IGN Game Reviews – Spoken Edition

When we first reviewed Resident Evil: Revelations 2 in 2015, we gave it a 7.0, for Good. Here’s what we said about it then: “Resident Evil Revelations 2’s pulpy story, occasionally brilliant co-op gameplay, and excellent Raid mode balances out its dull environments and overused enemies. While I would have liked Capcom to have aimed higher, this is a mostly enjoyable horror experience, albeit an unmemorable one.” Read the full Resident Evil: Revelations 2 review.

The unthinkable has happened: Sonic has been defeated, and Doctor Eggman is conquering the planet. The only one who can put things right is your custom-made character, with some help from some old-school Sonics. The premise behind Sonic Forces sounds like an amazing mix for a Sonic game, but its inconsistent level design and overall inability to capitalize on its potential leaves it just a few steps short.

When VR headsets became a reality, I made a list of games I wanted to experience from that perspective. It was primarily games with fantastic worlds – games like BioShock, Half-Life 2, and, naturally The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Since then it’s become clear that adapting conventional first-person games to VR wouldn’t be easy, and Bethesda’s Skyrim VR is an example of how many of those challenges remain unsolved.

After struggling to get the cursor to select the “Save” button in the foreground menu instead of toggling between my Sim’s aspirations menu in the background, I somehow finagled a way to save my progress. It was tense for a moment there: I nearly lost a few in-game days of hard work. That is just one of the many small but constantly aggravating issues I had with The Sims 4 on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Finally, Apple has broken itself out of a four-year design rut with the iPhone X. On top of carrying over all the best features the iPhone 8 has to offer, this high-priced flagship phone removes the Home button that has defined the iPhone for a decade, in favor of an elegant screen that goes all the way up, and swaps the fingerprint reader for a high-tech facial scanner.

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp’s rustic setting is the perfect metaphor for what it’s like to play Nintendo’s latest mobile game. It’s a relaxing getaway that delivers a smart distillation of the traditional Animal Crossing gameplay in a format that’s ideal for the franchise. Only somewhat being held back by the limitations of the device it’s on, this trip is made all the more fun with new, engaging mechanics the series would be smart to hold onto for the future.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is one of the greatest and most famous RPGs ever created. It’s a game filled with a seemingly limitless amount of possibilities. When it comes to Skyrim on Switch, the big question left for most people is: how well does one of the biggest RPGs ever created play on Nintendo’s hybrid console? The answer is that it holds up, but doesn’t introduce enough new content or features to really draw in returning adventurers.

What do the citizens of ancient Egypt and the goons of Hydra have in common? If you ask LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2, it's that neither of them can stop themselves from jammin' to the staccato beats of "Mr. Blue Sky" when Star-Lord slips on his Walkman in the heat of combat. Maybe they're onto something. I'd routinely stop and hold down the circle button on my DualShock just to jam with him myself, so infectious is the personality that shines through almost every pixel in this fun new adventure.

Call of Duty’s return to World War II is surprisingly a fast-paced rendition on the classic setting. It provides for a good campaign, a great new mode in multiplayer among other good changes, and a creepier, dense version of Nazi Zombies. However, each core part of Call of Duty: WW2 is marred by inconsistencies and minor flaws that hold it back from being a landmark in the series.

It’s unfortunate that the capstone episode to Telltale’s overall great Guardians adaptation ended up being one of the most inconsistent. It feels like half of an epic finale in too big of a box, surrounded by those foam packing peanuts that you’re just going to throw away. The emotional high notes in Episode 5: Don’t Stop Believin’ ring loud and clear, but between them are valleys of underwhelming and sometimes confusing character writing.

There’s something very special about Doom’s kinetic run-and-gun style that works really well for quick pick-up-and-play gaming sessions. On Switch, it’s a technical achievement for portable console gaming and an outstanding game in its own right. Doom’s concept may seem a little simple: you shoot, hack, and stomp interdimensional demons before they rip you apart. But it doesn’t take long to realize just how well thought-out the whole thing really is.

WRC 7 is an improvement in many areas from last year’s decent WRC 6. The stage design continues to get better and better, the sound has been given a kick in the trousers, and the lighting impresses. However, the weather effects are still underwhelming, career mode lacks life, and it remains focused exclusively on today’s rally cars and categories (there’s no retro rallying content at all). WRC 7’s strongest feature remains its exceptional stage design.

I didn't realize how much I'd missed the Dealer from 2015’s Hand of Fate. Why would I want him around? He's a bit of a punk. In Hand of Fate 2 he mocks me for playing favorites when I repeatedly pick specific cards for my loadouts. When I fail, he rubs it in: "What an unfortunate time for your skills to leave you!" But he won me over for other reasons, such as when he draws the High Priestess tarot cards and remarks that I once again find myself in the company of prayer and religion.

Talk about a rollercoaster ride: Following on the heels of the weakest Guardians episode of the season, Who Needs You is right up there with the first in contention for being the best so far.

FIFA’s history on Nintendo consoles is shaky, with past releases often inferior, dated shadows of the games on PlayStation and Xbox. Unfortunately that trend continues with FIFA 18 on Switch, a passable on-pitch experience that is sadly stripped back and devoid of so many of the features that make the franchise currently so appealing. FIFA 18 on Switch is at its best when playing a straight-up match, but that’s largely because it offers little else.