Travis Northup's Reviews
Skul: The Hero Slayer puts skull-swapping and fast combat front and center in this bone-afide retro rogue-lite.
Destiny 2 breaks new ground with Beyond Light, while other parts remain frozen in time.
Pokémon Sword and Shield: The Crown Tundra puts your legendary monster hunting skills to the test in a fun but short-lived expansion.
An incredible open-world and addictive exploration make Genshin Impact anime-zing adventure.
Borderlands 3: Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck is a bizarre odyssey through Kreig's cranium that holds one great boss battle but few other surprises.
Mortal Shell is an action RPG that uses the sleeve of the soulslike genre to create something unique enough to stand on its own two feet. Though its campaign is short and predictable, the beautiful world, interesting body-swapping mechanics, and strong technical performance more than make up for how liberally it borrows from other games.
Battletoads (2020) keeps the soul of the notorious original game intact while revitalizing it with interesting minigames, hilarious writing, and couch co-op that makes this a worthy reason to revisit Zitz, Pimple, and Rash. While the absence of online co-op is pretty disappointing and the beat 'em up gameplay can become dull by the end of the campaign, this short ride is one I can full-throatedly recommend.
As Pokémon's first-ever DLC, The Isle of Armor is an entertaining but shallow return to the Galar region.
Disintegration is a unique game held back by oftentimes irritating and dull game design and a weak campaign. While practically everything about the world and gameplay is unlike anything I've played before, too little of it succeeds in being consistently enjoyable.
The new Future Connected story chapter isn’t particularly inspired, but the impressive graphical overhaul and welcome (if small) quality-of-life improvements make this the best version of Xenoblade Chronicles we’ve ever had.
Gears Tactics is a stellar tactics game that still manages to feel like the Gears you know and love. With a solid story, addictive RPG systems, and dozens of hours of gameplay, this is a must-play for any fans of turn-based strategy games or the Gears franchise in general.
Cooking Mama: Cookstar is a stale, undercooked simulator that needed a lot more time in the oven.
Bleeding Edge is a solid hero brawler that currently lacks content badly. While the foundations of this hack-and-slash arena brawler are strong and the roster of misfit circus rejects is absolutely stellar, there aren't enough reasons to play beyond the first few hours. Still, every match of Bleeding Edge I've played has been enjoyable and fiercely competitive, and if they can retain their player base I'll happily return to Ninja Theory's latest chaotic playground.
Guns, Love, and Tentacles is a solid, but safe, Borderlands 3 expansion with an awesome Lovecraftian aesthetic.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps improves upon its predecessor in almost every way, from its drastically improved combat system to its use of NPCs and side quests. Like Ori and the Blind Forest before it, Will of the Wisps is held back by intermittent technical hitches that can result in some frustrating moments, but it hardly keeps this incredible sequel from shining through.
MediEvil successfully brings Daniel Fortesque's tale back from the dead yet again, but not nearly enough was done to modernize the mechanics of this remake.
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep is a big step in the right direction for Destiny, even when it feels like the first chapter in a larger story and subjects you to a brutal grind.
The Surge 2 is a must-play for fans of the soulslike genre. With incredibly well-designed areas, excellent combat featuring a wider variety of enemies, and a story that proves itself worth being invested in by the end, it improves upon its predecessor in almost every area and is absolutely worth your time.
Gears 5 is an impressive evolution in the Gears of War series with a campaign that feels like a huge leap forward and a dizzying amount of excellent multiplayer modes. The story isn't without its issues, especially the final act which I'm sure will draw controversy, but that does little to hold back this awesome next chapter in the Gears saga.
Wolfenstein: Youngblood falls dramatically short of its predecessor in most ways and feels like a missed opportunity for a great focused, story-driven co-op game. That said, killing all of Hitler's best friends with a co-op partner at your side isn't without its enjoyable moments.