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Judgment swerves Yakuza's circuitous criminal conspiracies a few degrees off course before turning up at familiar intersections of violence, eccentricity, and drama. Novelties surrounding its private detective facade, however, breakdown into tests of patience instead of pragmatism. Judgment may be an honest amendment to Yakuza's doctrine but its most refined and exciting practices are also its most routine.
Sonic Origins is the Sonic anthology that Sonic the Hedgehog fans, including myself, have been waiting for years to play. Being able to play the classic Sonic titles in their original glory AND in an updated fashion thanks to Anniversary Mode should make newer players' journeys less perilous than the journeys we had on our Sega Genesis in the 90s. Sonic is more forgiving than ever. You'll be hit with all the nostalgia from Sonic 1, 2, 3, and CD, although some of the content has been changed. I only wish that this content was taken one step further: More playable content and animations, please!
Final Fantasy XV's decade-long maelstrom of doubt, chaos, and suspense has somehow wrought an effective tale from the bonds of brotherhood and an engaging game from coordinated monster obliteration. The embroiled project is not sacrosanct; an incongruous plot, mechanical quest lines, and a haphazard world constitute a jet impacting the ground at dangerous speed. Pieces are everywhere, but Final Fantasy XV ultimately survives its crash landing through an impressive force of will.
The Last Guardian is a meditation of trust and patience. The eight year wait after its 2009 unveiling is a conspicuous illustration of this thesis, but a clearer picture develops by persisting through its meticulous operation. A lingering touch of melancholy and deep suspicions of malevolence—both synonymous with ICO and Shadow of the Colossus—are now complimented by enduring senses of companionship and devotion. In these moments, and The Last Guardian has many, it's hard not to feel captured and taken by its ability.
Dishonored 2 is a complex game with a simplistic first-person action wrapper. It offers up a variety of different gameplay options to run through the game with, while presenting a bigger world for you to stretch those options out in. It’s a great follow-up to the first game and certainly improves on its ideals.
Given sufficient time, Sun and Moon has the power to ensnare just as profoundly as many of the previous games in the franchise. And with its valuable combination of depth and accessibility (imbued with modern conveniences such as the integrated type chart hints), the game feels equal parts conservative and progressive—and is thus quite likely to please both traditionalists and newcomers.
Assassin’s Creed Ezio Collection is a great release. Having the ability to play arguably three of the best games in the Assassin’s Creed universe on a current generation console is brilliant, although don’t expect much of a significant impact in terms of upgrades for gameplay or visuals. Improved upon? Yes. Reinvented and completely remastered? Not really. Still worth the money, though.
Shu is a simple, pretty game that presents a tough challenge for even the most seasoned gamers. Its design is built for running and thinking on the fly, while at the same time asking the gamers to keep an active eye out for some collectible goodies. It’s definitely more than it seems on the surface.
Darksiders Warmastered Edition is a fantastic game that maintains all of what made it great in 2010. Its visual upgrades and smoother gameplay experience makes for a fun time at a very reasonable asking price. Maybe this will prompt a sequel? One could only hope. Until then, enjoy the hell out of this one.
VR's viability hinges on making sensible objectives integral to the wonder implicit in its format. Robinson: The Journey understands this and makes visible strides to balance astonishment and curiosity. Too often, however, it gets tripped up by contrasting wandering ambition against capricious behavior. Ideas fight, rather than support, one another, ensuring Robinson's first steps are also its last.
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 nailed it in 2011 with great gameplay and all of it still stays relevant and fun five years removed. I wish more fighting games took heavy notes from this title and started to craft their own experience after it because this is how you make a fighting game.
As a third person monster hunter with JRPG elements, Toukiden 2 gets a lot right. It has some important limitations that you should consider before diving in, but if you enjoy the franchise or the monster-hunter genre, keeps this one in mind.
Biohazard is nearly flawless in its attempt to frighten the player and have them think on a critical level. Players must balance a multitude or factors to succeed which becomes as frustrating as trying to solve the puzzles themselves. The multitude of mysteries popping up one after the other makes the game nearly impossible to put down. Players should find themselves endlessly curious and terrified as the progress through the game.
Whether you dive in now or later, expect another solid entry into Rebellion's long-running, compelling and often thrilling series.
The good folks at NetherRealm Studios made this fighting game much more than it should have been. They have essentially created an enjoyable balance between story, multiplayer and online experiences. The story mode is incredibly immersive, the multiplayer is teeming with a richer gameplay experience, including multiverse, which mixes familiar comic storylines with the fighting gameplay core, and the online modes are just as good as you want them to be. Nothing seems like a filler. If they could get rid of the microtransaction for Darkseid, then it will be a complete circle of near perfection. Until then, it's a great game.
It's better adventure than the first and hopefully they make more of these action platformers. Knack certainly deserves it after this release.
Frozen Wilds fits perfectly within the original content from Horizon Zero Dawn. The new weapons make for a better, more motivating experience. On top of this, the story expands upon the mythology that the original HZD built, making it a bigger world with more worthwhile content to live within. It's quite remarkable how well Guerrilla built this game and how perfectly the DLC fits within it.
Dead Rising 4 calmed the series' manic instability by dropping its exacting timer and relaxing into its madcap open world. A year later, its contentious effect on Dead Rising's identity is pacified by the enormous size of Frank's Big Package. It's not an assembly of distractions, but rather an indulgence of Dead Rising's (and Capcom's) eccentric history — and its giddying intensity is an opportune support structure.
WWE 2K19 is a solid step up from last year's title. It offers a bit more in terms of content, and a deeper MyPlayer mode. I still wish they would ease up on the control scheme complication a bit, maybe shifting back to an easier control scheme that focuses on fun, rather than trying to make the wrestling experience a challenge. Wrestling is a fun sport to watch, so controlling it should be equally as fun. Definitely a solid release overall, though, so you won't be disappointed.
EA Sports UFC 4 shows that the quality of a sports game is far more important than the amount of quantity in it. UFC 4 improves and adds areas that needed work. It brings in new systems and tighter control designs to make the experience for more entertaining than previous years. This is the best of the best in the UFC series right now, and there is still good room to grow it.