Philip Kollar
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Writing For
PolygonLatest Reviews
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, even fundamental addition to Mario’s legacy. From a plumber to a doctor to a tennis star to, uh, a Goomba, Mario has endured. No, this will not be the last Mario game, but it is almost certain to be lauded as one of his best.
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 pull back and let you collect yourself. If the first game was a failed attempt to capture the spirit of Shinji Mikami’s classic Resident Evil 4, the sequel is a successful attempt at something much better: finding a chilling, exhilarating voice of its own.
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 pieces of this sequel feel undercooked, getting in the way of what should be a great time. Shadow of War provided plenty of fun in the 30 or 40 hours I’ve spent with it so far, but somehow this future seemed so much brighter in 2014.
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 it nearly as appealing. Instead, Absolver recognizes its singular goal of building a robust, satisfying martial arts combat system. It leans into those strengths, and it’s a better game for it.
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 the time to sink 10 to 15 hours into another playthrough, I absolutely want to — if only to try to get all my favorite characters into better positions by the end, or see what happens if the Nightwings never manage to win a match.
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 surprising show of skill and hopefully a sign of much brighter things to come.
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 of a kind of narrative that games can do better than anything else, as well as proof that games can work with a story that doesn't need to be overblown or exaggerated — main character's paranormal powers aside. If you have the three or four hours to devote to it and care about the future of games as a storytelling medium, Ethan Carter is must-play.
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 of excess. It's not different enough from the Infamous game that released earlier this year to totally stand out, but it doesn't suffer much for that similarity.
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 did much beyond walking or crawling from one cool visual setpiece to the next, but these terrifying mindscapes carried Among the Sleep and transformed it into something I'm glad I experienced.
I'm sure there will come a point — after all the updates, after its full final release, after I've mastered the dangers of Sector X — where I finally feel done with Starbound. Even an infinite game can't pull me in forever. But its slow start aside, this is the closest I've experienced to an endless game without major compromises in content.