When everything goes smoothly, Madden 20 is one of the best-playing football games of the generation. Things don't always go smoothly.
NBA 2K22 has the best offensive flow in years, matched by improvements to defense. Still, technical problems persist and microtransactions are hard to ignore in some modes.
Bartlow's Dread Machine is a solid bullet-hell shooter with an excellent look that's held back by a few curious design decisions.
River City Girls is a throwback beat 'em up with RPG elements, eye-catching visuals, and a thumping soundtrack.
Two friends and their goose are on an adventure to save the quirky citizens of Penfurzy Island.
FIFA 20 excellent Volta mode, engaging changes to Ultimate Team, and potentially cool features to Career Mode don't make up for subpar soccer gameplay.
If you just want to sit down with your friends, zone out, and murder some zombies, Dead Island 2 is exactly what you’re looking for. The game is far from perfect and, in some respects, is a little mindless, but that’s exactly what I want from time to time. I said it at the top and I’ll say it again, Dead Island 2 nails it if you’re just looking for dumb fun. There’s nothing wrong with trying to be the Fast and Furious of video games.
While it’s not breaking any new ground in the exploration-based gameplay, the core tenants of what makes a good Dark Pictures game are all here. The Devil in Me is one of the better page-turners in the genre, leaving enough room at the back of the book for the team to make it even better when Season Two kicks off.
MLB The Show 21 doesn’t quite knock this one out of the park. Instead, it’s one of the most well-hit doubles I’ve ever seen. The foundation San Diego Studios has cultivated over the years has allowed them to almost seamlessly transfer over to the next-gen and has me excited to see where the series goes from here.
Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond has a few faults; however, the excellent campaign more than makes up for it with over-the-top scenes galore.
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered takes the franchise back to its roots while showing once again that Criterion Games is the master of arcade racing.
Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions lets players step into the shoes of Japan's Golden Generation and lead them to victory against the world.
PES 2020 is a gorgeous, curling free-kick from the legendary boot of David Beckham that just misses the top right corner as time expires.
Great things come in small packages.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is Supermassive's best horror game since Until Dawn made it famous.
Rogue Legacy 2 takes an already great formula and packs it full of new content to explore. Sometimes there can be too much of a good thing and Cellar Door certainly flirts with that line, but House Rules keep it from fully crossing it.
Resident Evil 3 is an excellent remake of a fan favorite game that features great action gameplay, jaw-dropping visuals, and not enough Carlos.
To be clear, this is the Saints Row game you know and love (or hate). Sure, they’ve slapped a new city and introduced a new set of characters into the formula, but everything is rooted in that purple-tinted glow.
Early in 2022, Nobody Saves the World seems like a must-play and the perfect evolution of nearly every idea Drinkbox Studio has developed since its founding more than a decade ago.
Deadly Premonition 2 marks the return of Francis York Morgan and his brand of weirdness. He can also skateboard now. It's rad.