing) then you’re looking at nearer three hours. Donut County is also one of those special games that don’t require any gaming experience to enjoy, so don’t be surprised if non-gamer friends and family get sucked in too. The hole experience (couldn’t resist!) is so relaxing you might even find yourself revisiting it: I went back to capture some footage and ended up playing for another half an hour. Give Donut County a try if you can. We could all benefit from something a little more peaceful once in a while.
Tacoma shows that with great writing and voice acting, you can become attached to characters you only know through colored body outlines and a couple of pictures. I even wanted to know more about the crew’s family back on Earth and I was desperate to dig further into the corporate structure of Venturis and the overall state of the global economy. Tacoma is enjoyable enough that it left me wanting more, even if the experience didn’t hit quite as hard as Fullbright’s groundbreaking debut.
After finishing SOMA, my mind was consumed with thoughts of what it means to be human. Did I torture and kill people in my attempt to escape? Or were they not really people at all and I can sleep soundly? That SOMA made me ask myself these questions is the reason why you should play this game, despite the inclusion of unnecessary and frustrating “video game moments.”
The Ultimate Edition subtitle is fitting because it’s hard to see where the N formula goes from here. With over 4,000 levels in N++, not including community created ones and those you create yourself in the level editor, there’s not much need for another sequel or special edition. That makes N++ an easy recommendation, especially on the Switch where it is perfect for short pick up and play sessions. Yes, as much as it pains me to say it, N++ is “perfect for the Switch.”
Next year’s Metro Exodus looks phenomenal and I suspect there are a fair few people who haven’t played 2033 and Last Light yet. The Redux collection is the perfect way to fix that problem before diving into what could be one of the best games of 2019.
I’m always reluctant to throw around high praise and label games as the best the genre has to offer. Games tend to be overhyped on release and then the love dies down over a few months and you end up looking a little stupid. Here’s the thing though, Resident Evil 2 really is that good. It actually is genre-defining. It is one of the best triple-A experiences I’ve had in years and it will be in contention for my game of the year. You can believe the hype this time. Resident Evil 2 is phenomenal.
Guacamelee 2 is a game I didn’t know I wanted until a year ago when I saw the reveal trailer and it’s a game I didn’t know I needed until I played it. Guacamelee 2 doubles down on everything that made the first game great and improves on a few of the weaker areas as well. I don’t know where Drinkbox Studios can go with a potential Guacamelee 3 but I thought much the same thing after the first game and here we are five years later with a sequel that is a huge leap forward for the excellent original. There’s a lot of competition in the 2D platformer space this year, but you absolutely must find the time for Guacamelee 2.
Dead Cells might not be the Metroidvania it half-heartedly professes to be, but it is a phenomenal rogue-lite and probably the best game I’ve played this year. The constant feeling of progression should be enough to tempt even those who don’t usually enjoy the genre while still being intense enough for those who lap this stuff up.
I’m not sure I’ll ever truly finish Celeste. I still have a couple of B-Sides to complete and the C-Sides are likely beyond my skill level. Assist mode is there if I need it, but I’m not ready to admit defeat yet. Neither am I ready for Celeste to be over. I’ll be dipping back into this masterpiece for many months to come.
Now that I have finally played and enjoyed Shadow of the Colossus, it would be easy to say I regret not playing it all those years ago. I'm not sure that's true. This remaster is sublime and—as I can attest—no nostalgia is required to appreciate it. This is almost certainly the definitive version of the game and I’m thankful I finally got to play it. I highly recommend you do the same.