If you're ever in the mood for more Overcooked 2, try not to sleep on Night of the Hangry Horde for too long. Ghost Town Games has really come into its own with these DLC releases. There's still one final expansion pack left to go in the season pass, and at this rate, my expectations are only rising.
If there's one point I want to get across above all others, it's this: Nioh 2 isn't as revelatory as the first game, but that shouldn't be held as a mark against it – at least not this time. Team Ninja was right to iterate and expand carefully. Nioh got so much right on the first go. While the new prequel storyline suffers from a slow and disconnected start, just about every other aspect of Nioh 2 feels upgraded.
Inti Creates could've done "more of the same" and called it a day, but the new characters lend Curse of the Moon 2 a ton of flexibility, the co-op support is commendable, and the subtle refinements can be found far and wide if you go back to play the original game after spending a weekend with the sequel.
Hades had the unenviable task of bridging a well-established action-roguelike format with impactful character-driven storytelling, and neither element feels like an afterthought. They lift each other to new heights. The finer details – all those little artistic touches that add up over time – really seal the deal.
Above all, I like the way that Boomerang X sprinkles in combat abilities and just-fussy-enough enemy types. It’s all layered on without needlessly complicating the whole thing. This game starts fun, and it ends fun. There’s no time for your mind to wander, or get twisted up trying to remember the controls, or feel too stressed out. It’s a great flow.
I don’t have many complaints if I’m being honest. I feel like this is a rare case of a strange game that really goes for it while still, first and foremost, being enjoyable to play. I could see some people potentially wanting more traversal abilities, or more shakeups in the explore-survive-escape format, but I like that things never get too complicated, and most of the “cycles” introduce something new, even if it’s a small surprise or change-up.
Even in the frustrating moments when the controls seem to have it out for you, there’s so much to like about Heavenly Bodies. It’s a wonderful concept for a game, it’s impressively polished, and it’s hyper-focused in the best way. It feels like the devs took their time.
I’m so happy Stray exists and that BlueTwelve Studio stuck the landing.
Even the smallest accomplishments feel like massive victories, and once you experience that euphoria, you won't want to quit. Watch your ambition soar.
The rest of DLC Pack 1 isn't as consistently great as the core game, but it's all relative. By industry standards for post-release content, Nintendo is killing it. This is a must-buy for Mario Kart 8 players, and I'm hopeful the company will continue pulling in other franchises going forward. These packs can't just be a one-off experiment; the potential for cool crossovers is too high.
It's great to see TrackMania back on consoles and, going forward, I hope Nadeo can earn new fans while keeping the veteran players happy. All told, Turbo is some of the most fun I've had with the series.
Still, Alienation is one of the best-feeling twin-stick shooters I've played, so I can't be too bummed. It wasn't long before I had that realization, and now that I'm 20 hours and several character save files in, I'm even more convinced. Housemarque could stand to flesh out the endgame content and also add support for local co-op, but even if it doesn't, I love what's here.
Aside from from the local-only consideration and some inconsistencies with the scoring criteria and stage layouts, man, what a game. Overcooked is the best co-op experience I've had in recent memory, and despite going back through to fully clear every level, I wish there were more. Don't overlook it.
Whether it's worth playing at that price depends on how into Psychonauts you are and/or how desperate you are for a delightful, well-crafted PSVR game. I'll say this much: as someone who is by no means a superfan, Rhombus of Ruin left me feeling proper excited for Psychonauts 2.
It's a testament to Statik's inventive puzzle design and clever complementary use of the DualShock 4 and PlayStation VR that even though I didn't care much for its story or aesthetic, it still won me over big time. If you're a PlayStation VR owner, you owe it to yourself to look into this game further.
All told, this is a content-rich collection, one that is especially worth investing in for WipEout newcomers. Longtime players might feel fatigue from tracks that have seen repeated use over the years, but even then, I'd argue the audio and visual polish present in Omega Collection makes it worthwhile -- with or without a 4K-ready setup. The dream of the '90s is alive at PlayStation.
Not every single aspect of Everybody's Golf hits the mark, but so, so much of it does. It gets the most important parts right, and I'm hopeful we'll see some quality-of-life updates and advanced control options before long to help close the gap. Clap Hanz has dreamed up a wonderfully warmhearted game, one I encourage every would-be golfer to consider picking up.
The Snipperclips DLC makes an already sweet game even sweeter. Most of the new levels slot perfectly into the existing package, bringing fresh ideas that feel right at home without covering too much of the same ground as before. If you're picking up the all-in Snipperclips Plus bundle, it can be hard to tell where the original game ends and the DLC begins -- it's that seamlessly integrated.
As far as I'm concerned, The Behemoth is now four for four. And while Pit People doesn't quite nab the crown as my new favorite game from the studio, I love the risks it takes to shake up strategy RPGs. It's a wild, creative, occasionally erratic game. Pit People is imperfect, but it's so worth your time.
Manifold Garden has a lot going for it, but above all else, it's simply pleasant – to look at, to listen to, and to play. It's the kind of game you can revisit every couple of years and be confident it'll hold up.