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.

inZOI Early Access Review in ProgressA visually striking life simulator with room to grow.

IGN PC ReviewsMar 20

Review: Him, the Smile & Bloom is a Simple, Comforting, and Forgettable ExperienceTaking a deeper look at Him, the Smile & bloom, a romance visual novel where you can date four men working in a flower shop.

Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraMar 19

Review: Messy Exploration Holds Back Assassin’s Creed ShadowsThe heavily problematic exploration, as seen in the Assassin’s Creed Shadows review, holds back the best game in the series.

Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraMar 18

Assassin's Creed Shadows Review - Shinobi SimulatorIt felt good to see Assassin's Creed Shadows protagonist Naoe's face nearly healed after the 50-hour journey through 16th-century Japan. The wound that had once marred her face was mostly gone, with only a thin, barely discernible scar left behind. Naoe's face slowly heals over the course of Shadows' story and the changing of the in-game seasons, providing a visual metaphor for the game's thematic journey through the ugliness of revenge, the healing process of forgiveness and moving beyond tragedy with enough time and support. It's a story that has incredible moments between Naoe and fellow protagonist Yasuke but largely feels listless during its muddled second act. And although Naoe's shinobi fantasy is the best Assassin's Creed has been in ages and remains fun to play for the entire game, it makes Yasuke's samurai gameplay feel subpar in comparison. Naoe feels like the intended protagonist of Shadows. Save for a brief hour as Yasuke, the first 12 or so hours are spent solely playing as the shinobi. Even once Yasuke returns to the story, it's in service to Naoe's goal to kill a dozen masked individuals and steal back a mysterious box that she has to recover. Shadows is Naoe's story. Yasuke is just here for the ride. But even ignoring his narrative shortcomings as a secondary protagonist, Yasuke is not fun to play. Assassin's Creed has never been a series where its individual gameplay components have surpassed those in other games. Its combat has never been as good as what's available in other action games, other titles have stronger parkour mechanics, and the series always feels a step behind when it comes to stealth. The best part about Assassin's Creed has always been that it brings those three styles of gameplay together in one cohesive package--a combination you don't often see at the level of quality Ubisoft has managed to achieve with Assassin's Creed. Naoe perfectly embodies that trifecta, even possessing new mechanics that make the stealth part of Assassin's Creed a lot better than recent entries. Yasuke, on the other hand, doesn't. Though he's able to fight, Yasuke cannot use parkour, nor can he really rely on stealth. He's only one-third of Assassin's Creed. Although the idea of making an Assassin's Creed protagonist who solely specializes in open warfare sounds cool, in practice it feels awful because that aspect of the franchise is still not up to snuff with dedicated action games. Continue Reading at GameSpot

GameSpot - Game ReviewsMar 18

Assassin's Creed Shadows ReviewThe long-awaited Japan adventure sharpens and refines its edge without fully reforging it.

