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OpinionImpressionsHitman 2‘s New Bank Level Is Small And Tense
Hitman 2’s first expansion, a bank location with a mission called The Golden Handshake, launched today. I spent about an hour wandering around the bank, overflowing sinks, throwing crowbars at people, and being a general nuisance. As always, a first run through a Hitman level feels like just a taste of what’s on offer, and…
By Riley MacLeod Published June 25, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsSuper Neptunia RPG Is Cute But Shallow, Which Is Exactly What I Wanted
While Idea Factory’s Hyperdimension Neptunia began in 2010 as a 3D turn-based role-playing game, spin-off titles have reimagined the series as a turn-based tactics game, a co-op beat-em up, a faux MMORPG and even a retro side-scrolling shooter. The latest spin-off, Super Neptunia RPG, traps the series’ CPU goddesses in a 2D platforming realm, where…
By Mike Fahey Published June 21, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsCrash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled Is A Whole Lot Of Game (With A Whole Lot Of Loading)
1999’s Crash Team Racing for the original PlayStation is a kart racing masterpiece, equal parts challenging and charming. Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled for the PlayStation 4, Switch, and Xbox One is essentially the same game with a ton of extra content, lush modern graphics, and a bonus old-school throwback—really long loading times. As Vicarious Visions…
By Mike Fahey Published June 21, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsNew Fan Mode Brings The Silliness Of Prop Hunt To Fortnite
Fortnite’s latest Creative mode, Prop Hunt, pits two teams of players against each other. One team disguises themselves as objects around the level, and the other team has to discover and eliminate them. It’s a little basic, but it’s fun. Originating in the sandbox physics game Garry’s Mod, and having shown up in other games…
By Riley MacLeod Published June 20, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsRhythm Games Don’t Get Much Simpler And Sweeter Than Muse Dash
Rhythm games can be pretty complicated, twisting players’ fingers into knots as they try to keep track of four to six lanes, each delivering a brutal barrage of notes. PeroPeroGames’ Muse Dash has all the quirk and charm of a DJMax or Superbeat: Xonic, but it controls with just two buttons. Already a hit on…
By Mike Fahey Published June 19, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsForza Horizon 4’s Lego Expansion Is Gleefully Absurd
Lego is awesome. Driving the super realistic vehicles of Forza Horizon 4 is awesome. Driving the super realistic vehicles of Forza Horizon 4 through a brick-dotted landscape in the game’s Lego Speed Champions expansion increases the awesomeness exponentially. A couple of years back there was a Hot Wheels expansion pack for Forza Horizon 3. It…
By Mike Fahey Published June 13, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsAn RPG Where You Solve Puzzles By Bending Time
Cris Tales is a JRPG-inspired game that was announced on Monday during the E3 2019 PC Gaming Show. After spending some time with its free demo, I’m excited to see what’s next. Coming to consoles and PC in 2020, Cris Tales stars a young girl named Crisbell, a resident of an orphanage who discovers she’s…
By Riley MacLeod Published June 13, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsBorderlands 2’s Final Free DLC Is A Whole Lot
When I heard last week that Borderlands 2 was gettingfree downloadable contentbridging the gap between the previous game and the upcoming Borderlands 3, I pictured a short, sweet and simple send-off. Commander Lilith and the Fight For Sanctuary is an hours long adventure packed with new enemies, missions and equipment. It is pretty sweet, though.…
By Mike Fahey Published June 12, 2019 -
OpinionIn Don’t Wake The Night, You Have The Power Of A God Without The Omniscience
Video games tend to give players tons of control and information, allowing them to tackle dangerous enemies or change where stories go next. Don’t Wake the Night is a new indie game that opts for something different. Playing the role of a detached spirit, you mostly observe and listen, unraveling character backgrounds and relationships before…
By Heather Alexandra Published June 6, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsNew Switch Game Is Like Symphony Of The Night With JRPG Graphics
Timespinner is a game that’s trying really hard to be Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. It’s got the platforming, the inventory, the experience points and all sorts of artifacts that give main character Lunais new paths to explore. It’s the most Symphony of the Night game I’ve played that wasn’t actually Symphony of the Night.…
