Daily Dot's Reviews
Dishonored 2 is just the latest example in a long line of games that continue to illustrate the close relationship between quality stealth games and emergent gameplay. Any given playthrough will present you with myriad chances to both create and react to opportunities, many of which appear with little to no warning. It's in surviving these situations (preferably undetected) where Dishonored 2 delivers its most tangible rushes and most profound sense of gratification. It's a tale of vengeance that's presented in an imaginatively conceived world, one that is as threatening as it is inviting.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is the definition of a decent game. It’s fun in short doses and will keep you amused for just long enough to make you feel like you got your [money]’s worth. That said, it’s definitely a step back from last year’s Black Ops III, which impressed in almost every regard, and despite being packed with features, modes, and more futuristic fanfare than any Call of Duty before it, a world of laser guns and space battles might not be where the franchise’s time is best spent.
Titanfall 2 builds on the promises of the first game in every way imaginable. Rewarding gameplay innovations remain intact, providing consistent thrills in both multiplayer matches and the campaign. Fans of the genre will find themselves blown away by the unique level design, even if the narrative fails to stand tall.
All things considered, Battlefield 1 is a refreshing, gorgeous shooter that breaks up the monotony of futuristic action games with solid mechanics and a setting that has never gotten the attention it deserves.
Victories in ReCore, whether they were rooted in platforming or combat skill always felt satisfyingly earned, and that for me was enough to balance all the frustration along the way. But if I hadn't enjoyed the Disney-like tone of ReCore's story and had not genuinely liked the game's characters, my patience for ReCore's shortcomings would probably have strained to the breaking point.
In Minecraft, I can invite other people to share my discoveries. In No Man’s Sky, I am utterly alone.
I have a lot of patience for VR control schemes with wonky elements. Developers are still figuring out how best to create games for VR. But there has to be a valuable experience to balance out the frustration those control schemes can create, and other than a single moment of empathy for a suffering animal that I don’t think would have been possible without VR, The Assembly failed to deliver that experience.
Abzu offers a lush, gorgeous world to explore.
While not as challenging as some of the JRPGs of the past (no Emerald Weapon here, sorry), I Am Setsuna makes it clear that someone is listening to all of those grumbly veteran gamers who miss the adventures that made them fans for life. They long for a story to care about, and that's what this game provides.
Kirby Planet Robobot is not a deep game in terms of story, but it doesn't need to be. It serves up exactly what the series is known for with a new twist, and it does so with awe-inspiring ease. One of my biggest takeaways was how completely I was transported to a space of childlike joy while I played it. It's hard for a game to really strike that note of pure happiness, an emotion many of us remember from sitting in front of our Nintendo Entertainment Systems in the '80s. Making a game strictly aimed at children or adults is a challenge on its own, but hitting the sweet spot for both is what makes a classic. Kirby Planet Robobot just might be one of those.
If you are a first-person shooter fan generally, and if you enjoy team-based FPS play specifically, not at least trying Overwatch feels criminal. Blizzard always imparts a deep sense of holistic quality into its games, and Overwatch is no exception.
Doom's triumphant return to hell makes old school the new hotness
The game doesn't shine unless you have real communication among teams, which is tough to find with random players. I can't see myself sticking around to learn all the different Battleborn and embrace what this game is ultimately about without a group of friends to play it with.
Naughty Dog has delivered something rare in this industry of milked franchises: the gift of franchise closure for its fans.
Star Fox Zero fails to capture the magic of its predecessors
Koi isn’t a game for everyone, but for those wanting a short and simple experience, possibly for kids, it could be a fun two-hour diversion.
New Ratchet & Clank game captures all of the fun of the original
This fighting game where you shoot crustaceans is so bad it's actually awesome
Dark Souls III is an exceptional descent into a superbly menacing world
I enjoyed Quantum Break in the same way I enjoy Marvel superhero movies. They're fun to watch while I kick back and eat some popcorn. But when I go to see The Avengers I don't have a control pad in my hands, and there's where Quantum Break gets confusing for me. Sussing out the relative importance of the two halves of Quantum Break messed with my head as much as trying to sort through all the story's causality loops.