Feb. 2, 2016: Gravity Rush Remastered - 7/10
Peter Brown, Gravity Rush Remastered Review - "Gravity Rush's physics-defying gameplay attracted a following when it arrived on Vita in 2012, and now it's found a second wind on PlayStation 4 in a remastered version that both looks and plays better than the original. It has updated models and textures, runs twice as fast as the Vita version, and the larger TV format makes the details and scale of the world more apparent than they were on the Vita's modest five-inch screen."
Feb. 5, 2016: XCOM 2 - 9/10
Mike Mahardy, XCOM 2 Review - "Following in the footsteps of 2012's XCOM: Enemy Unknown, its sequel is a brutal, unforgiving turn-based strategy title played on a strategic world map and isometric battlefields. XCOM 2 places us in command of the human Resistance as they rise up against the Advent, an alien regime that has governed Earth for 20 years. As opposed to the soldiers of Enemy Unknown, XCOM 2's rebellion is on the offensive. We're no longer staunch defenders--we're a desperate guerilla force."
Feb. 9, 2016: Arslan: The Warriors of Legend - 7/10
Miguel Concepcion, Arslan: The Warriors of Legend Review - "The grand armies and the drive to amass thousands of kills makes Arslan: The Warriors of Legend the most fitting anime spin-off of the Samurai Warriors series yet. And if you ever wanted to know what would happen if a game actually adapted an anime TV show episode for episode, Arslan is a great test case. It delivers an enthralling narrative-driven hack-and-slash campaign and presents a deep knowledge base of the anime series, both of which help it overcome the familiarity of the core gameplay."
Feb. 9, 2016: Dying Light: The Following - 8/10
Scott Butterworth, Dying Light: The Following Review - "Still, rather than giving players more of the same, The Following evolves Dying Light's formula by adding substantial new mechanics that compliment or even reframe familiar gameplay elements. The dirt buggies fit right in and provide both rewarding survivor strategy and moment to moment excitement. The amount of content is impressive for an expansion as well, with approximately 10 hours of missions and plenty more for completionists. You can chase airdrops, help random civilians, explore remote areas, or tackle skill-based challenges. However, nothing can top tearing across the plains at night with vicious Volatiles grabbing at you from just outside your roll cage. It's a thrill I never expected to find in Dying Light, but thanks to The Following, I'm now a true believer."
Feb. 9, 2016: Firewatch - 7/10
Scott Butterworth, Firewatch Review - "As with other story-driven, first-person adventure games like last year's Everybody's Gone to the Rapture and the seminal Gone Home, Firewatch isn't about gameplay, per se. There are no puzzles, no quick-time events, and no combat of any kind. Instead, it's about atmosphere, immersion, and exploration, both of an expansive Wyoming forest and a burgeoning friendship, one born of mutual isolation and built on idle radio chatter. Though its central mystery ends up feeling muddled and several major story beats are ultimately out your control, Firewatch's refreshing premise, endearing characters, and achingly beautiful world anchor a thoughtful, engrossing experience that succeeds in spite of its flaws."
Feb. 9, 2016: Unravel - 7/10
Rob Crossley, Unravel Review - "As my eight-inch Yarny doll hung for dear life on a thread of wool, swinging his way across the dark underbelly of a seaside pier, my immediate thoughts were not concerned with his well-being. I was instead overcome with nostalgia. There’s something incurably wistful about the sounds of seaside that always seems to lure out childhood memories. Reminiscence is Unravel's defining quality. I'm not the type who goes weak at the sight of a floating plastic bag, but at the conclusion of this eight-hour adventure, I was moved by what it was communicating about my past. Its message is an uncomplicated, naked truth, powerful in its simplicity."
Feb. 16, 2016: Layers of Fear - 7/10
Matt Thrower, Layers of Fear Review - "Great art, I've always felt, ought to have populist edge. It offers a hook to pull people in, make them want to look and discover more for themselves. On the surface, this is a simplistic horror game with a claustrophobic atmosphere and plenty of creepy moments. The straightforward puzzles and unusual visuals give it wide appeal. Beneath that there are secrets to uncover and the subliminal pleasure of playing as the monster. For those that want to probe deeper there are angles of art and psychology to ponder. Stacked up like the rickety tiers of a gothic building, Layers of Fear proves aptly named."
Feb. 16, 2016: Street Fighter 5 - 7/10
Peter Brown, Street Fighter 5 Review - "Street Fighter V upholds the series' legacy, offering a diverse cast of 16 characters that bring its great fighting engine to life. Combatants new and old alike vie for your attention with infectious personalities and unique fighting styles. Some of Street Fighter IV's iconic mechanics have been retired in favor of new ones that add to the distinct qualities of each character, stripping away universal actions in favor of specialized skills. While I was wary of the relatively small roster at first, it's clear that a lot of attention was put into making every character stand apart from the rest, including the veritable fighting game "brothers," Ken and Ryu. Though the roster makes fighting with a friend at your side an exceptional thrill, cracks begin to show when you try to engage with the game by yourself."
