EGM's Reviews
Somehow, Sega, Christian Whitehead, and the development teams behind the original Sonic Mania have found a way to make the best Sonic game in years even better. Sonic Mania Plus is now nearly everything it could and should be, with new playable characters, modes, options, and polish sure to please fans. There's a small handful of areas in which the game could still be improved, but really, this is just about as good of a Sonic adventure as we could ever have hoped for.
While it's taken far too long for it to arrive, The Sims 4 Seasons is one of the most necessary expansions that exists for the game, as the addition of weather alone adds so much to the overall experience. It's not everything it could have been, and it's definitely got some quirks here and there, but dedicated The Sims 4 players should consider this one a must-own.
The Crew 2‘s digital recreation of American remains as inviting as it was in the first game, and the diverse event types and new air and water vehicles mix things up in a good way. Eventually, however, the aggressively grindy loop of replaying races to upgrade your vehicles will leave you feeling like a theme park custodian: You're surrounded by attractions that should be such fun, yet you're stuck doing mindless chores instead.
If you've been longing for a driving game with more destruction than you can keep up with, Onrush delivers. There are many things unique about this new arcade racer, the top being that the term “racer” is a misnomer.
Sushi Striker: The Way of the Sushido has all of the trademarks of an inventive Nintendo title, including its odd but bold story, memorable characters, and easy to pick up gameplay. Unfortunately, once you bite into it, the experience isn't as developed as it could have been. There's an attempt to expand on the action-puzzler format, and while some of the choices work, there are some ingredients that make the entire meal less than satisfying.
Vampyr walks a fine line between narrative storytelling and action-oriented combat, trying to appeal to fans of both genres and mostly succeeding. Though the game lacks polish in many areas, it stars a clever morality system that entices players towards both good and evil deeds, a well-rounded web of background NPCs, and an intriguing overall narrative of an undead doctor investigating the spread of the Spanish Influenza, making Vampyr a treat for any vampire fan.
It's long been known that Ikaruga is one of the true classics of the top-down shooter world, but going back to the game again on the Nintendo Switch really cements that legacy. This is a brutal but beautiful, relentless yet rewarding, and frantic yet fun bullet hell challenge that feels as fresh now as it did 17 years ago in its original arcade release.
Detroit: Become Human is a testament to how far the genre of interactive narrative storytelling has come and, at the same time, how much further it can go. While it might still suffer from some annoying QTE moments and a few narrative speedbumps, it delivers on promises that many other games in this genre make yet fail to keep, especially in how the choices you make can lead to very different experiences down the line.
State of Decay 2 builds upon Undead Labs' original cult classic about surviving a zombie apocalypse, and in many ways, it's bigger and better than its predecessor. In other ways, however, it's too similar to said predecessor, resulting in an experience that often feels like it could have been deeper or more ambitious.
Laser League's simple concept belies a ton of hidden depth in its character classes and map-specific strategies—It's the definition of easy to learn and hard to master, without requiring mechanical godliness to succeed. While its core mode is somewhat lacking in variety and its basic gameplay might get too repetitive for some players, it already feels like a concept that's been around much longer than it has, and manages the tall order of balancing for casual and competitive gamers alike.
It's tempting to call Dragon's Crown Pro a lazy rerelease, because beyond a slight visual bump and new orchestration of the soundtrack, this is basically the same game from 2013. The thing is, five years later, it's still an incredibly engrossing experience, so I can appreciate the effort in simply bringing that same game to modern hardware.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze makes another strong case for the argument that Nintendo needs to port every single one of its Wii U games to the Switch. DK's latest adventure is one of the most clever, joyful platforming experiences I've had in a while, and it adds just enough newness to the series to keep the formula engaging without going overboard. There might not be enough (or anything) to convince Wii U owners to play it again, but long-lost Nintendo fans who came back for the Switch have another must-play game to add to their growing libraries.
Devolver Digital and Onebitbeyond's action RPG, The Swords of Ditto, isn't a complete reinvention of the roguelike subgenre, but it has enough modern twists and artistic charm to stand out. Players new to such games might have trouble jumping in, though, as a few important mechanics of the subgenre aren't explained as well as they should have been.
A fascinating story, sublime mechanics, and a beautiful world come together in an experience that is about as confident of a step forward as the God of War series could make.
Extinction shows a lot of promise, and it sometimes delivers, like when it comes to the engaging, acrobatic combat or the sheer scale of the Ravenii. Unfortunately, the repetitive mission types and gameplay and a clichéd fantasy tale make it feel like a shell of a game. Far from feeling like a full retail release, Extinction feels like one good idea run into the ground until you're checking your watch, waiting for it to end.
Penny-Punching Princess offers up a world where the heroine can solve (nearly) all of her problems through cold, hard cash, providing for some legitimately fun (and funny) scenarios to play out across the dungeon brawler's various chapters. Unfortunately, a necessity for grinding and some wild spikes in difficulty cause the princess' stockpile of coins to lose some of its shine.
MLB The Show 18 offers a ton of options for new players to craft their own experiences while still giving veteran players the level of depth they'd expect from the latest entry in a series that's been totally refined over the years. Some of its modes might seem a little dated, and only time will tell if MLB The Show 19 can finally be the game that makes Franchise mode a little more exciting to manage, but Road to the Show's new RPG mechanics and The Show 18‘s overall great gameplay will give players new and old plenty to enjoy.
Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings is another solid chapter in the current era of Gust's franchise about heroines drawn to alchemy—and that's said in both a good and a bad way. If you've enjoyed previous Atelier games for what they've been, then twins Lydie and Suelle are ready to take you on another adventure of crafting items, fighting monsters, and uncovering the secrets that hang over their homeland. However, if you've been hoping for some real progress or change in the Atelier formula, that recipe, sadly, remains undiscovered.
Detective Pikachu takes several steps away from the traditional Pokémon experience, with only a handful paying off. The beautiful imagery and distinct world-building will please any Pokémon fan, but the gameplay might leave them wanting more. While the point-and-click-style experience is a novel idea for the gameplay, it never manages to fully grab the player's attention.
Far Cry 5 had much to live up to coming in under the shadow of previous games in the series. While it doesn't quite reach the same level, it stays true to enough of its series staples that fans and newcomers alike should expect a good time.