Philip Kollar
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Writing For
PolygonLatest Reviews
Super Mario Odyssey
For a character nearing 40 years old, it’s amazing that Mario has remained not only a beloved character but one whose games are generally expected to be great. From that perspective, it’s no surprise that Super Mario Odyssey is, yes, a great game. But more than that, it’s a fantastic,...
The Evil Within 2
The same could be said for the game itself, honestly. The Evil Within 2 represents one of the starkest and most astounding turnarounds from a debut title to its sequel that I’ve ever witnessed. It’s a brilliant horror game, one that understands when to ratchet up tension and when to...
Shadow of Mordor was unrefined but in a way that was ahead of its time. Playing it felt like glimpsing the future of big action games. Monolith’s attempts to build on that vision in Shadow of War are often successful, particularly where the deeper Nemesis System is concerned. But other...
Absolver
Whatever gets added in the future, though, I hope that Absolver doesn’t lose its sense of focus. If the game had tried too much — if it had thrown me into more complicated duels, or forced me to use weapons more often — I don’t think I would have found...
Pyre
I won’t spoil too much about Pyre’s story and where it goes, but I will say that the numerous branching paths pay off, with an ending that lets you view how each and every major character you met along the way ends up. While I don’t know when I’ll find...
Perception
Perception is full of interesting ideas, both mechanically and narratively, but it never fully commits. It’s a game about being blind that allows you to see. It’s a game about things that go bump in the night, but those horrors rarely show up to threaten you. There are some strong...
TumbleSeed
The frustration in TumbleSeed seems to be by design, at least, but it didn’t feel particularly earned. This is the type of game where you’re meant to die dozens of times, that will take tens of hours to reach the “end,” even before taking into account the daily challenges and...
Lords of the Fallen
I say almost because, even in the face of near-game-ending bugs, my time with Lords of the Fallen wasn’t ruined. It largely succeeds in both imitation and with its strong variations on the formula. Lords of the Fallen is derivative; there’s no doubt about that. But it’s also a...
There's more to The Vanishing of Ethan Carter that I've omitted for fear of spoiling the game's best surprises, but I will say that each of these moments is inextricably tied to the method this story is being told in — that is, as a video game. It is evidence...
Infamous: First Light
Despite how nicely their stories slot into one another, the ideal scenario for playing Infamous: First Light is to have never touched Second Son. This works best as an introductory package for newcomers to the Infamous series, a tightly-wound, dramatic story with solid action and very little in the way...
Every piece of Guacamelee Super Turbo Championship Edition feels essential to the core game, even if I didn’t realize that I wanted each of them. That’s just about the highest praise I could give it; this is the best version of a great game.
Among the Sleep
At times, Among the Sleep feels as lightly-developed as the lead character's subconscious. There's not much game to the game, and what is there isn't terribly polished. But what's implied in the environments and sound design is as big a part of the experience as what's actually there. I never...