Digital Chumps
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Resident Evil 2 survives the horror of summiting a twenty-one year old apex. Time-worn mechanics, either left abandoned or considered obsolete, are accountably refashioned through an agile interface and a relentless commitment to creating tension. Resident Evil 2's pervasive sense of dread, the handshake between past and present, remains delightfully, gruesomely in place.
Tetris Effect is a euphoric balance of intensity and serenity. Rarely do games manage either with stability, let alone perform both in concert. Tetris Effect's audio and visual assault is as powerful as its score-chasing quest for order and perfection, leaving the player overwhelmed with raw optimism and kaleidoscopic emotion. Tetris never required a sequel, but it now feels inseparable from Tetris Effect's compliment.
Since its announcement, Massive and Ubisoft have said all the right things about The Division 2, from a wealth of content to a robust endgame. For once, it's refreshing to see the reality be more than mere words as The Division 2 sets a new standard for the genre. This is the high bar "games as a service" should aspire to.
I'm shocked with the scope, the size, and the feel to a game that is now two years old (as of March 7th). It is still very much a unique title that offers up about everything you ever dreamed in one single experience. The fact that you'll want to replay it speaks volumes about what is in store for you. There aren't a lot of games that make you want to revisit them so quickly, but NieR: Automata is definitely one of them.
Blood is (perhaps obviously) high on my all-time list. It was such a pleasant surprise when I heard that Nightdive was working on a re-release, and I’m glad they have.
Outer Wilds' compact clockwork universe does more with twenty-two minutes than its spacefaring peers can imagine in a lifetime. It treats curiosity as a Möbius strip and trusts its network of divine secrets will drive the player toward a reasoned conclusion. By turning away from the zeitgeist, Outer Wilds' sublime presence can only be defined as otherworldly.
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.
For those that missed NNK the first time around or maybe sold their copy with their PS3 over the years, the remaster makes a strong case for itself simply because the game is still great and time has not tained the experience.
Built-in achievements, small storage size (around 5GB), and super fast load times make this much more than just a port — it’s an impressive “ultimate” edition, if you will. Bravo, Capcom.
MLB The Show 20 is another marvel for San Diego Studios. The tweaks they implemented and the gameplay options they have provided only stand to improve the product. They own baseball in gaming and it looks like they're not ready to give it up anytime soon.
DOOM Eternal is one of the most exhilarating first-person shooters in recent years. Hesitation is punished but fleet-footed and aggressive players who love a challenge are rewarded with the viscera of a demon bloodbath and spectacularly hellish worlds.
Umurangi Generation's vibrant ambience validates the rebellion of its doomed youth culture. It also renders the player a transient witness to a surging tragedy. Umurangi Generation's key is its camera, as it allows its protagonist and its player the agency to access and capture a world beyond their control. It creates a vantage point untended since Jet Set Radio, and Umurangi Generation didn't even need skates or spray paint to get there.
As more than just an homage to 80s pop culture, Huntdown proudly shows off its 16-bit influences. Inspired arcade gameplay keeps a brisk pace while a wealth of inventive boss fights and neon-drenched challenge transport the player to a time when quarters reigned supreme.
This Remaster is a gem and I really hope it’s just a sign of things to come as more C&C games get remastered with this level of passion, community involvement, skill, and heart.
All of this said, my first journey through Persona 4 Golden was a positive one. While it almost lost me with the incredible amount of story and dialogue, it set me straight when the gameplay finally kicked in. The nearly perfect juggling act between wild visuals, great story, and familiar JRPG gameplay has me sold that I need to check out other Persona games in the series. Hopefully, they make them for the PC. Persona 4 Golden was an excellent PC game that deserves gamers' time and attention.
Plebby Quest: The Crusades is a deep strategy game with a humorous wrapper to move it along. It was built to seem familiar, sporting a Risk undertone prevalent throughout, but it's much more than just a simple strategy board game. Much, much more.
Vicarious Visions nailed the remake of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1-2. They have given us a reminder about how much fun this title was back in the day, how much fun it is today, and assured gamers that anyone can pick it up and play it without much fuss. Is it perfect? Nope, but it's near-perfect fun.
If all interactive stories are like this, then sign me up. While If Found…starts out slow, it picks up the pace and draws you in with the personal journey of Kasio that is complemented by the beautiful artwork from Liadh Young. It's a story that everyone, especially younger gamers, should experience.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a wonderful launch title for the PlayStation 5. It has everything you want from a Spider-Man game and a unique story that could be considered Hollywood-caliber.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is a refinement of the series as a whole, curating years' of mechanics and ideas into a generational bookend that should please open world adventurers and devotees of the hidden blade.