Game Rant 
IGN Latest Reviews
The bulk of my Marathon first impressions piece discussed my initial difficulty getting to grips with the shooter's core gameplay loop and overcoming its exceptionally steep learning curve. Though I believed the initial grind was worth the pain, I stated that it would be a major turn-off for many new players. After another 20 hours or so, my sentiments have stayed largely the same. But the more time I've spent with Marathon, the more I can safely say that the good heavily outweighs the bad.
Just like the Arsenals the game revolves around, Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion has a very strong core, but one that frequently comes under attack. The central loop of finding new gear and experimenting with new builds and playstyles remains satisfying long after the credits roll, and there's a plethora of engaging side content for players who want the most bang for their buck. However, Titanic Scion's performance on the Nintendo Switch 2 and some clunky narrative choices often hold it back from reaching its full potential.
Gears of War: Reloaded is a remaster of a 2006 game so players going into the game with that in mind will likely be happy with what's on offer. But those expecting a truly modernized version of this flagship Xbox game might be disappointed, especially if they're PlayStation newcomers who have been told for two decades that they're missing out on one of gaming's best experiences.
Sword of the Sea is the epitome of short and sweet. All aspects of the game's presentation, from visuals to audio design to score, are the best they possibly could be, and they all go hand in hand with the game's exceptionally smooth and engaging traversal mechanics to deliver a peaceful, introspective experience that's more than deserving of just about anyone's time.
The Lord of the Rings has been on a bit of a losing streak since 2017's Middle-earth: Shadow of War. 2023 brought two Lord of the Rings titles, with the first being the infamously panned Gollum, and the second being the slightly better-received Return to Moria. Now, after a few lengthy delays, Tales of the Shire is here, swinging open its brightly-painted Hobbit home doors and beckoning the world to feast on what it's prepared.
My time with Rematch was also plagued by a litany of other, slightly less severe bugs. In one match, one of our goals counted as the opposing team's. Several matches saw the ball start on the wrong side of the pitch following a goal. And a common issue was not being able to move after joining a match in progress. Of course, it's still early days for Rematch, and the bulk of these technical issues might have already been fixed before this review goes live. But it's important to state that these technical problems did impact the experience.
Back in 2017, French developer Sloclap released its first game, Absolver, an action-RPG with a heavy emphasis on grounded, physics-based melee combat. For its second project, Sloclap took those combat mechanics and refined them to near-perfection, delivering the kung fu movie love-letter Sifu in 2022. But three years later, Sloclap has taken a surprising turn, trading its single-player melee combat for intense multiplayer soccer action with the release of Rematch.
Technically a spinoff and not a fully-fledged mainline sequel, Sniper Elite: Resistance sees players assume the role of Harry Hawker, a Special Operations Executive agent tasked with hunting down a secret Nazi super-weapon that could jeopardize the imminent D-Day operation, a journey that takes Hawker across WW2-era France. In a nutshell, Sniper Elite: Resistance is everything fans would expect it to be; no more, but certainly no less.
Originally released in April 2000 for the PlayStation, Star Wars Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles received a very divisive reception on launch. But like most Star Wars games, it became a core part of some fans' childhood. Developer/publisher Aspyr is tapping into that nostalgia with its 2025 port of Star Wars Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles, but that nostalgia might not be enough to paper over all the cracks in this modern port.
In short, Wild Bastards is a roguelike first-person shooter just like Void Bastards, but it has an additional layer of turn-based strategy that its predecessor didn't have. This gives Wild Bastards a very different sense of pace, and while that might disappoint some fans, there's still plenty that's worth checking out. Though, not all of Wild Bastards' elements make a satisfying impact.