GamesBeat's Reviews
Most impressively, Iconoclasts evokes nostalgia without feeling derivative. It hits a lot of character tropes, but it manages never to feel stale thanks to fantastic visuals, a memorable world, and solid gameplay.
What Ails You is the strongest episode so far, giving Batman: The Enemy Within a much-needed injection of verve as it speeds toward the conclusion of the series.
Toward the end, Genderwrecked drops its pretenses and casual memes. I almost felt like it was rewarding me for making it so far — like it trusted me enough now to show its emotional core. It exchanges its flippant jokes for an earnest dialogue about how messy it can be to unravel the threads of identity, to figure out who you are when you're not backed in a corner by external forces and oppressors. And it reassures you that it's OK to not know, it's OK to be considered monstrous by those who don't understand. There will always be people out there who do.
Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, as a product, is what Capcom should have shot for in 2016. Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, the core game, is a good fighter that's getting better. If you don't already own a copy of Street Fighter V, this is a really nice spot to jump in. If you do already own a copy and the Season 1 and 2 characters, well, the update is free. So have at it.
Gorogoa is a brief but beautiful foray into mystery. But its puzzles are elegant rather than elusive, relying on internal logic and a cohesive exploration of the main character's psyche and the world around him.
It's a terrific sequel with its own personality that still leverages the fun, minimalistic mechanics.
It's not a technical masterpiece, but Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a deep and fulfilling JRPG. It's a great game to show just how well this genre works with Nintendo's newest system.
Once I'd experienced my first fish explosion and got over how thirsty all of the Final Fantasy XV characters were being, Monster of the Deep just felt like a chore.
With only two episodes left, Telltale needs to raise the stakes and ramp up the urgency of Batman's mission.
Battle Chef Brigade is a delightful snack-sized game that combines its disparate elements in a whimsical, entertaining way. I loved the style and the occasional clever puns. The kitchen battles to be a lot of fun, especially because they were timed, and used match-3 mechanics in an innovative way. If you're a fan of Iron Chef, Studio Ghibli, or both, you'll like enjoy this foray into the world of Victusia.
Whether or not you'll like Far From Noise depends on if you're looking for a contemplative experience, one that asks you to slow down and enjoy the view. One playthrough will probably run you one to two hours, and it has replay value if you want to see where it can go.
Star Wars: Battlefront II tries to straddle the hardcore and casual audiences. It succeeds some of the time, and it also fails some of the time. So far, the cut scenes in the single-player campaign are excellent, but I'm waiting to get into some really fun gameplay.
It feels like the Gentlebros were having a blast making this game. After beating the boss, there are plenty of other side quests to go on if you'd like, and the generous save system makes it possible to play it for just a little while and then put it down. Cat Quest doesn't reinvent the RPG genre. Instead it just does it well, with some cute cats to boot.
My hat's off to the developers at Sledgehammer who are helping a new generation understand the sacrifices of those who died in the Second World War.
Wolfenstein II shines whenever you can feel how resistant the people of the United States are to the idea of overthrowing their new emperor. That is effective both dramatically and as a commentary on our current politics. Machine also brought the most amazing characters, quality storytelling, and well-paced gameplay to The New Colossus. You'll want to spend time with these people and discover their fate — sometimes that will your heart and sometimes that will break it. But you'll always feel something.
This is another Mario all-time classic that we'll be remembering and celebrating for decades to come.
Assassin's Creed: Origins offers a rich world and a compelling story at first, but it's waylaid in part by the repetitive side quests and a weaker second half. It has secrets to find, but you'll have to go looking for them — and you'll have to do a lot of grinding along the way.
High Hell is a fun, fast-paced shooter with a lot of personality. It keeps it simple — you can crouch, jump, and shoot — and it doesn't take itself seriously at all. It's challenging, but there aren't any long load times between death and charging back in again to give it another shot. If you don't mind the short playtime, you'll enjoy the charm and quirky boss battles.
The grid-based combat adds the layer of complexity that The Fractured but Whole needs to stand out from its excellent predecessor. You'll still need to be a fan of the show to get the most of this. But if you are a South Park aficionado, The Fractured but Whole is another hilarious and fun game that captures the spirit of series.
If you're a horror buff, you'll likely be disappointed because there aren't that many unique monsters in the game. It's not even scary, to be honest; most of the tension and fear comes from the lack of ammo. All in all, it's not a bad game, but it's not a great game either. You'll probably have fun shooting the zombies and checking out the occasionally cool surreal locales, but that's it.