IGN PC ReviewsMar 18

Review: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition As much as I've loved every new entry in the mainline Xenoblade Chronicles series, there's something special about Xenoblade Chronicles X . While it's technically not a spin-off, it's certainly its own thing, favoring a more futuristic sci-fi world and story compared to the fantasy setting of the main series. Nearly a decade after originally releasing on the Wii U console near the end of its lifecycle, Monolith Soft and Nintendo have released Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition , a remastered version of the original game modernized to run and look good on the Nintendo Switch, with some new content to boot. Typically remasters go in one of three directions: a simple port of an old game to a more modern system, a port that also has some improved visuals, or a complete graphical upgrade that may also add more content to the original game. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition falls in the latter category, adding a trove of new features and content while upgrading the graphics for the Switch. Screenshot via Nintendo Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition (Nintendo Switch) Developer: Monolith Soft Publisher: Nintendo Released: March 20, 2025 MSRP: $59.99 Despite using the Xenoblade Chronicles name, the story of XCX is completely separate. Sometime in the future, humanity is forced to flee Earth after the planet is caught in the middle of an intergalactic war. As two alien species wage conflict in space above Earth, humanity launches a series of colony ships as a last-ditch attempt at survival. One of the ships, the White Whale, successfully evades the warring species' but is tracked down by one of the species and shot down years later, causing it to crash land on the mysterious alien planet of Mira. The world of Mira is where Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition takes place, and it is absolutely massive. For comparison, the total size of Mira is 154 square miles which is bigger than the world of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at 140. You'll traverse the entire gargantuan world throughout the many story missions that stretch over several narratives starting while figuring out how you crashlanded on Mira and surveying every nook and cranny of the planet. Exploration of Mira is not only a core part of the narrative in XCX: Definitive Edition , but it's further amplified by an in-game system called FrontierNav. As you explore Mira you can find spots to drop down various probes as part of the FrontierNav system, contributing towards the surveying of the planet but also allowing you to accrue various materials including money and Miranium which you'll use to upgrade your gear. While side quests are often side-dressing in most JRPG's, in XCX: Definitive Edition they are arguably more important than the main quests. Of course, you don't have to do side quests to progress the actual main storyline and get through the game, but the real meat of the storyline including details about the characters, the world of Mira, and what exactly is going on are mostly fleshed out through the side quests. Screenshot via Nintendo Even though XCX: Definitive Edition is vastly different from the other mainline entries in the series in terms of story, world, and setting, the one big area of similarity is the combat system. Both in story missions and when traversing the open world, you'll encounter various enemies of different types that you will engage in real-time combat. You influence the combat by utilizing an arsenal of skills while in combat, including both melee and ranged. The skills vary from dealing damage to applying negative status effects to your enemies or positive status effects to yourself and allies as well as healing. At a glance, the combat system may sound a bit simplistic, but it's far from it. Most of the skills have various bonuses that are applied when you meet certain conditions such as attacking an enemy from behind, from the side, etc. This creates a very dynamic yet fluid combat system of maneuvering around the field to ensure you're attacking your enemies in the most optimal way. To make things even more interesting, the world of Mira is harsh and punishing. For example, one of the early zones has a massive Level 55 dinosaur trampling around next to various Level 3 and Level 4 creatures. It's not just there for shock factor either; engaging in combat with the dinosaur early on when you first reach this zone would be an absolute death sentence. But it further adds to the vast amount of content in XCX: Definitive Edition. There's something special about finding a higher-level enemy early on that you remember many hours later when you're strong enough to come back and take it on. Alongside leveling up, there are two other major points in Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition that are pretty big game changers in terms of both gameplay and exploration of Mira. After