Games Reviews

“Star Wars Outlaws feels like the culmination of the Ubisoft open-world formula, delivering a fun sci-fi romp that is only occasionally hindered by frustrating stealth sequences and janky enemy AI.”

“Breath of the Wild is a defining moment for The Legend of Zelda series, and the most impressive game Nintendo has ever created.”

“Elden Ring is a comprehensive and complete distillation of everything that makes FromSoftware's games special.”

“Cyberpunk 2077 is enormous, ambitious, and a mess in ways both fascinating and frustrating.”

“Skyward Sword is the greatest Zelda game ever created.”

“It’s a bit of a shame, though, because after that, none of the other cases ever reach the same high, despite some great moments.”

“By the time my 80 hours with Metaphor came to a close, I felt lighter–younger, too.”

“Monetization is everywhere, and it’s affecting gameplay.”

“Combat is easily the worst part of Dragon Quest Treasures, and it's an unavoidable part of exploration and progression.”

“Sure, some of the jokes don’t land, and the ramblings of the gun in my hand can sometimes go on too long, but it’s clear in every attempt that the development team was having fun making High On Life.”

“The best parts of the experience are drowned out in the dreadful static of Oxenfree II’s unmemorable companion and irritating secondary antagonist.”

“Marvel Rivals expands on familiar ideas in smart ways and has a visually striking and distinct art style … add in that it’s a fun multiplayer experience and it makes it far more than just another also-ran hero shooter clone.”

“Another glitch also soft-locked me during the finale, preventing me from ending a conflict with the incredible persuasive speaking chops Liza had honed over the playthrough.”

“One Piece Odyssey unfortunately offers little more than a very basic RPG adventure.”

“Lord of Hatred offers both a spectacular conclusion to the Hatred Saga and plenty of changes that grant it greater longevity than ever before, including two powerhouse classes, plenty of improvements, and strong endgame content.”

“Crash Team Rumble is a fun and surprisingly tactical PvP game, albeit sometimes held back by oft-seen growing pains of games-as-a-service.”

“For this review, I played the first two-thirds of the game with other people, choosing the arcanist.”

“I can't overstate how magical and seamless the transition feels between the two realities.”

“Dragon Age: Inquisition is a fantasy game. That word—fantasy—is a sort of shorthand, with a bunch of connotations.”

“[Editor’s note: This review encompasses episodes one, two, and three of The Expanse: A Telltale Series]”

“And as much fun as it was in handheld, I struggled with playing Rhythm Heaven Groove on my TV.”

“Lost Records captures this phenomenon stunningly, yet doesn’t settle for being a game merely driven entirely by nostalgia or reminders of what it felt like to be young in the ’90s.”

“Having now played Resynced, I don’t think it is better. That still means Resynced is pretty good.”

“While I don’t play it myself, it is also worth mentioning that My Ultimate Team (MUT) EA Sports College Football 25 has been added in.”

“Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora features a stunning alien world to explore, but doesn't contain as many genuine surprises as other modern open-worlds.”

“The long-awaited fourth entry in BioWare's fantasy series isn't just good, it's some of the studio's best work.”

“I've been playing Shattered Space all week and have a lot of thoughts but will hold them until my review is published. TL;DR: it's complicated.”

“Sonic Frontiers is an ambitious open-world adventure that mostly succeeds at mixing up the Sonic formula, even when some of its ideas fall flat.”

“A gorgeous, entertaining, and successful proof of concept for what lies ahead for the series, though it isn't what I'd call revolutionary.”

“The Callisto Protocol is a gorgeous and horrifying sci-fi survival horror game that's let down by its overly simple and repetitive combat.”

“The Callisto Protocol is a gorgeous and horrifying sci-fi survival horror game that's let down by its overly simple and repetitive combat.”

“The Order: 1886 emphasizes its cinematic polish at the crippling cost of gameplay freedom.”

“The latest game from the minds behind the Persona series has a lot to say, and it does so in a way that's refreshingly full-throated and without a modicum of subtlety.”

“Resident Evil Requiem is not just a victory lap for Capcom's survival horror dynasty; it is a chainsaw-revving, blood-soaked testament to why we love getting scared stupid.”

“The story has incredible moments between Naoe and fellow protagonist Yasuke but largely feels listless during its muddled second act.”

“To its detriment, Borderlands 4 feels like a direct response to Borderlands 3.”

“It's messy. It's weird. I'll never forget the ending.”

“It has issues, but Monster Hunter Wilds iterates on a winning formula with another captivating collection of monsters to slay.”

“References and concepts from Journey to the West and other Chinese mythology frequently flew over my head, so I found it difficult to invest in both the broader picture and its more intimate yarns.”

“However, those peaks are also met with dated design conventions that stick out like sore thumbs, making for some noticeable lulls in the 50-plus hours I spent with the game.”

“Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to try any of the pre-release online multiplayer sessions, so I’ll have to reserve my judgments on that aspect until I can try it in a live environment.”

“Death Stranding delivers a fascinating world of supernatural sci-fi, but its gameplay struggles to support its weight.”

“Avowed doesn't owe you a straightforward power fantasy, but it is woefully balanced currently, to the point of persistent frustration.”

“Elden Ring reaches new heights, but spends too much time in familiar FromSoftware territory.”

“Mortal Kombat 1 mostly accomplishes this goal through fun new mechanics and an unpredictable storyline, but the overall package lacks the depth needed to make this a masterpiece.”

“The Last of Us Part I is more than the sum of its parts. It’s an unrelenting tour de force that strategically leverages the power of the PlayStation 5 to push its story and themes a little further.”

“The short answer is yes, things have indeed been shaken up. The longer answer is, well, the rest of this review.”

“If the mainline Horizon games are light RPGs, Lego Horizon is Baby’s First RPG.”

“A 007 game can’t just be a Hitman game with different hair.”

“Cyberpunk 2077 kicks you into its beautiful and dazzlingly dense cityscape with few restrictions.”

“Wild Bastards is unholstered brilliance.”

“A refreshing loot shooter, even if it doesn't play to Arkane's strengths.”

“I don't really have any asterisks to put on my love for Mina the Hollower: it's fun, it's full, it's mysterious, nice to look at, and very nice to listen to”

“When Endwalker soars, it leaps up into the heavens to deliver incredible, startling fights that feel truly exhilarating.”

“In almost every way, Hogwarts Legacy is the Harry Potter RPG I’ve always wanted to play.”

“DICE has made almost exactly the Star Wars multiplayer shooter I’ve always wanted.”

“There is no game series out there that means more to me than Virtua Fighter.”

“The remake of Silent Hill 2 is a restless dream come true.”

“The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, however, is a game that does none of these things.”

“I spent around 15 hours with Forgotten Land–mostly just completing the mainline and Treasure Road missions–and am currently at 80% completion.”

“Prey is a game of remarkably contrasting experiences.”

“Baldur’s Gate 3 is proof that Larian Studios knows how to capture that spirit and develop in pursuit of that feeling.”

“Too much water”

“These are the moments that keep me coming back to Marathon.”

“God Hand is a game that will leave you wondering just what the hell Clover was thinking.”

“Rebirth was an invitation to rethink and reconsider a game I’ve loved dearly for decades.”

“Some nice characters and stories nested in an astounding open world, undercut by jarring bugs at every turn.”

“It took me more than 20 hours with Pikmin 4 before I identified that the sensation it evoked was the same as that of completing my to-do list.”

“The best thing Bethesda's done since Oblivion”

“It’s said that the game is remastered, though I can’t see how. Every inch of it looks identical, not just to my spotty memory, but also when I compare it to gameplay videos online.”

“Starfield has a lot of forces working against it, but eventually the allure of its expansive roleplaying quests and respectable combat make its gravitational pull difficult to resist.”

“Alien: Isolation is a good game in need of a good editor.”

“For the last six hours or so of People of Note, combat just plateaus.”

“Bottom line: Elden Ring is FromSoftware’s largest and most ambitious game yet, and that ambition has more than paid off.”

“It’s widely lauded as one of the best games of all time and one of the few to get a 10 from IGN.”

“Okay, just one more run.”

“Anthem looks beautiful and is anchored by exciting combat, but its potential is hamstrung by repetitive missions and a half-baked endgame.”

“No Man's Sky is a game of pure exploration that delivers on its most important promise.”

“Red Dead Redemption 2 can feel like a second job at times, one that constantly demands your attention with tasks mundane and mechanical.”

“Red Dead Redemption 2 can feel like a second job at times, one that constantly demands your attention with tasks mundane and mechanical.”

“A damn good third-person shooter tarnished by bland missions and live-service shenanigans.”

“The Veilguard feels like a return to form for BioWare but issues keep it from being great.”

“Madden NFL 24 is the most authentic and responsive Madden has felt in years, with improvements that fans of the franchise will immediately feel.”

“Crystal Dynamics has crafted a campaign that genuinely feels like a great Marvel adventure.”

“While undercooked presentation and visual issues hold the games back, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are still the best mainline Pokemon games in years.”

“A bold shift to action and a stirring fantasy tale make this the best Final Fantasy in ages.”

“It becomes an examination of the meaning of life in a way that's more valuable than all the gold or starships in its virtual galaxy.”

“The Phantom Pain is a phenomenal achievement in open-world design and the most polished Metal Gear game ever made.”

“Watch Dogs is something special, even if it doesn't always live up to its own ambition.”