Feb. 18, 2016: Devil Daggers - 8/10
Mike Mahardy, Devil Daggers Review - "Devil Daggers uses the foundation of the shooter formula, stripped of spectacle in favor of simplicity. There's no narrative, no characters, no context surrounding your presence in a dark corner of hell--just precise mechanics and a harrowing pace. Hearkening back to Doom, Quake, and other 90s shooter fare, Devil Daggers touts a grainy art style and direct approach to combat. With the ability to fire daggers from your fingers at a growing tide of demonic enemies, you're placed on a platform in the middle of a black abyss--the only objective being survival, for as long as possible."
Feb. 19, 2016: Fire Emblem Fates - 7-9/10
Alexa Ray Corriea, Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright Review (8/10) - "Birthright--one in a trio of Fire Emblem Fates titles--continues the series' time-tested spin on strategy role-playing games. But is also adds a new layer to interactions between characters that makes things intimate--steamy, even. Mechanically, Birthright is more forgiving than its sister titles Conquest and Revelations, offering players easier access to resources and units as well as more opportunities to grind out experience. As for the narrative, there are some awkward moments and cheap drama that pull you out of the moment, but these are brief and overshadowed by a handful of powerful scenes. Even the melodrama can't keep Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright from being worthy experience."
Peter Brown, Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest Review (7/10) - "Conquest's demanding challenges force you to work hard as a strategist and a matchmaker, but it never lets you revel in either on your own terms. I do appreciate how hard combat is, and I get a lot out of the relationship building opportunities that arise, but I desperately wanted more time with my army, on and off the battlefield. Every version of Fates has 28 chapters, but Birthright and Revelations give you the chance to go on scouting missions, where you can give the plot a break to train and get to know your soldiers on a more personal level. No such option exists in Conquest."
Alexa Ray Corriea, Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation Review (9/10) - "Of all three Fire Emblem Fates titles, Revelation is the most rewarding. It marries the best parts of sister titles Birthright and Conquest, offering varying maps with complex and often interactive terrain, as well as ample opportunities to grind for experience and build relationships between members of its warrings kingdoms. Whether you're carefully maneuvering your troops to make the best use of floating platforms to rout the enemy, or pairing up the heir to the Hoshido throne with the eldest princess of Nohr and praying they birth an amazing child, there is a lot of love in nearly every facet of its design."
Feb.23, 2016: Far Cry Primal - 8/10
Mike Mahardy, Far Cry Primal Review - "Learning the unique abilities of each animal, and taking the time to experiment with them, is essential for your survival. After a while, your predator allies become an extension of yourself. They become the powerful weapons otherwise absent in the the abrasive wilderness. These abilities are the embodiment of Primal's strengths. When it uses the Stone Age setting to elevate the combat and reinforce the brutality of nature, it thrives. It fosters a give-and-take relationship with the wilderness, granting you the means to survive, but also the threats you have to overcome. That focus on primitive times can become a hindrance at certain points, with limited tools and repetitive combat, but in the end, Far Cry Primal stays true to its callous setting, fleshing out every layer of the captivating world it creates."
Feb. 23, 2015: Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 - 7/10
Scott Butterworth, Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 Review - "With more generous pacing and worthwhile single-player content, Garden Warfare 2 would have been a truly outstanding game, but even without those things, it's a robust shooter with an astounding level of mechanical diversity that all but guarantees you'll encounter something new every round you play. And of course, its endearingly ridiculous presentation remains true to the series roots, further proving shooters don't have to be gray and gritty to offer a rewarding experience."
Feb. 24, 2016: The Flame in the Flood - 8/10
Edmond Tran, The Flame in the Flood Review - "The Flame in the Flood encourages you to put long-term goals aside and live in the moment, to make choices and overcome short-term problems with risky but satisfying spontaneity. Despite the awkward menu system, it’s an absorbing game that lets you experience a journey in the present, and fully appreciate the sights, sounds, and joys of floating down the river in its alluring world."
Feb. 25, 2016: Superhot - 8/10
Peter Brown, Superhot Review - "Superhot's defining characteristic is immediately intriguing; time only moves forward when you act. Conversely, when you stop moving, everything around you does too: enemies freeze mid-stride and bullets hang in the air. Under these conditions, you methodically weave and shoot your way through a series of increasingly intricate levels, which at first, don't seem connected in a meaningful way. However, Superhot ultimately reveals its true self: a game designed to gradually mess with your expectations of its narrative."