Dan Stapleton
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Writing For
IGN Latest Reviews
The Alters is a highly atmospheric sci-fi character study mixed with simple but effective resource and base management that cleverly builds existential and interpersonal pressure throughout its story.
Monster Train 2 is a fantastic upgrade for what was already one of the best deckbuilding roguelites out there, with so many interesting variables and options to make replays interesting that it feels bottomless.
A loving homage to classic Command & Conquer, Tempest Rising's single-player campaign brings back the fast-paced RTS gameplay but can't quite recapture the campy vibe.
Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap's roguelite spin on the action-tower defense series works pretty well, even if grinding up orcs eventually turns into a bit of a grind.
Phoenix Point has a lot of interesting ideas to contribute to the revitalized turn-based tactics genre but many of them are in need refining and balancing. Things like managing faction relationships and disabling individual enemy body parts are great, and it strikes a good balance of complexity with inventory management. At the same time, it’s woefully underdeveloped in certain areas like mission variety and base-building, and a late-game difficulty spike is so severe and unfair-feeling that it crushed the spirit of this XCOM veteran – twice. Combine that with a general lack of polish and it leaves Phoenix Point in a state that still feels very experimental and unrefined – but it’s an interesting experiment, to be sure.
It’s been ages since we got a great single-player Star Wars action game, but Jedi: Fallen Order makes up for a lot of lost time. A strong cast sells a dark story while keeping things fun and loyal to Star Wars lore, and fast, challenging combat mixes with energetic platforming, decent puzzles, and diverse locations to explore for an all-around amazing game.
With The Outer Worlds, Obsidian has found its own path in the space between Bethesda and BioWare, and it’s a great one. And considering that new RPGs from either of those influential developers are still years away, this game couldn’t have been timed any better. It’s not as explorable as one big open world but it still packs in a large portion of flexible quests and conflicts within its series of smaller ones. And the combat, character, and companion systems have enough new spins on existing ideas to make it feel like an homage with its own personality rather than a copy.
It’s not totally fair to expect the animations of a turn-based strategy game to match up with the elaborately violent choreography of a series of action movies that is defined by little more than that, but John Wick Hex doesn’t even come close. It’s hard to appreciate its handful of smart ideas when every slick series of moves you pull off by deftly managing a group of enemies’ attack timelines is countered by a dozen other encounters that play out awkwardly due to animation glitches and a stingy persistent health system. John Wick Hex certainly does have its moments of tactical joy and tells a decent simple story, but it’s so consistently unpolished that it’s hard to appreciate them.
Overland’s increasingly weird apocalypse and clever approach to tactical survival makes it an interesting take on the roguelike road trip genre. A decent variety of perks and upgrades make certain party members feel indispensable and others very disposable, though they don’t have a ton of personality beyond that. Its controls and interface could be a lot better, though, and some no-win situations are drawn out a lot longer than they should be.
Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey's greatest challenge is working out – or simply Googling – how its basic survival, crafting, and combat mechanics work. Once you understand them they become mostly trivial, and the main appeal becomes appreciating the exploration of the huge and lush prehistoric African map. Evolving your tribe’s abilities feels artificially drawn out, but it’s hard not to develop a soft spot for these disposable apes because of their authentic animations.