IGN's Reviews
The White March Part I provides some incentive to return to the Dyrwood in the form of a higher level cap, and the delightfully brutal combat, but few of the other new features leave a lasting impression. Despite an avalanche of possibilities provided by the wintry setting and the two ostensibly unique companions, the first half of The White March never feels like more than a side quest that was never implemented. There's still plenty on offer here for players who enjoy Pillars' combat above all else, but it's an expansion best suited to new players rather than veterans.
Sorry, rugby fans, this is a horrible, rushed release punted out the door in time for the World Cup.
The perpetual joke at the end of every 10 Mario Challenge run informing you that the Princess is in yet another castle hints at Super Mario Maker's bigger promise: There will always be more levels to play thanks to the online creation community, and a virtually endless pool of challenges to overcome.
Tearaway Unfolded is fun and fizzes with ideas, even though some of the original's charm has been lost in translation.
Mad Max is an engaging rampage through a brutal world of depravity and loss that urges you to probe every ugly corner.
Disney Infinity 3.0 is the most polished, cohesive and enjoyable game in the series so far.
With weak combat, useless violence, and pay-to-win multiplayer, Devil's Third is not worth your time.
Dishonored Definitive Edition doesn't live up to its name, but the core game and its DLC are still stylish and fun.
Mega Man Legacy Collection combines great emulation, remixes, and historic context into a superb compilation.
Gears' strong style and great gameplay make it enjoyable even today, nine years after the original was released.
Madden NFL 16's new throwing and passing game ramps up the risk, reward, and realism in new, exciting ways.
Until Dawn is an inconsistent horror game, but it's still a heck of a lot of fun.
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is a gameplay marvel, rewarding intelligence and creativity in a way few games do.
Despite some ho-hum combat, Zombi's handling of death and exploration make it a worthwhile horror game.
Volume may suffer from a few issues of poorly designed AI and easily exploited level design, but I still found a great number of challenging rooms with an intriguing story to match, and plenty of room to master. The added bonus of being able to show how to complete a room by livestreaming a game about streaming how to complete a room… is just icing on the meta cake.
The Descent is a challenging yet unsatisfying experience that raises more questions than it answers.
Though GALAK-Z's roguelike elements are fairly basic and stripped down, they do succeed in adding extra layers of challenge and replayability to an excellent space shooter. Progressively mastering its wonderful controls and unlocking new upgrades had me totally hooked, and even though its idea of mission variety is something of an illusion, its smart, playful personality kept me too entertained to care.
Everybody's Gone to the Rapture excels at building a dense world, evocative tone, and rich cast of characters. Its five hours are filled with some really great exploration, discovery, and memorable moments. Piecing together its web of heartbreak, loss, and ultimate revelation provides a great experience. Everybody's Gone to the Rapture rewarded my patience with a fulfilling journey.
I badly wanted Beyond Eyes to use its attractively whitewashed look and novel, visually limited ideas to tell a much more moving story whose empathetic lessons could've stayed with me long after the end credits rolled, but it didn't. Only its ending taps into this potential, and it's a shame the rest of its short playthrough time couldn't follow suit.
Submerged attempts to replace tension with curiosity as a motivating force, and largely succeeds even though its environmental storytelling isn't as dense as it could've been. It's an unchallenging, occasionally beautiful experience that caters to our instinct to see what's on the other side of the mountain. In the moments where Submerged rewarded inquisitiveness, I loved it. When it occasionally stumbled in that responsibility, I found myself wishing for a more polished and complete world to explore.