While there may have the smallest step taken toward improving the gameplay, Madden 25 falls completely flat because the proper simulation modes still feel the same and haven't changed much. The UI may look different, but the same options for relocation/renovation, the same team management options, and soulless superstar options drag this game down back to where the franchise has been for the past several years. It's disappointing in every sense of the word.
Eleven years is a long time in between games, and the developers at EA Orlando largely did a good job. There's a lot of fun gameplay but there are some issues that will need fixing for the next version. Dynasty mode is the star of the show here with so much depth you might get overwhelmed. Here's hoping EA Orlando builds upon the success of this game and does even better next year.
It's not the best trilogy in the series, but it's still a very fun set of games. It suffers a bit from spotlight sharing issues and the puzzles maybe aren't the most well-thought out, but the stories will pull you in and has some memorable characters to add to the full cast from the series. The visual upgrades are wonderful in almost all cases and makes it worth picking it up just to play on your PC monitor.
A technically solid game that has some pretty glaring issues with presentation, I still found myself going back to play round after round. It's challenging and rewarding, even if it's not the best entry in the long history of golf titles.
A solid campaign and endless customization for single-player, co-op and online play, Age of Empires IV deserves a ton of credit for making turn-based strategy a treat to play.
The beauty of Away: The Survival Series isn't the gameplay but the journey itself. While it has it's problems with bugs, the environment itself is lovely and the narration and musical score at least give the short expedition a quiet elegance.
Beautiful, engaging and every bit as fun as it was nearly 15 years ago, Mass Effect Legendary Edition lives up to the name. It's a gorgeous, robust title that will make veterans remember how much they enjoyed the series while giving newcomers a memorable ride for the first time. There's no question you should pick this up if you fall into either category because Commander Shepard deserves that much attention.
While I'm not 100% in love with the game due to bugs and difficulty swings, Cyberpunk 2077 is still a solid pickup simply for its story and incredible world. Make sure your system is prepared for it and you'll get a good experience.
A visually stunning game, Godfall suffers from repetitive combat and a lackluster story that is forgettable after the first hour. In an industry with so many Dark Souls-style games, this is not one to spend time on.
The few positives do not outweigh the negatives. EA Sports continues to phone it in with the FIFA series while single-player gamers cry out for better options.
PGA Tour 2K21 scratches the itch for the hardcore golf fans out there, but casual players are going to find a game that is lacking deeper options even though the game itself is beautiful. It's a good entry that hopefully is built upon in the future.
A beautiful experience. Even with the long load times and, overall, feeling that this game is catered to hardcore players, there's no getting around just how gorgeous and fun it truly is.
The PC version of Horizon Zero Dawn is still a fun game to play...so long as you aren't expecting a graphical powerhouse. The PC port suffers from framerate and graphics issues, crashes, and just an overall feeling of what could have been. I'm not mad, Guerrilla Studios, I'm disappointed.
A gorgeous world with so much to explore awaits everyone. It's not without some faults, and those with older spec'd PCs may have trouble running this. If you've got the rig to handle it, it's a wonderful experience.
Career mode gets a much needed upgrade while the gameplay has been tweaked enough to feel like a challenge again. VOLTA Football is incredibly fun and a throwback to FIFA Street. It isn't perfect and career mode still has a lot that can be addressed, but EA listened and made upgrades beyond a roster update.
A wonderful story that is now supported by great looking characters and backgrounds, Final Fantasy VIII is worth the pickup twenty years after it's initial launch.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider should leave us wanting more from the rebooted Lara Croft game, but with some clunky controls and a lazy combat system, what saves the game from being below average are beautiful visuals, fantastic puzzles and tomb layouts along with true adventuring. It's as mixed up of a bag as one can get.
Is the gameplay fun? Sure, but it's largely the same as last year. Career mode gets Champions League branding but nothing else noteworthy. Pro Clubs and Seasons get ignored. The Journey is fun, but cannot make up for the rest of the largely ignored modes. If you love FUT, you'll love this game. Otherwise, it just isn't worth banging your head against the wall for another year of much of the same. The rating might seem harsh, but when you've played this same game the last couple of years, you get tired of it.
A revamped manager career mode and the second chapter of The Journey are both wonderful experiences, and while some aspects of gameplay have been addressed such as crossing and more tactical runs, there are still some glaring problems that weren't addressed. The game is still enjoyable, but this franchise can't rest on its laurels anymore.
Simple yet effective, Superhot VR gets it spot on from start to finish with mechanics that are easy to pick up on yet the overall game is as challenging as any VR title out there. This is a must have for VR owners who truly want to unlock the potential in their VR system.