CNET's Reviews
I can easily see Starfield being Game of the Year and being one of the best reasons to have a Game Pass subscription.
At a price of $60, there's little reason not to buy Baldur's Gate 3 if you enjoy RPGs.
If there's one word to summarize the Dead Space remake, it's seamless. Practically every decision made in this game was done to make players like myself feel like these new additions were already in the original.
I had developed a distaste for the original RE4 because it led the series down a path that took horror out of the franchise. The remake revitalized my fondness for the game, taking me back to 2005, when I first played the original.
Diablo 4 does many things right to elevate the series. It offers a lot of content to keep players occupied for long periods of time, but it doesn't do so without meaning. The game also returns to the dark tone of the original game but amplifies it for the modern audience.
Wild Hearts isn't going to take the monster-hunting crown. Fans of the Capcom series won't find much new to explore in the game, while those new to the genre will see the same notes repeated again and again.
In the 10+ hours I spent playing Forspoken, I couldn't find one aspect of the game to compel me to play further.
Midnight Suns is not a great game for most people. Its card strategy combat is unlikely to win over those who don't play strategy games, and the game's story doesn't have enough pull to keep nonfans engaged. Fans who fit in that Venn diagram of being a fan of strategy and Marvel comics, especially of the Midnight Sons storyline, will find the game to be well worth the time and money.
Gotham Knights makes some bold choices overall, but the execution is poor. It doesn't play or look great, nor does it properly showcase the characters meant to replace Batman. Instead of going to the extremes by ditching Batman and replacing him with four other heroes, WB Games Montreal should have re-established the franchise for the next-gen consoles and then switched gears with a follow-up.
Saints Row simply doesn't do enough to set itself apart in an era when the genre is already tired. I could deal with just mediocre action, boring characters or subpar audio and visuals -- but not all three.
With The Quarry, slasher fans are being given exactly what they want: Tense moments of watching annoying people being bumped off. Horror game fans in need of a fix will have some fun with it.
Guardians of the Galaxy is not my favorite comic book game, but it is my favorite game with MCU characters. It has problems, but the charm is there, and I hope to see more of this team in future sequels.
Those who buy Far Cry titles for the crazy action will have a hell of a time, but anyone who wants to feel something while the story progresses will wind up disappointed.
Diablo 2 Resurrected does everything you want from a remaster. It looks and plays better than the original, but it's not enough for someone who had his fill of Diablo 2 20 years ago.
Returnal misinterprets the incremental progress integral to the success of the roguelite. These games are supposed to carry a level of frustration and feel difficult early on in order to challenge players. But Roguelites are supposed to carry a glimmer of hope: Next time will be easier.
Rise streamlines the more tedious aspects of previous games. There's no fluff, no needless chatter with non-playable characters or even much running around. Capcom has pared back the Monster Hunter experience to put the focus back on what the series is known for: killing big monsters.
Doom Eternal gave me what I wanted with a new game in the franchise. It gave me more demons to kill and more ways to annihilate them. What I didn't want was having my heavy-metal-blaring-run-and-gun destruction interrupted in order to jump around for a few minutes.
Modern Warfare hits on all the important aspects of a great Call of Duty game. It has a campaign storyline that's compelling and what could be a great multiplayer mode that's in need of some quick balance changes. While it's not a revolutionary game like the original, it's good enough to bring back fans who'd grown tired of the franchise.
Stranger Things 3: The Game is a must-play for those absolutely in love with the show and needs to experience the new season in game form. I can't deny that there is a charm playing a retro game based on the show that follows it so closely. Those not-so-hardcore fans may want to pick up the game when it goes on sale.