“Overwatch is a brilliant, rewarding shooter built on a strong, flexible foundation.”

“Concord is a damn fine shooter.”

“Bayonetta is so frequently played by the camera as a sexual object — framed by the camera and the player at every opportunity in ways the male combatants of Bayonetta 2 will never be.”

“SimCity is a masterwork of design restraint, a focused, gorgeous, brilliantly entertaining game.”

“Cyberpunk 2077 is an extraordinary thing — broken in so many ways, but strangely beautiful, funny, and utterly fascinating.”

“Cyberpunk 2077 is an extraordinary thing — broken in so many ways, but strangely beautiful, funny, and utterly fascinating.”

“Skull and Bones has enough going for it to carve out a niche, even if it falls well short of the high seas adventure it once promised.”

“I realized that I had been tricked into playing another goddamn survival crafting game that wanted me to punch trees and mine stone for a few hours before it got fun.”

“A campaign that punches well above its weight, even if the live service grind that follows is repetitive.”

“Although some specialists can feel a bit useless at times, tweaks to the formula with Battlefield 2042 add a lot of interesting gameplay variety.”

“Halo Infinite's campaign is a confident, fun return to form for the series.”

“Gotham Knights is a satisfying action RPG with rich character work and a genuinely entertaining co-op experience that Batman fans will find worth their time.”

“Forspoken is a game of spectacular highs and frustrating lows, but its parkour combat is one of the freshest things I've played in years.”

“Gotham Knights is a satisfying action RPG with rich character work and a genuinely entertaining co-op experience that Batman fans will find worth their time.”

“The side quests and the characters they showcase are the shining beacon through the neon-soaked bleakness of Night City, and they give you room to explore the best the core RPG mechanics have to offer.”

“Starfield is an enormous, dense RPG that manages to feel like home even as it reaches for the stars.”

“Diablo Immortal is a surprisingly solid mobile translation of the Diablo formula, even if its aggressive monetization system threatens to overshadow everything it does well.”

“Overwatch 2 is a shooter that feels refreshed and exciting in ways the original stopped being years ago.”

“Concord manages to carve out its own identity in the crowded hero shooter space, with a surprisingly deep roster that rewards mastery.”

“Concord manages to carve out its own identity in the crowded hero shooter space, with a surprisingly deep roster that rewards mastery.”

“Mass Effect: Andromeda is a great-looking and frequently fun game that proves the franchise still has a future, even if this first entry stumbles a few times on the way.”

“Mass Effect: Andromeda is a great-looking and frequently fun game that proves the franchise still has a future, even if this first entry stumbles a few times on the way.”

“Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is at its best when you can ignore its live-service ambitions.”

“Sword and Shield represent the next step for Pokémon on Switch, with a charming new region, great new Pokémon, and the most welcoming entry in the series yet.”

“Mass Effect Andromeda is a messy, uneven but ultimately worthwhile role-playing adventure.”

“Mass Effect Andromeda is a messy, uneven but ultimately worthwhile role-playing adventure.”

“Anthem is a beautiful world let down by a shallow mission structure, but its fluid flight and satisfying combat make it worth exploring.”

“Redfall is rough around the edges and clearly unfinished in places, but its co-op fundamentals offer glimpses of something worthwhile underneath the performance problems.”

“No Man's Sky is fun, beautiful, and mind-bogglingly massive.”

“Halo Infinite transforms the series' two-decade-old formula for the better, giving protagonist Master Chief more characterization and implementing an open world.”

“Exhilarating movement mechanics I've played with since inFamous Second Son.”

“id Software did a pretty great job making something that feels familiar and fresh, and most importantly, fun.”

“Immortals of Aveum is an impressively confident first-person shooter with a hearty solo campaign and fast-paced, spellcasting combat that's spectacular to watch.”

“There's too much water.”

“Kane & Lynch: Dead Men has a lot of promise, but nothing in this game works out nearly as well as you'd hope.”

“This is not a review. I want to be upfront about that from the start. Kotaku was not provided with review code by the publisher.”

“Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a triumphant return to form for BioWare, with one of the best combat systems in the genre and companions you'll genuinely care about.”

“Star Wars Outlaws delivers a fun and surprisingly grounded Star Wars adventure, even if its core systems often feel like they're playing it safe.”

“Persona 5 is held back by some of its more questionable depictions of female and queer characters.”

“Cyberpunk 2077 is a masterpiece, an opus, a tour-de-force shooter and RPG hybrid that will absorb you for hundreds of hours.”

“Skull and Bones eventually finds its footing as a satisfying pirate fantasy, but its rough waters keep it from setting sail with the rest of Ubisoft's best.”

“Starfield is an expansive space opera for the ages.”

“A masterpiece of design and imagination.”

“Diablo IV is, without a doubt, the best Diablo game Blizzard has ever made.”

