Frozen Wilds fits perfectly within the original content from Horizon Zero Dawn. The new weapons make for a better, more motivating experience. On top of this, the story expands upon the mythology that the original HZD built, making it a bigger world with more worthwhile content to live within. It's quite remarkable how well Guerrilla built this game and how perfectly the DLC fits within it.
WWE 2K19 is a solid step up from last year's title. It offers a bit more in terms of content, and a deeper MyPlayer mode. I still wish they would ease up on the control scheme complication a bit, maybe shifting back to an easier control scheme that focuses on fun, rather than trying to make the wrestling experience a challenge. Wrestling is a fun sport to watch, so controlling it should be equally as fun. Definitely a solid release overall, though, so you won't be disappointed.
EA Sports UFC 4 shows that the quality of a sports game is far more important than the amount of quantity in it. UFC 4 improves and adds areas that needed work. It brings in new systems and tighter control designs to make the experience for more entertaining than previous years. This is the best of the best in the UFC series right now, and there is still good room to grow it.
Nioh 2 is a balanced and beautiful game. It will certainly frustrate you to the point where you will want to walk away, but that first victory over a big bad demon will ignite a thirst in you to continue your difficult journey through ancient Japan. This game is not for the weak of heart, but most know that going into it.
In the end, Heavy Fire: Red Shadow definitely harkens back to a time period where point/shoot had a different meaning in an arcade experience than it does now. The game maintains a nostalgic design, which certainly makes sense for the experience, but the experience's longevity will be questioned depending on player expectations. This goes back to what you understand about a game's intentions. If you know going into it that you're going to get an arcade shooter, then you may not be disappointed. If you're expecting a deeper experience than just point/shoot, then you may not find it here.
Knowledge is Power: Decades is a fun trivia game that, like its predecessor, wasn't meant to be a longterm experience. It serves its purpose, brings some fun trivia (sometimes difficult trivia) to the forefront, and delivers a bit more variety when it comes to special moves in the game. It doesn't try to change things too much from what made it work the first time around, so don't expect something drastically different.
It’s the entire package on the PC, and should give something a bit different to those playing that Minecraft thing.
Fe is a wonderful experience that asks you to think a bit, while also entertaining you with a silent story and majestic moments that are Journey-esque. The gameplay for Fe is well designed, fits the bill for what is going on and does its best to make sure you're entertained and challenged.
VR Golf Online is a tough game that offers up some frustration, though the learning curve isn't that bad, especially if you haven't played the game of golf before. The game is built to help you through and does offer up a tiny bit of forgiveness to some elements that would be killer on the real course. It does a nice balanced job of making the experience fun, even when you're losing, while putting you through the golfing ropes that real golfers would experience. If you're an HTC Vive owner, then you need to try this out. It's definitely a good VR experience.
All in all, I really enjoyed my time with Madden 19. The addition of Real Player Motion to the package improved Madden 19 dramatically. The controls felt great because of it and the gameplay felt tightly woven, which translated to one fun experience playing football in a video game.
Velan Studios' Knockout City is a fun game that anyone can pick up and play. It has everything it needs to be a go-to competitive game that is destined to find its way regularly on an Esports schedule. If the promised content is consistently delivered, then it will certainly stick around for years to come.
South Park: The Fractured But Whole is a spectacular experience. It is masterfully crafted with the right amount of South Park driving it. It certainly has a few minor faults here and there, but it is built to entertain and it doesn't falter in that area. It's a big game with a properly built turn-based personalty and it all works beautifully within its humorous South Park wrapper.
Night Trap is a legend in the video game industry on its own. Screaming Villains took that legend and made it better. They added meaningful content with a new intro and some nice special features, as well as improvements to the gameplay design through faster/better navigation methods without messing up the original formula of the game. That's not an easy task, but they pulled it off and it is now functionally perfect to play.
Unravel Two is just a pleasure to play. There is enough personality, charm, challenge, and life in this game to deem it a far better improvement over the original. The two-player complexity was a tough sell, but well worth the buy once you get into it.
oOo: Ascension is a great puzzle game that focuses less on huge, high-budget components to distract the gamer, and more on clever gameplay design that is entertaining as it is challenging. It squarely emphasizes great puzzle design to each level that brings something new from orb to orb, while encouraging the gamer to keep going from level to level as it becomes more difficult. That's a good puzzle game, ladies, and gentlemen, and one you should check out.
Housemarque’s Returnal is a brutal roguelike that constantly keeps the fun coming through its well-thought-through item system that is exquisitely balanced and its randomized gameplay design that feels fresh after every death. Definitely a must-have game for the PlayStation 5.
Mario Party Star Rush’s gameplay design is definitely played on the safe side. The only real ‘off the beaten path’ element in the game is the size and functionality of the game boards, which may or may not work, depending on your expectations. Outside of that, the game follows along with a typical Mario Party title structure, especially in mini game and boss battles (thankfully). The additional modes and option for Amiibo integration help to add some variety, but again, not too far off the typical MP structure. Before we move on to presentation, let me just commend Nintendo for providing friend codes for local players to go head-to-head in the game. I know this isn’t a new concept, but it’s nice to see they understand sharing a game can be beneficial to them and to player loyalty. Bravo to Nintendo for doing this.
Skyrim Special Edition delivers the same classic adventure as it did in 2011, while adding packaged DLC, an upgraded visual package and the introduction to mods that have been keeping its PC gaming life alive and kicking for the last five years. Definitely a special edition.
Titanfall 2 is everything that Titanfall should have been. It contains a wonderfully endearing campaign mode that contains some unique and fun gameplay design, while satisfying the multiplayer experience with a bevy of modes and customization options. This certainly feels like a complete game.
Tt Games did a wonderful job with bringing the world of Harry Potter to life through the LEGO Harry Potter Collection and remastering the experience onto the PlayStation 4. The games certainly show their age, but they’re still a blast, especially if you’re a Harry Potter fanatic.