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L.A. Noire isn't the prettiest project, but it still holds up because there isn't anything quite like it even today.
The latest marriage of LEGO and Marvel is a mixed but promising step-up. Its star-studded story, inventive hub-world and new presentation style all add much-needed freshness to a stale format. However, technical issues, clumsy controls and overwhelming déjà vu remain. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 still has the power to entertain, but while the game's chronological theme has allowed the brand to stride confidently into the future, its core mechanics remain rooted firmly in the past.
Once the servers for this game inevitably go offline, with no way to obtain loot boxes, earn speed cards or trade tokens, I can't help but wonder if the casual consumer would genuinely ever have the patience to fully complete this game. Need for Speed Payback is another result of EA meddling in the concept of "games as a service" and taking an otherwise mediocre entry in the series and completely butchering it in the process to achieve this goal.
I already got my fill of Pokemon Sun & Moon, as you can clearly see from my completed 'dex, but that didn't stop me from reliving it all over again with Ultra. Just keep in mind that if you're hoping that the entire "leveling process" is going to be different this time, and that you'll be entering a completely brave, new world -- you're going to be disappointed.
But this isn't the mainstream must-play like Harmonix has had in its history. Heck, it isn't even a must-play for people who like quirky little rhythm games, because others have done it better in the past.
The Snipperclips DLC makes an already sweet game even sweeter. Most of the new levels slot perfectly into the existing package, bringing fresh ideas that feel right at home without covering too much of the same ground as before. If you're picking up the all-in Snipperclips Plus bundle, it can be hard to tell where the original game ends and the DLC begins -- it's that seamlessly integrated.
Quick note; the eShop version of Monopoly suffers from a loading bug that causes the game to stall at any load screen. The solution, for the time being, is to completely restart your Switch. I did encounter this issue a couple of times, but a patch is promised to be on the way.
Bethesda did it -- they ported Doom to a Nintendo console. It might not be the prettiest version, but it works, and it was enough to get me to play it all over again. Nintendo learned a lot from its failure on the Wii U, and its ability to welcome in more mature games on the system is something it hasn't done in quite a while. It's a message for all the prospective first and third parties alike -- keep doing it.
Call of Duty: WWII is a satisfying experience. It is also easily one of the best-looking and feature-packed iterations of the franchise to date. But the cracks are definitely showing, with years of repetition getting ever-harder to disguise. The game will please a huge contingent of its dedicated fanbase, but its reliance on the status quo might be wearying for others.
While I see potential in Sonic Forces, the execution just isn't there, especially with the Switch edition. In the future I really hope Sega reinvents the wheel, taking a more Mario Odyssey adventure approach. The whole level-based 3D "thing" hasn't worked out so frequently that it's worth a shot.
The Frozen Wilds doesn't feel like a must-play add-on, but it's more Horizon Zero Dawn. It's something you can enjoy once or stack with New Game+ runs when you inevitably play through it again. In other words, an actual expansion.
In the end, Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series' finale is more a whimper than a bang, but it's not disappointing enough to taint the good times I've had so far with this crew. I can only hope that the narrative seeds planted here turn into something substantial in the future, as this is a family I'd like to stick around with, if I can.
Creeping Terror is a short, serviceable title that pays tribute to a bygone era of horror gaming. That sentence is probably the nicest thing I can say about it.
While I do wish that there was a bit more of it, what's here is phenomenal. This is a game I'll definitely be revisiting for the foreseeable future. It manages to take a grab bag of various mechanics, lifted from its influences, and turn them into something totally fresh and unique. Splashteam knocked it out of the goddamn park with this one, and it's absolutely criminal that I never got around to playing it on other consoles before this. This is an essential release for genre fans and a great introduction for newcomers. The Switch may be jam-packed with quality eShop titles right now, but Splasher is genuinely something special. It would be a shame to see it lost in the crowd.
Despite all of the minor gameplay upgrades in Super Lucky's Tale, I actually had a better time playing as Lucky in VR last year. It was really cool to be able to "peek" around things and control the camera yourself, and despite all of the claims that "platformers don't benefit from VR" I couldn't disagree more. If stripping that is what Playful Corp needs to do to reach a bigger audience so be it, but a version with optional VR would have been ideal.
In a year that has brought us a bevvy of amazing platformers, some even revitalizing long-dormant series, Bubsy is easily left behind.
To be honest, each time I reset and lost my progress I had to sit and wonder whether or not I wanted to go through those certain areas again. In the end, I only continued because of professional courtesy but I'm sure only the truly dedicated will put up with this in normal circumstances.
Part political commentary, part comic-book farce, completely bat**** insane, and as primal as an FPS title can be, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is certainly recommended. It has a great cast, stunning visuals, breathless combat, and unforgettable story moments.
Total War: Warhammer 2's inability to solve some longstanding franchise-wide issues don't really dampen the sense that this is the biggest, and one of the best, executions on the same formula. Adding that this is only the second game in a planned trilogy ends up only making me more excited to see what's in store for Total War: Warhammer 3.
If you enjoyed Yomawari: Night Alone, you'll love Midnight Shadows. It keeps the creative elements of its predecessor intact while expanding on some of its finer points. If you haven't played Night Alone, you can still jump into Midnight Shadows and experience the same surprises as the original, both scary and cute.