GamesBeat's Reviews
More than anything else, I’m curious to see where the Bethesda audience takes Starfield. Each game from the company has its own dedicated community and I want to see what Starfield’s community will look like in a few months’ or years’ time.
No, it’s no Dark Souls with mechs, but Armored Core VI carves out its own identity.
However, if you’re more used to modern farming sims and want one that will give you more to do on a daily basis, AWL might be too simplistic for you. There’s just not a lot happening in Forgotten Valley. Regardless of your preference, the in-game marriage being pushed within the very first chapter felt way too rushed and forced. If you were hoping to have fun, interesting characters to spend your in-game life with, you’ll again likely be disappointed.
This game doesn’t take itself seriously enough at the end to capture the gravitas of something like Casablanca. But it’s reasonably good at being entertaining with all of the constraints it deals with like a small team and being timely.
Those miniscule grips aside, this is a masterful fighting game experience that excels in all the ways you want it to. It’s another standout from Capcom, which has entered something of a new golden era thanks to its revitalization of Resident Evil and the broadening global appeal of Monster Hunter. Street Fighter 6 is further proof that Capcom is on top of the gaming world these days.
I wish I could say that Dead Island 2 came out a big winner after such a long development cycle. But it’s not Game of the Year material. It’s not even what I would call a great zombie game — there are many that do story or even gameplay better. But Dead Island 2 is solid. It is competent, and it is fun. If you want some uncomplicated zombie-slaying antics in a beautiful setting, Dead Island 2 will scratch that itch. But I don’t expect anyone to still be talking about it this time next year.
There is a chance that fans of the original won’t take to this altered version well, and some of the elements in the above section do keep it from being a perfect experience. Even leaving aside the fact that it’s a remake, it’s still a solid game overall, and it’ll give joy for new players who experience this refreshed and renewed Resident Evil 4.
The main issue I have with OT2 is in its similarities to its predecessor. It’s a fun and excellent example of the genre, but doesn’t really stretch beyond it. I suppose there are worse sins a game can commit than just not feeling much different from its great predecessor. Still, if Octopath Traveler wasn’t your thing, Octopath Traveler II likely won’t be, either.
As I noted in an earlier preview, whether I was fighting against humans or the computer AI, I never got the sense that war was too easy and my opponent was too easy to be. And so there was always a cost to fighting, and that’s the way it should be.
It’s a great example of when you start with a clean slate, improve all of the graphics and game systems, and then wind up with a much better product than the original. This remake of a classic goes to show why video games just get better with the passage of time.
I’ll come back here and rate the game once I’ve finished the last chapter. However, I’m not convinced that it’s going to become any more magical and entertaining than it is now. It’s a shame, because the game starts from a good place: A new fantasy IP with a take-no-prisoners female protagonist. And I can tell that a lot of the people who worked on the game were sincerely trying. But I can also tell that several others very much were not.
I hope there’s a horror game or Dead Space fan out there who gets more out of this game than I did. As it stands, I can’t really recommend it. I feel it would probably disappoint both the horror game aficionado and the Dead Space fan. I know I walked away from it feeling unfulfilled.
But these issues didn’t really impair my enjoyment of the game. It would take a lot more than this for me to not have fun with a Bayonetta game. I think they’re worth remarking on, especially if Platinum is planning to continue the series. I’m not sure Bayonetta 3 will ever feel as special to me as the original was, but it’s still wonderful in its own way. I’m glad to have it after such a long wait.
Overall, however, I’m impressed with Sonic Frontiers. If I put my nostalgia-tinted glasses aside when it comes to my affection for the Adventure games, I feel pretty comfortable calling this Sonic’s best 3D effort. I hope Sega continues using and refining this open world formula. Who knows, we might even get two good 3D Sonic games in a row if they do.
The story of God of War Ragnarök may not be as straightforward as it was in God of War, but that’s to its credit. It’s messy and complicated, but that makes the emotional payoff all the better. The gameplay remains largely unchanged, which unfortunately does lose it some points with me, but it does feel enjoyable when the player can settle into a rhythm. God of War Ragnarök is an exceptionally good game, and if you loved the last one, you’ll almost certainly love this one too.
I can’t predict if it will outsell Modern Warfare 2019, but it is off to a winning start. For sure, it is running fast out of the gate, and it’s going to get a big boost from the free-to-play Warzone 2 release in 15 days, as Warzone serves as a kind of gateway drug for the full title. I do think this game will have longer staying power with its multiplayer combat, so long as the stats and other new maps arrive in time.
Perhaps there’s a DC fan out there who really wants to see villains like Clayface and the Court of Owls in a game and who might get more of this experience than I did. But I think everyone else can safely skip Gotham Knights.
I can’t score this one yet, as I haven’t finished it. But if you’re looking for a basic recommendation, consider it given.
There’s nothing wrong with paying a high price to gild the lily – but there’s nothing wrong with not wanting to do so, either. I think The Last of Us Part 1 will make a great addition to the casual TLOU fan’s library when it inevitably goes on sale, and maybe the PC players when it launches on that platform as well.
A great selection of games make this a strong collection, and I also appreciate the accoutrements that Digital Eclipse has thrown into the package. If you’re a beat-’em-up or a TMNT fan, The Cowabunga Collection is going to offer a lot of fun for you and your friends.