Destructoid

It also has a few fleeting instances of that cheesy George Lucas spirit without going as far as Darth Icky silliness. Several of these are woven into Vader Immortal effortlessly, like a chance to battle a TIE-Fighter on foot or gatling-gun-down an AT-ST as a giant army assaults Vader's troops. Speaking of Vader, you finally do get to duel him, which, true to the spirit of Vader Immortal, is a brief bit of fun.

Pokémon has always literally been give and take since the second generation. Some give more than others, and Sword and Shield has taken away quite a bit. But in the end, I was smiling on most of my journey throughout the Galar region, and 21 years later, I still have a desire to catch them all. "All of the Galar region" will do nicely for the time being, even if it feels more fleeting than past generations.

If that doesn't sound fun to you, you're probably not going to like Pokémon Sword. If you were hoping for a massive shake-up in how Game Freak approaches Pokémon games the same way other series on the Nintendo Switch have experimented with new directions, you may need to wait for Generation IX. Pokémon Sword is very much built with the tried-and-true franchise blueprint, resulting in an enjoyable if innocuous title, which makes it a difficult game to score.

For a title set far into the future, Terminator: Resistance remains disappointingly locked into the past. With lackluster design, story, dialogue, AI, and combat, Terminator: Resistance is a genre example generations out of time. A full-price game offering a budget-price experience just makes it harder to recommend. No one can accuse Resistance of lacking potential, even ambition, but even the most dedicated Terminator fan should wait on a discount, or perhaps say Hasta la Vista altogether.

Death Stranding is not the overly-strange inaccessible walled garden the marketing has made it out to be. It's weird, don't get me wrong! But anyone with a surface-level understanding of surrealism in art should be able to acclimate to what is essentially a playable Hollywood production.

It’s a beautiful story about caring and being there for the people who matter most. It’s also really gosh darn funny, and I love it.

While I wouldn't say the single-player option is an afterthought, it's quite evident The Stretchers is made to be played with another person. Or even a group of people as you gather around the telly to find out which of your friends are really in sync with one another. That's when it's at its best; so grab a friend, split those Joy-Con, and try not to lose your cool when the two of you can't seem to figure out how to mow a lawn together.

Still, Superliminal's satisfying every time a puzzle clicks. It sounds obvious, but that's the most redeeming trait a puzzle game can have. Sometimes it'll take you by surprise, sometimes you'll train your eye to see it coming. But analyzing a situation, exploring possibilities, and approaching it from unique angles never fails to be rewarding.

Afterparty is a unique look at the people we are, the people we wish to be, and how the world, its occupants, and even ourselves can frequently fuck with both. While as a video game it offers mostly persistent conversation, that conversation is excellently performed and smartly written. Despite undeniable narrative and technical shortcomings, Afterparty is still a shindig worth turning up to, even if the invite seemed a little more promising.

The heart and soul of Disco Elysium is stumbling through success, which has a certain charm to it. Sometimes that road is bumpy and restricted, but the fluff behind those bumps is at least interesting.