LEGO Horizon Adventures Review

LEGO Horizon Adventures is the action game equivalent of watching a movie adaptation of a book you love. It hits the major plot points, takes some liberties with characters and events, and wraps everything up with a shiny bow in a more condensed form. Like many Hollywood adaptations, it handles the source material well but never quite reaches the same heights. After spending 21 hours achieving 100% completion, I enjoyed nearly everything about its beautiful world and rich customization options. However, predictable level design and a lack of extra activities beyond the well-paced campaign made it feel like I was building a LEGO set with a few pages missing from the instruction manual.>>>>

Empire of the Ants Review

Empire of the Ants is visually striking. For a moment, you might even believe it’s real macro-lens footage from a nature documentary, thanks to the incredible detail in the environment. Unreal Engine 5 truly delivers here. However, beneath the stunning visuals lies a small-scale real-time strategy game that performs well in multiplayer but falls short in its single-player campaign. I’ll review these two experiences separately, as they’re quite different.>>>>

Super Mario Party Jamboree Review

Super Mario Party Jamboree kicks off with Kamek welcoming players to a bigger, bolder Mario Party, and it doesn’t take long to realize that this confident opening statement isn’t just hype. The latest entry in Nintendo’s 25-year-old dice-rolling, star-swiping series is not only its biggest, but also one of its best. Jamboree is the true sequel to 2021’s Mario Party Superstars that I had been hoping for, and a faithful follow-up to the classic Mario Party games from the Nintendo 64 and GameCube eras.>>>>

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition Review

Has any game released in the last 20 years been more influential than Grand Theft Auto III? From establishing the open-world sandbox formula to reshaping video games into a more mature medium, GTA III‘s legacy still looms large over almost every aspect of the art form. If any game deserved a definitive edition that allowed fans to relive that revolutionary moment without being distracted by outdated graphics, it’s this one. And yet, Rockstar Games—the creator of the GTA series—has decided to honor this modern gaming monolith and its two equally acclaimed PS2-era sequels, Vice City and San Andreas, by releasing a collection of re-releases that cuts more corners than a Diablo stallion in a Liberty City street race.>>>>

Dark Souls 3 Review

If the first Dark Souls depicted a world gracefully drifting toward the apocalypse, Dark Souls 3 shows one spiraling feverishly into it. It’s a fierce, punishing behemoth of a game that dares you to take a step forward, only to knock you back again, and again, and again. Yet, I always felt compelled to return, eager for that familiar thrill of overcoming even the most exacting challenges.>>>>

Saints Row 4: Re-Elected Review

Saints Row IV often feels like the natural progression of what would happen if you activated god-like cheat codes in Saints Row III and went completely wild. With a recycled map, overpowered abilities, and a ridiculous storyline, the game’s appeal lies in its goofy characters, self-aware humor, and an excellent character editor. However, the fun can be fleeting, as the speed at which you zip across the world and the lack of challenge can eventually become tiresome.>>>>

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Review

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a game that makes you feel over-the-top powerful without sacrificing the fear of defeat. It offers great, free-flowing combat and a well-designed open world full of Lord of the Rings lore to explore. But what really makes it stand out is the background system—a dynamic hierarchy of enemies that gives every victory and defeat added weight.>>>>

The Division 2 Review

The Division 2: A Polished Journey with Some Endgame Shortcomings

The Division 2 presents a polished, well-thought-out progression path that keeps you engaged, with at least some fuel left in the tank after the initial journey. It’s great gunplay, rewarding loot, and beautiful world—brimming with reasons to explore—kept me engrossed for the majority of my 70 hours of playtime. However, after the early momentum, I was surprised to find that the challenging endgame content I had been looking forward to in World Tier 4 ended up offering more of the same loot I could find elsewhere, without providing any meaningful new mechanical challenges.>>>>

Sea of Thieves Review (2020)

Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Sandbox Adventure

The ultimate pirate fantasy means something different to everyone. For some, it might mean plundering the vessels of would-be explorers, wreaking havoc across the open sea with your crew. For others, it might be as simple as singing shanties with a pet monkey. Whatever your particular flavor of piracy, Sea of Thieves offers an impressive open-world sandbox that gives you the freedom to do all of that and more, while making even the most mundane moments enjoyable.>>>>

Just Cause 4 Review

After wrapping up around 20 hours of Just Cause 4’s story missions and having plenty of destructive fun blowing up everything in sight, I went back and reread my review of Just Cause 3 from 2015. This, I thought, explains that déjà vu feeling. With a few exceptions, that review covers everything you need to know about Just Cause 4’s strengths.>>>>

