Though Detective Pikachu Returns has an abundance of personality, its lackluster visuals keep it from feeling like a solid sequel to the original 3DS game.
The Pokémon games may be in their open-world era, but Scarlet and Violet’s new DLC proves that a little bit more focus on smarter, more linear gameplay can work wonders.
Lots of menus, controls, and buttons to parse, but fundamentally, the game is still the same and still very worth it.
The latest release from Bethesda is reminiscent of games like Fallout and Skyrim, but with a new level of wonder and adventure — and a whole lot of polish.
There’s hope that the game’s new story missions and game type will win back fans disappointed by PvE’s cancellation.
Developer Frictional Games moves outside of its comfort zone for the latest Amnesia, and the results are appropriately stressful.
The latest from Capcom introduces a story mode that builds on the traditional arcade and online experiences expected from a modern fighter. Plus, it has a beginner-friendly control scheme that’s a button masher’s dream.
Tears of the Kingdom doesn’t quite live up to its predecessor, but it’s still a fantastic new approach to Hyrule.
The sequel doesn’t do a lot new, and it’s still a mashup of other action-adventure games — but that’s easy to forget when you’re tossing stormtroopers around with your Force powers.
Nintendo’s turn-based war series is back, and it feels as fresh as ever.
The updated version looks incredible, plays well, and has a level of focus that’s rare in modern games. Also, there are lots of explosive barrels.
PlatinumGames’ new Bayonetta prequel for the Nintendo Switch is a breezy change of pace for the series that exceeds by keeping combat simple and satisfying.
Finally, a Horizon VR you’ll want to hang out in.
The new shooter offers low-key but highly effective updates to a great game.
Forspoken is out today. Folks can finally play it for themselves and hopefully see what I saw in it. Or they could instead flood the internet with complaints about cringey dialogue that has flown with literally every male MCU protagonist for the last 15 years.
There’s a fascinating story and incredible parkour action buried under lackluster combat and a game lacking technical polish.
But great combat and unique skills make up for the flat, uninspiring characters and plot.
The latest release from Squanch Games, led by Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland, is an absurdist sci-fi adventure.
The combat is a super fun mash-up of card-based action, fun superhero moves, and trigonometry vectors.
The game, led by Dead Space creator Glen Schofield, takes an old-school approach to survival horror. And it works — except when it becomes painfully frustrating.
What the game does right is obscured under layer after layer of poor design, glitches, and an inscrutable story.
The latest Pokémon release is a big, expansive adventure that also pushes the Nintendo Switch to its limits.
The new retro collection is a cross between an interactive documentary and a virtual museum exhibition.
Combat remains the same and some new mechanics can be frustrating, but all that is blown away by a story that evokes heart and emotion that a lot of blockbuster games try and fail to achieve
A host of bugs and undercooked features keep the addictive building simulator from reaching its full potential
