Shadow of the Colossus

Shadow of the Colossus

I'll most definitely be approaching this review with a very unpopular opinion; I didn't care for the original Shadow of the Colossus. For the efforts made by Team ICO, the title sharing their very namesake; ICO, was a vastly superior game, in my opinion.

Frantics

Frantics

When you mention that a game contains a feature-set of colorful characters and a selection of mini-games, one can't help but think of Mario Party, Nintendo's juggernaut party franchise. While Jack Box Party Games has been doing its own thing quite well for the past few years, you can't help but look to compare a game like Frantics to that of Mario Party.

Celeste

Celeste

Celeste is a game that has recently been the talk of the industry as well as a game so good that my co-workers can't stop talking about it. It's been thrown around as being one of the best games ever made to being that specific person's all-time favorite game.

Bravo Team

Bravo Team

SuperMassive Games was a studio that put themselves on the map with Until Dawn, a choose your own adventure title with a few celebrity-faced teens trapped on a mountain with a deranged killer. It was an extremely fun game that saw the studio create a few spin-offs and even another choice based adventure in Hidden Agenda.

Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Bonus Episode: Farewell

Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Bonus Episode: Farewell

The original Life is Strange is one of my favorite games of all time. It was an episodic game that I played non-stop and sat through both endings, one of which had me taking a 40-minute break from the game as I was beyond teary-eyed and wasn't in the headspace to press that button.

Bayonetta 2

Bayonetta 2

The original Bayonetta was a fast-paced action game built around outrageous angelic character designs, fluid combat, and its sexuality driven protagonist, the titular character herself, Bayonetta. While it followed in the footsteps of what made the Devil May Cry series so popular, the game found its own voice and rhythm.

Metal Gear Survive

Metal Gear Survive

Metal Gear Survive was never going to win over most gamers. From its announcement, the game was fighting a losing battle, one it had zero chance of winning. The damage done to Konami's image and legacy was tarnished with how it handled Metal Gear creator, Hideo Kojima's exit and departure from the studio.

Bayonetta

Bayonetta

Bayonetta and all her over-sexualized poses and winks to the camera have finally found their way to the Nintendo Switch. While the game originally released on the Xbox 360 and PS3 way back in 2009, and then again on the WiiU some five years later.

Owlboy

Owlboy

Being a console gamer, I missed the original release of Owlboy on PC, a game nearly a decade in development and receiving a ton of positive praise and industry recognition. The game has finally made its way to a home console with the Nintendo Switch and frankly, I don't see what all the fuss was about.

Dragon Ball FighterZ

Dragon Ball FighterZ

I've only ever been a casual fan of the Dragon Ball anime and never once read any of the manga pertaining to the long-running series. It's never been a franchise that sparked my interest to any large degree yet I've almost always checked out the story-based games like the Xenoverse series and even as far back as Dragon Ball Z: Sagas.

Monster Hunter World

Monster Hunter World

There are few gaming franchises that remain strong over the course of a decade, let alone that of fourteen years. Since 2004, Capcom has created a series that has built up a passionate fan base over the course of over a dozen titles, spanning multiple consoles, handhelds, and iOS ports.

Lego Marvel Superheroes 2

Lego Marvel Superheroes 2

If there is one gaming franchise that keeps showing up to the party with the same ol' tricks, it is most definitely that of the licensed LEGO games. We've seen the brand tackle the Pirates of Caribbean, Batman, Jurassic Park, The Lord of the Rings, and many more lucrative properties through its LEGO Dimensions toys-to-life title.

The Inpatient

The Inpatient

While you wouldn't know it by its title, The Inpatient serves as a VR prequel to 2015's Until Dawn. While your enjoyment of the title isn't fully dependent on having played the original, the backstory and lore built around the game is marginally enhanced if you have.

Crawl

Crawl

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch is an extremely fun and enjoyable multiplayer experience. It's a game that you can jump into and almost immediately understand how to play. The pickup and portable nature of the Switch make it an obvious choice when you want to entertain a small group of friends or family.

Brawlout

Brawlout

While fans wait patiently for a Smash Bros title to hit the almost year old Nintendo Switch, Angry Mob Games have in the meanwhile created Brawlout, a title that may look the part and possibly get you a bit of a Smash Bros fix, but it sadly falls short of replicating what truly made the Smash series shine.

Accounting+

Accounting+

When you combine the talents of William Pugh, who worked on The Stanley Parable, and Justin Roiland, who is the co-creator of the widely popular and cult-followed Rick and Morty, you were bound to get something quite odd, yet still very intriguing.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

There were several moments during my 107 hours with Xenoblade Chronicles 2 where I had a love-hate relationship with the game. While the characters, its story, and the gorgeous locations drew me in, the objective marker system, its mixing of high and low-level enemies, and its awful Gacha system for unlocking Blades did everything it could to pull me out of it.

Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Ep 3: Hell is Empty

Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Ep 3: Hell is Empty

The original Life is Strange is a favorite game of mine. The characters, the story, the time travel gimmick, each of these are highlights of the series for me. Chloe Price was hands down my favorite character and when talk of a prequel about her and Rachel Amber was announced, I was really excited.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Hellblade is an experience. It is also a discussion about mental health, a subject often considered taboo in many forms of entertainment, let alone one being addressed through a video game. While characters with mental health issues do exist in the industry, they are rarely ever positioned as the main protagonist.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild DLC - The Champions' Ballad

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild DLC - The Champions' Ballad

While Breath of the Wild isn't my Game of the Year or even in the top three, It is still an absolutely incredible game. The original Legend of Zelda became the roadmap for the adventure genre for decades and still continues to inspire countless game designers on a daily basis.