Far Cry 5 Review

I’m happy to report that taking down murderous thugs is just as fun in rural America as it is in the Himalayas, and Far Cry 5 is yet another great entry in the open-world series that Ubisoft knows how to have fun with. While it may be playing a familiar tune, the mix of combat, physics, and wildlife systems creates unexpected moments of intense and hilarious action.>>>>

Minecraft Legends Review

A good strategy game is ultimately about choice: deciding which units to create, where to allocate resources, and which strategies to implement. The right decisions lead to victory, while the wrong ones force you to adapt—or risk bitter defeat.>>>>

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Review

Unlike its predecessor, The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt doesn’t exactly hit the ground running. While The Witcher 2 threw you straight into a complex web of intrigue and betrayal, The Witcher 3‘s main quest can sometimes feel slow and even mundane, especially early on. However, the moment I ventured off the beaten path, the game transformed into a thrilling, open-ended fantasy role-playing experience, with plenty of opportunities to engage in its excellent combat system.>>>>

Elden Ring Review

In the 87 hours it took me to beat Elden Ring, I was put through an emotional rollercoaster. There was sorrow from losing hundreds of thousands of EXP to some of the toughest bosses FromSoftware has ever created. There was a lot of anger, especially at certain enemies I absolutely hated. And, of course, there was exhilaration when I finally overcame a battle I’d been stuck on for what felt like an eternity. But more than anything, I was in near-constant awe of the game—its breathtaking vistas, the sheer scope of its enormous world, the harrowing enemies, and the way Elden Ring consistently rewarded my curiosity with interesting encounters, valuable rewards, and often something even greater.>>>>

Baldur's Gate 3 Review

Every once in a long while, a game comes along that is so memorable, exciting, fresh, and well-written that it sets a new standard for an entire genre. Baldur’s Gate 3 is such an achievement for the tabletop role-playing-inspired, swords-and-sorcery adventuring genre that its Bioware-made predecessors helped popularize decades ago. Larian Studios has transformed the world of Dungeons & Dragons’ Forgotten Realms into a beautiful, detailed landscape filled with countless fully realized, powerfully written, and skillfully voiced characters.>>>>

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End Review

In the midst of its frantic combat, slick parkour, and outrageous action choreography, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End achieves something wonderful: maturity. This is less a breezy lad’s tale about fortune and glory and more a story about the lads all grown up, bolstered by an equally advanced graphics engine and career-high performances from its cast. A surprisingly well-crafted set of multiplayer modes adds the finishing touch.>>>>

A Plague Tale: Requiem Review

Like a sugar-crazed child working their way to the bottom of a Halloween bag full of treats, A Plague Tale: Requiem is confident that the elements that made the first game great will be even more delectable in ludicrous quantities.>>>>

Ghostwire: Tokyo Review

Tokyo’s Shibuya district is one of the liveliest places on the planet. Day or night, it’s teeming with people and brimming with energy. Ghostwire: Tokyo offers a radically different perspective on this iconic urban hub—one where a supernatural force has left the streets eerily deserted. It’s a nightmarish vision, but still an incredible recreation of the city. Is this really Shibuya? It feels astonishingly authentic, though with more prominent shrines scattered throughout. This dedication to the setting is complemented by a strong commitment to Japanese folklore and tradition. Unfortunately, the game is let down by bland mission design and one-dimensional combat, making it more enjoyable as a virtual tourist than as a game.>>>>

Hogwarts Legacy Review

Like many, I’ve been waiting for a truly excellent Harry Potter game since I was in third grade. There have been some decent attempts, but none that have fully captured the magic of receiving your Hogwarts admission letter. With Hogwarts Legacy, I’m happy to say that the magic has finally been brought to life.>>>>

The Last of Us Part 1 Review

You almost have to admire the hedonism of looking at The Last of Us Remastered, which still looks impressive eight years later, and saying, “Yeah, that looks pretty good, but we can do better.” There’s little left to be said about the original The Last of Us, a powerful post-apocalyptic blend of stealth, survival, and combat, celebrated for its haunting storytelling and meticulously crafted world. You almost certainly knew that.>>>>

Dying Light 2: Stay Human Review

The surreal tone of Dying Light 2: Stay Human combines a serious end-of-the-world theme with absurd characters and mini-games where you smack zombies off skyscrapers with a cricket bat. It’s bizarre, but somehow, it works remarkably well. This zombie-slaying action game offers a strong post-apocalyptic adventure with top-tier parkour movement, an expansive open world, and plenty of great characters.>>>>

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Single-Player Review

After taking a year off in 2018, Call of Duty‘s single-player campaign makes a strong return with the reboot of the Modern Warfare series. For my money, this is the best campaign the series has seen since Black Ops in 2010. While it stops short of being as provocative and boundary-pushing as it seemed poised to be, it’s still an extremely well-designed first-person shooter that refreshes the formula just enough, offering some cool new ideas and fresh takes on familiar ones.>>>>

