It takes a special type of high-score game for me to want to actually stick with it and start rivalries on the leaderboards. Pac-Man Championship Edition was one such game. Trials HD was another. Now, Nex Machina is my new obsession.
Subnautica works brilliantly as a serene, lonely, contemplative adventure. It's one of those rare games I'd take to a desert island.
Ikaruga is one of those games I'll happily rebuy and replay every time there's a new port, but with this Switch version, I should be set. Being able to easily bust out the Joy-Con controllers for co-op and flip the system on its side for a vertical screen orientation is the real deal. Ikaruga is a timeless classic, and for those of us without a swiveling monitor, the Switch is just about the ideal way to experience it.
Some people will be disappointed by the lack of competitive modes, and that's fair enough, but don't let their omission bring you down too much. Tetris Effect isn't intended to be a heated head-to-head sort of game. It's more sentimental. Whether you've loved Tetris since the '80s or you've never quite meshed with its status as an all-time classic, you should be able to find something to latch onto here. Seasoned players can tweak the settings just the way they like and tone down the visuals. Newcomers can crank up the extravagant effects and relish the whimsical atmosphere. Everyone wins.
It should feel dull, but it doesn't. Dreams doesn't feel like homework. Part of that is on the intuitive tools, and part of that is on Media Molecule's community-centric approach. This isn't "just another project" for the team – it's the culmination of everything they've worked toward since LittleBigPlanet.
Bluepoint Games and From Software are among the best in the business, and we're fortunate to have their strengths coalesce for such a stellar remake. This console generation is less than a week old, but something tells me we're still going to be raving about Demon's Souls when it comes to a close.
A hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage.
As with DLC Pack 1, Nintendo has shown what great downloadable content can look like and that it doesn't need to arrive on day one or even month one. While not every new track is memorable, there is a consistent quality here and a few of them represent Mario Kart at its best. It was a treat to see other Nintendo properties dip into the game last year and that novelty hasn't worn off yet. This is the future of the series. It has to be.
I suspect I'll be hooked for the rest of the year.
I loved the responsive controls, and that's a big factor when examining an action-heavy game like this, but the presentation is also commendable. The art and sound design play pivotal roles. Bugs are squishy, just as you'd expect, while power-ups serve as a visual and auditory jolt of energy. The thumping electronic soundtrack is unrelenting, further helping to keep you in The Zone.
Simply put, Pokémon has never felt more alive to me than it does in Sun, and while I did have high expectations coming in, I can't say I saw that coming. This series is catching up with our imaginations.
Snipperclips is a terrifically charming package. It's one of those rare games I can flat-out recommend to everyone because odds are you'll have a blast with it, and so will anyone you share it with. If you're a Nintendo Switch owner, this deserves to be your next game after Zelda.
If you're new to World of Goo, there's no shortage of people who will plead its case or platforms to play on. I'm right there with them. After all these years, it remains a delight from damn near top to bottom.
I sincerely hope Polyarc is successful enough with Moss to make a sequel, because I'm not ready to say goodbye to Quill. This could easily be a flagship series for PlayStation VR.
If you enjoyed the original or skipped it purely because you needed online multiplayer support, Overcooked 2 should be a no-brainer. While the sequel runs the risk of being slightly too familiar and lacks any big surprises, it's still a winning formula. Co-op gaming doesn't get much better than this.
All told, Surf 'n' Turf is a great little expansion, perfect for Overcooked 2 fans who want to feel more challenged. I was worried it was going to be too short or too similar, but none of those fears panned out. The levels are tightly designed and genuinely satisfying to solve. This DLC is peak Overcooked.
If you had to pick out a single Overcooked 2 DLC, Campfire Cook Off would be my recommendation without hesitation. It adds depth to the usual proceedings without going overboard on complexity, and the clever new backpack mechanic encourages even deeper teamwork. You can't go wrong.
If No Code hadn't already gotten its name out there as a strong storyteller with Stories Untold, this game would've put the studio on the map. Observation is everything I hoped it would be.
In short, Five Nights at Freddy's VR: Help Wanted is the real deal. It's a genuine celebration of everything that has come before and a fresh lens for long-time fans. Even if you've never touched a Five Nights game before in your life, you'll have a lot to latch onto. I'm as surprised as anyone!
That's what it comes down to, really. These days, there aren't many games I'm willing to surrender hundreds of hours of free time to, but somehow, some way, Monster Hunter found an opening. World laid the groundwork, and now Iceborne is here to carry me through the rest of 2019 and beyond. Mentally, I'm not even ready to start thinking about Capcom's post-launch plans for the expansion.