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Audio, visuals, haptics, and incredible combat comes together with a solid story that hasn’t been done to death, making Marvel’s Wolverine easily Insomniac’s best comic entry to date. While there is some filler side content, the game never overstays its welcome as it tells its dark and brutal story.
Groove might appear to be a tough and demanding cookie on the surface with its emphasis on precision timing, but the way the game teaches and rewards you for playing are boundless, and it’s a breezy pick up and play game with a treasure trove of extras that’ll keep you wanting and craving more of it.
It feels like we’re still just scratching the surface of what co-op only games can be with the likes of A Way Out, Split Fiction, and now Orbitals. Orbitals is full to bursting with incredible ideas, more than it can properly execute on, but it remains an incredible, fun, and charming experience the whole way through.
Star Wars: Zero Company brings the best of Star Wars to the XCOM style of gameplay. References abound for any Star Wars fan, no matter your favorite era of the Galaxy Far, Far, Away. It’s such a unique angle to tell another story of The Clone Wars from the perspective of contact workers from different backgrounds. Clones, Umbarans, former CIS advisers, Republic royalty, and lots and lots of mercenaries. Star Wars: Zero Company looks great, plays great, and keeps you on your toes (no matter how many you might have).
Mafia: The Old Country - Man of Honor might be more of the same, and that’s perfectly okay with me. Hangar 13’s nod to the original game is appreciated, as is the narrative flair The Old Country has already. Seeing Free Ride revamped is also a pleasure, alongside a meaty amount of content via Salieri’s introduction to the map.
Despite how enjoyable and devilishly moreish it can be, Splatoon Raiders does feel like a seismic rinse and repeat. The levels are lavish, the challenges are plenty, the compulsive qualities are undeniable, and its whimsy is as wonderful as always, yet it is hard not to feel like something more ambitious was left on the cutting room floor and Raiders really could do with more variation to keep the sense of monotony at bay.
Duskfade offers a heartfelt, emotional story, gorgeous visuals, excellent boss design, and plenty of hidden goodies to keep you scouring its beautiful locales for a couple dozen hours. The voice acting can occasionally feel a little awkward, and combat timing can take some getting used to, but it still remains one of the best platformers of the year.
MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls is another excellent fighter from Arc System Works, able to capture casuals and veterans alike thanks to a refined, simple control scheme while retaining cavernous depths. Outside of that, it can feel pretty bare bones though, so you better be willing to hop online and put your dukes up.
Mistfall Hunter is a fun but flawed ARPG extraction title that won’t be for everybody. The classes provide meaningful variety, but the game handles multiple archetypes more frustratingly than its contemporaries. If you enjoy ARPGs and extraction games, you’ll definitely get $25 worth of fun out of the game, but your mileage may vary due to repetition fatigue and a list of concerns about the game and its future.
While no masterpiece, Beast of Reincarnation’s engaging combat and bond-based core render it an endearing debut from a storied publisher. Check it out if you’re in the market for something different.
A good remake with a great additional story makes Halo: Campaign Evolved a worthy endeavor. My cherished memories of Master Chief in his original fight are here – almost too similarly crafted – and they look beautiful and play well. Operation: METEORITE and the seamless co-op are tremendously implemented, and here’s hoping this taste of future Halo is a sign of things to come.
DOOM: The Dark Ages - Revelations isn’t just more DOOM, it’s the culmination of everything the modern trilogy has been doing. With fantastic level design, the amazing new Chain Spear, great music, and some shockingly good story beats, you’re bound to have a blast tearing Hell a new one again.
The gameplay feels smooth with fun new additions that make defense more competitive and offense more skill-based. The feeling of College Football remains the focus.
Ultimately, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynched is a wildly successful reboot of a franchise favorite. Delivering more new content than I can readily list (as well as a new lick of paint!), it’s bound to make returning fans and fresh devotees as excited to set sail as we were more than a decade ago.
Stonemachia is the kind of debut that makes me still believe in indie gaming.
Mina the Hollower is another masterpiece from Yacht Club Games, a Zelda style game that manages not only to equal the series that inspired it, but in some ways surpasses it. The world is detailed, gorgeous, and overflowing with secrets. The writing is sharp and often hilarious while maintaining a gothic horror vibe. Best of all, it feels amazing to play, with tons of ways to customize Mina and the game itself to fit your playstyle. It’s filled with freedom and challenge in equal measure, but as a Hollower you are more than up to the task.
007 First Light is a top-tier game both Bond fans and stealth action gamers will love. It has all the hallmarks of a great Bond film with some of the best stealth action gameplay in the industry. I’m excited to see one of my favorite franchises in the hands of a studio that loves it as much as I do. 007 First Light is worthy of the Bond legacy and easily one of the best games of the year.
ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies is tense espionage, political dread and arcane philosophy wrapped up in a beautifully crafted CRPG package. The freedom to develop your spy in whatever faculty and fashion you wish is fun to engage with, and the narrative had me hooked from the moment I stepped foot onto the scene.
I'm pretty sure everyone on the LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight dev team could beat the rest of the world at Batman trivia. Sometimes that makes for fantastic jokes and cool recreations of iconic scenes, and sometimes it results in an overabundance of references without the substance to back it up. The Arkham gameplay is a great new spin on the LEGO formula, and this brick-built Gotham may be one of the city's best interpretations yet. If you go in with the right expectations, this could be your new favourite LEGO game.
Excellent multiplayer game centered around the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IP. Weapons handled well, there's a great hideout to hang out, and the game is designed to encourage fun. Overall this is a very good game best played with a group of friends who can explore and defeat the villains together.