Chapter 6, you'll gain access to a Skell, a weaponizable mech/exoskeleton that will surely give you Gundam vibes. You can traverse the world of Mira much quicker in a Skell than on foot, but you can also use them in battle, making quick work of smaller enemies and giving you the ability to take on more hulking enemies with ease. Then, after Chapter 9, you unlock the Flight Module for the Skell, allowing you to fly around for even faster travel and opening up previously inaccessible areas. Screenshot via Nintendo If what you've read so far in this review sounds great, I have good news: this is essentially Xenoblade Chronicles X before it got the Definitive Edition treatment. As a whole, the Definitive Edition mostly amplifies everything above in one way or another, but also adds more content. First off, the graphical upgrades are solid across the board in XCX: Definitive Edition . The shiny plastic-looking character faces from the original are long gone, replaced with sharper and more defined models. The creature textures and the world have also been updated, as well as the lighting. Obviously, you have to keep in mind that this is still the Switch we're playing on, so don't expect PS5 or Xbox X|S-quality graphics, but I'd argue that while the original Xenoblade Chronicles X essentially pushed the Wii U to its limits graphically, the Definitive Edition appears to be doing the same thing on the Switch. There are a few areas, mainly for the much-larger-than-normal creatures, where I've noticed a few spots of blurry textures that look like they either didn't scale correctly or weren't updated from the original, but this was only a few times and was really only noticeable when I got up close and personal. Story-wise, the Definitive Edition is a meaningful addition that fleshes out various plot threads and character developments throughout the progression of the game. One of the few issues with the original Xenoblade Chronicles X is that it had somewhat of a cliffhanger ending that seemed to set things up for a sequel, but a sequel never happened. There's some extra story in the Definitive Edition that builds on it but don't expect that issue to be fully resolved. Hopefully this definitive edition leads to a proper sequel where we can see the cliffhanger find complete resolution. In terms of content, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition has plenty to offer, as well as many quality-of-life options that only make the game even better. There are two new characters, Neilnail and Leisel, each of which also have their own new Skell as well. There's also an entirely new zone, a floating continent that can only be accessed via flying. In fact, the zone is built specifically for traversal with the flying Skell, offering more verticality than the other zones. This new zone also has new creatures, story beats, and even FrontierNav points to explore and set up to create an even more efficient resource generation pipeline. Screenshot via Nintendo Quality of life has been vastly improved. Mission Item Markers have been added to the map, showing you where to go to take on missions and more importantly where to farm various items required for fetch quests, a major issue in the original game. BLADE Levels, a separate ranking system from your level that you had to grind out to access certain missions has been removed, allowing you to access missions simply based on Level and Main Story progression. You can also now swap party members quickly and easily at any time via the menu, rather than having to trek all the way back to the main city like in the original game. Perhaps the most important new addition is an all-new cooldown system. Your skills — called Arts — have their own specific cooldowns after use. However, this new system allows you to build up a separate cooldown meter and then consume it to instantly bypass your Art cooldowns and use the Art anyway. This adds another element of gameplay where you can manage your new cooldown meter to pull off even more deadly attacks based on skirting past lengthy cooldowns, or executing a clutch heal in a pinch. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is how I wish all companies handled remastering its games. Xenoblade Chronicles X was already insanely good, and I would have been perfectly fine with just a graphical update and a port to the Switch. Its massive and immersive world is like no other and shows what peak exploration in a game should look like, finding a way to stay fun, mysterious, and rewarding even after 100 hours. But instead of going the easy route, Monolith Soft went the extra mile and added meaningful new content and quality-of-life features that actually improved on what was already a masterpiece experience. The Definitive Edition treatment makes Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition one of the best JRPGs on the Switch, and a must-play for fans of the genre. The post Review: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition appeared first on Destructoid .

