IGN's Reviews
Frozen Synapse 2 is a welcome return to the intensely micromanaged turn-based tactical battles that made the original so compelling. The asynchronous multiplayer is unquestionably the star of the show, and queuing up multiple online games at once means you're never stuck waiting for an opponent, and that you can play at your own pace. But while the new City Game story mode is conceptually interesting, in practice the largely scripted sequence of story missions doesn't allow for much in the way of meaningful gameplay depth.
Battle for Azeroth has a lot to live up to thanks to its stellar predecessor in Legion, and for the most part it delivers.
For many, basketball is more than just a game, and NBA 2K19 doesn't take that lightly. It throws every resource it has into the theatrics of the sport, creating charismatic presentation, a well-written story mode, and strong core gameplay. The series' persistent weaknesses are still apparent in areas like the transition game and ludicrous microtransactions, but there's so much variety to how its extensive MyLeague mode plays out that there's always a reason to look forward to the next game of basketball.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider offers up a powerful finale to Lara Croft's origin trilogy.
Two Point Hospital revitalizes the business management genre with flair, character, and enthusiasm. Easily understandable tips and icons make it relatively stress-free to get a working urgent care center running smoothly, while the potential for deep optimization through tweaking building layout and making wise hiring and training decisions leave plenty to munch on for the micromanagement lovers among us. If we're on the verge of another classic genre renaissance, this is a great first foot forward.
The Nintendo Labo Variety Kit is a solid introduction to the world of Switch-powered cardboard craftables. It may get a bit tedious and repetitive during its laborious building and simplistic play sessions, but the creative freedom it allows once you dig a little deeper is truly something extraordinary.
The improvements to F1 2018 since the already-impressive F1 2017 are largely incremental and often very subtle – and there are still a few areas where it's openly coasting on previous efforts – but F1 2018 features the finest handling and force feedback for a dedicated F1 game to date, some welcome visual improvements, and a career mode that does a better job than ever at capturing the nuances of the world's most-popular motorsport.
While Strange Brigade can be frustrating at times, the charm of its 1930s world, the wonderfully exaggerated English alliteration of its narrator, and solid level design, combat encounters, and four-player co-op make it a strong, stylish third-person shooter. Hopefully this isn't the last time a situation calls for the expertise of the Strange Brigade.
Death's Gambit is a very blunt attempt to fuse two beloved games, Dark Souls and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, into one challenging 2D action-platformer. Developer White Rabbit shows a strong understanding of what made each of them great but glosses over fundamentals that all great games need, such as responsive controls and an understandable game world, and falls short of its promise.
When you're fully geared up and The Messenger is hitting you with brand new stages and challenges that you haven't seen before, The Messenger is an amazing, must-play experience. Taken as a whole, it's brought down only by fetch quests that make The Messenger last several hours longer than it feels like it should.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition is a new way to play one of the absolute best RPGs in years. And whether you're diving back in on PC, or booting it up on the console for the first time, it's flexibility, personality, and charm make for an amazing adventure.
I wanted Marvel's Spider-Man on PS4 to make me feel like Spider-Man: To sail between the highrises of New York City, to nimbly web up hordes of enemies, and tussle with familiar, animal-themed villains. Insomniac Games' first foray into the world of Marvel handily delivers on all of that. But what I didn't expect from Spider-Man was to come away feeling just as fulfilled to have inhabited the life of Peter Parker. Aside from a few odd pacing issues, which momentarily took me out of the experience of being a superhero, and a world of optional missions that don't always quite live up to the heft of the main story, Insomniac has delivered a Spider-Man story that both surprised and delighted me, coupled with gameplay that made me feel like Spider-Man nearly every step of the way. The Wall Crawler's open world doesn't consistently deliver the thrilling moments of its main campaign, but the foundation laid here is undoubtedly a spectacular one.
Marvel's Spider-Man is undoubtedly the best Spider-Man videogame ever made, but it could have been a lot better.
With a breezy pace and a comically weird story, Little Dragons Cafe is a unique take on farming sims. While I loved cooking meals, establishing my inn, and the anxiety-free pace, its management mechanics have been watered down just a bit too much and result in stakes so low that much of it becomes meaningless. Without making important decisions or a wealth of more interesting side-quests to capture my attention, I eventually ended up bored by the repetitive tasks.
Dragon Quest XI excels when it emphasizes fighting bad guys, exploring dungeons, and finding treasure. It's a visual feast populated by a cast of colorful monsters more engrossing than its main characters. Uneven story beats and some icky bits sometimes slow Dragon Quest down, but superb mechanics remain the focus, making Echoes of an Elusive Age a top-tier JRPG for the modern age.
It may be a very short diversion, but Donut County is a delight. It's absolutely brimming with personality, has a killer soundtrack and visual aesthetic, and is based on an irresistible gameplay hook. I'd have loved more, but I guess I'll just settle for playing through it again.
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate brings the majority of the series' monsters into one package for a lengthy and exciting hunting extravaganza. While it feels dated in some ways post-Monster Hunter: World, it's a great farewell tour for the old style of the franchise. If you can stomach the pacing problems and obtuse menu systems, it's a worthwhile and challenging trek through the history of Monster Hunter.
InnerSpace definitely sticks the landing in creating a strange and stylish set of captivating worlds that are intriguing to explore. However, the flight controls and puzzles don't come close enough to those same high points.
Despite the fact that the made-for-PlayStation 4 Yakuza 6 was only released a few short months ago, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is the best and most fully formed Yakuza game of 2018 even though it's a remake of a game that's now two console generations old. Its storyline is gripping, its weapons-heavy fighting system accommodates no shortage of spectacle, and it serves up plenty of enjoyable side activities – both mini and macro – to divert to or return for after the story wraps. Yakuza 0 may still be the high watermark for the series on the PS4, but Yakuza Kiwami 2 isn't too far behind.
Guacamelee 2 is a hilarious, challenging, and rewarding follow-up to Drinkbox's original. It expands on the first's ideas in so many great ways, and marries a complex but understandable set of moves to both its combat and platforming.