CNET's Reviews
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a remarkable 2D action game. For $30, it provides substance and fun, and Lizardcube escalates difficulty just enough to make finishing a level satisfying. If you're rebooting a 2D action franchise to appeal to fans of its older games, Art of Vengeance is a perfect example of how to do it.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater looks fantastic, runs smoothly and offers plenty to do after the credits roll -- all while being a remake of arguably the best entry in the series. Fans are going to love it. If you've never played MGS3 and are curious, this remake is a must. But if that doesn't describe you, it's not an immediate pick-up.
It's hard to put into words how exceptional UFO 50 is. Is it going to be my favorite game of all time or even game of the year? Probably not. But I love how the games tickled my brain by blending the aesthetics of games from my childhood with clever modern twists.
Drag x Drive is a shallow experience, but the skill ceiling has a lot of potential. Its low entry price makes it an easy recommendation, even if you're just interested in trying out the new mouse controls that the Switch 2 offers.
I would have liked to see Mafia: The Old Country give me more to sink my teeth into. This is not about length, which comes in at around 12–15 hours to complete, but more about having some meat on the bone. If it's about giving me a cinematic drama to play before me, then really give it to me instead of a very typical love story up until the last hour or so. My hopes were high for Mafia: The Old Country, and the game didn't satisfy.
With six to eight hours of gameplay at a price tag of $25, I cannot recommend Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. It lacks anything of interest other than this side story to the original Ninja Gaiden game, and even then, it's just introducing different ninjas that are fighting monsters. This game was supposed to be a love letter to the original trilogy, but instead, it's more like a bad photocopy of a love letter made by someone who didn't seem to care that much.
Killing Floor 3 is a case study in contradictions, positively iterating on the best aspects from the series' past while introducing confusing features that would make more sense in another game.
For $20, Mario Party Jamboree's Switch 2 mode doesn't feel like anything essential. Jamboree is a great Mario Party game already, and the improvements -- including being able to Game Share to other local Switches for multi-screen multiplayer -- might be fun to try.
Wuchang is a great effort by Leenzee Games. While the game won't revolutionize the Soulslike genre, it does the next best thing by offering some ideas that they, or maybe another developer, can refine. Maybe it will become a mainstay for the genre in future games. If anything, I believe a Wuchang sequel could be an incredible game if it happens. But right now, the formula just isn't there yet.
I'm happy to say that Donkey Kong Bananza is here to whisk you off to multilevel worlds of satisfyingly smashing madness, to cheer you up and give you an excuse to punch the heck out of things.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach should have been called Death Stranding 2: Quality of Life, because that's what this game is. From top to bottom, Kojima Productions made so many improvements to the original, making a weird delivery-sim game that is quite relaxing. Those improvements may not be enough to attract people who avoided the original, yet the players coming back are going to find a sense of calmness that you could assume Kojima wanted to deliver with his game.
As the studio's debut multiplayer game, it comes with the expected warts and wonders of a first effort. But it's how Remedy was able to blend the game's unique experiences with the unpredictability of online co-op play that makes FBC: Firebreak the weird one-of-a-kind game it is.
Nightreign is so unlike every other game out there that its sheer novelty may be enough to tempt FromSoftware veterans and newcomers alike. It's polished, is easy to get into the action and has a very high skill ceiling. If players stick through its lack of direction and difficulty, they'll find a multiplayer game that feels rewarding to win in a way few other games are.
All the new additions id Software introduced in Doom: The Dark Ages are welcome changes to keep a franchise that's been around for more than three decades feeling fresh. I still can't shake the feeling that something's missing, though. It just doesn't have the same pull as the last two Doom games.
To call The Blue Prince a puzzle game fails to acknowledge the many, many ways its intricate systems will surprise and excite players eager for secrets and mind-teasers. It's one of the most unique puzzle games in years, and while its tricks and mechanical hurdles can trip you up, The Blue Prince is a masterclass in design for those eager to lose themselves in a mysterious, clockwork mansion.
With the exception of some quirks with the quest system, a less-than-stellar English voice track and a storyline that may not be the most compelling of the franchise, it's hard to find major faults with Assassin's Creed Shadows. Ubisoft has found what could be the new formula for the franchise, and it will hopefully retool this formula to keep future titles fresh for players.
Avowed had everything I wanted in an epic, open-world RPG except for that steady flow of narrative. I want the RPG I'm playing to suck me in with its story and keep me playing with its gameplay. When one of those elements is lacking, the game feels like a chore for long periods.
If you can get through the more monotonous parts of The Great Circle's gameplay, there's a fun story to experience with fantastic character writing, voice acting and music. This is one of those instances where you prefer watching the cutscenes to playing the actual game because MachineGames did everything just right.
It's safe to say Split Fiction is a fun game for anyone who's got another player ready to try it out. Whimsical, lighthearted, action-packed and thoughtfully-made, it feels ready for any co-op team from strangers to best friends.
Despite the fantasy world not being particularly deep or interesting, it doesn't take away from the overall gameplay. Even though it's a retread of past Persona formulas, it's polished and makes for a satisfying gameplay loop.