“Despite the technical issues, Scarlet and Violet are a bold new direction for the franchise.”

“Given that its developers have already laid out plans to significantly overhaul the game over the coming months, I'm cautiously optimistic about Anthem's future.”

“I genuinely wanted to like this game, and there were moments that enchanted me.”

“An RPG of massive scope that sometimes struggles under the weight of its own ambition.”

“Days Gone doesn't do enough to make its open world stand out from the crowd.”

“Battlefield 2042 is a blast when everything clicks. The problem is how often it doesn't.”

“Evolve is the most intensely satisfying multiplayer experience I've had in years.”

“God Hand is not so much a step back for the genre as it is a step back for games in general.”

“Marvel's Avengers is a fun game caught between cool campaign moments and a not-yet-proven live service.”

“The Last of Us Part II is a masterpiece.”

“CD Projekt Red has created one of the most detailed and absorbing open-world RPGs of the generation.”

“Concord isn't the most innovative or content-heavy hero shooter you could play, but with such fantastic competitive gameplay, 16 compelling characters to master, and 12 well-designed maps, it's got the makings of something that could go the distance.”

“Death Stranding delivers a fascinating world of supernatural sci-fi, but its gameplay struggles to support its weight.”

“It's a game of dichotomies, one that's beautiful yet flat, enjoyable yet frustrating, vast yet shallow.”

“Walking through Mos Eisley and seeing hundreds of aliens milling around made me feel like I had just been transported into a scene from the movies.”

“The deliberate sexualization and objectification on display serves as a jarring distraction from the creativity and design smarts elsewhere.”

“The visuals are truly stunning, but Game Science's breakout blockbuster undermines its own efforts at epic storytelling and exhilarating combat.”

“Hades II is a competent roguelike that struggles to escape the shadow of its predecessor despite its expanded scope.”

“Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has fun moment-to-moment action dragged down by its live-service design.”

“The future might be bleak, but Marathon fucking rules.”

“Dragon's Dogma 2 is a captivating action RPG full of surprises.”

“It kind of just feels like another Resident Evil game.”

“Alan Wake 2 is a bold, beautiful, and terrifying triumph.”

“An incredibly creative and often funny FPS held back by wonky combat and glitches.”

“This really is the best-playing Souls-like around.”

“Code Vein II emerges as a comfy mix between a Soulslike and a JRPG that makes for a satisfying entry point for folks who want to dip their toes into both genres.”

“Baldur's Gate 3 is a new high point for CRPGs and one of the best RPGs I've ever played.”

“Pokemon Legends: Z-A reimagines Lumiose City with impressive scale, though its streamlined approach may leave some trainers wanting more.”

“Marvel's Spider-Man 2 builds on an excellent foundation to deliver one of the best superhero games ever.”

“It is, essentially, more Breath of the Wild, but with the additions and changes made here it becomes something meaningfully new.”

“Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are Pokemon at their Pokemon-est, with an impressive open world full of Pokemon to catch.”

“Final Fantasy 16 takes the series in an exciting and unexpected direction.”

“Street Fighter 6 is an incredible fighting game that's absolutely bursting with content and style.”

“Mighty Top Critic Average: 96. 99% of critics recommend.”

“Mortal Kombat 1 is a strong start for the rebooted timeline.”

“Assassin's Creed Mirage is a triumphant return to the series' stealthy roots in a gorgeous but compact open world.”

“Diablo 4 is close to being the best in class of the action-RPG genre.”

“God of War Ragnarok is everything I could have hoped for and more. It's a masterfully told story.”

“A pure remake that updates graphics and controls without altering the core, making experimentation fun through survival mechanics.”

“No Man's Sky is a shallow, repetitive experience that never lives up to its astronomical ambitions.”

“The Last of Us Part II is a game that wrestles with the ugliness of human nature in a way that's both affecting and uncomfortable.”

“EA Sports FC 25 refines the beautiful game with meaningful improvements to tactics and a refreshed Rush mode.”

“There's no doubting the craft on display, or the immersive sense of presence this game has.”

“Shadow of the Erdtree is a worthy expansion that lives up to the legacy of the base game.”

“Hogwarts Legacy is an excellent RPG that makes exploring the magical world feel enchanting.”

“Starfield is a massive game with a wealth of content.”

“Everything in the expansion is stronger and more deadly than anything you've met in Elden Ring.”

“Cyberpunk 2077 is dark and disturbing at times, but always exciting and entertaining.”

“Starfield is a massive game that occasionally struggles under the weight of its own ambition.”

“Stardew Valley's 1.6 update is a love letter from ConcernedApe to the community.”

“Modern Warfare 3 feels like a missed opportunity that nonetheless still delivers the core Call of Duty experience.”

“Dragon's Dogma 2 is a game that practically begs you to get lost in its world.”