Reviews

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 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.

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.

For the opening few episodes, A New Frontier was as captivating as Telltale's The Walking Dead had ever been. Down the home stretch however, A New Frontier faltered, with the impact and resonance of the finale, "From the Gallows," suffering most of all.

There have been a number of fantastic fighting games featuring comic heroes and villains over the years, but few have been as addictive, fun, and well-made as NetherRealm Studios' latest dip into the DC Comics pool.

As strong as this season has been, the latest episode, "Thicker Than Water," did little to change the stakes or present new angles to its cast. Were it not for the final minutes, this episode may as well have been called "Treading Water."

Arkane takes its time unfurling all of Prey's secrets, but that methodical approach makes every moment worth it the deeper you dive into the world the developer created.

Equal parts somber, whimsical, devastating and charming, What Remains of Edith Finch is a moving exploration of what it means to be a family, to be loved, to be missed, and how the places we call home become just as much a part of us as we are of them.