Matthew Pollesel
For the second year in a row, Jackbox Party Pack 10 delivers a set of games where everyone is bound like at least one of the games on offer – certainly a far cry from earlier editions where you knew that an entry would have at least one dud.It's an outstanding collection from top to bottom, and it shows that as the Jackbox series enters its second decade, it's as strong as ever.
It’s an interesting look at a neat experiment, and it’s fun to get a chance to discover – or rediscover – a game that finds Nintendo breaking out of their comfort zone. It may not be a perfect game, but it’s an interesting one, and that’s enough to make it worth checking out.
Like grapefrukt games’ previous outings, it’s made for both quick gaming sessions and lengthy hours spent trying to get just a little bit better, and regardless of which way you approach it, you’re going to have fun.
I feel like comparing Abomi Nation to Pokémon is just about the highest praise I can give the game. It’s not on the same level in terms of…well, anything, really, but at the same time, it’s well-made enough that if you’re the kind of person it’s targeting, it’s absolutely essential.
It ultimately comes down to how much you want a game that gives you insane levels of power but that also puts checks on it. You’re the creative type who appreciates that balance, there’s plenty to like in Teardown. If you just want to go smashy-smashy, you can do that here, too, but the end result may be more frustrating than you’re expecting.
That’s what makes DreamWorks Trolls Remix Rescue so frustrating: it’s <i>so</i> close to being good, but its flaws make it almost impossible to recommend. It’s far better than it has any right to be or than its pedigree suggests, but it’s still going to be a letdown to almost everyone.
While Die After Sunset may have spent a few years in Early Access, it still doesn't feel like a game that should have been given a full release. No matter how good its premise may be, and how interesting an idea “single-player Fortnite” may sound on paper, it's clear that Die After Sunset still isn’t something worthwhile.
I know that DINOSAURS: Mission Dino Camp is intended for a younger audience, so some allowances need to be made, and you shouldn't go in expecting the greatest game ever or anything. But even kid-oriented games can be good, and when they’re done right they can offer hours of entertainment. DINOSAURS: Mission Dino Camp is definitely not done right, and for that reason should just be avoided.
At this point, there’s not much I can say about Super Mega Baseball 4 that I didn’t already say about Super Mega Baseballs 1, 2, and 3: like its predecessors, it’s an outstanding baseball game that’s a lot more fun to play than the annualized PlayStation flagship MLB game. Any worries that a higher profile or a bigger budget would hurt the game are unfounded. In fact, four games in, this might just be the best Super Mega Baseball game yet.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a game that's an absolute joy to play. Exploring these worlds, slicing through enemies, customizing how Cal looks, uncovering the game's lore: it's all done perfectly here, in a way that should appeal to anyone, regardless of their familiarity with Star Wars itself (though being a fan probably helps). There are minor flaws, to be sure, but they're so minor, they feel like nitpicking. In a year that's already featured some outstanding games, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor still manages to stand out.
Spider's Thread makes a great game even better. Ghostwire: Tokyo didn't get nearly the level of attention it deserved on its initial release last year, and now that the game is free for Game Pass and PS+ subscribers (and generally inexpensive enough to buy on PC), there's even less reason why it should be slept on. Do yourself a favour and get it now.
Once Upon A Jester isn't like too many other games out there, but if you're willing to give it a chance, you'll find that it does what it sets out to do incredibly well.
I can't judge Shadow Warrior 3: Definitive Edition on how well it matches up with its predecessors. What I can do, however, is judge Shadow Warrior 3: Definitive Edition on how much fun it is -- and by that metric, I can't imagine a more enjoyable game.
Just about the only complaint I could think of for the game is that its online multiplayer isn't well-populated given that it's not exactly setting the charts alight -- but a) it's fun in single-player, and b) that's the sort of thing that could be fixed if Sackboy had the popularity it deserves. Do your part to help with that by checking it out, and get a pretty wonderful 3D platformer in the bargain.
Hogwarts Legacy doesn't just bathe in the reflected warm glow of nostalgia. It contributes to that lore, and stands up as a worthy entry in the Harry Potter canon in its own right.
It's not too often a game will work your brain and whet your appetite, but Freshly Frosted manages to achieve that rare double feat.
Lil Gator Game is exactly what it looks like on the surface: a sweet, adorable game that never feels like it's trying too hard to be either of those things, but that's guaranteed to win you over all the same.
Seriously, this is an amazing game. It may not last that long, but it also never comes close to wearing out its welcome. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is an excellent sequel to an equally excellent game, and now that it's out on PC, it's absolutely worth your time (even if that time is over far too soon).
As the series nears its tenth entry, you'd think that the creative minds at Jackbox might be running out of ideas, but Jackbox Party Pack 9 suggests that they're only just starting to hit their collective stride.
Easy Come Easy Golf is a joy to play. Whether you're a newcomer to the sport/the developer or a seasoned veteran, this game will have something for you. It shows that even if the name on the game may have changed, it's still fully lives up to Clap Hanz's very high standards.