Comprehensive Game Reviews

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From AAA titles to indie games, we cover it all. Our comprehensive reviews provide detailed insights to help you find your next favorite game.

Review: Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut Feels DefinitiveYakuza 0 Director’s Cut is a fantastic Like a Dragon game, and I feel it is a perfect addition to the Switch 2 launch library.

Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraJun 19

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

FNAF: Secret of the Mimic review – The good, the bad, and the Mimic Having played all mainline FNAF games, I was eager to see how far the series has come and if an origin story without William Afton can deliver. Could a tale about corrupted software and a broken family truly replace years of child murders and haunted animatronics? The latest Five Nights at Freddy's tells the origin story of the Mimic as a prequel to Fredbear's Family Diner. Steel Wool Studios has fully left behind Scott Cawthon's unforgiving point-and-click adventures, in favor of a 3D, more kid-friendly world that's heavily focused on stealth. Lore is to be expected with any FNAF game, and while it delivers in abundance, there are a lot of areas where Secret of the Mimic falls flat. So let's get into it. Is it scary? No, not really Screenshot by Destructoid Secret of the Mimic takes place inside Murray's Costume Manor, a brand new setting for the series, where we play as Fazbear Entertainment technician, Arnold. The main threat is introduced off the jump, for the abandoned facility isn't so abandoned (classic). The Mimic is waiting for your arrival, and it can take the form of any animatronic. This camouflage is an effective way of introducing horror because it creates uneasiness and paranoia, suggesting that you're never truly safe. The idea is fantastic because the environment is full of unused animal suits just collecting dust, yet they are perfect for a hostile entity to jump inside at any moment. Isolation is prevalent in this entry, a feeling I don't think Security Breach captured. Screenshot by Destructoid However, the horror quickly fizzles out when the Mimic just spawns inside an animatronic that wasn't in the room to begin with, making the main threat seem more like an annoying poltergeist than a predator stalking its prey. The concept of the Mimic gets tiresome fast and becomes frustrating to deal with, especially when you're trying to enjoy the innovative way Secret of the Mimic handles collectible hunting. Repetition kills horror Screenshot by Destructoid The scare factor is removed completely, even before you meet Jackie in the Box, the first "boss" in Secret of the Mimic . The chase sequences in this entry are underwhelming, repetitive, and have a strong likeness to Poppy Playtime . Each boss arena concludes the same way, with Arnold falling and losing consciousness. The plot and your objective are simple and follow the same formula throughout, where you complete a task, run from a boss, upgrade your Data Diver, talk to Dispatch, and repeat. Because it relies on the same format, there's nothing about Secret of the Mimic that feels fresh or inviting. Engagement is difficult when you're playing the same hour of gameplay on a loop. By the time I was looking for the last eight collectibles in New Game+, I'd gotten so fed up with the Mimic and wondered if getting the secret ending was even worth it. Screenshot by Destructoid I experienced my fair share of performance issues playing Secret of the Mimic, which I feel is incredibly important to mention, as this game costs $40. I lost an hour of gameplay during Foxy's stage play and Nurse Dollie's sections because it was permanently autosaving, yet didn't actually save, which reset my progress when I loaded in from a "game over" just to freeze in front of Nurse Dollie's face. I also had to manually close the game repeatedly because the mouse cursor became tiny and couldn't line up with the continue or main menu buttons. Murray's Costume Manor tugs at your curiosity Screenshot by Destructoid There are some strong points with Secret of the Mimic , such as its distinct level design and exploration, which reminded me of System Shock , Fallout , and Alien: Isolation . I really enjoyed the Data Diver mechanic and how you slowly but surely upgrade your permission level so you can backtrack and enter new areas for collectibles, audio logs, and mail. The exploration perfectly pairs with the lore, like you're uncovering a dark secret the further you go—something that was very much missing in the original FNAF games, as lore was exclusive to the mini-games, which gave the series an overall arcade-y feel. It's classic survival horror level design that I'm happy to see make a comeback. Outside of its level design, the text-based adventure of Moon.exe hidden inside Secret of the Mimic carries most of the mystery. Where FNAF always does well is in its storytelling, and Secret of the Mimic definitely shines brightest here. Intrigue peaked for animatronics like the White Tiger and Moon, but this was confusing as it felt like I'd discovered multiple entities, rather than being stalked by just one. Screenshot by Destructoid The development of Edwin's story and the reveal in the non-default endings was great, even if the default ending is predictable. But, if you have the patience to see the entire story out, you will surely appreciate the conclusion in New Game+. Annoyingly, replayability is exclusive to the secret ending that is locked behind New Game+, for the only difference is a collectible you cannot get in the base game. You may miss out on some secrets in your first playthrough, but the only standout area lies in the depths of the Retail Showroom. As much as I enjoyed these aspects, it was infuriating to play through the entire game again and be unable to skip Fiona's quirky dialogue (which was only nice to hear the first time around), and forced to stealthily avoid the Mimic over and over because there's no other gameplay option. Final thoughts Screenshot by Destructoid Secret of the Mimic doesn't feel like a Five Nights at Freddy's game at all. There isn't that strong urge to hunt down information because so much is handed to you without any real fight for it. The gameplay is too similar to Poppy Playtime , venturing too close into being a children's horror game than an adult's. While I've always felt mascot horror shouldn't be targeted towards kids because of its content, Secret of the Mimic does just that. There is literally nothing scary about this entry, and it sadly lacks what made the original games so strong: the challenge. Because of this, I clocked out of Secret of the Mimic for the third and final time feeling disappointed. The post FNAF: Secret of the Mimic review – The good, the bad, and the Mimic appeared first on Destructoid .

