Luke Brown

When Nidhogg first came out a few years ago, it captured the video game world by storm. Almost overnight, this little game about swordfighting became a cult sensation, with players developing deep strategies for what looked to be a rather rudimentary fighting game. Now three years later, Messhof is back with a bigger, bolder, and better-looking sequel. Nidhogg 2 captures everything that was great about the first game, and ratchets the cool and fun factors up to eleven.

Trypticon is the latest Titan Class character to get some love, and the Decepticon dinosaur/ship/city is as glorious a dinosaur/ship/city as you're likely ever to see.

Super. Hot. Two words that will be ingrained in your brain just moments into playing Superhot VR. The mantra is one of victory and success in beating another set of challenges in Superhot VR, and seeing and hearing those words repeated lifts a weight off your shoulders. Superhot VR is a little late to the party on PlayStation VR, but its summer arrival is as welcome as any game to the platform. It's just a shame PlayStation's headset isn't quite up to the task.

There are few things in this world as unsettling as walking down the street in a Nazi-fied American town. Though the version of that world only exists in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, it's a harrowing bit of revisionist history that puts you on edge the moment BJ steps out into Roswell's main street in 1961. Nazis and Third Reich imagery is plastered all over, with plenty of white people in the streets celebrating a parade. Making things even more alien were the posters of "Terror-Billy" plastered over every open space that wasn't already filled with fascist propaganda or decoration. In Wolfenstein II, you may be stepping into the shoes of a resistance hero, but in the Nazi-occupied United States, BJ Blazkowicz is public enemy number one.

There are few absolute truths in this world, but one of them is death. We're all going to die. It's a grim, sad fact, but we all face mortality eventually. Unlike the character in Sundered, who lives a Groundhog Day experience in a world full of eldritch horrors, we only have to face the dark embrace once in our lives. You're going to die a lot in Sundered, but it's all part of the plan. It's a tormented way to let players experience the terrors of eldritch monsters, but it's just so dang pretty you won't mind much anyway.

If you're like us, you've been spending the summer trying to survive out in the woods by Camp Crystal Lake, Higgins Haven or the Packanack Lodge. It hasn't been easy, and not just because there's a masked killer on the loose. Since releasing just ahead of Memorial Day, Friday the 13th: The Game has kept plenty of gamers busy trying to escape Jason's wrath, but it's often also proven to be a disappointingly frustrating experience. Like those hapless counselors that return year after year, we find ourselves unable to stay away from Friday the 13th: The Game in spite of its shortcomings. With that in mind, we gathered 'round the campfire to think up some ways Gun Media and Illfonic might make those daring excursions into the New Jersey woods more palatable when the going gets tough. From new hero characters, specific game improvements, and new maps, these are just some of the things we hope to see added to Friday the 13th: The Game.

Like Sonic the Hedgehog before him, Crash Bandicoot tried to be everything the family friendly Mario wasn't. Naughty Dog's wild, spinning beast was brash and had a "crazy" attitude. All that personality doesn't get you anywhere if the game itself is a bust though, and fortunately for Sony, the core Crash Bandicoot trilogy was well-received and incredibly popular. It's with nostalgia-tinted glasses that Vicarious Visions returned to Crash for a modern-day update, and this anniversary collection is just what fans deserve. Even if the Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy is more challenging that it was decades ago.

Developed by Sloclap Digital, Absolver is a fighting game that elevates the discourse beyond traditional video game combat. Based in some very real techniques actually practiced around the world today, Absolver eschews the fantastical in favor of a more thoughtful and honest approach to martial arts. In fact, it's so authentic to all the skills many Sloclap members have actually learned over the years that its customization options might overwhelm even some of the most devout practitioners. Depth of combat is just one of the many reasons Absolver is going to change the way we play fighting games.

There are few things as satisfying in a video game as taking down a foe that towers above you. In Extinction, enemy ogres are literally the size of towers (and larger), making their defeats that much more rewarding when you are able to finally whittle one down. Combining the fast-paced fighting Iron Galaxy is known for with the dismemberment mechanics that made Dead Space such a thrill might not seem like an idea that should work. However, when you mix in a premise eerily reminiscent of manga and anime, Attack on Titan, Extinction manages to mix all the disparate pieces together into a greater whole.

For years, fans have been looking forward to more Battle Chasers stories. Last year, we got our first look at Aiship Syndicate's role-playing game version of the Joe Madureira comic, Battle Chasers: Nightwar. At that time, there was little to do but wander a randomly generated dungeon and complete a few small battles. Twelve months later, Nightwar still has that same delicious style and core battle mechanics, but Airship's been hard at work building on that template to craft a robust and deep RPG that will more than satisfy fans from both worlds.