I was excited to get back to Yharnam, despite all the lives I would soon lose, let alone all the Blood Echoes I would waste. And I was also sad upon the realization that I haven't felt this kind of impatience and excitement in a game in a long time, not since my initial playthrough of The Last of Us. That was two years ago.
Dark Souls III is an exceptional descent into a superbly menacing world
Naughty Dog has delivered something rare in this industry of milked franchises: the gift of franchise closure for its fans.
In The Phantom Pain, Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions have pulled off the rarest kind of balancing act, delivering a story that will satisfy many franchise fans while also being the most beginner-accessible Metal Gear game to date.
Resident Evil 7 is the close-quarters fright fest that suspense junkies crave
Far Cry 4 is the latest illustration that the best open worlds are those designed to function as playgrounds — where goals can be pursued even when impulsiveness thrives. While it received a good deal of help from a rock-solid foundation that is Far Cry 3, this sequel introduces more than enough new features that both games should be regarded as companion pieces to each other.
Console owners reap the benefits of two years worth of changes and updates in this conclusive version of Diablo III.
Dark Souls II, in all its epic designs, fittingly concludes in the harshness of winter.
Rocket League delivers all the refinements and improvements befitting a sports sequel, and is a brilliantly boisterous and enthralling game in its own right.
There's beauty in both success and failure in Bloodborne. A one-second lapse in concentration can place you at the receiving end of a fatal combo but if you can maintain a persistent presence of mind, a triple-digit killstreak is not unheard of. Being tested by new foes in these new lands is an unquestionable joy, as is the ability to bring these newfound armaments and treasures into the main game. The Old Hunters is Bloodborne from another time and place, and with more difficult bosses and confounding stories to unravel, it's a fitting complement to the original, gruesome adventure.
EA’s shooter franchise goes back in time to the end of the imperial age with spectacular results in both its single and multiplayer experiences.
From brand-building to a relentless reward system, this fast and friendly driving adventure in Australia has it all.
By adapting the Dark Souls formula to the ways of the bushido, we find Team Ninja at the top of their game.
The sequel to Yoko Taro's cult hit is a beautifully frenetic hack-and-slasher with an engrossing and layered story.
One of the best Final Fantasy games gets the remaster treatment it rightfully deserves.
A dynamic duo from Uncharted's rich cast of colorful characters proves there's life after Nathan Drake.
This remastered trio splendidly captures Studio Liverpool's turn-of-the-decade hover racing renaissance.
Sledgehammer Games superbly takes Activision's marquee shooter franchise back to its boots-on-the-ground roots.
The sequel to Yoko Taro's cult hit is a beautifully frenetic hack-and-slasher with an engrossing and layered story.
Like the modern-day protagonists of the series who adventure through accumulated memories and experiences of their ancestors, Syndicate greatly benefits from the design and development experiences from all the Assassin's Creed games that have come before it.