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An action-horror platformer with a little light immersive sim on the side, Ghostwire: Tokyo is surprisingly light on the scares and saves any attempts at unsettling you for story setpieces. The devs said they made Ghostwire as a love letter to Japan, and it shows: rather than trying to throw constant unease at you in the semi-open world the way Evil Within 2 did, the game immerses you in a modern Shibuya steeped in general national folklore. It does fanservice to the cityscape in a way that is second only to Yakuza, and the game can basically be boiled down to Yakuza-meets-Shin Megami Tensei by way of a first-person horror game. Similar to another game, Control, Ghostwire also levels out the spookiness in order to just sort of let you get lost in exploring the paranormal on a nearly procedural basis. However, with all this out of the way, it's worth noting that the game is fairly short, the collectibles are hit-or-miss by some standards – thus lacking in replayability for some – the story is not particularly strong, and the combat can err on the simplistic and repetitive side, and the roughly 20+ hour playtime may not be for everybody Solid game, but may be worth borrowing or waiting for a deep sale

Having played through all the beta phases, finishing the campaign and starting up some multiplayer with friends in the Avengers Initiative post-game, the improvement this game has seen from its early stages can't be overstated. Although the game is an Avengers game at heart, the focal point of the story is centered around Kamala Khan and focuses on introducing this semi-new character (created in the early 2010s when Carol got her Captain Marvel revamp). To its credit, the story - while being your standard Marvel comics fare - has got some heart to it, and manages to do the unthinkable: it makes MODOK into something more than a hammy supervillain whose pinnacle of achievement was an appearance on the Marvel vs. Capcom 3 roster. However, the enemy designs run on the derivative side, and by the end of the game, you might be noticing if you played Ultimate Alliance 3 that the AIM trooper designs don't actually vary too immensely from those in MUA3, and the mechanical enemies such as Adaptoids feel very familiar to those who are used to seeing the designs of Marvel robots. Indeed, the artistic design never strays too far from familiar territory (with the excepion of each character's endgame Stark Suits, which are excellently-designed), and vibrant and memorable character, enemy and NPC designs are more the exception than the norm. With that out of the way, the gameplay loop runs the gamut from predictable to amazing depending on situational context. In my experience, the open air 'Warzones' are where the game's best qualities lie, especially in multiplayer, and outside of some overzealous enemy respawning, represent the game's most enjoyable, stress-free experience. Side note: enemy scaling can be a bit strict, and there's obviously an aspect of power fantasy to playing a superhero, so if you ever feel like letting loose and enjoying yourself, absolutely don't be afraid of dropping the difficulty to Challenge I (although I recommend not changing the Campaign Difficulty to Easy unless you're truly struggling, as Easy difficulty goes all the way to making every attack blockable, which while a true boon for struggling players, can come back to punish players who will eventually want to jump up in difficulty and may end up being unfamiliar with which enemy moves to block/parry and which to dodge). There will be people who will want to play 'for the challenge', but the actual mechanical playstyle is in no way altered between difficulties; namely, the changes are in damage and power level. Higher difficulties do net better gear, but not so much that lower difficulties are punishing. So I would recommend playing around with all mission difficulties until you figure out which suits you best. Now, the gear system: here's where one fault lies, but none so damnable that it can't be understood, as it's generally the same fault with every looter shooter and Diablo-like, even Diablo II itself. In general, your best bet is to auto-optimize your gear for the highest stats and scrap or bank the rest in storage. It can be a bit tedious in that way if you aren't used to looter shooters, but the smaller loot drop rate and inventory carry rate helps with that: generally speaking, gear is always scaling upward, and you can go quite a few missions without filling up a section of your inventory unless you're specifically hunting for gear. That said, the game *really* needs an auto-dismantle shortcut. There is some weakness in the HARM Rooms and especially in the smaller Threat Zones, but the weakness is less low-quality gameplay, and more repetitive gameplay. And there is at least one main story mission with a boss that utilizes that infamous bad design choice of dropping waves of enemies to inflate difficulty, but the game does that far, FAR less than Ultimate Alliance 3 did, and I can actually only think of that one boss fight when it comes to it being done to the point of tediousness. Best of all, while the prologue portions of the campaign are required, everything else is totally optional: if you only want to play for the campaign, you can. If you want to skip ahead to the postgame multiplayer-focused content, you can (but will admittedly start at a disadvantage). So, is it worth it? While I don't feel 100% confident in saying so, I at least feel more confident in saying than the gamut of reviews that claim 'worst game ever' or spend their time finding fault in the Metacritic aggregate system that many of us have already acknowledged. And I can say that if you're even a casual Marvel fan with a dedicated group of friends for multiplayer, 100% yes. As for everyone else, the game could at least warrant a rental to play through the campaign or a view through the campaign on a Twitch stream, but this isn't a knock on the game's quality. It utilizes some Uncharted-style scripted action segments, but the perjorative 'walking sim' does not apply here.

