Despite some questionable moments in the second episode, Life Is Strange 2 is off to an excellent start. Daniel and Sean's journey is a tough, racially-heated story that will draw you in, even as it breaks your heart.
Despite some questionable moments in the second episode, Life Is Strange 2 is off to an excellent start. Daniel and Sean's journey is a tough, racially-heated story that will draw you in, even as it breaks your heart.
The Hong Kong Massacre is a classic case of style over substance. The beauty of the title's slow-motion bullet ballet is just a fancy cover for its frustrating, un-evolving gameplay.
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes can be engaging and stylish when it wants to be. However, it rarely wants to be either of those things, and is instead content to be a bland, boring slog that never gets out of first gear.
Absolutely jam-packed with content and technically proficient on the Switch, Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Definitive Edition is far and away the most complete entry in the long-running franchise.
Onimusha: Warlords Remastered can feel as dated as you would expect from a PlayStation 2 era title, but Capcom has done a solid job of improving the visuals and reworking the gameplay in order to make it worth revisiting in 2019.
Both a faithful spiritual sequel and a fresh adventure, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is an excellent platformer with some truly gorgeous visuals.
The Council starts strong and manages to liven up the adventure genre with some smart decisions. As the series drags on though, the bugs, unappealing visuals, and lackluster plot development mar an otherwise engaging adventure.
Lovingly and lavishly recreated, the Spyro Reignited Trilogy is the perfect introduction to three of the best platformers of the PlayStation generation.
Memories Retold is a memorable and engaging adventure that needed to be made. However, like a history lesson you half paid attention to, that doesn't necessarily mean it was enjoyable to play. Ultimately, it's good enough to slog through, but that may not be the case for everyone.
WWE 2K19 is not without issues, but I can't deny that I have fun stepping into the squared circle. It may not hold much appeal to non-wrestling fans, but for those who have been burned over the years, it finally feels like things are getting better. In traditional WWE fashion, I'm not sure how long this will last, though.
Treyarch's big gamble pays off with Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. Zombies may still do nothing for me, but the reworked gameplay, impressive suite of multiplayer modes -- especially Blackout -- make this the best entry in quite some time.
Mega Man 11 doesn't reinvent the wheel, but for this fan of the franchise, that's not the worst thing. While it could have used more innovation and better boss battles, the core gameplay remains as enjoyable as ever. For long-suffering fans of the series, it's nice just to have something new to jump into.
With seven games of varying quality, Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle is an intriguing package. While the online play may be shoddy, and the lack of extras is disappointing, the overall quality of the set can't be discounted.
SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy was created with a specific audience in mind, and if you're not in that audience, you can do much better. The fighter just isn't particularly enjoyable to play, with a tepid combat engine and poor Switch performance.
Beautifully designed and painfully creative, The Gardens Between is an absolute delight. It's a shame that the lack of levels and short runtime prevent it from reaching true classic status.
The on-court action of NBA 2K19 has never been better, and the new Takeover system adds a fresh wrinkle to the gameplay. However, the continued presence of microtransactions continues to bog down the otherwise overwhelming amount of content.
As long as you have good company, Strange Brigade is an expedition worth undertaking. However, that doesn't excuse the many issues the title has. The game would have benefited from refinements both to the aiming system, as well as puzzle design. Still, this cadaver-blasting, treasure looting adventure is an enjoyable enough reason to gather a few friends together for, as long as you know what you're getting into.
Even with a shaky back-half, The Messenger is still an adventure worth seeking out. The agility focused platforming provides a satisfying challenge, the writing is surprisingly clever, and the graphical shifting is more than just a simple gimmick.
Guacamelee! 2 is another solid, platforming gem from DrinkBox Studios. The world is bigger and badder, and improvements to the shop and Pollo power make Juan's latest quest a success. However, the sequel's extreme similarity to the original may be off-putting for those wanting more.