Reviews Archive – DestructoidJun 18

Review: Raidou Remastered Elevates a Great SMT Spin-offRaidou Remastered is a way to experience a fun piece of SMT history, and it’s another example of Atlus going above and beyond for a remaster.

Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraJun 18

FBC: Firebreak Review in ProgressSo far this is an engaging co-op extension of the Control universe.

IGN PC ReviewsJun 17

Tron: Catalyst Review

IGN PC ReviewsJun 17

Review: Gundam SEED: Battle Destiny Remastered Is for FansGundam SEED: Battle Destiny Remastered is something of a welcome surprise that we likely ended up getting due to Gundam SEED Freedom.

Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraJun 17

FBC: Firebreak review – Some potential for good friendship fun, for free—for now As PvE co-op shooters go, FBC: Firebreak sometimes feels middling, but it also has a good amount of potential to be quite fun with friends. And as it launches for free as part of PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass for June 2025, I'm sure we’ll see plenty of players diving in since there's no real downside to giving it a shot. I think there's a solid chance for this game to catch on with a certain community of players, but it will most likely be defined and carried by the group of people you play with. There is some joy to be had elsewise, but this one feels like it's been designed specifically with friendship in mind, and the solo or matchmade experience won't be worth it for most. Image via Remedy Entertainment In FBC: Firebreak , you basically play as a hazmat crew deployed in the weirdest environments imaginable. Set in the world of 2019's Control from Alan Wake makers Remedy Entertainment, you're tasked with cleaning up some really weird stuff while fighting against supernatural zombie-like enemies known as the Hiss. There are three playable classes (known as Crisis Kits) that serve as a basis of how you play, each bringing their own unique equipment to start out with, supplemented by different weapons and grenades. The Fix Kit gets a giant wrench to quickly repair things (or smash enemies over the head), the Jump Kit gets an electric cannon to zap things, and the Splash Kit has a big water gun to put out fires or control crowds of enemies. Classes and characters can be upgraded through Requisitions (like a battle pass) as you take on Jobs, including new weapons, tools, items, and augments, along with perks that unlock via leveling up. Each new addition strengthens your character and makes the game a bit more accessible as you progress through Jobs. The classes serve as a baseline, and you're not beholden to much within each one's loadout, other than their equipped tools. You can choose which weapons, grenades, and perks to equip for each class, so there's some flexibility in choosing how you play each mission. You can even swap Crisis Kits within the entry elevator after spawning or respawning on each Job. Firebreak's downfall may be in its lack of variety, as the game has just five Jobs (similar to Left 4 Dead's different scenarios) that you can play and replay. There are more scheduled as live updates throughout the year, but the offerings at launch feel slim. Screenshot by Destructoid Each time you finish one Job, you unlock a new Clearance level and can go further within the level, with three Clearance levels per Job. The higher the Clearance, the bigger the challenge, but you can also use additional modifiers and tougher difficulty levels to make things even harder on yourself. The idea is to beat and replay missions, unlock new gear and perks for your characters, and continue to replay them on higher difficulties to progress through Requisitions and unlock new stuff in the Research skill tree. This structure here is again reminiscent of Left 4 Dead , which was supplemented by an addictive Versus mode, of which Firebreak has none. It's pure PvE that's meant to be repeated. Unfortunately, Firebreak's base gameplay and gunplay are pretty unremarkable. Each Job has a mundane task, like putting out fires, repairing generators, destroying sticky notes (seriously), or melting ice anomalies. Most of it is done with interacting with elements in the missions and tapping alternating L1 and R1 buttons to fill up a meter to finish the task, as enemies periodically spawn in waves, culminating in boss fights when you reach goals. The QTE-like L1-R1 stuff gets old quick as it's everywhere in gameplay, but I suppose it serves as an active way to do something that otherwise might have just been a simple button press. The real fun begins as you get to the higher-tier difficulty Clearances and endgame levels with boss fights, oppressive swarms of enemies, and tasks to complete, where teamwork becomes paramount. You may have one player assigned to a task while another clears adds, and the third player swings back and forth, but how you decide to clear each mission is up to you. Screenshot by Destructoid I'm sure fans of Control will get even more enjoyment out of this game, as it's set within that universe and features its characters and enemies. Unfortunately, that one's been in my backlog for years, so I have little connection to the franchise. But the good news is, I still found some joy in it without having any idea what was going on, so there's no need to play the first game. When FBC: Firebreak leaves Game Pass and PS Plus, it will be $39.99, so make sure to hop on and grab it to give it a try while you can. The post FBC: Firebreak review – Some potential for good friendship fun, for free—for now appeared first on Destructoid .

Reviews Archive – DestructoidJun 17