Reviews Archive – DestructoidMar 18

Review: Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition Feels StrongerXenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition feels like a stronger game on the Switch, and quality of life adjustments make it more enjoyable.

Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraMar 18

Review: Ever 17 And Never 7 Can Get WonkyThe remasters of Ever 17 and Never 7 play well on modern consoles. However, the slow pacing may be hard for some players to enjoy.

Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraMar 17

Review: WWE 2K25 WWE 2K25 is the "Ultimate Warrior" of wrestling video games with an expansive suite of modes and characters to choose from. Unfortunately, one of its most promising additions for this year, The Island, feels a bit like a money grab. That's because there's a low amount of currency being offered for playing the game and completing missions/objectives. But you can always buy some currency, right? Despite this, it's still a great game, and here's my review. Can you smell what 2K is cooking? WWE 2K25 offers so many modes that it may feel overwhelming, and for a yearly product, it's pretty impressive. There's the Showcase that represents the Samoan dynasty throughout multiple generations from The Rock's grandfather Peter Maivia to this current era's Naomi and Roman Reigns. Paul Heyman alongside members of the current Bloodline like Roman Reigns gives a great description of each wrestler featured in the showcase. You get to know these wrestlers' history, the impact they've made on the industry, and knowledge of the growing hype for each match featured in the Showcase. Image via 2K Each match seems to be more streamlined with fewer objectives, and the in-battle cutscenes are all seamless. There's no jarring transition between live-action and battle anymore, which is a huge plus. Except for the intro, we finally won't see the referees' faces or WWF logo getting blurred out during live-action sequences in the matches themselves. WWE 2K25 does a great job of explaining each objective in the Showcase mode, but something I find annoying is the limited-time challenges. If you don't complete them, you'll miss out on the majority of the unlockables like Rikishi as a playable character. At points, it feels like you're not given enough time, especially if your enemy is able to counter your strikes or you get stuck in a punching animation (more on that later). The Island is marred with microtransactions The Island is WWE 2K25 's biggest new offering. The overall concept is sound. You're exploring a well-designed theme park-like area, in which you challenge foes to be the very best and get yourself a WWE contract from Roman Reigns. It makes you want a WWE theme park to explore in real life. You'll get all manner of quests to complete, such as defeating Gunther in a badass mech suit (I'm not kidding). These can be fun scenarios to finish as your custom character, even though the storytelling is made through a cheap PowerPoint-like production with static images and text. Unfortunately, the in-game microtransaction system will leave your wallet just as empty as going to Disneyland or Universal Studios. The currency VC is given to players slowly and is required to upgrade custom wrestlers in the Training menu. You'll get 150 VC per match you win and 75 VC if you lose. Each stat point increase varies around 80-200, depending on the level. Despite this game being multiplayer-focused, you can pay-to-win as you can purchase VC for $99.99 which gets you 400,000 VC, and can drastically change your character, while $9.99 gets you 32,500 VC. Screenshot by Destructoid As you explore The Island, there are many cosmetics to purchase in various shops. In Becky & Seth's Driporium, you can get Rollins' ridiculous gnome-like red boots for 18,000 VC. To get this from in-game progression only, you'll need to complete 120 matches. That's a bit rough, and encourages players to purchase VC in my humble opinion. You can get VC from leveling up your rank, finishing challenges, and completing quests, but it's still a slow affair. Free players will just have to ignore the cosmetics for now. Upgrading your wrestler is arguably more important than looking cool. The Island is a genuinely fun mode, but the microtransactions do get to me a bit. Additionally, it isn't available offline, which is a shame. Another annoying factor is that you can't play The Island on PC , PS4, or Xbox One systems; it's only available for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players. MyRise is fantastic My two favorite modes MyRise and MyGM return in WWE 2K25 and show significant improvements. The storyline with MyRise is gripping as it tells the narrative of current and former NXT stars trying to take over WWE and end Raw and Smackdown. This time, you get assigned male and female superstars to represent the two main shows. It does a great job of encouraging multiple playthroughs as the personality type you choose for your character (brash and bold or comedic) offers different story missions. The relationship between the male and female characters also changes depending on your choice, and it's constantly referenced. The cool thing about MyRise (which makes it better than The Island) is that everyone is voiced. You'll be led by CM Punk during the beginning of the campaign and run into Jade Cargill if you choose that your character comes from a rival promotion. The voice acting from the wrestlers themselves is actually not that bad, and you'll get pulled into the backstage drama of WWE. There are some unexpected moments within MyRise, and it's entertaining to see a new story that differentiates from the Bloodline-obsessed WWE creative team of the last four or five years. An improved MyGM Next, MyGM has received some major improvements. First, you can play this mode with your friends online for the first