If you’re in it purely for the single player content, you’ll find a lot to love in Splatoon 3.
As a next-gen update then, Control does a decent job of taking advantage of both the power and unique features of the new generation of consoles, especially if you happen to be playing on a PlayStation 5. While the ray-traced effects might not make this a must-replay, it’s still a far better and (crucially) more stable experience than the game has ever been on consoles, not to mention the joy of playing with the 60fps option instead. At the end of the day Control is a game worth checking out for the first or fifth time, so now’s a better time than ever to get on that.
Kratos is here to contemplate his future purpose and learns to forgive himself for his past deeds while still acknowledging and learning from them, making for a potent mix of the Greek and Norse sides of the franchise with some returning characters, locations and other bits that I wouldn’t want to spoil. It’s a treat for longtime fans as well as a very appreciated bit of history for those who jumped on in recent entries.
A bunch of good ideas and a great setting just don't stand up in the face of terrible execution
The indie video game scene has made huge strides and seen so many successes in representing issues of mental health lately that it hurts that much more when a game falls this far short
Less a game and more of a teaser, Leaving Lyndow ends up making a terrible impression
A pretty but boring infinite runner ported from mobile to console continues to be pretty and boring, only at an even deer-er price point
A simplistic and repetitive, but appreciably cathartic shark-em-up that would be the perfect weekend blast if it wasn't so frustratingly undercooked
The land of Ooo is covered in ocean, and the hopes of Adventure Time fans for a decent video game adaptation have seemingly sunk to the bottom
This sequel to the VR-exclusive Lucky’s Tale shoulders the responsibility of launching a new Xbox hardware iteration and also proving itself in the world of traditional 3D platformers, and does a spectacularly average job of both
Fort Solis takes about an hour's worth of ideas and attempts to stretch them out to a four-hour walk through a lifeless Mars facility with little to offer outside of a top-notch presentation. With a distinct lack of thrills, this sci-fi thriller falls disappointingly flat.
Chocobo GP copies the work of better kart racers while fundamentally missing the mark on what makes them great. It delivers entertaining Final Fantasy fanservice that's at least two decades too late for the one audience that might still find the fun it and tacks on microtransactions to boot. It's functional and sometimes fun but otherwise not worth your time.
JETT: The Far Shore has moments of brilliance, but they're buried under an overload of mechanics that aren't enjoyable and a general lack of polish. Similarly any philosophical value in its narrative ideas is ruined by needlessly obfuscated dialogue. There's something to be discovered here, but it's just not worth the trip.
A frustrating mish-mash of weird and bad ideas that wastes a somewhat enjoyable story and moments of creativity
Too few ideas, clumsily executed and spread too thin make for a disappointing VR action adventure
Kao the Kangaroo is an inoffensive and very occasionally charming platformer, but it's uninspired and incredibly rough around the edges. It might hold the attention of some younger gamers and old-school platforming fans but by that same token there are far better games out there for both crowds.
Almost as quickly as it starts to get good, this genre-spanning indie horror drops the ball by tossing its best ideas out the window and overstaying its welcome
Though it definitely rises above its movie tie-in status, Monkey King: Hero is Back happily strives for adequacy and nothing more
A well-meaning and reverant 3D action platformer that's undone by middling execution and a remarkably dull introduction
A serene and pleasant attempt at a relaxation experience that's let down by Switch performance issues and a steep cost of entry