Circling back to everything that made the original shine while adding not only new gameplay innovations, but captivating new characters marks a bold step forward for the series, for Remedy, and the industry at large. Alan Wake 2 is a towering accomplishment that will keep you hooked from start to finish and leave you with a little darkness you’ll be thinking about for years to come.
Sabotage Studio has accomplished its grand vision. With a mission statement of “creating definitive editions of the game genres we enjoyed as kids,” not only have they tactfully paid homage to their inspirations, but through a number of dazzling new ideas, they’ve now left an indelible mark on the JRPG genre. Sea of Stars is a modern classic.
For a first outing, Ascendant Studios has hit a home run. The team has established an incredible foundation for a universe we only hope we can continue exploring for years to come.
Over time, there’s certainly room to build from this foundation. But with the asking price and the initial lack of substance, it’s hard to see value in AEW’s first game upon release.
All up, the credits rolled at the seven-hour mark on my end. SEASON didn’t overstay its welcome as some games often do, though conversely, it also doesn’t offer any reason to return once you’ve seen and done it all. As mentioned prior, there aren’t any checklists, you won’t find challenges here, and there’s nothing to collect beyond personal keepsakes for your journal. So one playthrough is all you’ll need here and if you don’t embrace a slower style of play, one where you really take your time to capture everything just right, you’ll likely finish the game in a few short hours. It’s certainly not a game for everyone, but for those who do take their time to thoroughly travel the open world and take in every sight and sound, there’s a truly wonderful time to be had in SEASON: A letter to the future.
Modern Warfare 2 can be exciting when it works. Whilst the campaign’s narrative flaws can’t be fixed, major patchwork is needed to get the multiplayer (the most important aspect) to a good place, and co-op is in desperate need of extra content. Big games just shouldn’t be in this state at launch.
Somehow, Immortality does the impossible. From its extraordinary cast to the tremendous writing and elegant systems that enable us to interact with every frame of this stunning creation, it really couldn’t have been executed any better. Go in unspoiled, let the interactive story sweep you away, and enjoy all the twists and turns of this masterfully designed game.
Reaching that flow-state where the game's many interlocking systems are firing on all cylinders is well worth putting up with any hardships along the way. With proper support moving forward, Cult of the Lamb has all the potential to grow into something truly special from this foundation, much like you can on the journey contained within.
If you go in purely to see the world in motion and walk through its immense cityscapes, you’ll be delighted by what’s on offer. But if you go in expecting a substantial gaming experience with plenty of input and deep engagement, you may end up disappointed. Falling somewhere in the middle, I can appreciate Stray’s overachieving presentation but wonder what could have been with this setting and this attention to detail had it not centered around a cat with limited room for gameplay systems.