The First Samurai is a lovely, if bloody way to wrap up the Nioh 2 saga. From its vibrant levels to its imaginative yokai to its crushing difficulty, this DLC does almost everything base Nioh 2 did but better aside from the superfluous storytelling. Team Ninja may have been honing its craft to get to this level for the final expansion, but in doing so the developer has saved the best for last.
Getting Doom on a new platform is inherent to the series’ DNA as people find more oddball hardware to run the classic game on. Playing Doom on a pregnancy test is not the most optimal way to play it, but it is possible. And Doom Eternal on the Switch is similarly possible but not optimal. The Switch port is still thrilling and has an addictive combat loop with incredible pacing yet it’s inherently held back enough by the platform’s weaknesses to make it the least appealing version. It’s a novelty to rip and tear on the go, but it’s questionable how, well, novel that novelty really is. It runs Doom… sorta.
It is not an unforgivable sin that Immortals Fenyx Rising does not live up to Breath of the Wild, a tall task that its upcoming sequel might not even be capable of doing. But it is quite disappointing that it only plays dress up with the hero’s tunic and misses what that green garment stands for. Puzzles sometimes have inventive solutions yet the good ones are drowned out by how often they repeat and how few tools Fenyx has. And the game’s colorful world isn’t a sandbox that needs exploring, but is more akin to a typical open-world map littered with repeatable, obviously marked activities. These shortcomings make it less of Ubisoft’s take on Breath of the Wild and more of a Ubisoft-branded “Breath of the Mild” that could have been so much more.
Obsessing over playtime and Content™ at the cost of innovation and depth puts Valhalla‘s ability to actually get into Valhalla in question, as it doesn’t quite earn the kind of glory that only the best Vikings achieve.
Little Hope’s namesake has somewhat of a dual meaning. It is the name of the town in the game and it’s also representative of the little bit of hope that Supermassive would learn from its mistakes and get back to making classic horror adventures. But its multiple thematic troubles, pathetic cavalcade of jump scares, and abysmal twist ending paint a dark future for The Dark Pictures Anthology, leaving little hope that it’ll ever recover from two disappointing adventures in a row.
And even though that world is a broken dystopian nightmare, Ghostrunner‘s gameplay is just the opposite. Slicing and sprinting through each dilapidated factory and string of sharply lit billboards is a rush because of how satisfying it is to control as well as how it, through its design, pushes players to play well enough to get the most out of its systems. A seasoned ninja strikes perfectly without any fatal faults; an apt summary of the gameplay loop and Ghostrunner as a whole.
The Ancient Gods Part 1 is a fantastic piece of DLC partly because of those narrative implications, but also for how it wonderfully continues and expands upon the base game’s legacy. Seamlessly dialing up the difficulty leads to more rewarding combat, especially with the banging metal soundtrack and horde of new hellspawns. Environments divulge from the typical Doom template, but are undeniably Doom and beautiful regardless. Part 2 has a lot to live up to, but if it’s anything like Part 1, it shouldn’t have a problem shattering high expectations .
Darkness in the Capital may seem like a typical expansion and it is in some sense, but that phrasing gives a short shift to how it builds on top of an excellent experience and remains a clawed fist that’s as sharp as it ever was. Its combat is fundamentally fantastic so adding new variables that maintain the same level of quality is only going to make that loop even more engaging. Darkness in the Capital’s array of bosses bring in another set of challenges and its new weapon encourages both thoughtful play and fast action. And in a game full of challenges and fast action, meaningfully building on top of that is still an accomplishment.
Crash Bandicoot 4‘s stellar level design, responsive controls, deep replayability, and superb animation all come together to create such an outstanding experience that not only brings this bandicoot back to life, but also removes it from the dusty shelf where all the other taxidermied ’90s platforming mascots go to be forgotten.
Mafia: Definitive Edition is tedious enough as it is by 2020 standards. Clunky gunplay and lousy vehicle handling make the shootouts as frustrating as the getaway drive. The promising setup can’t avoid getting whacked either as it disappoints through its inability to meaningfully execute on its multiple beats. The talented cast and better realized 1930s world outdo its 2002 counterpart, but the rest of its blunders come together and result in an offer that’s relatively easy to refuse.
Gorgon might be a dangerous rock that has been overrun by hostile Marauders, but it’s one heck of a spot for a hilarious and engaging multi-hour tale of intrigue.
AWE is an awesome, wondrous expansion with an Alan Wake experience that appropriately weds earlier Remedy titles with Control.
Mortal Shell’s scope ends up being a more significant net gain as it offers a brisk Soulslike experience without trying to overwhelm players with content for content’s sake.
It’s not a revolutionary piece of DLC, but, much like the armor and weapons it adds to the game, it enhances an already-strong and relentless warrior.
Cuphead is likely to be an unforgettable experience no matter what is played on.
The dated DNA is still there in some respects, but the genetic engineers at Black Forest have done some intelligent gene editing to ensure that it is still a subject worth harvesting, which is what any true Furon would want anyway.
Superhot left players wanting MORE and Mind Control Delete demonstrates that that might have been a good idea.
Catherine: Full Body is one of those rare full-bodied ports that’s just as enjoyable when poured into a to-go cup.
The first half’s semi-aimless and methodical pacing drags in its latter half as it bites off more story than it can comfortably chew and then spends too many hours trying to flesh out each one of its many beats.
Mortal Kombat 11’s blemishes have carried over to Aftermath yet they are far outweighed by the accompanying strengths that have also made the jump. NetherRealm’s extraordinary cinematic techniques are on full display in Aftermath’s three-hour campaign and provide an appreciated touch of darkness to the game’s overall narrative. RoboCop, Sheeva, and Fujin also all earn their place on the character select screen even if none of them were topping out anyone’s most-wanted list. Aftermath’s premium additions, in conjunction with the free content, demonstrate that Mortal Kombat 11 is more than capable and deserving to survive far into the future; a true but welcome irony for a game famous for its gruesome depictions of death and dismemberment.