Travis Northup
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Writing For
IGN
GamingTrendLatest Reviews
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is a fantastic modernization of an iconic open-world RPG, even if it maintains some of the jank and rough edges of the original.
Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is an interesting Frankenstein of action-RPG ideas that never quite comes to life.
AI Limit is a soulslike without any soul, offering a few interesting but unimpactful new ideas and a whole lot of bugs across its entirely unremarkable adventure.
There are few games that have ever made me scream in anger or shout with unbridled joy as often as Knockout City and I absolutely can’t stop playing. It’s a near-perfect team multiplayer game packed with strategy, heart, and an incredibly impressive level of polish. Even if it’s a bit buggy and lacking in content at the moment, I can’t recommend it enough.
Gears Tactics is a stellar tactics game that still manages to feel like the Gears you know and love. With an okay story, addictive RPG systems, and dozens of hours of gameplay, this is a must-play for any fans of turn-based strategy games or the Gears franchise in general.
Battletoads (2020) keeps the soul of the notorious original game intact while revitalizing it with interesting minigames, hilarious writing, and couch co-op that makes this a worthy reason to revisit Zitz, Pimple, and Rash. While the absence of online co-op is pretty disappointing and the beat ‘em up gameplay can become dull by the end of the campaign, this short ride is one I can full-throatedly recommend.
Mortal Shell is an action RPG that uses the sleeve of the soulslike genre to create something unique enough to stand on its own two feet. Though its campaign is short and predictable, the beautiful world, interesting body-swapping mechanics, and strong technical performance more than make up for how liberally it borrows from other games.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps improves upon its predecessor in almost every way, from its drastically improved combat system to its use of NPCs and side quests. Like Ori and the Blind Forest before it, Will of the Wisps is held back by intermittent technical hitches that can result in some frustrating moments, but it hardly keeps this incredible sequel from shining through.
Shadowkeep improves Destiny 2 in a wide assortment of ways and gives dedicated fans a taste of things to come from an independent Bungie, but it’s ultimately just a taste. Once you’ve burned through it, you’re met with a massive grind that makes up the bulk of this expansion. It also makes Destiny 2 a little tougher to recommend to the uninitiated because of the added complexity that caters to experienced Guardians. Even so, there’s a lot to love about the improvements to customization and it’s hard not to get excited about the story Shadowkeep sets up, even if it doesn’t develop it very far this time. It’s clear this is just the beginning of a brand-new chapter for Destiny 2, and I couldn’t be more excited to see where it goes from here.
The Surge 2 is a must-play for fans of the soulslike genre. With incredibly well-designed areas, excellent combat featuring a wider variety of enemies, and a story that proves itself worth being invested in by the end, it improves upon its predecessor in almost every area and is absolutely worth your time.