The A.V. Club
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NieR: Automata is a great, teetering game tilting from possible profundity to surreal spectacle on a delightful lurch.
Nioh's brutal swordplay is exhilarating, when it isn't stabbing itself in the foot
The Last Guardian demands patience, but even it seems tired of waiting
There is little doubt that Civilization VI comes closer than any of its predecessors to that famous Sid Meier quote, one intended as a definition of games in general but is arguably better understood as a rumination on their ideal form: It is a series of truly interesting decisions.
Mafia III's biggest problem, then, is that the stuff you actually do as Lincoln is mind-numbingly repetitive. He and his associates have put together a rigid strategy for taking down their enemies. You drive from point to point killing mooks and destroying property, then go back to a place you've already been to kill a more powerful mook, and when you do that enough, you're rewarded with a mission to kill an even more powerful mook in a unique environment, like a dilapidated racist theme park. These set pieces are a merciful break in the monotony, but they're rare and all devolve into the same run-and-gun festivities.
Gears Of War 4 doesn’t reinvent the chainsaw, and it doesn’t need to
Destiny hasn’t earned the nostalgia in Rise Of Iron
Paper Mario: Color Splash has vibrancy but little depth
Forza Horizon 3 trades the rush of competition for the thrill of discovery
Virginia’s intimacy makes it more than a Twin Peaks wannabe
Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 doesn’t understand the series’ timeless appeal
For better and worse, they just don't make them like ReCore anymore
If can it continue to learn from its mistakes and embrace the things that made the game great, this expansion will keep players fighting until the Burning Legion has been defeated for good.
The violence of Mother Russia Bleeds provides neither joy nor insight
For such a smart game, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided sure is dumb
The experience won’t suit every temperament, but to give up on an entire universe for inspiring awe too infrequently or for not inspiring the specific awe you’d prefer would be like abandoning bird-watching after a single hour without an exciting specimen.
Obduction is the perfect reminder of what made Myst so great
Bound’s two left feet get in the way of its stunning ballet
Abzû immerses you in a beautiful ocean and lets nature run its course
Telltale’s Batman slowly transforms its routine story into a promising mystery