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FBC: Firebreak ReviewA compelling co-op shooter that doesn’t have the depth to keep things interesting long-term.

IGN PC ReviewsJun 27

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Switch 2 Review - More To Chewtle OnSwitch 2 Version Update: With the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have received a much-needed performance boost. The free update adds 4K visuals while docked and a rock-solid 60 frames per second for both docked and handheld play. After several hours of testing, I've found both Scarlet and Violet run and play significantly better. On the original Switch, a stormy Casseroya Lake in the northwestern part of Paldea was particularly taxing--even after a handful of updates, I dreaded going to that lake to collect items or shiny hunt. Now, on the Switch 2, it runs flawlessly regardless of where you are in the world. Additionally, the lengthy loading times have been reduced to a few seconds. Despite these improvements, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet still isn't the most visually appealing Pokemon game to date. The world feels bland and barren, and character models--outside of the wonderfully detailed and expressive Pokemon--are simplistic and wooden. Despite the 4k resolution, there are still plenty of low-quality textures and visual bugs can occur during battle. It's a shame given how strong the visual identity is for something like Pokemon Let's Go! Pikachu and Eevee or even Pokemon: Legends Arceus, which received a fair bit of criticism for its visuals as well. Continue Reading at GameSpot

GameSpot - Game ReviewsJun 24

Rematch Review - Unbelievable TekkersAfter cutting its teeth on melee combat and kung fu action with Absolver and Sifu, I don't think anyone expected Sloclap's next game to be an arcadey alternative to EA Sports FC. But that's precisely what the French developer has crafted with Rematch: a football game that embodies the spirit and chaotic energy of having a kick-about with friends. From the wayward passes and the goalkeeper who decides he's now a striker, to someone popping up with an incredible goal out of absolutely nowhere, Rematch constantly reminded me of my childhood and the countless hours spent playing football. When I was at school, I would forego food just so I could play for the entire hour-long lunchtime; when I was off school, I would inevitably get together with friends and head down to the local park, using jumpers as makeshift goalposts. Other games have done this kind of five-a-side style of football before, but none have come as close as Rematch does to capturing the essence of my footballing heyday. Rather than taking control of an entire team, Rematch puts you in the boots of a single player in 3v3, 4v4, and 5v5 matches. There's a short prologue and some training minigames to play on your own, but beyond this you're always playing with and against other human players. Each match lasts six minutes, and there's a mercy rule that immediately ends the game after one team has taken a four-goal lead (I guess Sloclap never saw Newcastle vs. Arsenal circa 2011). The only stoppages occur when a team scores; otherwise, Rematch plays fast and loose with the rules. There are no fouls, offsides, or handballs, and throw-ins, corners, and goal kicks are nonexistent due to the pitch being surrounded on all four sides by giant transparent walls. This quickly establishes a chaotic pace. Sometimes it's messy, while other times you feel like Messi. There's also no progression or skill points to help improve your player's attributes. Everyone is on a level playing field, so only the most skillful will rise to the top. Gallery There's a fairly steep learning curve to overcome in Rematch. Part of this derives from its tactile, physics-based design, which, among other things, prevents the ball from sticking to your feet when sprinting down the field. Another part is related to the game's perspective. In EA Sports FC, for instance, there's a camera option that follows closely behind your player in either Pro Clubs or its player career mode. I've never known anyone to actually use this view, though, as being able to see the full pitch from the classic sideline angle is much more effective. Rematch doesn't give you this option. You have full camera control, similar to most third-person games, but it's always positioned just behind your player, placing you directly in the thick of the action. The presence of a mini-map ensures that you don't need to have your head on a swivel like a Premier League midfielder, but it's still an uncommon way of playing a football game. Couple this with an enclosed playing field and futuristic stadiums, and there's more than a little Rocket League about Rematch. If Rocket League is football with cars, then Rematch is Rocket League without them. Continue Reading at GameSpot

GameSpot - Game ReviewsJun 23

Death Stranding 2 Review - Tied UpAfter its predecessor served as a beacon of novelty amidst a sea of stagnation, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach had a big challenge to overcome. Death Stranding's absurd nature, encompassing everything from urine grenades to gently rocking your controller to calm a distressed baby, was coupled with a rich new setting to unravel. Step by step, Sam Porter Bridges connected a post-apocalyptic America to a network by making dozens of deliveries from one point to another. Its slow and methodical pace made it somewhat of an outlier in the AAA space. The sequel follows suit in most ways that made its predecessor stand out. The core foundation remains unchanged--planning and executing each delivery requires strategy and improvisation, and they're still satisfying to pull off. But this second iteration doesn't feel as arresting as it mired in familiar story beats, a disappointing lack of friction, and an obsession with doubling down on the weaker aspects of Death Stranding. Gallery The story begins with Sam living a reclusive life near the Mexico border with Lou, the now-grown baby from the first game. A familiar face inevitably finds Sam and, once again, asks for help connecting an array of facilities to the network. This time, your destinations are fictional depictions of Mexico and Australia, and the journey involves collaborating with a growing crew of characters that cruise around with you in the DHV Magellan, a Metal Gear-shaped ship serving as the base of operations. Throughout the 33 hours it took me to reach the end credits, which included a few side activities along the way, the story focused on the effects of connecting the United States to the Chiral Network, while uncovering the whereabouts of returning characters. Sam's new tale is told sporadically, which feels like watching a very slow season of a TV show. Completing main missions grants enough parcels of story here and there to keep you engaged, but I spent a lot of time longing for a cutscene or conversation that might shed a little clarity or answers to mysteries introduced early on, as cutscenes sometimes fail to deliver relevant information or any character development. That being said, while some of the eventual revelations weren't as impactful as I had hoped, my interest in seeing the story through didn't wane. Continue Reading at GameSpot

GameSpot - Game ReviewsJun 23

Splitgate 2 ReviewA decent successor that expands on the original, but never really surpasses it.