Let's preface this by saying the game is enjoyable, and I myself have been fortunate enough to not experience the same matchmaking issues as everybody else - 5-10 minutes finding a match as Predator, sure, but never a wait over 30 seconds as fireteam. Mechanically, this game has launched with a far greater degree of polish than Illfonic's previous outing, Friday the 13th, and the game does capture the spirit of Predator. In a pleasant surprise, there are no microtransactions at launch, and progression is honestly quick: it's easy to gain about a level every match for at least the first twenty levels. Plus, the game is safeguarded against DCs in the simplest possible way: its inclusion of AI enemies means that as long as SOMEBODY is still in the game, the game can still progress. Granted, it progresses with the lack of difficulty of having to hunt or be hunted by a PvP player, but nevertheless, you never have to feel screwed by a DC, purposeful or otherwise. And the bugs, while present and honestly a bit prevalent, are actually far less insurmountable than most games in the 4v1 asymmetrical subgenre. Compared to the other new asymmetrical licensed outing released right now (RE: Resistance), the game's netcode and optimization are actually solid. So where it the issue? Simple: content. It doesn't break the game across its knee completely to be so lacking in content, but three maps with one overarching 'island' layout theme does get old kind of quickly, and even the addition of multiple possible missions per map doesn't stretch it out tremendously, as it's all some variant of 'capture point, defend point, repeat', with an occasional hunt for resources or side missions for extra money. The gameplay loop isn't a problem if you're absolutely in love with the Predator franchise as I am, but even loving the series like I do, it feels like an 8/10 to me, and having to step back and look at it from a different framing, I'd have a hard time pushing this over a 6 or a 7 to most gamers. In short, 'fun, but flawed'. I'm enjoying it thoroughly due to my love of both asymmetrical multiplayer and Predator, but hopefully the game can expand its content over time to be able to appeal to more than just the dedicated niche demographic.

This is a hard one to gauge, because it's not the quintessential VR game on the market - honestly, it's not even the quintessential VR rhythm game on the market - but SC5 was not exactly the quintessential rhythm game on the market, either. But what it did have was originality, and a control scheme that was perhaps less precise than its simplicity required. Fun, but flawed, but memorable. To that end, KFNF! is, outside of the continued lack of Space Michael, the quintessential version of Space Channel 5, as it adds crisp enhanced visuals, new content, and motion controls that are at least as precise as they need to be and then some. It retains all the personality of the old game, and just in case somebody gets tripped up by anything, it uses Ulala as a third-person move guide on top of the initial morolian cues in a clever way by creating a true player character - identical twins and Space Channel 5 interns working under Ulala named Roo and Kie (i.e., 'Rookie', har har) who look to Ulala for instruction. On top of the story mode, it also includes a calorie counter for those who may enjoy that sort of thing, as well as an in-game character guide and model viewer, added costumes, an Arcade mode to play straight through the missions in short form, and a Trial mode for added challenge.

