Jen Glennon
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Writing For
InverseLatest Reviews
Starfield is more about the journey than the destination, and this is the source of its greatest joys and greatest frustrations. There is so darn much to see and to do, so much to take and to make. Bethesda’s latest is bursting with “just one last thing” attention-grabbers that will keep you up well past your bedtime, night after night. Its imperfections are vexing, but its allure is undeniable.
Throughout its 35-year history, the Final Fantasy series has constantly reinvented itself — sometimes more successfully than others. The combination of God of War, Game of Thrones, and SNES-era Final Fantasy games seems like it just shouldn’t work. Yet somehow, it lives up to all of those lofty inspirations. Final Fantasy XVI is a rousing triumph, honoring the series’ history while blazing a bold new path for the future.
Unforgettable characters, sky-high stakes, nail-biting action, and impeccable pacing make The Last of Us Part I a superlative gaming experience in every possible sense. At every turn, it’s obvious that the team at Naughty Dog has loved, refined, and obsessed over this story for more than a decade. And thanks to a remarkably deep bench of accessibility features, more players can enjoy it now than ever before.
Each of the game’s six chapters takes roughly an hour to complete, though plan for a little extra time if you’re playing with a group. That said, As Dusk Falls offers up such a variety of outcomes for each character, you’ll likely be tempted to go back for a second round once everything wraps up. I went back to revisit a couple of pivotal moments after my co-op playthrough. That said, the replay value is stymied pretty significantly without the option to skip or rapidly advance dialogue you’ve already seen.
If you’re a fan of role-playing games, but can’t stomach the thought of a 100+ hour odyssey, Scarlet Nexus has a lively, page-turning quality that’ll keep you up past your bedtime, but won’t take over your life. The kinetic, combo-driven combat sparkles, and once the story gets its hooks in you, it doesn’t let go. 8/10.
Thankfully, Palamutes never get tired or suffer fall damage, which makes retracing your steps across Rise’s numerous maps a breeze. It’s too bad that the game’s other traversal gimmick, the Wirebug, isn’t quite so nimble or reliable. Essentially an insect-powered zipline, the Wirebug allows you to ascend sheer cliffs and narrow the gap with large enemies in a flash. But you’re limited to a couple of uses at a time, each with its own cooldown period. Even while exploring, it’s awfully easy to misjudge the aim or timing for a second jump needed to clear a cliff, sending you crashing back to where you started or goofily flailing over the other side.
Like a Dragon was released on PS4 in Japan back in January 2020, but playing it on the Xbox Series X felt like a substantial visual upgrade over recent high-spec remakes like Yakuza Kiwami 2. For the most part, loading screens whizz by too quickly to even read. If you're sharp-eyed, you'll notice fun little details like 8-bit renditions of your current party members marching under the "now loading" bar — yet another nod to Dragon Quest. The Yakuza series is already dangerously enticing with all its bite-sized activities and mini-games, so it's remarkably easy to blow through several hours at a time when you're not hobbled by load screens to remind you to pry your eyes away from the screen.
In true Neon Genesis Evangelion fashion, your pilots can't stay in their Sentinels for too long without risking serious brain damage. That means you'll need to change up your roster every fight to give some squad members a break. Each successive battle you complete without restoring health post-fight will multiply the number of meta-chips you can earn, making upgrades accessible earlier. This encourages you to get experimental with your roster choices early on, but makes the back-end of the game feel a trifle too easy once you start racking up those meta-chip bonuses. Any squad of six can easily lay waste to virtually anything in their path by the time you cruise into the third set of 10 battles.
The multiplayer aspect of the game — which allows you to visit your friends’ islands or for them to come to yours — is enjoyable, but I don’t see myself using it more than occasionally. It’s definitely worth seeing your pals’ creations, but it’s not the best way to add to your pool of resources. If you’re looking to stock up on new materials or non-native fruits, you’re better off heading to the airport to explore a randomly generated mystery island instead.
Unfortunately, most of the fighting isn’t particularly challenging until late-game or post-game, even for someone (like me) who primarily plays RPGs. Unless you’re caught utterly off-guard, you’ll probably be clearing pretty much every fight at A- or S-rank without much difficulty, especially once you get the hang of dodging vertically and managing your Ki meter to maximize your opportunities to unleash special moves. But, hot damn, it sure looks cool, and it's certainly fun enough to keep you charging ahead to see what happens next.