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Phantasy Star Online 2 is a difficult game to assess and a hard sell for a lot of people. It can get repetitive and the anime aesthetics aren't for everyone. But like many expansive online projects, the opportunity is there to really get sucked into a new and exciting world. Plus, it's on a console, making it more accessible; true to the original spirit of PSO.
I'm curious where Predator: Hunting Grounds will go from here given Sony's backing and IllFonic's takeaways from its prior game, Friday the 13th. Despite all the glaring issues, numerous nitpicks, and small scope, I have a real soft spot for this game. The concept deserves to grow and thrive for years.
Streets of Rage 4 is an absolute triumph.
Moving Out is less strategically satisfying than I would've liked, but it's worth considering if you want something new to play along the lines of Overcooked, Tools Up, and Good Job. It deserves a spot on that co-op shortlist. At the same time, I hope we get DLC that adds more bespoke puzzle scenarios.
All my quibbles are on the periphery of Gears Tactics, though. The core -- getting onto the battlefield and agonizing over every move -- is excellent. There's a smart experience here, one that feels both authentically Gears and tactics. That's the best possible outcome. Gears Tactics is a great Gears game and a great tactics game. This 90% doesn't miss.
Sakura Wars represents an ambitious new start for the franchise, one that might not be to everyone's tastes.
You largely get what it says on the box, but Cloudpunk would have benefited from more compelling gameplay and a more focused story. It's not that it's badly designed or horribly written, it just doesn't quite reach the clouds.
While not all of the wild departures fire on all cylinders, XCOM: Chimera Squad's open-ended difficulty settings allow everyone to bend the strong combat groundwork to their will. Chimera Squad embraces the strange, and is predominately better for it.
If the eponymous Savage Planet is your Kindred explorer's residence, the space rock called DL-C1 is a timeshare. It's a decent little getaway -- probably worth the investment, a change of pace, and the vacation is over quicker than you'd like. But, despite what the name suggests, Hot Garbage is far from a dump.
Time has been kind to Modern Warfare 2. The resonance of this particular entry is demonstrated with heartfelt passion in Beenox' high-gloss, finely-tuned remaster. While the overall package is slim and the asking price no doubt steep for some tastes, there's no denying that MW 2's provocative and exciting campaign has aged like wine, an explosive roller-coaster still worth riding.
I kind of agonized over rating Final Fantasy VII Remake. It's going to garner a lot of discussion from people who are both blown away by the new treatment and disappointed by it, and those feelings are not mutually exclusive. In the end — after thinking on it for some time and removing nostalgia from the equation entirely — I came to the conclusion that this world is full of powerful characters and a setting that's worth remembering: remake or not.
Overall, I enjoyed my time with Treachery in Beatdown City, and despite a lack of overall polish, it does a good job of emulating beloved 8-bit fighters while maintaining its own ground as a modern brawler.
If you want to get the most out of Good Job!, forget trying to get the best score possible and just have a blast wrecking up your dad's company as this commentary on nepotism slowly plays out. That's when the game is at its best. Save those "S" rankings for a second run through.
The remake of Resident Evil 3 is going to be divisive, just as the original was.
Initially, Neon City Riders is a delight, sporting great pixel artwork, fun characters, and lively music. But after a few hours the experience wears thin, as its attractive world starts to feel empty and its quest disengaging.
Releasing the original Panzer Dragoon as a standalone remake is a bold move to begin with. A dual-pack of both remakes could have made a bigger splash, but while we wait for Zwei's re-release to materialize, this is what we've got. Approach it with caution and an open mind.
It's a pleasure to dive back into Control, and that's why I genuinely enjoyed my time with The Foundation. I still love hunting down every research note and every minute-long audio file -- anything to fill in more of the lore gaps in this bizarre, enigmatic world. This expansion does all of that even if it's ultimately left feeling inconsequential. Ironically, The Foundation fails to build on the excellent structure Remedy already built with Control.
So far Gearbox is two-for-two on the season pass, but only just.
Shinsekai: Into the Depths falters from time to time, but it more than makes up for its shortcomings with an original premise, immersive sound design, and expert worldbuilding. If you end up playing this game – and I strongly recommend that you do – just make sure to wear headphones.
It took Team Ninja over eight months to get to this point, but we finally have a post-launch DLC that's worth picking up in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: Shadow of Doom. It's a shame it's tied to the other two add-ons in the season pass, but if you're a fanatic, it's probably worth picking up just for Shadow of Doom alone.