Whether you memorized every map of the original game, or you’ve yet to set foot in the most intricate version of Yasumi Matsuno’s Ivalice ever rendered, there’s more than enough incentive in Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age to jump in.
I was somewhat ashamed when my jaw dropped playing The Crew 2. My reaction would be perfect for one of those dorky E3 montages where people react to “cool” things in a game, thus proving it’s hip to the kids’ jive, or something. But sitting in the theater watching Ubisoft’s conference, I honestly thought the “world-bending” feature in the game’s first trailer was just a commercial sort of transition effect meant to make the audience “ooh” and “aah.”
I just never got into Assassin’s Creed for some reason. I can’t identify any particular element that stood out as bad or a turnoff, so I just have to assume that — once I let the first few games get released without a second thought — I basically said “what the hell, I’ll never catch up at this rate.” (I’m aware you don’t really need to play the previous games to enjoy the later ones, especially the most recent standalone entries, but it’s one of those cultural phenomena that just feels like it passed me by.)
I’m pretty sure everyone in the known universe has already given their opinion on how completely unlikely or totally inevitable Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is, so I’m just going to avoid that discussion altogether. Besides, whatever you think about the game’s existence, the fact is that it’s here and coming out soon, so we might as well give it a chance. Speaking of such chances, I got the opportunity to give it one at Nintendo’s booth during E3 2017 … and came away feeling a bit mixed, but still cautiously optimistic, about what I had just played.
As a massive fan of the original, I was a little anxious when I first heard that Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom wasn’t going to have the same level of involvement (or, indeed, any involvement) from Studio Ghibli as the first DS version or Wrath of the White Witch on PS3.
So… Sonic Forces, then. Or, as it’s become known on social media, “The One Where Sega Finally Lost It and Let You Play as Edgelord the Reaperhog, Original Character Copyright 2006 Blake Owens, Do Not Steal.”
The initial trailer for Monster Hunter World during Sony's E3 2017 press conference was the first time in a very long time I've felt compelled to try an entry in Capcom's blockbuster franchise of my own free will. It's not that I consider the games "bad" or anything, of course — I've enjoyed titles like Monster Hunter Generations enough to give them a hearty recommendation when assigned them for review, and I've watched with envy as others close to me (most notably, my brother, who played Tri religiously on Wii) have an absolute blast with the series.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's improved Battle Mode is bound to bring out some people's inner child in the best way (this author very much included). As for the rest of the racing action, the tight and polished multiplayer action is as good as it's ever been - and the ability to take it on-the-go is like a dream come true.
At its best, Yooka-Laylee is a fun retread of '90s-era 3D platforming. Unfortunately, it fails to move the genre forward in any significant way, and even brings back several pains that should have stayed firmly planted in the past.
