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What games have the best graphics on PS4?

22

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Considered

23

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Jan 18, 2022

Last
Updated

22 Games Considered

What games have the best graphics on PS4	Price	Genre	Platforms
-- Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn	$19.99	MMORPG	PlayStation 4, Windows, Mac
-- The Last of Us Remastered	$19.99	-	-
-- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End	$39.99	-	-
-- Horizon Zero Dawn	$59.99	-	-
-- Rise of the Tomb Raider	$38.00	-	-

Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn

Top Pro

Plenty of side-quests to keep the player busy

For those that would like to level their character without having to d a lot of grinding in dungeons or the main story, There is quite a lot of side-quests on offer in this game. So many in fact that the player could level up through mainly side-quests if they liked. Every area the player reachers will see plenty of NPCs that will offer a new quest to go out on (an even sometimes multiple quests), which not only means a ton of content but an actual story to the game (that is different from the main quest) that can keep the player involved without feeling like they are repeating the same things over and over again. See More

Top Con

Pay to play

The game itself has a base price of $19.99, but also has expansion pack prices that could be added on top of that. This is just to get the game, once purchased the player will also need to pay a monthly subscription of $12.99 to continue playing the game, which can add up over time making for a pretty steep investment for some. See More

Specs

Top Pro

Play all classes with one character

You don't have to create a different character for every single class. Your one character can be every single class. Each class has a specific weapon (bow for archers, daggers for rogue, axes for marauders, etc.), and you just equip that weapon type and your character switches classes. Each class starts at level, so you have to level each class you want to play, but there are numerous ways to get exp so it feels a little less like a grindy chore. See More

Top Pro

An absolutely stunning game

Final Fantasy XIV is gorgeous. The developers clearly put a lot of time and energy into creating all types of climates, ranging from harsh, desolate deserts to untamed, icy wastelands. The cities and villages in this game are vibrant and alive, while the cinematics can be dreary and depressing. Apart from the landscapes, the spells and abilities of this game will take you by surprise. Every ability is animated very well, and has gorgeous pixel designs to pull you even further into the game. See More

Top Pro

The story is incredible

Most MMORPGs don't offer much in the way of a story line, but that is not the case with FFXIV. The story will span the entire world, and is completing it is actually a requirement to get into most of the game's content. However, it doesn't feel like you're being forced into following a story you don't care about, the characters get into your head and you begin to feel like an actual hero. It's very well written, and can be listened to in multiple languages if you prefer that. See More

Top Pro

Combat is very in-depth

The combat in FFXIV is incredibly polished. It requires quick, real-time decisions and reactions, as well as a plan for how your team is going to take on whatever you're fighting. Like many games, it begins as simply hitting your attack buttons and waiting for your abilities to be ready again. FFXIV, however, has taken it a step further and has implemented complex combos and other interactions. These other interactions often have wildly different end results, so you must decide how best to use them. See More

The Last of Us Remastered

Top Pro

Comes with all of the DLC

The Last of Us was first released on PS3, and a lot of extra content was released later. The Last of Us Remastered comes with all of that content included. This will help you save some money on DLC purchases. See More

Top Con

Minor graphical issues

You'll occasionally notice texture pop-ins and characters briefly disappearing. It's not really game-breaking, but could potentially ruin your immersion. See More

Specs

Top Pro

Emotional story with characters you can relate to

The Last of Us is story about loss, family, and protecting your loved ones. From beginning to the end it's filled with sad scenes and touching moments, so you're in for a ride. It also deals with the harsh reality of surviving in a post-apocalyptic world. Kindness gets you nowhere and only the cold-hearted can truly survive. Even if you make the right choice, you'll still have regrets, which sticks with you and changes you. In the end everyone's just trying make the best out of a bad situation. That makes you think how far you'd go to survive and how long you'd still be your old self. Having characters you can relate to makes the story a lot more enjoyable. See More

Top Pro

Simple but useful crafting system

This game has a very simple crafting system where you collect scraps and combine them to make items. You can also craft weapons such as the Molotov cocktail and the nail bomb. Both weapons can take out most enemies instantly. It's quite refreshing to see such an accessible and useful crafting system. See More

