Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a pure superhero spectacle that takes full advantage of the PS5's hardware.
Despite biting off more than it can chew, Biomutant is a creative labor of love with strong RPG hooks.
Resident Evil Village is an uneven anthology of horror movie send-ups. Sometimes it offers a truly exciting vision of the series’ future with imaginative world-building and rewarding exploration. Other times, it’s a fairly run-of-the-mill shooter that struggles to provide any real stakes or tension. Those two tones are often at odds with one another, highlighting all of the franchise’s best and worst instincts in one eclectic package. Chalk it up to a quarter-life crisis.
New Pokemon Snap is a worthy follow up to a beloved classic that's loaded with charm and a surprising amount of content.
Returnal takes full advantage of the PS5's features to give players a fast and furious sci-fi spectacle.
NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… confirms that the original NieR was both way ahead of its time and far behind it. The story is tremendously captivating and it’s only gotten better with newly added content. On the other side of the coin, the repetitive gameplay feels outdated even by 2010 standards. Those who press through the 30-hour adventure will be rewarded with a bold narrative odyssey. It may even outdo NieR Automata in retrospect, but it’s hard to blame anyone who’d rather watch it all on YouTube instead of playing it for themselves.
Is Outriders a sophisticated action game with a compelling sci-fi story? No. Does it feel fun to freeze a spider with an ice turret and shatter it with a well-placed sniper shot? You bet. Sometimes, that’s all one really wants from a shooter like this. It could use an offline mode for single-player sessions and a fair bit of maintenance, but it’s a solid foundation for an action game that respects its players’ time.
Balan Wonderworld is a hodge-podge of half-formed platforming ideas that squander a whole lot of charm.
It Takes Two is a charming co-op adventure that combines the best ideas from Nintendo and Pixar.
Even with its pacing issues, Loop Hero begs to be played over and over again. There’s always something to work towards and an undeniable mystique to its unspoken complexity.