With Darktide being more of a live service game, there isn't necessarily an ending to its narrative to speak of. Players will rank up and be treated to short cutscenes reflecting the increase in trust and standing the spaceship's NPCs hold for the player. However, each character feels rooted in the dark sci-fi future the Warhammer series takes place in, as they deliver hints of its complex lore. More story will likely be introduced over time, with hopefully new locations to explore, because players may be left hungry for more narrative and beautiful levels to look at. Still, mowing down enemies with friends has rarely felt as satisfying as it does in Warhammer 40K: Darktide.
Both its asymmetrical multiplayer gameplay and story are so enjoyable and well-constructed that big fans of either will find a lot to enjoy in Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed. It's not perfect, but it is an earnest and succesful attempt to bring the spirit of the movie's best qualities into a video game, and it just so happens the game is also strong enough to create some satisfying feedback loops, too.
Like 2009's Brütal Legend, Metal: Hellsinger is a love letter to heavy metal gamers rather than a game being made to pander to a demographic. Hellsinger is a lot of fun for any casual FPS player with even a vague interest in metal music. Even though the game feels on the short side, The Outsiders have achieved a beautiful hybrid of sound design and fun FPS gameplay that will hopefully inspire more combat rhythm games in the future. The music will get stuck in the player's head, and the levels are more than fun enough to warrant replaying.
Tekken 8 is jam-packed with modes, story, and customizable options that should allow players of any skill level to have fun. Battling against veteran players in the multiple online modes will likely be a punishing experience for new players. Still, the latest installment offers the best tools in the franchise yet to master each of its 32 playable characters. Despite being more accessible than ever, Tekken 8 is challenging to master, and continues to make a case for itself as one of gaming's most complex and rewarding fighters.
The Dead Space Remake severs the bar to raise it.
Many may see No Man's Sky coming to Switch as one small step towards entertainment, but making the game work as well as it does on the Switch is one giant leap for Nintendo fans, especially for those wanting to explore something much more extensive and varied than Breath of Wild's Hylian ruins. The port may need some updates to add multiplayer and increase its loading speeds in the future, but No Man's Sky on the Switch manages to fit its updates and addictive gameplay onto Nintendo's on-the-go console well enough that it's immediately one of the best ways to play the game.
With everything that Street Fighter 6 includes, it's set the bar incredibly high for future fighting games. Online matches played flawlessly during the review period. The Battle Hub is an example of how online multiplayer game lobbies should be with a space where players can interact and even play other games together. A well-balanced roster of characters and new control options helps Street Fighter 6 stand tall as an excellent entry point for fighting games, while also containing the depth and precise gameplay that pros expect.