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Top Pro

Exciting exploration

Uncharted 4 brings you to many locations and each one is very beautiful and filled with mystery. A calming beach, a vast Savannah, a snowy mountain, ancient ruins, and lost temples among many others. It's really exhilarating to see where you'll be going next in search of treasures. See More

Top Con

Last act feels drawn out

The last third of the game can be quite repetitive, tasking the player with the same objectives over and over again. The feeling that this was done to extend the gameplay is difficult to ignore. See More

Specs

Top Pro

Excellent character development

Uncharted 4 features some of the best character development in a game. The motivations, actions, and growth of your character is believable. This is achieved thanks to amazing voice acting and excellent writing. The conclusion to your character's story arc is especially satisfying. See More

Top Con

Troublesome controls at times

The cover system is a bit wonky at times, causing you to take cover at the wrong places. There are also some issue with platforming, causing your character to grab the wrong ledges occasionally. While both of these don't happen too often, it can cause some frustration during hectic moments. See More

Top Pro

Great multiplayer

The shooting feels great, the movements feel really fluid, but most importantly – the multiplayer is well-balanced. When you win, you know it's because you/your team played well. When you lose you'll understand that the enemy was better. It doesn't devolve into players constantly spamming overpowered setups or abilities, making it a fair, action-packed, and fun experience. See More

Top Pro

Decent stealth gameplay

Uncharted 4 stealth mechanics feel very good, even though you can't lure enemies or drag their bodies. If you're patient enough you can avoid an open confrontation in most levels. This is a really refreshing change of pace in the Uncharted series, which is known for its non-stop action. See More

Horizon Zero Dawn

Top Pro

Each upgrade and skill feels meaningful

Most games nowadays are plagued by needlessly high level caps, useless skills and meaningless upgrades. In Horizon Zero Dawn Each upgrade and new skill unlock actually helps you become a more efficient hunter. There's Silent Strike, which lets you perform silent takedowns on enemies, both robotic and human. Enemies that would've taken a lot of effort to beat previously, can now be taken out in one hit. However, on its own it's mediocre at best, so you have to get other abilities to make it more effective. One such ability is Low Profile, which makes you less visible when you're crouching. This lets you to sneak up on enemies much easier, allowing you to use Silent Strike more often. There's also the upgrades, which can be either a boost to your damage, rate of fire, an increase to your carrying capacity or a unique technology such as the cloaking field. The damage and rate of fire upgrades are very straightforward, allowing you to defeat machines in a shorter amount of time. The carrying capacity upgrade helps you go on longer hunts without having to make a return trip. The cloaking field makes it a lot safer to travel and a lot easier to get the jump on enemies. See More

Top Con

The game is difficult

Horizon Zero Dawn is incredibly challenging. Even players that are good at the game still have difficulties facing some enemies. See More

Top Pro

Exciting hunting gameplay

The main focus of the game is hunting robotic creatures also known as "machines". They are similar to real animals in both appearance and behavior, so a lot of them move in packs. You have to be careful in how you approach them, because provoking one of them will also provoke the others. You can hide in tall grass and attract them one by one with whistling. This way you can take them out silently with your spear, minimizing the danger. Or you can get into a direct confrontation, which is a lot more intense when there are multiple enemies. You'll have to learn their patterns, so you know when to dodge or attack with your weapon (usually a bow or slingshot). When you finally manage to defeat them, it truly feels like an achievement. See More

Top Pro

Intriguing world

At first glance the world seems simple. Tribes-folk living in beautiful landscapes of snow, sand, and lush green, trying to get by through hunting and gathering. Then you get introduced to the other inhabitants – the machines. It suddenly makes you wonder about their origin, their appearance and their purpose. What lead to their creation and why did civilization regress to pockets of tribal settlements. You'll be interested in exploring the world and finding out for yourself. See More

Rise of the Tomb Raider

Top Pro

Replayability through unlockables

Once a level is competed, you can to complete unfinished or new objectives. These will unlock new outfits or other items. This gives you plenty of goals to strive for outside the main story. Trying to complete all the optional objectives can be quite addictive. See More

