Lost On Mars is a strange choice for a Far Cry 5 expansion, and this risky change of scenery doesn't pay off. While it does feature a hilarious fan-favorite character, I just wish the gameplay was as inventive as the dialogue and gun nomenclature. It's too bad Ubisoft couldn't find a way to make an alien world feel more interesting than the Montana countryside. Even with the addition of a jetpack, lasers, and alien bugs this planet feels dull as red dirt. If you didn't buy the season pass, the trip to Mars hardly seems worth it.
Fighting my way through Ruiner felt like work, and if I weren't obligated to finish it for the review I probably wouldn't have bothered. It's too bad it focuses on being difficult over being fun, because the combat totally works when you're given access to the full range of weaponry and gadgets and can finally stand up to the nearly endless waves of varied enemies thrown at you. This one is definitely better the second time around. Games should be fun right from when you hit the start button – that's kind of the whole point – but Ruiner puts you through too much of a hazing ritual to get there.
When you're playing as Jason, this is unquestionably the best Friday the 13th game ever made. I really appreciate the genuine love for the franchise on display here. Hunting down players and executing them in spectacularly gory scenes is an homage that warms my lifelong Friday-fan heart. But the fun of its asymmetrical multiplayer-only action is heavily skewed toward Jason, which means you'll mostly be stuck playing as teens rummaging through drawers. Despite that lopsided gameplay and some pretty heinous glitches, there is some dumb fun to be had here – which is all the movies ever really offered, anyway.
Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha is a fun collection of notable artifacts from the golden age of arcade shmups.
The SNK 40th Anniversary Collection is an impressive museum exhibit of forgotten games that don't all hold up today.
Hours of Darkness is a clever and fun but brief twist on the Far Cry formula. Its new approach to Guns for Hire AI companions gives you something other than yourself to worry about during battles, and its use of perks as a reward for stealth kills encourages my favorite style of play in an interesting way, but can bring your momentum to a screeching halt when you slip up. Just like the Far Cry series' previous jaunts to new locations, this trip to Vietnam is a good time.
Darksiders III is a straightforward action game that isn't afraid to throw some serious old-school challenges at you.
This is a creative little point-and-click adventure. It's short, but I thoroughly enjoyed it as long as it lasted. The title is deceptive, as this game really has nothing to do with Hamlet. But if you like point-and-click games don't let that keep you from checking out this bizarre and clever little undertaking.
Ubisoft could've done more to refresh Hope County for Far Cry: New Dawn, but there's still some good, chaotic fun to be had here.
A modern retro collection should have a good batch of games and some extra niceties like save states and emulator settings. SEGA Genesis Classics checks those boxes, providing the best way to do what Nintendon't today. But considering it doesn't even have all the first-party hits that it should, much less the most memorable third-party ones, it's hardly a definitive package.
Puzzle fans will definitely want to give Rush a download. It's a fun mix of Lemmings and Chu Chu Rocket, and sports a clean, attractive art style.
The wait was worth it. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a whole new castle to crash full of unexpected monsters and mysteries in the vein of classic Castlevania.
Far Cry 5 is another wide-open playground with all the necessary ingredients for causing a real ruckus: loads of enemies and allies, temperamental wildlife, and plenty of explosions.
Now THIS is how you remake a classic. Resident Evil 2 expertly reanimates the horrifying atmosphere and moments of extreme tension that made the original so revered.