It seems strange to place a game like this on the market with TLoU 2 so nearby on the horizon, but this seems to be a zombie game for those who didn't get their zombie checklist marked off by the structured, narrative-heavy Naughty Dog franchise and who haven't yet had open world fatigue set in. Striking a balance between the introspective of TLoU and the gameplay focus of games like World War Z, Left 4 Dead and Dying Light, It has a narrative focus, but much of it is just set-dressing for a surprisingly ambitious playground in which to ride your motorcycle, kill zombies and loot, loot, loot. Therein lies Days Gone's biggest strength, and its greatest weakness: it's chock-full of content, so much so that like every gameplay-driven open-world game, grind and repetition are practically unavoidable, and your enjoyment will boil down to how much of the world-building you can enjoy and how much of the grind you can handle. Motorcycle mechanics are a treat, checkpoints are fair but not exploitative, and the Hard difficulty setting is surprisingly well-balanced, making it an excellent game for people who want a surmountable challenge but not an insurmountably unforgiving testament to skill. Building trust with camps is a little more impersonal than it should be, and this is where much of the grind originates from considering much of the game's 'credit' economy is based around it, but while it may not be especially compelling, I can't fault it for not being efficient and streamlined: turning in items to Bounties and Kitchens and turning it around to Mechanic merchandise is an interesting way to keep shop progression balanced, and it works Developed on UE4, a rare shift away from Sony's usual in-house engines, Days Gone isn't exactly full of bells and whistles, but it performs at a respectable 30 fps with incredibly rare dips (even during Horde sections), and most notably, its use of shadows is top-notch, and with a Pro is best experienced utilizing the full effects of an HDR display. Load times can be far less-than-respectable though, so this deserves special mention. It uses checkerboard rendering to achieve 4K visuals, so the visuals and textures are more crisp than early Alpha footage would have led people to believe. The Pacific Northwest setting of Oregon is a rare setting in games, but not one that makes for especially creative design opportunities, so if you're expecting much more than North American rainforests, I wouldn't get my hopes up here. But if you're looking for a zombie game that can keep you engaged with lots of mechanically-sound open-world gameplay, this is the best title you're going to find

Although the story and cutscenes appear to have been shorted due to the financial strain of IO Interactive finally having to buy the Hitman IP from SE and seek out outside publiahing, the core of Hitman is more uncompromising than ever. Where Hitman 2016 had caused divisiveness in perception of the new design philosophy, Hitman 2 fills itself out to be unquestionably the definitive Hitman experience. At its core, Hitman 2 retains a mildly similar engine to its predecessor, but the real underlying changes add a whole new depth to the challenge of the game. Hiding in foliage presents a whole new layer of strategy, while the previously-overpowered instinct has had many of its properties toned down to keep it viable while keeping it from being a source of near-omnipotence. Head tracking js better than ever, and depth of field is improved, so even going back to Legacy chapters, the internal metagame requires a bit more care and precision. Enemies do indeed respond in real time to mirror reflections, and minor AI variation has been implemented to prevent certain easier assassination methods from being 100% bulletproof. In keeping custom contract creation with both the new locations and the Legacy locations, along with the addition of a multiplayer Ghost Mode (currently in beta) and a co-op featured Sniper Assassin mode, Hitman 2 is also now officialky the most content-complete stealth game ever created - especially with the decision to shy away completely from episodic content. The online-only requirement and elusive targets may scare some people away, but the previous game was actually made better by the inclusion of these community systems, so hopefully this game fares as well in that area too. Surprisingly for a game which has been fully integrated with a previous, two-year-old game, the network functions are surprisingly robust, and load times are infinitely improved. If you were never a fan of Hitman or stealth games as their core, then this game will probably not sway your decision any more than the last game. But for fans of the genre, it may be lacking in story, but story was never the franchise's real strength: for a game that appears to just be 'more **** thing', it's worth noting that Hitman 2 pulls off a major feat by feeling strongly familiar, yet completely different. While the game is essentially Hitman Season 2, the entire experience has been completely overhauled from the ground up, and if you include the content of the Legacy Pack, new players will have two whole games worth of completely overhauled progression-based stealth gameplay, and a whole host of endlessly-replayable community and multiplayer functions entirely separate from the main game

