Star Wars Battlefront II is the epitome of taking a step forward, shooting yourself in the foot and then falling backwards in pain.
Three of the new maps are fantastic and stand strong when compared to the base maps, but there's a strong sense of déjà vu about them. The final map, while good on paper, is ultimately brought down by poor design decisions, and the new weapons, while fun, are locked beyond arbitrary walls. There's a decent amount of content here, but it doesn't justify the asking price, or how long it's taken to actually get a substantial amount of new content in Battlefield 1.
Those that are already in love with Destiny will no doubt forgive Rise of Iron’s shortcomings and dig into the content, but for those on the sidelines, or are waiting for the right opportunity to fall in love with Destiny, Rise of Iron is a skippable experience that can be overlooked until the inevitable full-on sequel
LEGO Dimensions felt like much-needed innovation for a game series that has seen little change since its inception in 2006.
Sumo Digital have finally delivered Crackdown 3 after five years, but it feels like a product of a bygone era.
There is fun to be had, especially when the spectacle of Star Wars is in full effect. That spectacle, however, soon wears off and what's left is a game with too few weapons, maps and heroes. In the end, Star Wars Battlefront is all Binks and no Fett.
Betrayer faces interesting dilemmas. It has an intriguing story built from a great mystery and good gameplay to back it up, but feels unnecessarily punishing.
Is Assassin's Creed Shadows the hail mary Assassin's Creed and Ubisoft needed, or should this game have stayed in the shadows?
Is LEGO Horizon Adventures a fun-filled LEGO adventure by a different developer or should LEGO leave their game development to Traveller's Tales?
What truly holds Concord back is its lack of identity. A story or campaign would have been a great way to showcase the world, its characters and lore, yet all of that is stuffed into the Galactic Guide that few players will probably ever read. The Freegunners and game modes are fun and mostly balanced, though feel derivative when stacked up against the already established competition. Meanwhile, map design feels safe with layouts that don’t encourage much experimentation. Concord is a good, fun game from a brand-new studio that’s currently missing its identity. It may be a bit lost in space, but Concord checks off enough boxes to hopefully chart a path forward.
The updates to gameplay make Bounty Hunter feel modern, fluid and accessible, though the legacy controls are still there for purists. It would have been nice to see a remaster or remake that fixed additional quirks and greatly improved the presentation, but as a $19.99 port, Aspyr has delivered enough changes and updates to make Star Wars: Bounty Hunter feel like the game it always should have been at launch. Star Wars: Bounty Hunter is one bounty you’ll want to bring in alive.
It’s hard to keep something going for ten years, especially a Live Service game. The industry is littered with failed attempts at building ten-year plans. Despite Destiny’s many ups and downs and lack of consistent quality through the years, Destiny 2: The Final Shape completes Bungie’s ambitious ten-year plan and mostly sticks the landing. Its story is the most focused a Destiny tale has ever gotten, opting to focus on character interactions, linear level design and heartfelt payoffs. While this route meant a complete neglect of the series’ big bad, it did culminate in an epic finale to the Light and Darkness saga.
Mortal Kombat 1 was pitched as the start of a new era for Mortal Kombat, where NetherRealm Studios had complete freedom to craft the universe they wanted, mostly free from the previous two eras.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is not a revolutionary entry in the franchise, but its multiplayer and co-op do just enough to make it an enjoyable Call of Duty.
Gotham Knights has its moments of brilliance and fun, but never manages to step out of Batman’s looming shadow. These knights are more than sidekicks, they just aren’t heroes quite yet.
Digimon Survive isn't quite the game anyone was expecting based on the marketing.
This is one zombie title worth exploring; just know it’s not the diamond it should be.
Battlefield 2042 is a fun game to play, but its base game content will leave you wanting. Thankfully, Battlefield Portal is there to pick up the slack and does so splendidly. There’s still some gas left in Battlefield’s tank.
Back 4 Blood manages to recapture much of the magic Turtle Rock Studios crafted more than a decade ago.
Sonic Colors' vibrant colors, inventive level design and fast gameplay made it a hit back in 2010.