Lost Ark is a wonderfully fun MMOARPG with a compelling story and unique gameplay. If you can wrap your head around it all, that is. The game itself is a breath of fresh air with its 2.5D style and fast-paced combat. However, for an "open-world" RPG, Lost Ark takes its time opening the world to you. A barrage of info-dumps for lore and tutorials make Lost Ark overwhelming at first. With some time, exploring, and no shortage of patience, you can see what Lost Ark really has to offer.
Overcooked! All You Can Eat is a wonderful cooperative gaming experience that is fun for the entire family. There is no shortage of fun in this definitive edition of the Overcooked series. Even if it can get a little heated in the kitchen.
As always, ZeniMax has provided quality work that never ceases to amaze. If you are thinking about getting into ESO, I would highly recommend it. No matter the platform, ESO works well and continues to bring wonderful stories to fans of all types.
Airborne Kingdom is a uniquely wonderful dive into the city builder/ resource management genre. It's flying city design brings a new, fresh look at the genre. Though similar to many other games of the genre, Airborne Kingdom brings a fantastic style and story to the table.
Legend of Mana is a beautiful game full of wonder and whimsy. Every time I hopped into this gorgeous remaster, I found myself grinning from ear to ear. Though I do not have experience with the original Legend of Mana, I feel fans will be quite happy with the work put into this remaster.
Return to Western Skyrim in the brand new chapter of The Elder Scrolls Online's year-long Dark Heart of Skyrim event - Greymoor. Players will work to uncover the reason behind the dreaded Harrowstorms, storms that turn innocent people into much less innocent Harrowed. The adventure is full of werewolves, witches, and vampires (oh my). Those ready to protect the world from these forces will have to delve into the wondrously mysterious Blackreach, a stunning underground city. Player's must ready themselves, this isn't the Skyrim they've come to know.
On November 11, 1995, the Super Famicom system saw the release of an epic turn-based RPG. 24 years later, to the day, Romancing SaGa 3, makes its debut to the West for the first time. The remaster brings improved graphics as well as some other functions to the current generation of consoles. The JRPG brings a wonderful world back to life for all to enjoy.
Harrowstorm is the first DLC in the year-long Dark Heart of Skyrim event. Players must conquer two new, four-player dungeons - Icereach and Unhallowed Grave - and get pulled into the mystery that surrounds this year's event. The journey will not be easy, but if we've learned anything from last year's Season of the Dragon event, it is that it will all be worthwhile.
Step back into the Animus and relive the wonder of being both an Assassin and a Templar in The Rebel Collection. Ubisoft brings players back into Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag and Assassin's Creed Rogue. The collection is a fantastic way to see two great games be brought to a current-generation console and to a new generation of players.
New World brings you into the mysterious world of Aeternum after sailing into a wild storm that leaves you stranded. While there are many things to do in New World, it can often feel tedious to make any progress as the leveling system relies heavily on the player grinding out tasks.
The Elsweyr chapter expansion continues the year-long Season of the Dragon event for The Elder Scrolls Online. The developers have outdone themselves once more and somehow managed to make an already fantastic MMO all the more awesome. The expansion whisks players away to the homeland of the Khajiit. Players must face the dragon threat looming over Elsweyr, though you do not possess the power some players may be used to if they played Skyrim. You are not the Dragonborn, and these dragons are no laughing matter. Players may make use of the new class, the Necromancer, to aid themselves in the fight to save Elsewyr.
Prodeus invokes a feeling of classic FPS games that any fan of the genre will enjoy. In a familiar setting, you get to fight back a horde of demonic entities. Simply put, Prodeus is devilishly delightful.
High Isle brings a beautiful new locale, some lovable characters, and a new card game. While all these additions are wonderful, the core gameplay of High Isle feels incredibly similar to that of previous chapter DLCs. New locations and systems can only go so far to help break up the staleness of the main storyline structure.
Jump Force, released in February to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Shonen Jump manga, brings together many recognizable anime characters. Though it is a good effort to commemorate 50 years of one of the most iconic manga magazines, its awkward control scheme, poor hub-world design, and subpar story leaves much to be desired.
A delightful little dungeon crawler, Riverbond, is fun for everyone. The voxel styling paired with the abundance of skin choices makes for a wonderful visual experience. The drop-in/out multiplayer means the whole family can hop on the couch and play as much, or as little, as they want to help clear a board. In a medium full of ever-increasingly realistic graphics, Riverbond is a breath of fresh air with its colorful world and characters.
Scalebreaker is a wonderful expansion to the Season of the Dragon event, as well as to The Elder Scrolls Online as a whole.
Blasphemous is a delightfully dark game with superb style. This Kickstarter success pairs magnificent world-building with clever combat mechanics. A player must have precision timing, as every hit point is vital. One wrong move could be a fatal error. This intense game feels very much like a 2D platforming version of games like Dark Souls or Bloodborne.
The Shadows: Awakening - The Chromaton Chronicles DLC is a short DLC that makes a great addition to the beginning of the game. It is not often that you see a story-based DLC that takes place so early in the game. Players who seek out the Chromaton Chronicles side quest are rewarded with an intriguing story and a new playable character.
ZeniMax has outdone themselves once again with Blackwood. Ever since I started reviewing additions to The Elder Scrolls Online (which was back when Murkmire came out), I've been impressed time and again. While I was not as impressed with the majority of this chapter, I was pleasantly surprised in the end. Blackwood is a great introduction to this year's Gates of Oblivion event. I can't wait to see what the rest of the year holds.
Fly back to Strangereal for the next installment in the Ace Combat series. The game is beautifully crafted and takes you on the ride of a lifetime. Easily one of the best flying games I have ever played, I know I will find myself returning to Ace Combat 7 quite often.