Batman Arkham Asylum Review

Few superheroes are as universally recognized and iconic as Batman. Since technology advanced enough to render the pixels and colors needed to depict Gotham City’s masked vigilante taking down street thugs, there has been no shortage of Batman games, movies, and animated series. However, very few media properties—especially movies and video games—have truly captured the essence of what it’s like to be the iconic superhero.>>>>

Rise of The Tomb Raider Review

Rise of the Tomb Raider is the most fun I’ve had with a Lara Croft game since the original in 1996. The story is full of danger and intrigue, the tombs are deviously designed, and I was as awestruck by the expansive, romantic environments as I was as a child playing the first game. While I could have done with a few more puzzles and a few fewer firefights, I thoroughly enjoyed every thrilling moment of it.>>>>

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Review

In this new story, Brainiac, the traditional Superman villain, has hatched an evil plan to take over Earth and remake it in his own image. As part of his scheme, he plans to control the minds of the Justice League members. The Suicide Squad is called in to eliminate the Justice League by any means necessary. What initially seems like a straightforward premise—one fans have seen before—takes an interesting turn halfway through. This shift is largely due to the phenomenal character design and scriptwriting, which bring each member of the cast to life while balancing between being charming and insufferable.>>>>

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Single-Player Review

In five years, when people talk about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, there will be no confusion about which version they’re referring to. Unfortunately, this year’s Modern Warfare 2 campaign falls short, thanks to a lackluster story, botched mechanical innovations, and largely uninspiring mission design. While it remains visually impressive, it fails to live up to the high standards set by both the unforgettable 2009 original and its 2019 predecessor. Despite state-of-the-art gunplay and a few promising moments, the campaign spends too much time echoing the successes of Call of Duty’s past rather than establishing its own identity.>>>>

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Single-Player Campaign Review

Modern Warfare 3 features perhaps the most disappointing Call of Duty campaign I’ve played. It’s shallow, tedious, and feels more like a collection of half-baked cover versions of past missions than a fresh and exciting new chapter. Rather than creating memorable moments of its own, it spends too much time looking back at former glories, wrapped up in a confusing story with little substance.>>>>

Horizon Forbidden West Review

Luckily for you, the savior of Meridian still has a few things to take care of.  Successful sequels build on their predecessors in many ways. Think of titles like Mass Effect 2,  Assassin’s Creed 2, and Uncharted 2. They all enhance what came before by introducing  exciting new gameplay mechanics, developing characters through engaging stories, and varying mission design to provide diversity.>>>>

Ghost of Tsushima Review

Ever since the Assassin’s Creed series began exploring different times and spaces, there has been a persistent desire for an open-world stealth action game set in feudal Japan. That itch has been effectively scratched with Ghost of Tsushima. Sucker Punch’s latest offering is a stunning adventure through one of history’s most beautiful landscapes, featuring an exceptional blade-to-blade combat system that stands out in the genre.>>>>

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - Campaign Review

For a series known for its relentless action, it’s surprising how much time you spend with your weapons holstered in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s single-player campaign—more than in any other game in the franchise’s 17-year history. Whether you’re walking around your safehouse getting to know your covert ops crew or sneaking through KGB headquarters as a Russian double agent, the quieter moments are put to good use.>>>>

Horizon: Zero Dawn Review

There’s something captivating about being dropped into a brand-new game world, where you immediately feel surrounded by deeply crafted lore, hostile creatures, and intriguing mysteries that linger in your mind long after you’ve finished. Horizon Zero Dawn is one of those games. With its flexible combat mechanics and a storyline that tackles unexpectedly profound themes, I found myself hooked even after completing the main campaign, which took me around 40 hours.>>>>

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Review

War is upon us, and Ewa cries out in pain. Short of somehow growing a Na’vi neural braid and jamming it directly into the base of James Cameron’s skull, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is pretty much your best option for taking a virtual tour of the stunning alien moon of Pandora. This open-world shooter offers an expansive slice of the fantastic fictional universe to explore; however, hidden among all that beauty is a disappointing amount of bloat.>>>>

Cyberpunk 2077 PC Review

The quality of an open-world RPG is often not determined solely by the strength of its main story, but rather by the side missions that surround it. With Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt Red has crafted an entire game built on this philosophy. Aside from its surprisingly brief yet utterly compelling central questline, most of what you can do in Night City is entirely optional, yet still incredibly impactful.>>>>

