Forbes's Reviews
Overall, Castlevania Requiem is an excellent collection of two very important as well as very different Castlevania games. If you have enjoyed the recent Netflix series and don't know much about the games it is based off, then this is probably the perfect collection to get to grips with the saga.
Congrats to the Toronto team for creating such a fun experience, and I sincerely hope that we'll be getting additional Atlas adventures in the future.
If you're only here for the campaign, there's no reason for you to buy Black Ops 4. But if you're a multiplayer gamer and enjoy battle royale games, there's plenty of great, addictive content to keep you playing for months on end.
If you have the time and the inclination, buy Red Dead Redemption 2. It's a great game. It's an impressive game. Just know what you're getting into, and do your best to make it through the story to what's on the other side. This review is now nearly 3000 words long, and not nearly long enough for one of the greatest and most vexing games I've played in years.
The 2-on-2 gameplay feels just as smooth as it did last year.
WWE 2K19 maxes out all of the incumbent concepts from recent games in the franchise, and this is a solid and more polished release than we've seen from some recent versions. You'll likely have fun with the game and all of its layers. However, there is potential for true greatness with this series, but the WWE and the development team have to be willing to take some chances.
Again, it's more cake. Origins was delightful and Odyssey hits almost all the same notes, so there's a lot to like about it as well. But this series needs a bit of breathing room, and I hope it gets another bit of rest after this.
Overall, the standard game is an excellent high-definition remaster and is the best version of the game to date. The VR mode ruins that impressive achievement and is wholly unnecessary. In short, play this for the high definition remaster and give the VR mode a very wide berth.
FIFA 19 is visually stunning, fun and deep. Aside from a few small issues, it delivers the goods and firmly establishes the latest version and the franchise as the one to beat in the virtual pitch wars.
NHL 19 is still a fun virtual hockey experience, and that's the biggest thing.
While combat could still use some fine-tuning, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a master class in turn-of-the-century-esque exploration awe, and I hope this serves as a springboard for Lara into the next generation of gaming technology.
Because of the way NBA 2K18 fell off last year, I tried to find the potential for major problems further into NBA 2K19's release cycle, but I couldn't. Whether you're a person who plays single-player, multiplayer, offline or online, this is the most complete sports game I've ever played. There is no such thing as a perfect sports game, but this is as close as it gets.
While the gameplay and consistently improving modes are the obvious strong suits of NASCAR Heat 3, the game is still just a touch short of an elite racing title because it lacks personality and high-level presentation. That said, the groundwork and the second floor are in place for a complete racing experience, the developers and publisher just need to add a rough and some pops of color.
On a whole, it is too inconsistent to be considered elite. This was a year where the franchise expected to make a huge leap from doormat to contender, but it still falls short of the postseason.
Spider-Man is a fantastic action game with great movement and combat and a compelling story that's only dragged down from time to time with boring missions and QTE-based boss fights.
While it is a massive and overly traditional role-playing game, do not let these elements dissuade you from trying it out. Stick with it and your patience will be hugely rewarded.
I love the way PES 2019 plays. The gameplay is the biggest selling point, but not the only thing that matters–especially in the face of formidable competition. Konami can't escape the negative effect of losing the licensing battle, its shallow modes, and bland presentation.
F1 2018 isn't without flaw or area of opportunity, but the engine that powers its positives revs much louder than the noise made by its few skid marks. This is truly one of the best racing games you'll ever play.
Overall, Octopath Traveler is a very solid and engaging game.
This year, Madden doesn't break any new ground or fix all or most of the nagging issues that have impeded the series in the past. However, it does deliver an absolutely stunning visual experience, decent gameplay and enough options to keep most fans occupied.