Top Con

Stealth seems pointless

While there are stealth takedowns and you can be stealthy in many areas, there is no real incentive to be stealthy. You can easily take out most enemies in an open confrontation and you won't ever feel like you're truly in danger. See More

Specs

Top Pro

A variety of weapons to keep the gameplay fun

There are over 20 weapons to choose from, including handguns, shotguns, assault rifles, and bows. You can also craft special ammo or explosives such as nail bombs. This keeps the gunfights interesting since you can switch to a new weapon whenever it gets dull. See More

Top Con

Difficulty spikes late game

During the latter half of the game the gunfights will suddenly become a lot harder. While they're not impossible to beat, the sudden difficulty spike will take time to get used to. This may cause some frustration and worsen your overall experience. See More

Top Pro

Challenging but fair optional puzzles

In Rise of the Tomb Raider there are 9 optional tombs that serve as large scale environmental puzzles. They all rely on you reading the environment carefully. For example, one of them is a wooden ship frozen vertically on the wall of an ice cavern. The puzzle is reaching the treasure at the top of the ship. It might seem really hard at first, but if you carefully look at the environment you'll find a path. Solving one of these puzzles is really fun, especially because you get an upgrade from them. See More

Top Con

Overused and overly familiar plot

The gist of the plot is that Lara is searching for the key to eternal life. This plot has been used in other franchises such as Indiana Jones and Uncharted. It seems kinda lazy, especially because both of these franchises are also about treasure hunters. You won't be able to shake the feeling that you already know the story, which somewhat ruins the enjoyment. See More

Top Pro

Rewarding exploration

Each level is large, so there is quite a lot to see and do in each one. You'll be rewarded for exploring as there are many hidden items, weapons, and beautiful views to be found. This gives you an incentive to fully explore each location. See More

Top Con

Focuses on action too much

Rise of the Tomb Raider doesn't have many puzzles or slow-paced sections, so you never really feel like a treasure hunter looking for artifacts. There are just way too many gunfights and high intensity moments one after another. It would have been nice to see more puzzles to balance out the action. See More

Top Pro

Jaw dropping graphics

Rise of the Tomb Raider has phenomenal graphics and a very great attention to detail. Simple things like the snow moving as you step into it or how Lara's hair moves in the wind. This gives it a feeling a of polish most games don't have. The character models and animations are also phenomenal. Each of their movements and facial expressions look real, creating a movie like experience. See More

Top Con

Very linear

Most of the time you'll be forced to move along a single path. There are occasional quick-time events and simple puzzles, but every situation only has a single solution. This makes it feel more like an interactive movie than a game since you're never really given any freedom of choice. See More

Detroit: Become Human

Top Pro

Impeccable graphics and visuals

Detroit: Become Human has next-level graphics and presentation. Characters look exactly like the actors they're modeled after, down to imperfections like razor bumps on the back of Connor's neck from his perfect, precise haircut. The environments set in the city of Detroit in the year 2038 are also great, showing the sheen of futuristic, automated cars and buses driving down the road, the bustling cultural meccas downtown, and even the grittier, dirtier aspects of the poverty-stricken areas. Everything looks amazing, showing off what games of this console generation can put out in terms of graphics and detail. See More

Top Con

Not for players who want more involved gameplay

The gameplay in Detroit: Become Human boils down to exploring, making decisions, and following button prompts on the screen. This doesn't have any complicated, intricate systems that you might expect. It's more of an interactive movie that leans heavily on the experience rather than mechanics, which isn't for anyone. As long as you know what to expect before going in, the story might be enough to carry you through. See More

Specs

Genre:Interactive Narrative, Action-Adventure

Top Pro

The story isn't afraid to tackle social commentary issues like discrimination, politics, and slavery

Detroit: Become Human centers around subservient androids rising up against their human creators, either in peaceful protest or violent revolution. The plot gets into some heavy themes, like how the androids take care of so many jobs that the human unemployment rate is quite high, causing resentment. Humans openly discriminate against androids, delegating them to remain in the back of buses, restricting their rights, and openly treating them like slaves. The story is unabashed in the way it portrays these ideas that aren't typically shown in video games, taking risks that ultimately pay off in the long-run. See More

