Latest Reviews
Relatively simplistic compared to the N64-era shooters that inspired it, Screencheat nevertheless distinguishes itself with goofy charm, fast pacing, and a clever gameplay hook based on invisibility. Its sterile online matches tend to wear out their welcome quickly, but if you can get two to four players together in a...
Fantasia: Music Evolved provides a surprising amount of control and personalization options over each song, which is paired with fun gameplay to bring a fresh new style to the music game genre. Though the navigation motion controls could be improved, Kinect functions well for the moment-to-moment creative play, and Fantasia’s...
The Legend of Grimrock 2 marks a significant improvement over its predecessor, which was already a formidable RPG in its own right. Its stylings and conventions might spring from a simpler time, but its presentation and the panache with which Almost Human delivers it as allows it to stand toe-to-toe...
The Evil Within is a brutal, challenging, and remarkably fun game. Its eerie world and imaginative enemies are genuinely frightening, and the scares are heightened significantly by the scarcity of resources at your disposal. It keeps the odds stacked against you to the point that they often feel insurmountable, yet...
Natural Doctrine tries to be an unforgiving and brutal tactical RPG that punishes you for the tiniest mistake, and it most certainly does that. But it also punishes you for things outside your control, leading to frustrating, messy battles. Success comes down to luck rather than decisive strategy, robbing me...
Defense Grid 2’s new variations on the original’s excellent tower defense gameplay pulled me right back into the compulsively addictive quest to destroy all aliens with a minimum of expenditure. I don’t recommend the multiplayer and the story doesn’t even compare to the standard set by the original, but its...
Styx may stumble in its quicktime combat and its spotty edge detection, but it makes up for most of its flaws with challenging stealth action across massives levels. It's not a pretty game by the standards of the current generation, but its presentation thrives on the snark and sailor-speak of...
Despite its tendency to make you jump through hoops before getting to the good stuff, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel delivers where I expect it to as a Borderlands fan. The new gear and low-gravity mechanics mixed with the zany skill trees makes for a fresh experience, and with Jack at the...
Bayonetta 2
Every aspect of Bayonetta 2 feels polished and focused. At times, the writing feels ridiculous, but I still love how it plays. The superb pacing and combat are just that good. By the end I was convinced: This sequel builds on everything that made the original great, and delivers one...
Back in 2012, I called Sleeping Dogs one of the biggest -- and most pleasant -- surprises of the year. Two years later, the surprise has obviously dissipated, but that doesn't take away from what United Front Games achieved here. Playing the Definitive Edition reminded me how much I enjoyed...
Project Spark is a commitment, and a huge time investment to really make something substantial. It’s also a worthwhile endeavor for anyone who’s ever wished to make games. Learning the obtuse and complicated systems is surprisingly enjoyable, because you’ll see satisfying results instantly when you conquer a problem. So far, there...
Costume Quest 2's combat and story are both surprisingly good for an RPG that concludes in roughly a half-dozen hours. A few weird design choices in regards to the health system and navigation meant that just a bit too much of that time was spent backtracking and squinting at a...
