Digital Chumps
HomepageI haven't had a game hit me emotionally quite as Concrete Genie has. An emotional story blended with beautiful artwork and seamless gameplay creates an incredible experience. I am beyond impressed with Pixelopus's work and you can easily see all the blood, sweat and tears poured into the game. Concrete genie may not scratch the gameplay itch that you have but rather it delivers an important story to tell. I highly recommend it for any hardcore gaming fan as well as the creative types.
Neo Cab's malevolent tech-noir is a vehicle for exploring, and ultimately surviving, the tenacity of its passengers and the ambivalence of its driver. As a narrative adventure Neo Cab is full of conflicted, enigmatic, and sophisticated characters all vying for validation in a tortured world. As an opaque lens on social responsibility and morality, it's as distressing as it is compulsive. Neo Cab's tech-addled dystopia functions a travelogue to the pain and purpose of being human.
Flaws and shortcomings in Control are utterly few and far between, while the gameplay is highly satisfying and fun. The world Remedy created is full of intrigue from the get-go and stays enthralling throughout. Barring any major surprises, Control is my personal game of the year for 2019.
This battle royale mixes gun play and construction that is so fun, the end does not look anywhere in sight. The exciting game is so popular and is even bringing people together. Playing with your friends is one of the most satisfying co-op experiences you will have. Fortnite: Battle Royale is a great play for anyone.
Gravity Ghost imagines the maelstrom of adolescence further complicated by its protagonist's untimely death. As an elliptic platformer, it's concerned with reaching a neat-and-tidy series of goals. As a narrative experience, it's consumed by normalizing the despondency of its cast. Gravity Ghost's kinetic novelty may have ebbed since its 2015 debut, but its resolution, which seeks idyllic healing from an enormous tragedy, still creates a powerful statement.
Lucah: Born of a Dream is a neon crash of allusive storytelling, deliberate top-down combat, and distressed, manic ambience. Its indirect means of expression risks losing the player in its internal contradictions—it's hysterical and tender, it's demanding and soothing—but tenacious pandemonium is also its objective. Lucah: Born of a Dream seeks an audience that can relate to its world without needing to make explicit sense of its features.
Overall, Catan on the Nintendo Switch is a treat. The inclusion of a large campaign helps to sell this game easily. The addition of strong AI makes the experience valuable and challenging. If the menu system could improve, then you’re looking at one of the best versions of the board game to ever grace a console.
Nitro-Fueled is a wonderful remake of the classic racer we all know and love. The mechanics and courses are lovingly recreated for the current gen. Combine that with a revamped Adventure mode and players have another faithful, fantastic game. Though I wouldn't say it's a perfect game due to its difficulty and pretty short story, I don't think it is crazy to say that Crash Team Racing is the best kart racing game available.
They Are Billions' crucible of experimentation and failure molds players into rugged survivalists. The RTS-style resource management and tower defense test the ability to aptly devote time to the bare necessities that will fend off countless hordes of undead. Harder to master console controls may add an extra layer of tension but living another day remains the sweetest of rewards.
NBA 2K20 features the best gameplay to date with a plethora of content to chew into at launch. It'll be interesting to see how the game shapes up throughout the year, even after a shaky launch. Launch bugs/glitches aside, NBA 2K20 is one of the better entries in the series.