Travis Northup's Reviews
Mortal Kombat X improves upon a classic franchise in nearly every way. From its surprisingly impressive story, to its great new characters, to its expansive amount of new content, Mortal Kombat is a must-play for any fans of the series.
Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin improves upon Dark Souls 2 in nearly every category, and is the Souls game that current-gen console owners deserve.
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is the victory lap that every Borderlands fan will enjoy, and packs a tremendous value into one disc. Some performance issues hold it back from being flawless, but all the ingredients are here to sate your chaotic sweettooth.
Child of Light is a bright spot in a genre overwhelmed by mediocrity. Beautifully retro, yet modern, and incredibly addicting–Ubisoft Montreal has created a rich world and style that is unlike anything I've played before.
Dark Souls 3 improves upon the beloved franchise in almost every way, and, if it is indeed the final entry in the series, is a worthy sendoff.
The Banner Saga 2 is a worthy sequel to a great franchise. Combat is vastly improved, and the narrative is deep and rewarding, even as the game punishes the player every step of the way. The game suffers from a unwieldy UI, and some poorly placed setpieces that obscure the player's vision in combat, but these drawbacks are minor. I'm already looking forward to the conclusion to this planned-trilogy.
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 is addicting, charming, and packed with more content than you can shake a husk of corn at. If you didn't play the first Garden Warfare, now is the time to give it a go.
The Surge is the most badass game I've played all year, and a must-play title for any masochistic gamer who enjoys getting their ass handed to them regularly. Although the presentation and enemy variety are somewhat lacking, and technical issues occur occasionally, none of these issues come even close to putting a hamper on this thoroughly enjoyable experience. Play. This. Game.
Tropico 5 Penultimate Edition is a masterclass city builder with a unique twist that drew me in unlike any other game of the genre. Some of the UI shortcomings are confusing or frustrating, but are not nearly enough of an issue to pass the game up.
Dead Rising 4 is bloody, chaotic, and downright hilarious. If you’re looking to turn your brain off this holiday season, and destress with gratuitous violence, this is the game for you.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice is yet another fantastic game in the Ace Attorney series. The gameplay is better than ever, and the stakes have never been higher, all of which only helps to make one of the best stories in gaming even better. Play this game — you won’t regret it.
Destiny 2 is a massive accomplishment, and a huge step in the right direction for the franchise. With a more focused narrative, more activities to do than ever before, and enormous quality of life improvements to the Destiny sandbox and economy, there isn't much to dislike about Destiny 2.
Destiny 2: Forsaken is shooting and looting at it's best. Taking down Uldren and conquering the Dreaming City is an absolute blast. And with the changes and additions to the sandbox, there are more ways to be a badass than we've ever seen before. Destiny is back, baby. And this time it's in it for the long haul.
Metro Exodus is a masterpiece in survival horror, and a game that evolves beyond its roots to transform into something truly special.
Gears 5 is an impressive evolution in the Gears of War series with a campaign that feels like a huge leap forward and a dizzying amount of excellent multiplayer modes. The story isn't without its issues, especially the final act which I'm sure will draw controversy, but that does little to hold back this awesome next chapter in the Gears saga.
Gears Tactics is a stellar tactics game that still manages to feel like the Gears you know and love. With a solid story, addictive RPG systems, and dozens of hours of gameplay, this is a must-play for any fans of turn-based strategy games or the Gears franchise in general.
There are few games that have ever made me scream in anger or shout with unbridled joy as often as Knockout City and I absolutely can't stop playing. It's a near-perfect team multiplayer game packed with strategy, heart, and an incredibly impressive level of polish. Even if it's a bit buggy and lacking in content at the moment, I can't recommend it enough.
The biggest problem with all the logic puzzles in Chronicles won’t be a surprise to veteran players though: most of the time the solution is just too obvious. There are exceptions of course, especially in each game’s latter cases, but it’s not uncommon to be several steps ahead of each of the characters as they peel back layer after layer to get to the truth. This can lead to some frustrating parts where you’re not sure which piece of evidence to present, because you’re already way ahead of the characters’ current understanding of the sequence of events. But like I said, this isn’t a new problem to the series and ones that fans (myself included) are likely to be quick to forgive.
Project CARS is a meticulously-crafted love letter to automobiles. Developer Slightly Mad Studios has put driving cars front and center, and created a simulator that is one of the most realistic than any game to-date. Project CARS certainly isn't for everyone, but it cuts out a lot of fat that is prominent in driving simulators and gives players pure, unhindered cars.
Lo Wang returns with a glorious vengeance in Shadow Warrior, in a hilarious, violent experience that no player should miss.