Neon White achieves everything it sets out to with remarkable success. Not only is it one of the most entertaining experiences I've played in years, but it also speaks to a highly specific audience many just don't anymore. It's for weirdos, misfits, and dorks. Neon White is one of the best games of the year, and it'd be a colossal mistake not to check it out.
The Resident Evil 4 remake is about everything I could've wanted.
Deathloop is a rare game I started replaying as soon as the credits finished rolling. Now deep in a second playthrough, I'm still discovering new secrets and ways to play
RE4VR is an absolute blast. The perspective shift from third to first-person and the ability to freely run around during combat fundamentally altered how I play one of my favorite games
Considering the game was announced and released on the same day, Hi-Fi Rush is easily one of the most surprising games of 2023. Part of that is literal. The other, more important part, is just how good the game is. Hi-Fi Rush finds a magical sweet spot between rhythm games, stylish action, and lighthearted, character-driven platformers we don't see very often anymore, and by every measure, it comes out on top.
In one of the final moments of Infinite Wealth, one of the characters falls exhausted into the street, beaten down by everything that just came before. As he does so, he looks satisfied and happy, even though arguably nothing is going right for him at that moment. In a lot of ways, I felt the exact same by the end of the game. I was tired. And yet, I was also ready to see what this crew would get up to next.
It's bombastic, over-the-top, and extravagant for the sake of extravagance, leaving ruins, literally, in its wake.
Like a Dragon: Ishin is an awesome spin-off to an already-great series, and one I'm glad finally came to the States. Even if it tripped on the landing, the story kept me gripped, and I hope some of the new combat styles and special moves make their way to other RGG games. I also hope we'll get the other spin-offs that never made their way over. Time will tell, but for now, it's nice to be back with my favorite criminals.
Twelve Minutes sinks its claws in from the get-go and doesn't let go until the final, brutal revelation
OlliOlli World is a fun ride through a goofy world. Even when it caused me actual pain, I enjoyed its many twists and challenges.
The things I like about GhostWire, I really like. I'd go so far as to say that some elements – its world, enemy design, etc. – are among my favorites in a game in years. That said, there are plenty of elements, such as story and gameplay, where GhostWire is hardly up to snuff.
It's a solid, brief ride through a strange world and one well worth taking.
By the time credits roll, Gaiden neatly establishes Kiryu's role in the next mainline game, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and since that game's out in a few months, the brief taste gave me plenty to be excited for. I wish the story were more interested in exploring who Kiryu is now that he's forced into this double life, but as a thin bridge between games, Gaiden is a neat one.
Hitman’s second episode leaves me far more optimistic for the game than its first episode did. A large, sprawling level ripe with exploration opportunities, Sapienza is a far better destination than Paris. That being said, technical issues still hinder the game from being something better.
A lack of any kind of tutorial is frustrating at first, but once you get the hang of the action, it's a fun way to fill lulls in your day
Amplified by the soundtrack, Never Yield is a fun run through Detroit, one I felt encouraged to take multiple times
Hitman tries an interesting balance of stuffing a lot into a little, but doesn't exactly pull it off with elegance. While levels are large sandboxes containing numerous death-fulfilling opportunities, they come with the extra baggage of lackluster technical performance. Without the option of going to different locations of an equal size, Hitman currently feels like a product that lacks in its offering once enemy patterns and building layouts have been memorized.
The first episode of Blues and Bullets has built up enough interest to keep players curious in a second installment. The game's story, confident art style, and engaging crime scene investigation puzzles give the game enough intrigue to stay around. Unfortunately, in its current state, hiccups such as long load times, empty environments, and weak shooting sections hold it back from being something great.
There is a lot to love in Ratchet and Clank, but it also comes with its fair share of headaches. Levels are short and linear, and leave little desire to stay on them any longer than you have to. While weapons are interesting and unique, they often come with the added weight of being hard to aim. It's beautiful, funny and fun, but also, short and stale.
I found a lot to love in the game, but its sloppy handling of sexual assault left a bad taste in my mouth. After a run of great games from developer RGG, Lost Judgment isn't quite up to snuff