I want to give this a lower score, because it doesn't take nearly as many steps forward with the formula as it should given its upgrade in budget, but what actually is done with the formula highlights it as the very thing that post-2K15 WWE 2K could - and should - have been years ago. One major core gripe I do have is that the difficulty does feel incredibly toned down in comparison to past entries, although part of that has to do with the fact that AI opponents don't mash out counters nearly as often as they used to, and that counter regeneration has been buffed significantly, so you can counter far more often, and AIs counter marginally less often Early on, the RPG-styled MyPlayer progression system seems very promising, but potentially very grindy, very clearly wanting to make sure it feels like the 20 bonus points from the Deluxe Edition carry more weight than they did in a straightforward attribute system, as this time around, min-maxing one of the three branches (attack, body, and defense) gets you through one entire tier after your first career match with the added KickStart bonus. As for the career mode, the addition of voice acting and complex character animations do add layers to the story mode, but the story itself feels like a less successful attempt at the narrative-heavy story modes of games like Madden 18/19 and NBA 2K16, and it feels more like the latter than the former, warts and all. But for better or worse, it's also the most feature-complete WWE story mode in many years, by far. Now, might as well get to the positives. Firstly, I know it may be a hollow praise, but the visuals are VASTLY improved from previous iterations, and the character models look fantastic, although the character creator models still don't have quite the same polish. 2K's attempt at NetherRealm-esque living towers is also more hit than miss and gives a very arcade feel to things. WWE Universe is generally unchanged from 2K18, but there is more customkzation with the match potential of auto-generated matches: it still gives you the option to change up show matches on the fly, but if you like being surprised from show to show, it lets you customize what matches can actually show up on the match card, and with what frequency. Also, yes, this does extend to rivalry matches, which can make for even more interesting variation. Overall, WWE 2K19 doesn't evolve everywhere it needs to evolve, but it also evolves more than any WWE 2K before it

In a world where the Arkham games exist, Sony's Spider-Man may not be the greatest superhero game ever made, but it is easily the greatest Marvel game ever made, let alone the greatest Spider-Man game by a pretty wide margin, along with the greatest open world in a superhero game by a long shot (sorry, Arkham, you're amazing, but your open world gameplay is your biggest downfall), and easily still a top 5 superhero game overall: it really is the definitive webslinger experience. One area of contention while we're on the subject of Arkham: combat really is fluid here, but not quite as intuitive as the early Arkham games. On the other side of that coin, evasion is less of an 'insta-counter' than Arkham games, and deliberate thought needs to be put into your timing as your Spidey Sense tingles. Now for the real question: how's the web-slinging? Easy: more reactive, responsive, and fun than ever. Trying not to wear out the Arkham analogies (because the game is markedly different from the Arkham games in some core areas), but while a game like Arkham City is a combat-focused action game with a minor focus on open-world action/adventure gameplay, Spidey is an open-world action/adventure game with a minor focus on combat-focused action gameplay. Getting the hang of taking off, wall-runnung, free-falling, web stunts, web-zipping, and everything in-between to pick up speed is where the game feels like it's at its strongest. In terms of core gameplay, QTEs do rear their ugly head from time to time, but for the first time in Spider-Man, they are used a little more sparingly. Playing on Spectacular difficulty has given me a new appreciation for the game as well: if you happen to get roughed up by a gang of thugs early on - which can and will happen on Spectacular difficulty - you lose the encounter, but you gain the experience for whatever enemies you did beat, and you just checkpoint out of the encounter until a new crime needs to be stopped. I have to commend Insomniac for trying to create a game that can be so accessible to low-level players but also provide high-level challenge without trying to actively punish people who seek out said challenges. Collectibles are shown to you in an organic way with a more streamlined version of the Ubisoft tower system that doesn't turn collecting into a chore, as well: and if you prefer hunting for backpacks on your own, as long as you don't ping the area with the right analog stick, they remain un-illuminated. The story, like Arkham City, is pure fanservice, but not in a bad way. It's clearly a labor of love, and Insomniac's more seasoned Spider-Man feels like a welcome change and a completely new addition to a Spider-verse that typically has an unhealthy obsession with continuity reboots. Bottom line: if you don't like Spider-Man, this game may or may not change your mind. But if you've got any love for the wall-crawler, or even for superhero games in general, the words 'must-play' absolutely spring to mind.

