Lee Mehr's Reviews
Ambition winds up elevating and harming The Last of Us Part II with respect to its expanded gameplay and uneven narrative.
Hones in on my nostalgia goggles while never quite satiating me like the original.
Despite some grievances, Remedy's newest expansion is a worthwhile compliment to the fantastic base game.
Final Strike Games' first title excels at short-lived fun, but monetization practices & current imbalances eventually cause engine burnout.
The Wake: Mourning Father, Mourning Mother is too uncoordinated in the game being made and the story being told. It hits a strange chord with me because I find Somi laudable and his previous work worth investigating. The visual/audio design’s toned-down, retro ethos marries well with the saccharine storytelling and yet, obstructive gameplay frequently flatlined my drive to turn the next page.
Insatiable Cycle's zeal in tackling dialogue choices is something to appreciate. But that can only go so far when the script is tacky, the game design is clumsy, and the retail price is terribly overvalued.
A mechanically-archetypal strategy sim elevated by the potent historical context through which it's examined.
More enticing systemically than it is narratively, Windbound nevertheless succeeds as a sojourner's adventure of striving for survival and greater understanding.
Dlala Studios' reboot/sequel of these antique amphibians deftly juggles its varied gameplay conceits and meta-humor, with only Rare missteps.
Metronomik's first tour reveals the heart of an ambitious, stylish band that's consistently playing out of tune.
Hello Games' modest ideals erode The Last Campfire's true potential, but there’s enough creative kindling to retain your attention.
Control: AWE leverages Remedy's lineage to make one of the best expansions of the year.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is the story of marketable talent crafting a competent-if flawed-RPG in 2012; Re-Reckoning is that same story hastily repackaged in 2020 and resold at an overinflated price point.
Between the writing that's too often puerile and gameplay too often unengaging, Larry's going to be spending many a lonely night lest he up his game.
An offer you can’t refuse.
It'd be apropos to say Punch Punk Games' latest title botches its execution on this fascinating subject matter.
Despite clinging to some underwhelming gimmicks, Astro’s Playroom is a cute-n-capable platformer and a respectable assemblage of PlayStation antiquity included in every PS5.
If Spider-Man was Insomniac's rebuttal to this titular hero's decaying status within games, Miles Morales is its claim that story opportunities beyond Peter Parker are also worthwhile.
There’s an expectation for next-gen remasters to be cash-grabs, but Bloober Team went beyond resolution upgrades. Observer: System Redux shares a similar release history with Blade Runner: a newer version releasing with extra content and impressive visual polishes. It doesn’t avoid all the pitfalls endemic of walking sims nor of this studio, but it deserves augmented respect like its closest inspiration eventually earned.
Bumpy design turbulence blunts The Falconeer's ambition.