Latest Reviews
As a veteran returning to play through the three games of BioShock: The Collection is a pleasure, but it’s a bit disappointing to watch the updates and behind-the-scenes content to each entry gradually decline. The original BioShock receives the greatest overhaul and flourishes with new textures and lighting that bring...
The bottom line is if you haven’t played any three of these games, this is the best looking console version to date, and these enduring zombie-smashing games are still worth a playthrough. Outside of that, there’s nothing new in this Triple Pack to draw old Frank West fans back...
Rive
The effort that went into creating Rive is apparent, from the art to the music to the precise controls, but it manages to be extremely punishing without enough sense of reward and the depth of options in combat are substandard. The story is an afterthought and the characters’ seeming self-awareness...
I had a good time with Pac-Man Championship Edition 2, even if it meant I had to wade through a lot of white noise to find it. For every excellent addition like being able to jump back to the start of a map, there are a few that aren’t as...
ReCore
I didn’t expect ReCore to be quite as big as it is, and from the looks of things, it’s possible its developers didn’t either. Its world, while interesting to explore for a good while, is ultimately too big with too little happening in it to be a totally serviceable housing...
NHL 17
NHL 17 offers such variety that it’s easy to recommend to many players. The continued focus on accessibility and on-ice training fits the series well, and added depth to the EASHL keeps long-time fans like me coming back. The franchise mode finally gives the GM/owner mode a reason to be...
After months of missteps, Legion shows World of Warcraft finding its footing again and asserting its relevance after more than a decade. Many elements make this an expansion worth enjoying, including class halls, gigantic zones filled with memorable stories, better socialization, the actiony new Demon Hunter class, and world quests....
Project Highrise puts all its thought and care into function, but gives little consideration to form. Its inviting simplicity and initially fast pace do a good job setting you up for the many complex balancing acts that come with a more highly developed, late-game skyscraper. Throughout the early levels and...
There’s enough snappy dialogue and silliness in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice to satisfy long-term series fans, and the conventional courtroom sequences still feel rewarding when you get on a roll and a witness starts to unravel. But the heavy-handed mysticism of its bloated middle act and...
As someone who loves games like Portal and The Witness, The Turing Test definitely scratched that familiar puzzle itch, even if it fails to scratch more than the surface of most of its ideas. Its mechanics are solid but largely unoriginal, and its themes and world-building are genuinely great. And...
Slaying titans is a satisfying, bloody mess thanks to fun and fast combat. The meat of the campaign follows the anime through fun missions and features varied playstyles for each of the characters that matched their personalities well. While the epilogue suffers from serious pacing problems, being able to get...
There’s not much that’s outright wrong with Master of Orion, but there’s not much memorable or endearing about it either. It’s built on a moderately successful but bland execution of the inside-the-box space 4X formula. The moments when its flair for leader characterization and an enjoyably complex combat engine take...