Although brief, I can say that Neon Drive is perhaps stylistically the most potentially captivating and fun rhythm games in recent memory for me. A freeform rhythm game in the vein of Audiosurf, Neon Drive is perhaps best summed up as an 80s reskin of Audiosurf, and while that makes for an excellent formula, it does bring the game's level of uniqueness into question for rhythm game veterans who know the insides and outs of the genre. Looking past that veneer, however, is a Synthwave/Retrowave soundtrack and eclectic and edgy 1980s-meets-postmodern art style that I've never seen a game capture as well as Neon Drive. The music is indeed exceptional, and the visuals are indeed stunning. Where the game falls apart, however, is not even in its' length (only 8 songs with 3 difficulties, but still more providing more mileage than you might expect compared to games with the usual Rock Band-sized playlists), but in its' accessibility. In this regard, the major issue can be summed up in one word: checkpoints. While many hardcore rhythm game players have taken issue with the game's higher difficulties being perhaps too easy in comparison to games like Audiosurf, the base normal difficulty may not be the most difficult thing in the world, but you are only allowed one mistake on said difficulty, and there are only two or three checkpoints littered throughout a song. While this would seem forgiving, it's important to note that this means that even at the lowest levels of play, Neon Drive is a game that expects 100% accuracy not as an achievement, but as the minimum passing standard. So in this way, Neon Drive kind of comes off as a game that's too casual for hardcores, yet too hardcore for casuals. Barring that, however, I would say it could have absolutely broken into my top 5 rhythm games of all time due to its' presentation alone. The fact that the gameplay is addictive in true Audiosurf form is only the icing on the cake. If the developers were a little more intuitive with the adjustment of lower and higher difficulties, I'd say it's a perfect rhythm game for one so short. But this is an issue of balancing that's worth noting, even if only in passing. But if you're somebody who enjoys the occasional challenge of rhythm games without feeling like you have to play with the stress of trying to be the greatest rhythm gamer of all time, then Neon Drive is probably just right for you.

While built like a F2P game - and indeed it is, for PS+ members during its' launch month, it's worth noting that this game actually sells online at $20. And while it'd be nice to talk about this game without getting into the politics of microtransactions, it's hard to get into these kinds of games without the topic surfacing as a major point of discussion. Graphically, this game is unique, interesting and fun. It's attaches itself to a strong design concept, and it does so very well: Drawn to Death is nothing if not different, in a good way. It's the brainchild of David Jaffe, and it shows - Jaffe is best known for his work in creating the multiplayer vehicular killfest that is Twisted Metal, as well as the machismo-injected antihero epic God of War. Drawn to Death is a third-person shooter that takes place within the notebook of a despondent and artistic teenager; namely, the kind that would spend all day drawing Iron Maiden cover art. The weapons are one-of-a-kind, and while not exactly anywhere near balanced for eSports-levels of competitive combat, will definitely leave players discussing favorites and least-favorites in a manner similar to the fragfest weapons of old-school arena shooters. Unfortunately, while graphics, presentation and overall gameplay are a big plus, the level of content can be a bit thin. Each character does have two unique special attacks, as well as their own unique character abilities; but with only six characters at launch, it's a lot less layered than other character shooters like - of course - Overwatch. And while there's not incredible difficulty finding online matches, its' online presence isn't exactly comparable to other current shooters in the genre at the moment. Add to that a tacked-on microtransaction platform, and you've got a recipe for success that unfortunately still wears thin a little quickly on a lot of players. The writing and humor, while solid, tends to also be trying a little bit too hard at times - but considering what kind of game this is, that can easily be overlooked. However, underneath all that is a game that is still a head above the competition in terms of F2P shooters and is definitely worth a look for PS+ members who are contesting whether or not to just bite the bullet and get the free download.