Dead Space Remake Review

Despite the numerous necromorphs, the tortured bodies sprouting from walls, and the terrifyingly towering space sphincter, my biggest fear going into the Dead Space remake was that it wouldn’t live up to my fond memories of the original 2008 game. After spending over 12 hours navigating the revitalized USG Ishimura, I’m relieved to say that this concern was unfounded.>>>>

Red Dead Redemption Review

Rockstar is once again asserting its dominance in the open-world gaming genre. After becoming a household name with the Grand Theft Auto series, the developer has shifted its focus to the Wild West. The result is Red Dead Redemption, a game that is many things but will likely be remembered as a significant leap forward and the best Western to hit the gaming scene yet.>>>>

Mad Max Review

At its core, Mad Max is a game about the death of hope. It explores the struggle to find something to cling to in a bleak world filled with murder and regret, only to watch that hope turn to ash. Yet, this kernel of anguish is buried within an adventure that invites exploration, filled with moments of sheepish smiles and wide-eyed amazement as the explosive, chaotic gameplay of Max’s journey unfolds across the Wasteland.>>>>

Infamous: Second Son Review

Infamous: Second Son represents a significant departure from the comic book roots of its predecessors. While it’s undeniably an open-world superhero action game—and an excellent one at that—it also embraces a weightier, more realistic tone that surprised me as an Infamous fan, but ultimately pays off. The game delivers impressive storytelling and gameplay, even if it doesn’t offer new solutions to the long-standing issues of balancing good and evil choices with meaningful consequences.>>>>

Dying Light Review

Dying Light’s city of Harran, despite being squalid and overrun with zombies, is far from a depressing wasteland. Instead, it offers a vibrant, ambitious open-world playground. Here, buildings are meant to be climbed, the undead can be eliminated in creative ways, and there’s always something intriguing to discover nearby.>>>>

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Review

With Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Insomniac faces the challenging task of following up on two thrilling superhero adventures brimming with excitement and heart. While that might sound like a good problem to have, it raises the question: where do you go from here? The answer is clear: double down. Double down on Spider-Man, the size of the map, and the explosive action sequences. In doing so, the studio has crafted another consistently exhilarating rollercoaster ride and arguably the best story in the series yet. However, when you compare the original to this sequel, it can feel like two Spider-Man games pointing at each other.>>>>

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead Review

For most of us, the biggest consequence of making too much noise might be a scolding “shh” from the moviegoer behind us. But in A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, you’re just one creaky floorboard away from being snuffed out by an alien threat that’s always listening—like a sinister version of Siri.>>>>

Black Myth Wukong PC Review

Black Myth: Wukong is an ambitious action game that combines stunning visuals with a rich cultural backdrop, drawing heavily from the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. While the game offers exhilarating combat and a unique setting, it’s marred by technical issues that can detract from the experience.>>>>

God of War Ragnarök Review

God of War Ragnarok has finally been released for PC and is now available on Steam and Epic Games, much to the delight of gamers who missed it on PS4 or PS5. Today, we’re reviewing the PC port of Ragnarok. When it launched in 2022, we rated it 10 out of 10 on PS5 because the game beautifully portrays Norse mythology and the deep emotional bond between Kratos and Atreus. >>>>

Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 Campaign Review

“Call of Duty: Black Ops 6” reinvigorates the long-running first-person shooter series with a campaign that captures the essence of what has historically made the franchise great while introducing exciting new elements. It tells one of the most engaging stories the series has seen, offering a thrilling blend of variety and impressive scale.>>>>

Assassin Creed Valhalla Review

Like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Origins before it, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla continues the series’ evolution into a full-fledged open-world RPG. However, Ubisoft has reintroduced some of its stealth-action roots, which makes this approach more appealing. Valhalla’s primary focus is on its vast and beautifully rendered recreation of Dark Ages England, a world brought to life with stunning detail that I rarely encounter. It’s a remarkable showcase for the Xbox Series X, running in 4K at nearly 60 frames per second.>>>>

Batman Arkham Origin Review

Batman has always thrived in the shadows, but in Batman: Arkham Origins, he finds it hard to escape the shadow of his own previous games. While it’s as good as Batman: Arkham City in many aspects, it doesn’t surpass it. The game inherits a fantastic combat system but lacks the fresh ideas and polish that made Arkham City and Arkham Asylum exceptional action games.>>>>

Man of Medan Review

I like my decisions to have consequences, and The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan delivers on that front with some strong choices and potential outcomes. Unlike developer Supermassive Games’ biggest horror hit to date, the campy Until Dawn, Man of Medan takes a more serious and brooding approach to horror. It starts off slow, but maintains a welcome sense of dread in its latter half. The meaningful choice-and-consequence system makes a second or even third playthrough enticing—especially when playing online co-op, where you can potentially screw each other over.>>>>