Steven Petite
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IGNLatest Reviews
A creepy and unsettling action-platformer, Blasphemous has an eery atmosphere, gorgeous pixel art, and intricate animations that never fail to impress. The combat can be satisfying, but relies too heavily on memorization, which makes backtracking through its non-linear world eventually turn stale. And while the visual variety at least keeps things looking fresh, superfluous and poorly implemented upgrade mechanics keep Blasphemous from having the amount of depth seen in many other games across the genre. It’s still an enjoyable Metroidvania, just not an all that memorable one.
Astral Chain is another excellent game from Platinum, and one of the best action games of this generation. Period. Fighting off alien invaders with a Legion robot by your side proves to be even more fun than it looks, which is saying a lot. Even outside of combat, the world and its characters brim with life – other than the main protagonist, that is. Excellent pacing artfully balances tense action with enticing exploration to create a deeply satisfying and charmingly quirky ride.
Carried by hauntingly beautiful writing and an unsettling atmosphere, Layers of Fear 2 is one of the most stunning horror games of this generation. Using classic film and a descent into madness as its anchor, its rich ocean liner setting changes at every turn, producing constant unease in just the right way. With unique puzzles and expert pacing, Layers of Fear 2 is a harrowing and consistently exciting endeavor.
A Plague Tale: Innocence’s story of two orphans surviving in a world ravaged by the Black Death is compelling and the stealth gameplay that runs through it is fine-tuned, but the rat-infested world looks more dangerous than it actually is. Everything from the alchemy abilities to the layout of levels feels a bit too guided and the prevalence of crafting materials removes the need to make decisions about how you want to get past your enemies. The story stands out as a result, but there’s not a lot of freedom to experiment or consequences for reckless decisions.
Ashen takes liberally from Dark Souls when it comes to combat and progression, but it’s a very good take on the formula that delivers satisfying, strategic combat and progression that rewards careful play. Thanks to a gorgeous, varied open world and neat, passive cooperative features, Ashen comes into its own wonderfully.
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate brings the majority of the series’ monsters into one package for a lengthy and exciting hunting extravaganza. While it feels dated in some ways post-Monster Hunter: World, it’s a great farewell tour for the old style of the franchise. If you can stomach the pacing problems and obtuse menu systems, it’s a worthwhile and challenging trek through the history of Monster Hunter.
Overcooked 2 serves up a great balance of hilarious chaos and strategy alongside meaningful improvements over its predecessor. The kitchens have more moving parts, the recipes are more varied, and the ability to throw ingredients fundamentally changes the arcade cooking formula. It’s still ideal when played on the couch with friends, but solo play is much improved, and online support adds versatility.