IGN's Reviews
Dakar Desert Rally has a fabulous sense of scale and is capable of some great, unique racing, but it's undercut dramatically by frustrating handling, uneven performance, and some progression-killing bugs.
Slime Rancher 2’s is a fantastic and stylish work-in-progress with strong bones, but little meat on them (at least right now).
Overwatch 2’s switch to a 5v5 format breathes new life into what was once the sharpest shooter around. It just hasn’t quite recaptured all of that glory – yet.
Respectable combat carries Valkyrie Elysium through a bland-looking action-JRPG with predictable story and straightforward level design.
Tinykin's vibrant levels and simple but satisfying platforming make collecting pollen a delight.
Obsidian has done a good job at all levels - universe, exploration, combat, construction, survival - for this beautiful and original survival title, a little more balancing and it will be perfect.
FIFA 23 on Switch is a prime example of minimal effort for maximum profit.
FIFA 23’s slick and dramatic virtual football is fitting for the series’ last hurrah under its long-time name, but familiar frustrations abound, and it still greatly undervalues some of its most beloved modes.
Grounded is a fantastic survival game with a killer premise, rewarding progression, and boundless creativity that even a host of bugs can’t spoil.
An unapologetically tricky ode to street skating, Session is packed with a palpable love for the sport, but bugs and unsympathetic tutorial and mission design decisions undermine its approachability.
Real-time tactics meets old-timey politics in The DioField Chronicle, a fast-paced JRPG where quick and fun combat are paired with a generic story and some awkward controls.
There are brilliant ideas in the ambitious early access release of Terra Invicta, and a lot of fun to find for strategy game enthusiasts, but you need to be willing to drill down into sometimes-opaque and confusing mechanics to do it. Politics are fun, if overwhelming, and the space layer is very cool, but the two just don't quite gel together yet. I do recommend Terra Invicta, but when playing takes so much trial-and-error to see results, my overall recommendation has to come with big caveats until it has spent some more time in early access.
Shovel Knight Dig is a wonderful melding of the mechanics and feel of Shovel Knight and the ever evolving roguelite genre. It stumbles a bit on its roguelite progression mechanics, and its a bit on the short side, but none of that stops Shovel Knight Dig from being a blast to play.
Soulstice is a competent action game with creative monsters, but they're doomed to live in a bland setting with tedious level design.
Return to Monkey Island expectedly comes packed full of smartly crafted puzzles, funny dialogue, and memorable characters. But as series creator Ron Gilbert returns to the series’ director’s chair for the first time since 1991, it unexpectedly offers a lot of heart, too. It is an adventure gamer’s delight.
Isonzo is a well-made shooter that welcomes all comers to its gorgeous, mountainous World War I multiplayer battlefields, though a lot of that approachability and familiarity comes at the cost of period authenticity and distinctive gameplay.
Rather austere in its presentation, and repetitive in its gameplay, Foretales unpacks an intriguing story via a roguelite narration, which makes you throw part by game, but in moderation. You will at least want to achieve a beautiful ending!
NBA 2K23's on-court improvements should've led it to an easy layup, but the ever-present nuisance of pay-to-win microtransactions make it much harder to enjoy.
Metal: Hellsinger might not be the greatest demon-slaying shoot 'em up in the world, but it's certainly a stirring tribute.
Disney Dreamlight Valley is an incredibly strong early access start to a bewitching, Disney-infused life sim.