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Despite its problems, ends things on a high note that reminded me both why I loved the 2013 reintroduction so much and why Rise of the Tomb Raider left me wanting. It lies somewhere in-between, and I'm glad the Trinity story has concluded so we can move on to something new again.
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Between the fun new story, excellent new game mode, and the buckets of new loot and equipment, I can seeDestiny 2 fans having a lot less to complain about… for now.
I do wish that the differences between difficulty levels was a little more obvious, as I felt the Friendly difficulty level might not have been amiable enough to allow less skilled or younger players to enjoy the adventure. Overall, Marvel's Spider-Man does the hero justice.
Overall I'm not as firm in my feelings about Madden 19 as I was last year. Madden 18 had a thesis statement, something that it felt confident in declaring to the gaming world. It was easy to throw myself into that message and find ways to have fun, almost as if Madden itself was cheering me on. Longshot was also an interesting and compelling addition that made it feel like the world was changing a little bit. Now, while the new foundational changes are awesome and it's more fun than ever to play Madden, it almost feels like it isn't enough in comparison. It especially stings that the Longshot sequel feels so unsure of itself, despite its high production values. It's easy enough to recommend Madden 19 to sports fans, but if I'm trying to get someone new started, it feels like last year's game is required reading to get the most out of this year's entry.
Even the cool opening sequence, in which the world literally bends itself into a new state as you swap vehicles, doesn't carry over to the game. You just press a button and morph to the other type, and perhaps fall with a big clunk from the air before driving off as if nothing happens. It's like banging hot wheels together, if the rest of the cars in the box you aren't playing with hate you. I was kinda hoping for a more mature Diddy Kong Racing with some more hardcore trappings. Instead, I got a headache from squinting ahead for turn arrows and playing with loot boxes.
Detroit: Become Human is a game that can be rather difficult to classify. It usually improves upon the forms of storytelling and gameplay found in Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls, though character movements can still be frustrating and some stories are better than others. It still relies on sensational concepts and topics to get reactions from an audience, with some androids' routes more effectively and tactfully employing them than others. It is a more diverse game, both in terms of the kinds of characters displayed and the sorts of choices people can make. Quantic Dream's formula is evolving, even if it does rely on some of the same crutches.
State of Decay 2 is full of improvements and additions over its predecessor, yet strays little from the original blueprint. If you enjoyed the first game, then you will certainly lose plenty of hours in the sequel, scouring the undead ridden lands for supplies to keep your community alive and thriving. However, if you were hoping for groundbreaking changes to the horror survival formula and pristine technical accomplishments, you will be disappointed. Nevertheless, for a bargain retail price, and as a launch title for subscribers of the Xbox Game Pass, it's definitely worth of a look while keeping some change in your pocket.
God of War feels ambitious in the best kind of way: the messy kind. It's not afraid to get its hands dirty digging at something it thinks is interesting, while knowing it might not find it at that moment. It's fine with not telling you everything, or with dialing back on the usual tropes of loud music, brutal violence, and hamfisted emotional manipulation. Sometimes, God of War just wants you to take some time and think about how you feel, and compare notes with Kratos as he struggles through his trauma to relate to his kid. And sure, sometimes you beat group of monsters to death by juggling them in the air with a magic axe and a pack of wolves made of lightning fired from a bow. It's still a video game about a violent, hulking bald man, but it's thoughtful and, most importantly, genuine.
It might seem like I have a lot of complaints for a game I'm touting as being really good, but the positives of Far Cry 5 outweigh the negative. You can play exactly how you want. You can stealthily take down an entire region, before moving to another. You can run and gun your way through all three simultaneously. The characters that you meet are varied and engaging. There are tons of things to do and see, and plenty of real and virtual people to experience them with. Most of all, Far Cry 5 tells a story that grabs you by the shirt collar and never lets go. It would make a great addition to anyone's video game library, and you'll almost certainly come back to it after the credits roll.
MLB: The Show 18 is a refined experience that stands tall as the best baseball game currently on the market. Of all the iterations of the title, this is, to my eye, the definitive best and, I imagine, exactly what fans of the genre are looking for. Beyond that, in a similar vein to soccer or hockey games, MLB: The Show 18 is an enjoyable, competitive, multiplayer experience that can easily be enticing to non-sports fans if they simply look past the baseball veneer to see the mechanically sound, tactile, multi-faceted game below the surface; you don't need to watch or play baseball for the game to function as a more than serviceable pastime and I recommend a rental to anyone who is on the fence about getting into this genre.
