IGN's Reviews
Stylish, subtle, and unsettling in equal measure, Routine surprised me in all the right ways, even though some mechanical aspects may frustrate and pull you out of the moment.
Unbeatable suffers from an identity crisis, pairing a decent arcade mode with an uneven story mode that buries its rhythm gameplay beneath a bit too much padding.
Fusing a solid foundation of satisfyingly grounded skate tricks with a bizarre, abstract world, Skate Story wobbles a little under its weirdness but there’s no doubt it’s one of the most distinctive skateboarding games of the decade.
Rhythm Doctor is a super challenging one-button rhythm game with great music and a moving story.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is an excellent, if relatively uneven, revival that reaches heights worthy of the Metroid name in its best moments.
Horses is an affecting first-person horror game that, despite some repetitive tasks and signposting issues, delivers a harrowing story you won’t forget in a hurry.
As the hardcore pioneer of the extraction shooter, Escape from Tarkov is still quite compelling, but it's also saddled with issues that range from technical problems to pay-to-win monetization.
The stages and enemies aren’t going to blow you away, but Marvel Cosmic Invasion’s tag team action still has the juice.
Project Motor Racing feels like an early access game that hasn’t actually been identified as such, and is simply not a better racer than its 2017 ancestor Project CARS 2.
Cricket 26 is a bit like fledgeling Aussie opener Sam Konstas – undoubtedly capable of genuine brilliance in bursts, but still clearly a work in progress not quite ready for the top of the order.
Kirby Air Riders' unconventional controls can get in its own way sometimes, but they don't stop it from being a fun, frantic action racing game with an almost unreal amount of stuff to do.
Forestrike's tactical martial arts inspired action does a wonderful job of combining combat and puzzle solving to make for a clever roguelite that will test your wits and reflexes in equal measure.
Marvel's Deadpool VR's kinetic combat and genuinely funny dialogue adds to a growing roster of great licensed superhero games that help prove VR games can be more than shallow tie-ins.
Dispatch is a sharp-witted workplace comedy that charms with its smart dialogue choices, great writing, and lovably aggravating cast.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’s campaign is a wild one thanks to the scope of its ambition, but the big swings it takes don't always land, leaving it an uneven step down from last year.
ARC Raiders raises the bar for extraction shooters pretty much across the board, with an incredibly gripping progression grind, tense fights against NPCs and other players that make for memorable matches, and loot that feels completely worth all the work and stress it takes to obtain it. The fact that it manages to also run well and look amazing all the while is just downright impressive, even if a few bugs here and there lead to the rare rage quit. For years I’d been wondering when someone would take the awesome promise of this genre to the next level, and ARC Raiders is without question what I’ve been waiting for.
Anno 117: Pax Romana is a gorgeous antique city-builder that sucked me in for dozens of hours as I planned out my next district or simply watched the bustle along my aqueduct-accented boulevards. I think this series and I were always destined to hit it off, but we kept missing each other or meeting up at the wrong times. I really get Anno now, and I could hardly be more enthused. The fantastic, deep trade system with a side of exciting naval combat really seals the deal. I could take or leave the campaign, but I still don't think I've run out of things to do in the highly customizable endless mode. It may not quite be fit for a triumph, but is certainly worthy of a standing ovation.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment’s story may fail to capture the promise of a Tears of the Kingdom prequel, but the gameplay more than makes up for that by wonderfully fusing its source material’s craziest ideas with great 1 vs. 1,000 battles, resulting in the best action of the series yet.
Ball x Pit is a surprisingly deep brick-breaker that relies heavily on smart strategy, clever experimentation, and careful planning more so than RNG and luck alone.
Overflowing with ambition but ultimately plain and with no style to call its own, Wreckreation feels like a supermarket brand homage to a series of better arcade racers.