Top Con

The real-world analogy of androids as an oppressed minority doesn't always work

It's a hard sell to portray advanced intelligent life as the equivalent of a powerless minority who faces institutionalized racism. The androids are subservient to humans initially because that's how they're programmed to behave; once they "wake up" and break free from that programming, it's just a matter of gathering allies and using their cybernetic superiority to achieve their goals. The story only spans a few months within the year 2038 as well, meaning it doesn't follow the same years-long arc of justice and civil rights as the minorities that the game draws inspiration from. It's an admirable portrayal nonetheless, despite the shortcomings and false equivalencies. See More

Top Pro

An ambitious amount of branching paths via player choice

The sheer number of branching choices and outcomes is staggering. After every chapter, the game shows you a flowchart of the choices you made, the paths you unlocked, and which conclusion you arrived to. You get to see the blank spaces for paths you didn't unlock, which shows the surprising scope of how gigantic the script is. Getting to see the percentage of players in the world who unlocked your same outcomes also puts things into perspective. Each decision you make leads to a true a culmination of your choices by the end, encouraging near-infinite different playthroughs. See More

Top Con

Some writing problems with over-the-top drama for shock value

At times, the writing dials it up to one hundred when it isn't always justified. This is mainly a problem with undeveloped characters who show up just to start drama, inevitably leading to situations that the player won't be able to sympathize with. The writers do this as a way to advance the plot, but it ends up feeling rushed and amateur, like it's done for the sake of shocking the audience. More time could have been dedicated to fleshing things out, making these plot twists more believable and impactful. See More

Top Pro

The types of story situations you find yourself in are unprecedented

There's both quantity and quality with the branching paths in Detroit: Become Human. Connor, Kara, and Markus all experience some pretty remarkable events, leading them to grow as characters in satisfying ways according to your choices. Connor can go down a truly intriguing path that puts him at odds with his programming, trapping him in some harrowing predicaments that test his loyalties. Kara can go on a real adventure with her friends and loved ones, leaving her with nothing as she tries to make things work despite the odds against her. Markus has the freedom to lead either a peaceful protest or a violent revolution against the humans, at the cost of losing relationships, and possibly himself in the process. The places and emotions you can lead your characters to are surprising and unforgettable. See More

Top Pro

The three playable android characters are each great in their own ways

You play as three androids--Connor, Kara, and Markus--all of whom have their own interesting character traits and storylines. Connor is cold and direct as an investigator for the police, concerned first and foremost about finishing the job by any means necessary. Kara is more docile and mother-like, but determined to protect those she cares about. Markus is the leader who rallies the androids together for their cause for the sake of justice. The three characters intersect in intriguing ways, with Connor maintaining the status quo, Markus upsetting the norm, and Kara wanting to find her own path. But, ultimately, who they are depends on your choices, since your actions are what determine how the protagonists turn out in the end. See More

Marvel's Spider-Man

Top Pro

Swinging around Manhattan as Spider-Man is tons of fun

Traversing across buildings with Spider-Man's web-slinging ability is thrilling. Zipping across town from quest marker to quest marker is quick and convenient: with simple aiming and button presses, you aim your web at the top corner of a skyscraper, for example, and then you swing through other buildings and across the busy streets to get there. Keeping up this momentum lets you get from one place to another in record time. The rumble feature and the rattling camera effects from your boots in speed give you the perfect amount of feedback to help you feel like you're really in Spider-Man's shoes. It's so fun that you might find yourself swinging from place to place for no reason, just to have that thrill. See More

Top Con

Weak side content

Aside from some fun time trial challenges, most of the side quests and other optional content are pretty boring and repetitive. Many of them are standard quests, like going to fetch pigeons or beating up random enemies. They don't feel anywhere near as engaging as the main story, either. With how standard and procedural they are, they're just there to fill up space and let you earn some rewards to customize Spider-Man's outfit with. Not to mention, it's jarring going from the tense and important story missions to these throwaway side quests, like you're wasting time. See More

