Marty Sliva
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5's rare moments of nostalgic joy are drowned out by its abundance of faults.
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash is a bare-bones, lackluster addition to Mario's sporting adventures.
Betrayer's gorgeous presentation can't save it from being a first-person shooter with an identity crisis.
Ezio’s trilogy helped build Assassin’s Creed into the giant franchise it is today thanks to its fantastic storytelling, amazing characters, and gorgeous world building. And while all of that is still here in The Ezio Collection, the lack of meaningful improvements and any sort of substantial bonus content make it a tough compilation to recommend.
Song of the Deep makes a fantastic first impression. Its gorgeous world, charming characters, and melancholy tone make for a unique and effective aesthetic. But once you get into the core of the mechanics, combat and puzzles become a slog thanks to its cumbersome controls and wonky physics. Still, I found myself willing to put up with all of these frustrations in order to delve deeper and deeper into this beautiful world.
The Wolf Among Us Episode 4's lack of meaningful choices and scant story progression mark a low point in the series.