Michael Rougeau
Dead Rising 4’s raw zombie carnage impresses, but its story and technical problems leave it dead on arrival.
With a look this distinctive, Drawn to Death could have hit the ground running. But as a decent shooter it merely limps, thanks to a number of unfortunate design choices, a lack of options, and rampant bugs. Intricate levels, varied weapons and unique characters may have looked good on paper, but any positives Drawn to Death has get scribbled over and obscured by the constant barrage of un-funny abuse it insists on endlessly spewing in your face.
"The denizens of Deus Ex : The Fall need to learn to memorize their pass codes without first emailing them to everyone they know."
'Halo Wars 2' isn't a great competitive strategy game, but it's an enjoyable take on Halo.
'Gears of War 4' features fresh takes on some modes, but plays it safe for others.
Dying Light can be great, but it doesn't understand its own strengths.
For the first time in years, the newest Pokémon games find a flavor all their own.
'Persona 5' proves that there's still room for an epic, 100-hour RPG
Is Dark Souls 2's second expansion a song of ice and fire? Nope, that's ash, not snow.
Gauntlet is just as chaotic as its predecessors, but more refined and less haphazard too.
Lords of the Fallen plays fast and loose with the established ideas of better games, but the results don't suck.
Farpoint is more than a proof of concept or another tech demo for virtual reality. Despite its predictable and unsatisfying story and hard-to-ignore bugs, it's a full-fledged sci-fi shooter that feels fantastic to play with Sony's high-quality PSVR Aim Controller (and slightly awkward without it). Several smart control options and design choices cater to a variety of different types of players, and the gunplay is second to none in VR. If I were to recommend one shooter to a PSVR owner, this would be it.
Nioh is a shockingly well-made game considering its troubled development history. It builds on the foundation laid by Dark Souls in interesting ways, while adding its own narrative and mechanical flavors. And though it can be punishingly difficult, it also gives you ample tools with which to overcome its challenges, leaving you feeling empowered in the end.
Gravity Rush 2 is a surprisingly massive and extremely beautiful Japanese action RPG that stands tall despite its flaws.
Bloodborne is a significant evolution of the Souls series, but it comes with some new problems too.
More than two years after its launch, Sea of Thieves has improved in countless ways.
Full Throttle Remastered mostly succeeds on two fronts: As a fresh way to revisit an old classic, and as the ideal entry point for players who haven't yet smacked rival bikers with a two-by-four on the Mine Road or figured out the combination to Old Man Corley's safe. There are a couple of sticking points for both old and new players, including some technical issues and (especially for the latter) that questionable "adventure game logic" which is anything but logical. Nevertheless, there's never been a better time to hit the open road with Ben and his gang.
No game is better than Outlast 2 at making you feel helpless, alone and terrified.
From Software looks to the original Dark Souls for inspiration in the first of three announced expansions to Dark Souls II.
Dark Souls II desperately needed Ivory King's detailed frozen wasteland.