Specs

Genre:Action-Adventure

Top Pro

Interesting story that shows the human side of Spider-Man's life

The game's story is pretty impactful, showing what happens behind-the-scenes in Spider-Man's life outside of his positive and optimistic superhero persona. While you do get to see plenty of his typical silly snarks as with his mask on, what happens when he's just Peter with his friends is equally as interesting, if not more so. You get to watch as he gets to know other side characters in New York City, like his friends and his eventual enemies, all of whom work either with him or against him. Everyone has their own fleshed out, personal struggles, showcasing the actual people who both help and fight Spider-Man in his goals to save the city from the villains who come up throughout the 15-20 hour story. It's a surprisingly riveting plot that goes much deeper than the comics and movies, and it's absolutely worth experiencing for both Spider-Man fans as well as players getting to know him for the first time. See More

Top Pro

Strategic and engaging hand-to-hand combat

Fighting against goons on the ground is a solid experience that keeps your attention for the most part. Since Spider-Man can't take many hits before going down, that's all the more reason to keep an eye on exactly which buttons you press. Chaining combos is your best bet, rewarding you with fancy and flashy acrobatics that are great to watch as well as a good deal of invincibility as you take down one bad guy after another. Boss battles are great too, with lots of excellent cinematic fights that really do a great job of showing off the whole city with their setpieces. When you're overwhelmed in battle, you can make use of Spider-Man's nifty gadgets to help you out, like a drone you can use to get rid of anyone who's giving you too much of a hard time. Once you get the hang of using combos and gadgets to your advantage, things can get a little repetitive, but you can always up the difficulty if you're looking for more of a challenge. See More

Top Pro

Impressive visuals

Spider-Man is a really great-looking game. The skyscrapers across Manhattan in New York City gleam in the sunlight and moonlight, the streets are densely packed with shining cars and busy civilians, and the character models are all realistic enough to believe. Swinging around the city with Spider-Man's web is even more fluid with the way the camera zooms in and out to show you a full vantage point of the city, filled with tons of details that make you feel like you have a real bird's-eye view of the area. Everything has an incredible amount of polish and doesn't get old to look at. See More

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Top Pro

Freedom in approaching a mission

Metal Gear Solid V gives players multiple choices on how to approach a mission. You can choose to use stealth, taking out enemies only when it's absolutely necessary. You can run in guns blazing, killing everyone on sight. You can get on a high vantage point and take out everyone with a sniper rifle. Or you can call in air support to do all the work for you. The choice is up to you and the game doesn't penalize you for sticking to a single way. This helps keep the gameplay fresh for a long time. See More

Top Con

High learning curve

MGS V can feel really overwhelming at the start. First the controls have various nuances such as different ways of crawling. Then you get a bunch of mechanics thrown at you, such as stealth, base managment, etc. It will take quite a while until you can fully enjoy the game. See More

Specs

Co-Op:Single Player

Top Pro

Allows players to create their private military company

Throughout the game, you will be trying to rebuild your private military company. Your base of operations is the "Mother Base", which is a giant structure similar to an oil rig. You can expand it and add new facilities such as Research and Development. You'll also be managing your personnel, allowing you to recruit (capture) enemy soldiers and assign them work in their area of expertise. This can be research, development, various upkeep tasks around the base or earning resources out in the field. All of these things truly make you feel like you're running a PMC. See More

Top Con

Micro transactions make multiplayer pay-to-win

You can buy bundles of in-game currency, which can be used to gain an advantage in multiplayer. This makes multiplayer not fun for the players who don't intend on spending extra money. It also makes it boring for the ones who spend the money. Both of these things negatively impact the longevity of the multiplayer. Some of the bundles go for $79.99, which is more than the game's price. It's sad seeing Konami milk their fans with microtransactions like this. See More

Top Pro

Enemy AI adapts to your playstyle

The enemy will pick up on your habits and react accordingly. For example, if you use tranq darts to knock enemies out, they will try to wake up their comrades at first. Do this for a couple of missions and they'll immediately run to sound the alarm when they spot someone knocked out. This way the game expertly keeps you out of the comfort zone, having the later missions feel as tense as the first. See More