Kirby: Star Allies is an all-together pleasant game.
Metal Gear Survive feels like a prototype, an idea on paper that was quickly turned into a game and strapped to a retail rocket without proper consideration of what the Metal Gear name means to people. Konami has every right to use the IP and FOX Engine tool of course, and frankly there's no reason not to. Kojima didn't make all the Metal Gear games by himself. But this feels like the team dumped a bunch of menu-based systems on top of the mechanics, without figuring out why and how they should all work together. It is like they were looking to other games in the genre for ideas, then adding extra complexity for the sake of standing out a bit. It's part dull, part frustrating, and part utterly confusing. In short, Metal Gear Survive is just another middling survival game, with a name-drop that doesn't do it any favors.
There are lots of great Warriors games out there. Hell, Omega Force and Koei Tecmo gave us the fantastic Dragon Quest Warriors II and Fire Emblem Warriors in 2017! You can never go wrong with Samurai Warriors 4. Hyrule Warriors is so good, it is coming up on its third port! And there are times when I still swear Dynasty Warriors 4 is the best entry in this series. Dynasty Warriors 9 is not a good Warriors. It is not a good open world game. It is a broken, tedious mess. Fortunately, fans of the genre have plenty of older entries to enjoy. Maybe in a year or two, after Omega Force has more experience with open world installments, we will see the Warriors formula work with this genre.
Despite a strong focus on accessibility and numerous quality-of-life improvements over previous titles, Monster Hunter: World still begs you to muscle through your initial struggles and build a comfort level with the gameplay systems and pacing. Should you find yourself slowly embracing the concepts, you may blink and notice hundreds of hours have been invested, with you now proudly calling yourself a fan. With a great multiplayer element, there are few games that are more fun to play with friends, but even going alone with your purring Palico sidekick, the satisfying routine of taking down monsters and using their bits to upgrade your gear to take on tougher monsters never seems to get redundant. This is the Monster Hunter game for the world. There is no better entry point for beginners and no better magnum opus for the series.
Iconoclasts is quite an enjoyable game. It has a strong foundation, with characters brimming with personality and a colorful world. Each location in the world has its own distinct look and mechanics that make you perfect your skills, learn how to use the abilities Robin has, and find new skills that will help you find your way into new spots. It's a game that flows well, where each area might take a second or two to find out what needs to be done, but should rather quickly pick up what needs to happen to help Robin continue her journey and save her world from One Concern.
UFC 3 feels the most like a video game in the pool of big sports simulations. Being a one-on-one combat sim, it still feels like you're at the mercy of your own ability even though there are stats. A punch is a punch, and while some chins are more durable than others, patience and care can help you overcome the odds. It feels like a different kind of fighting game for folks interested in real-life martial arts, with a cumbersome grappling system and some branded bumbling with numbers and menus to appeal to the core audience. UFC 3 is fun and exciting, and I can see it acting as a potential entry point for its real-life counterpart.
Since Persona 4 Arena, it has been obvious Arc System Works has been searching for ways to make its anime-style fighting games less obtuse on entry. Each try feels more successful than the last, with a few caveats here and there. Dragon Ball FighterZ feels like it hits a sweet spot, retaining the look and feel of a versus fighter while reining in the complexities that make fighting games still so hard to get into. The mechanical streamlining is supplemented with a story mode that is a silly love letter to the license, that takes its time to let the player learn how to play the game while still having fun and enjoying a new story. It's a full, hearty experience that fans of Dragon Ball will go nuts over, and fighting games on the outside won't be able to resist diving into either.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a game that takes time to grow. People who are patient and invest in the characters, their growth, and the world will be rewarded with a story that eventually goes to some interesting places, people who will be ready to handle any challenge, and a place with lots of areas to uncover. It can take some time to adjust to the speed of the battle system, but even its pace offers opportunities to develop tactics that take advantage of multiple Blades and various character builds. It is a good starting place for the Switch's RPG library, one which will please existing Xenoblade Chronicles fans and give those new to the series a substantial game to enjoy.
Star Wars: Battlefront II feels like a big step forward, but instead of following that with a number of steps back, it's actually a trip-up leading to a sprained ankle. This is a beautiful, fun game with huge ambitions for being an important part of the Star Wars universe as it is today.