Ars Technica's Reviews
If either Dragon Quest or base-building games appeal to you, try it with an open mind and a willingness to buck convention.
Gravity Rush 2’s personality and unique, physics-bending gameplay make it so unlike any other open-world game that it gets my whole-hearted recommendation, despite a few faults. Buy it.
By incorporating the UK's political landscape, Football Manger 2017 becomes the deepest, most inspiring take on the beautiful game yet.
Yakuza 0 is a fine, goofy, and bombastic entry point for anyone who has wanted to see just what the hell is up with these darn Yakuza games. Buy it.
The slight amount of new content will only appeal to hardcore fans or those who desperately want to play Dream Drop Distance in HD. Skip it.
Nioh makes no bones about standing in the shadows of giants, but it extends and polishes the Dark Souls formula so much that it manages to shine just as brightly. Buy it.
It's testament to Taro's talent for storytelling that the game inspires replay as much through its narrative hooks as its baser promise of trophies and a 100% competition record.
Does super-smooth Tekken on PC sound good to you? If so, buy. If not, try.
Buy it for the excellent collection of built-in Nintendo-made levels. Get the Wii U version if you want to actually make your own.
Yooka-Laylee stays true to its '90s platformer roots, even to its detriment. But there are just enough modern touches and excellent platforming to make it more than just another nostalgia play.
Injustice 2 continues NetherRealm's tradition of best-in-class story modes with solid, complex fighting to back it up. Learning the ropes could just be a little more convenient. Buy it.
RDR II's work cycle creates a forgiving system where, no matter what vocation you pick, you can figure out a way to bring in some cash. But it's also an extremely simplified version of the hardships people actually faced in the American wilderness. Even with the simulated elements to contend with, Arthur seems to have inhuman stamina, and a constitution that strains believability, even as it provides a firm foundation for the playspace.
Torment's uneven gameplay is pulled to the finish line by its engrossing world and story. Assuming you can get over the introductory hump (and all that text), it's absolutely a story worth reading, if not always playing. Buy it.
Put off by DiRT Rally because it was too hard? This is the game for you. (Fans of DiRT Rally will also have fun.)
At its best, Dawn of War 3 is a fast-paced mutation of some of the series' best ideas. At its worst, it can't seem to decide what kind of game it wants you to be playing. Try it.
Try before you buy. Thimbleweed Park is an unabashed adventure game throwback with all the good and bad that brings. When it parlays that love of a bygone era into interesting challenges, it borders on great. When it simply emulates the past, it's a real slog.
Online co-op fans should buy. First-person combat fans have to try.
A high-water mark in the "interactive narrative" genre. If that sounds good to you, buy it.
Fire Emblem Echoes is a sparkling remake without much variety or strategy to scratch beneath the surface. Try it.
Splatoon 2's basic gameplay has clearly benefited from a full two years of patching and examination of the original title's uneven launch. This is all we've wanted from Nintendo for years: to come up with wild new ideas, then actually adjust and respond to player demands for a better experience.