Top Pro

Reflex system helps you stay unnoticed

Time will slow down for a short time if you're spotted by an enemy. This allows you to take them out before they can sound the alarm or alert other soldiers. This is quite refreshing compared to other stealth games, where messing up means an immediate end to being stealthy. See More

Top Pro

Large assortment of weapons and tools

MGS V has a lot of weapons, including pistols, shotguns, machine guns, and sniper rifles. There are both lethal and non-lethal variants, allowing you to find something suitable for any playstyle. There are also many tools such as the Fulton device, which allows you to capture enemy soldiers and animals, sending them to your base. It's a ton of fun experimenting with new gadgets. See More

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Top Pro

Gigantic openworld

The total size of Witcher 3's world is about 52 square miles, which is 3.5 times larger than Skyrim and 1.5 times larger than Grand Theft Auto V. Thanks to the sheer size you feel like you're in a real world and not a constrained box. See More

Top Con

Performance hiccups

Even though the frame rate is capped at 30 frames per second it often drops below that. You also might experience long load times or textures not loading fully in some areas. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive

Genre:Action RPG

Top Pro

Attention to detail in almost every facet of the game

The Witcher 3 is how an AAA title should play, sound, and feel like. Its deep combat, beautiful graphics, amazing sound, interesting quests, immersive story, and almost every other aspect of the game has a surprising amount of polish. See More

Top Con

Story quests may feel like a chore

If you happen to enjoy doing side quests, you might end up overleveled for the story quests, allowing you to easily power through them. This may remove the challenge and enjoyment, causing it to feel like a chore, especially because the loot also remains low-level. See More

Top Pro

Immersive story

Developers have taken great care to make an interesting story, but what really pulls you in is the dialogue and character interactions. They're made great through excellent writing, stellar voice-overs, and great body language. The characters on-screen may feel like real people, so it's very easy to forget you're playing a game and not watching a TV series. See More

Top Pro

Lots of random side quests

You can just walk around for hours, find abandoned structures, caves, etc and find interesting side quests to do. See More

Top Pro

Side quests are as good as the main quests

There are almost no lazy "go get me 12 turtle shells" quests in the Witcher 3 and you get to experience some amazing writing even in the most obscure side quests. See More

Top Pro

Convenient ways to get around the massive world

The world is intimidatingly massive but thankfully there are ways to cut down on travel time. You can ride a horse, use a boat, or just simply fast travel to explored locations. This makes the experience more accessible and enjoyable as a whole. See More

Top Pro

Choices matter

The Witcher 3 has three completely different endings. The decisions during main quests and side-quests affect how the endings play out, adding up 36 possible outcomes. It feels refreshing to actually impact your character's fate and not just trot along a path to an inevitable conclusion. See More

Beyond: Two Souls

Top Pro

Unique two-player couch co-op

The co-op in Beyond: Two Souls is pretty different from the norm. One person plays as Jodie, controlling her for regular story segments, while the second person plays as Aiden for his poltergeist-like powers. You can either work together to get the outcome you both agree on, or the person playing Aiden can cause as much havoc as they want. It can be really funny to have Aiden mess things up by destroying a room or making another character angry by annoying them. Depending on how you and your co-op partner work together -- or don't work together -- you can come up with some interesting scenarios. See More

Top Con

Some parts of the story drag for too long

The pacing in Beyond: Two Souls is off sometimes, with certain sections taking too long to get going. One part in particular is pretty boring, with time passing way too slowly and not a lot going on. Things pick up after a while, but it's easy to put the game down entirely before you get that far. This happens a little too often in a playthrough, bogging the plot down in an otherwise good story. See More