By Mike Fahey Published June 6, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsNew Game From Rick & Morty‘s Co-Creator Isn’t As Funny As I Hoped
Trover Saves the Universe is my favorite sort of virtual reality game. It’s bright, colorful and weird. It stars me, as a silent seated presence, guiding titular hero Trover in third-person. It can even be played without a virtual reality headset. These are features I like. I also like the crass, stammering humor of Rick…
By Mike Fahey Published June 4, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsVoid Bastards Is Good But Getting A Bit Repetitive
I fell in love with Void Bastards before I even played a moment of it. The art style just instantly clicked with me in a way that rarely happens. I didn’t even know what kind of game it was until I started playing it earlier this week. It turns out this beautiful and stylish game…
By Zack Zwiezen Published June 1, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsCrystal Crisis Is The Sequel Puzzle Fighter Fans Deserve
In 1996 Capcom released Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, a competitive puzzle game featuring chibi versions of Street Fighter and Darkstalkers characters. The closest Capcom’s gotten to making a sequel is a failed free-to-play mobile game. It’s cool, though. Indie developer Nicalis just released Crystal Crisis, and it’s all current-gen gem-fighting fans could possibly need.…
By Mike Fahey Published May 30, 2019 -
OpinionThe Fastest Damn Racing Game I’ve Ever Played
When I was young, I remember being enraptured by the stark vector graphics of tank-shooter Battlezone. The green hues and blocky shapes approximated explosive combat that couldn’t quite be rendered in high fidelity. Byte Driver, a new indie racing game, embraces that aesthetic and adds some 1980s flair to create one of the fastest and…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 30, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsConan Unconquered Is A Real Time Strategy Game Without Any Fresh Ideas Of Its Own
If you were to ask Conan Unconquered, “What is best in life?” it might say back “To effectively manage your resources, build big walls, and hear the lamentations of your enemies when they see there’s another wall right behind the first big wall.” Conan Unconquered is a new real-time strategy game that came out on…
By Ethan Gach Published May 30, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsNew Pet Sim For Switch Is No Nintendogs But It’s Still Better Than My Real Dog
This is Pootie, my Shiba Inu from Little Friends: Dogs & Cats, which is out this week for Nintendo Switch. He’s not the best frisbee catcher in the world and often misbehaves during walkies, but I still like him better than my actual, real-life dog, and not just because he has no butthole. Despite how…
By Mike Fahey Published May 29, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsAmerican Fugitive Is A Small Town Version Of GTA
I was driving fast in a ugly sedan. The police were chasing me and I was trying to lose them. I had robbed a home and got caught in the process. Now the cops were hot on my trail. I flipped a corner and they lost me. I quickly jumped out of my car, hopped…
By Zack Zwiezen Published May 27, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsAssassin’s Creed VR ‘Escape Room’ Is More Spectacle Than Puzzle
Ubisoft has a new “VR escape room” set in the world of Assassin’s Creed that you can play at over 100 different locations around the world. It’s fun, but despite its stated ties to “escape rooms,” Beyond Medusa’s Gate is more of an hourlong VR action game than a cooperative brain teaser. The first of…
By Chris Kohler Published May 22, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsMario Kart Tour Is Pretty Good When It’s Not Nickel And Diming You
The Mario Kart Tour beta is now live for Android users in the United States. I’ve had some time to check out how Nintendo’s upcoming free-to-play mobile game adapts the beloved kart racing series for smartphones. The answer is a mostly faithful but stripped-down recreation of Mario Kart decked out with all the microtransactions and…
By Ethan Gach Published May 22, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsNowhere Prophet Is A Deck-Building Roguelike Where Losing Your Cards Matters
Nowhere Prophet has a fascinating mix of card game mechanics and choose-your-own-adventure strategizing, with a crisp art style and a straightforward interface that makes it a breeze to play. While it’s still too early in development to know if it will end up being as deep as the great indie games it draws inspiration from,…
By Ethan Gach Published May 21, 2019