IGN PC ReviewsJun 19

Dune: Awakening Review

IGN PC ReviewsJun 18

FBC: Firebreak Review - Controlled ChaosRemedy is a team known for its story-driven single-player games, and though it has tried other kinds of games over the years, FBC: Firebreak is its most prominent detour to date. Built as a three-player co-op PvE first-person shooter set in the Oldest House--the same setting as 2019's Control--Firebreak manages to transpose Remedy's signature strangeness onto something new, and the more I played it, the more I enjoyed it, though it has its fair share of issues. The story casts players as formerly pencil-pushing Federal Bureau of Control (FBC) employees who have no choice but to create makeshift weaponry and gear to combat the Hiss threat they're trapped in the Oldest House with. This premise gives the game a colorful and comedic tone, where expendable player-characters chirp about needing to fill out workplace forms and worry about overtime pay despite the chaotic circumstances they find themselves in. Firebreak sits at the intersection of the FBC's inherent bureaucracy and its impromptu DIY, punk-rock showdown with supernatural monsters. It's a tone that feels decidedly Remedy-like, and its class-based combat does well to match that weirdness. Three "Crisis Kits" make up the game's classes. There's the Fix Kit, which is equipped with a giant wrench and can repair things like lighting, breaker boxes, and healing showers. The Jump Kit, which comes with an electro-shocking contraption that would look at home in Ghostbusters, can be used to shock enemies and power various electronic devices, like broken fans in the game's earliest mission. Lastly, the Splash Kit comes with a big water gun that can shoot bubbles of water to put out fires or dilute negative status effects from one's self or teammates. Naturally, this one pairs well with the Jump Kit, too, as soaking and then shocking enemies can be an effective way of reducing their numbers. Continue Reading at GameSpot

GameSpot - Game ReviewsJun 18

Tron: Catalyst Review

IGN PC ReviewsJun 17

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour Review -- The Pack-In That Wasn'tMore than anything, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is an odd part of the Switch 2 launch lineup because it's defined more by what it isn't than what it is. It isn't really a video game. It isn't part of a franchise. And most centrally, it isn't a free pack-in game. That last one feels instinctually unfair as a game reviewer who makes a point to ignore price in most cases. Games are worth what you're willing to pay for them, prices fluctuate, and I try to evaluate quality on its own merits. But Welcome Tour makes its price impossible to ignore because every bit of its identity feels so ideally crafted to be a pack-in game to introduce the Switch 2 to new users, and then it just ... isn't. The name is very pointed in this regard. This is built to be a primer for the Switch 2, explaining all of its new features in clear layman's terms. Informed Switch 2 players are bound to know what they're getting for their investment, but the non-gamers Nintendo likes to eye as part of its wide net "Blue Ocean" strategy may not understand the intricate alphabet soup of VRR and HDR. The in-game tutorials break down these complex topics with simple explanations that anyone can grasp, along with videos and demonstrations when necessary to let you experience the difference for yourself. It's genuinely neat! I could see handing this to my parents and having them walk away with, if not a complete understanding of next-gen gaming technology, at least a better grasp of it. Continue Reading at GameSpot

GameSpot - Game ReviewsJun 16

MindsEye Review - Not Like ThisOne of the earliest missions in MindsEye tasks you with tailing a car. Get too close and the person driving will spot you; fall too far behind and you'll lose sight of the vehicle. It's the exact kind of mission structure we all decided was tired and needed to go away over a decade ago. The only difference in MindsEye is that you're piloting a drone instead of driving a car, so even the relatively small stakes are diminished by the fact that you can just fly really high to avoid being seen. It's not a positive first impression, especially when you factor in the confluence of concerning events surrounding the game and developer Build a Rocket Boy--from the studio's co-CEO stating that anyone sharing negative feedback about the game was being funded by an ubiquitous source, to the chief legal officer and CFO both leaving the company a few weeks before launch. Neither is a great look, yet I still went into MindsEye with an open mind. There's some pedigree behind the scenes, after all, with former Rockstar North lead Leslie Benzies handling directing duties. Benzies was a producer on Grand Theft Auto III through V before leaving to found Build a Rocket Boy, and you can clearly see elements of GTA's DNA in MindsEye. Unfortunately, the comparisons end there. MindsEye is not good. That early tailing mission is sadly indicative of the rest of the game as you slog through roughly 10 hours of dull and creatively bankrupt third-person action, combining driving and cover-based shooting within a linear framework. The story isn't completely terrible, at least, with a few entertaining moments sprinkled into what is otherwise a mostly forgettable tale. You play as Jacob Diaz, a former soldier with selective amnesia caused by a neural implant in his neck: the titular MindsEye. What initially begins as a personal quest to uncover his past gradually becomes a mission for humanity's survival, as familiar sci-fi tropes come to the fore. Continue Reading at GameSpot

GameSpot - Game ReviewsJun 16