Specs

Genre:Interactive Narrative, Action-Adventure

Co-Op:2 Player Local

Top Pro

Plenty of tense and exciting action moments

Even though the game is like an interactive movie, there are still some action scenes with more involved gameplay. There are moments where Jodie is in danger and you have to navigate Aiden to help her, or Jodie and Aiden are on the run from several enemies and you have to find a way to escape. You then have to press buttons in time or navigate your analog sticks in certain ways to stay in control of the scene. The game does rely a lot on button presses with QTEs to keep you involved in the gameplay, but as long as you feel engrossed in the game and the overall plot, you probably won't mind too much. See More

Top Con

The romance subplots feel tacked-on

The romance options in the game feel like they don't belong. They also don't feel at all natural, mainly because Jodie doesn't have much chemistry with either of the guys. The romances don't contribute much to the plot, either, since the story progresses more or less the same with only minor differences depending on if you romanced someone or not. At the end of the day, the subplots are awkward and unfulfilling, and could have been left out of the game altogether. See More

Top Pro

Great music that compliments the story well

Beyond: Two Souls' soundtrack fits well with the game's dramatic and emotional plot. The innocent songs with wind instruments and undertones of sorrow reflect the quiet moments you spend as Jodie during her lonely childhood years. Other, more powerful tracks with blaring cellos and ethereal screaming sounds compliment the action-heavy moments. Sometimes even the silent scenes with only a few notes of music convey the seriousness of what's happening on-screen. The composer Lorne Balfe hit the right tone for any given scene, making the story even more memorable. See More

Top Con

The story feels on-rails most of the time

Despite how many decisions you make throughout the game, the story still follows a set formula. Your choices don't really affect the bigger picture, just the finer details of how each chapter plays out. The choices you make at the very end of the game do depend on which options you went with across the game, but it's still not enough. It would have been nice if this were a game where your choices drastically affect the outcome of the plot instead. See More

Top Pro

Your choices have consequences

Each choice you make, no matter how small, affects how the story plays out in some way. There are the bigger decisions, like pressing a QTE in time to keep Jodie from getting hurt, or making the right dialog choices during encounters with the game's antagonists to outsmart them. But there are also smaller decisions, like choosing to give someone a gift or not stealing money when given the opportunity, and the unexpected ways these choices get taken into account down the line. The best part is that everything leads up to multiple endings depending on which path your choices take you. See More

Top Pro

Excellent performance from actress Ellen Page as the protagonist

The protagonist Jodie Holmes is played incredibly well by actress Ellen Page through motion capture technology and voice acting. Portraying Jodie during her teenage and young adult years, Ellen Page shows a huge range of believable emotions, from Jodie's frustrations of growing up with her supernatural powers and her determination to survive all the problems she faces. You get to see every genuine expression she makes and hear each inflection of her voice when she speaks. Controlling Jodie especially feels like you're controlling a real person, Ellen Page herself, just from how realistic everything looks. The actress does a great job performing such a fully-realized character. See More

Top Pro

Thoughtful story about morality and the supernatural

Beyond: Two Souls tells a thought-provoking story about how supernatural powers affect a person's morality. You play as Jodie Holmes, a young woman who controls a strange spirit-like entity known as Aiden, giving Jodie certain supernatural powers that only seem to cause her trouble at first. Throughout the story, Jodie tries to find meaning in her powers by deciding whether or not she should use Aiden to help others, even as many in the world persecute her for how dangerous her abilities are. Most of the tension in the plot surrounds whether or not Jodie should get revenge against those who discriminate against her, or if she should choose kindness instead. Whichever path you take is fair game, since the story leaves you to decide what is best. See More

God of War (2018)

Top Pro

Great graphics

This is one of the best looking PS4 games to date, and really sets a benchmark. It truly pushes the hardware to its limits and showcases what the system can do. The Norse-inspired landscape of rolling mountains and grassy valleys is breathtakingly beautiful featuring realistic textures and shadows. Every rock and blade of grass is done in exquisite detail. The sky and water are photo realistic. Sometimes just standing and looking at the mountain peaks in the distance can provide a sense of awe. Even the leather and fur on armor looks and reacts realistically during movement. From the textures, character models, and everything in between - it's hard to find a better looking game on any system. See More

