Kotaku's Reviews
For players who enjoyed the first game, Splatoon 2 is not a reinvention, but it doesn't have to be. It adds here and there, retaining what was best about the cheerful original while giving it a graphical upgrade and portability. Splatoon 2, at its best, is still Nintendo with confidence and flair.
Pyre is good in many ways. It's even good enough that it made me call my boss a m*********.
This second time around, Final Fantasy XII has surprised me. I can credit some of my improved regard for the game to this remastered version's visual polish and convenient fast-forward button. I credit more of it to the game's innate quality. It holds up. It works well. It functions like no Final Fantasy before it or since.
Stormblood's epic narrative, gorgeous new locales, spectacular battles and some fresh gameplay mechanics make a great game even better.
Ever Oasis is an intriguing blend of genres that serves as an interesting proof of concept, but is far too bland and repetitive to be a classic of the ARPG genre.
Arms is a one-trick pony. That one trick is polished and addictive, with deep minutia worth mastering.
If you're ready to hit and kick other players until they stop moving, whether you're a seasoned veteran or a newbie just getting your feet wet, Tekken 7 is the real deal.
I do not regret my time with A New Frontier, but the emotional core at the center of the series seems rotten. There are seeds of greatness here, but A New Frontier never gave them the necessary time to grow.
Endless Space 2 is now one of the real standard-bearers in the 4X space. While some of its more direct elements come up short, its implementation of politics is a masterstroke, adding depth and complexity to part of a game that often feels like an arbitrary chore.
Where follow-ups to traditional comic book events often fail, Injustice 2 is a worthy successor to the original in almost every way.
The combat, although robust, tends to frustrate and the story, although impeccable in presentation, doesn't quite feel as sweeping and romantic as previous titles on the 3DS.
The worst version of Prey is the game its ending thinks it is, an action-y game with stealth elements about humanity and moral choices. The best version of Prey is the game that happens in between, one where you ignore its plot completely, take your time to explore every cranny, and hide in a tree to look at the stars. It fails itself when it tells you what to do, but you have plenty of opportunities not to listen to it and have a great time in the process.
Mario Kart 8 is an excellent game. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is even better.
As an experiment in how far the boundaries of what constitutes an RTS can be pushed, I admire Dawn of War III for what it's tried. It may not have entirely pulled it off, but there aren't many games that play like this (WarCraft 3 fans, this one's for you), and there aren't many trying such interesting things with the way their factions are designed.
Even as I rolled my eyes at the chilchéd final moments, as the credits rolled, I found myself remembering the dark, cluttered halls of the Finch house, and the way the game denied me closure on every mystery they may contain.
Ben's story of highway justice holds up well and provides a suitable adventure game experience. It's not the cream of the crop and players might forget it in time. But in the moment? There's nothing better than the open road.
Mr. Shifty stands victorious. The carnage was anything but cute, but it sure was satisfying.
The parts are significantly greater than the whole. There's fun to be had but it doesn't come easily. And if I never have to collect another shiny again, it'll be far too soon.
This is simultaneously a joke about pixel hunting, a joke about adventure games, and a joke about the dumb things that players will do in video games. Did you ever think you'd want to hunt for pixels again? And did you ever think that the act of hunting pixels might be fun? Thimbleweed Park somehow both subverts pixel-hunting and makes you want to hunt pixels, which is just about all you can ask for in an adventure game.
This game will take many, many hours of your time. In exchange, you'll get a terrific, pulpy story told with style to spare. Persona 5 took nearly 100 hours of my time, and I gave it gladly.