time. However, it comes with some caveats. You can't use Custom GMs or rosters, in addition to losing the ability to play and spectate matches. Second, MyGM now lets you use up to $4 million for the drafting process. The number of wrestlers you can pick up has greatly increased, letting you pick the superstars you want on your roster more easily. Third, the AI has been improved, especially during the draft. For example, if the AI picks Angelo Dawkins, it is more likely to complete the team by selecting Montez Ford, his teammate, next. Fourth, MyGM has an expanded list of GMs from last year, increasing the number to 19. They each have their own perks at your disposal. Nick Aldis can add 10 weeks to a contract's duration, and Ava can prevent your superstars from getting injured during two separate shows. The mode's really been expanded. Lastly, there's an all-new approach to PLEs. Your wrestlers are fighting stars from other brands to get special perks for your brand. While it would have been nice to have the option to have normal PLEs like the last few years, it's a neat addition. You'll resolve rivalries on Week 4 and Week 5 now as you have one slot for a match on PLEs. Despite missing the option to have regular PLEs, which should be added by the way, there are far more options for MyGM players. Likely inspired by YouTubers such as partsFUNknown , you can now place a timer on each player in-game. If someone goes over the time limit, they'll lose fans. Additionally, you can choose between the Hall of Fame trophies and the number of fans as the pre-requisite to win, adding more freedom to the player. MyFACTION and Universe additions MyFACTION and Universe have also returned in WWE 2K25. I have less experience with these mods as I usually touched Showcase, MyGM, and MyRISE in previous years. MyFACTION seems to be a fun experience as you collect cards and complete quests in the World Tour to proceed. It is annoying, however, that the game forces you to pick weaker cards in your line-up rather than giving you the freedom to pick the cards you unlock via VC or in-game progression from the get-go. The microtransaction system seems to be just as wild as The Island as you can use VC to get new card packs. There's a reason why I avoid MyFACTION like the Plague. Universe has been improved in multiple ways. While the WWE superstars aren't talking during these segments, you can finally have them work on a promo in front of the crowd. The announcers weirdly explain what your wrestler is saying to their rival. It's certainly an improvement, however, as it gives you more customization on your booking experience. Plus, you'll be able to customize where each battle takes place. You can have a multi-day PLE, change the dates of specific shows, or simulate the Monday Night Wars once again and have two brands slugging it out on the same day. WWE 2K25 plays well for the most part But after all this, how does WWE 2K25 play? It's a mostly thrilling experience. Each move feels powerful and you'll likely wince at the punches, kicks, and suplexes these men and women dish out on each other. It's fantastic that you can finally have intergender matches and have a man and woman like Drew McEntire and Bianca Belair fight in the ring against each other. This is so long overdue. Most attacks register perfectly in the game, but some eccentricities need to be worked out. Some attacks, when you feel like they're about to land, somehow miss the enemy, especially if there's an object blocking their path. The hitbox of some attacks is also quite strange as some wrestlers zoom from one side of the squared circle to the other in a flash. Sometimes strikes from a weapon that should hit your foe don't register, leading to an awkward few seconds of animation. Most of the time, it's fine, but you may be scratching your head at times. Screenshot by Destructoid Mostly stellar production value The graphics of WWE 2K25 are stellar. You can really tell if a battle is getting to your rival. The blood and the sweat mix together in a natural way and look impressive on each model. You can see the scars on their body, showing the damage you've dealt to each other in the ring. Lighting seems to be improved across the board, and some of the facial animations when opponents get struck look impressive. The likenesses of most of the WWE superstars are spot on as well, and their entrances are simulated perfectly. However, it has been said that Jey Uso's entrance from within the crowd is regrettable as members of the public do the YEET motion in the most robotic, unnatural way. Speaking of the crowd, they can be genuinely creepy to look at with their blank faces. You'll also notice your ringside managers performing actions at exactly the same time, taking you out of the game. It's genuinely creepy at points. There was also one point when my custom character's face was blackened and had a weird white shine during an entrance as well. Something else of note is the sheer amount of commentary added to the game for different scenarios over multiple different modes. It's impressive. WWE 2K25 improves upon the formula WWE 2K25 is one of the biggest leaps in the series so far. While the Island is disappointing, the sheer amount of content in this game is unmatched. You have over 300 wrestlers with more DLC on the way, plenty of fun modes like the highly improved MyGM and the story-focused MyRise, and gameplay that still feels satisfying to pull off, even if the animations can be weird at points. It's just the microtransactions that really pull this game down. The post Review: WWE 2K25 appeared first on Destructoid .

Reviews Archive – DestructoidMar 17

Review: Book Bound Is a Short and Simple Shop Management SimBook Bound is one of those simple shop management games that doesn’t need to go over the top with details to be enjoyable.

Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraMar 16