Top Con

Block and Runics use the same button

The same button used to block enemy attacks is also used to activate some special moves called Runics. Sometimes a mixup in the heat of combat can cause a Runic to go off by accident. It's not the end of the world, but it will force you to wait for the cooldown before you can use it again. See More

Specs

Genre:Action-Adventure

Top Pro

Highly immersive thanks to attention to small details

There are a lot of small details in God of War that help add to it's immersive atmosphere. For example, when traveling with Atreus and you stop too long to admire the view, he will start complaining about how bored he is. Snowflakes will actually stick to armor when in a snowy environment. Flames on candles blow and move based on the breeze. NPCs rarely ever repeat the same lines. When looking at Kratos, you can see every vein on his muscled arms. All of these small details add up making the game world feel like a living, breathing place. See More

Top Con

Fixed camera can be a disadvantage during combat

Since you can't zoom in and out at will, you are always locked in the fixed view that the camera wants you to be in. This can be rough to adjust to in some combat situations, like enemies sneaking up behind you. See More

Top Pro

Excellent voice acting

The deep and commanding voice of Kratos, voiced by Christopher Judge, is extremely fitting and exactly what you would expect from a powerful god killer. Lines are delivered with real conviction and come off full of emotion and real depth. See More

Top Pro

Super enjoyable combat

Combat is just plain enjoyable and fun. Hacking and slashing with the axe feels brutal and impactful. Watching an enemy being cut in two in a bloody splash or staggering backwards emphasizes the power in your swings. Throwing your axe and having it boomerang back to you also never gets old. Blocking with the shield at just the right time provides some strategic elements. Unleashing special moves feels great since they reward careful timing as opposed to just mashing buttons. Atreus, your son, fights alongside you stunning and shooting enemies, and is way more of a boon than a hindrance that has to be micromanaged. God of War also sheds the cumbersome quicktime events from previous games in the series. Now you just press 1 button to unleash bloody and bone crushing finishing moves. See More

Top Pro

Engaging father-son dynamic that ties into the gameplay

The dynamic between Kratos and his son Atreus is not only for plot purposes, as it also ties incredibly well into the combat and gameplay itself. Atreus fights alonside Kratos in battle shooting his bow at enemies and occasionally stunning them. However, like a son obeying his father, will only unleash his most powerful attacks when you order him to do so. Weaving his shots and runic ability in with your own attacks creates a great synergy between the two in combat, and helps to emphasize their relationship as a father and son team. While Kratos may be the protective father and leading the charge, he also learns a few things from the boy during their journey. During exploration, Atreus will often point out side paths you have may have missed. Additionally, Atreus is the only one who can read the many Norse mythology and lore runes scattered around the game world. All of these gameplay elements combined help to constantly reinforce the dynamic between the pair. See More

Top Pro

Seamless, immersive camera work

God of War is played from start to finish as one continuous camera shot without interruption. Every single frame features Kratos, so it's easy to stay intimately wrapped up in his state of mind and emotions at all times. Through moments of grief, silence, and anger - you are with him for all of it. Certain game mechanics cleverly use this camera work to their advantage. For example, fast travel around the game world is handled through the seamless camera trick of stepping through a gateway as if it's a door. Unless you die, there isn't a single loading screen. This continuous shot with an unwavering focus ensures you are fully immersed in the character and story at all times. See More

Top Pro

The Leviathian Axe is just a downright fun and satisfying weapon

Slicing through enemies and throwing your ice-imbued Leviathan Axe around never gets old. It starts off with a basic light and heavy attack, but as the game goes on, you'll be constantly upgrading it with new and improved powers by killing bosses. One of the most satisfying aspects is throwing it like a boomerang. It sails through the air as it cuts up enemies, and then with a 2nd button tap you can recall it back into your outstretched hand as your controller gently rumbles. If you line it up properly, you can even throw it in your foe's face for a bloody headshot. This throw effect is not only used for combat, but also for environmental puzzles and smashing obstacles. Even with no enemies in sight, it still remains fun to just toss it around and see what you can smash with it. See More

Top Pro

Encourages exploration

While there's still a linear story to follow, there are plenty of optional side areas that you will have to discover on your own. While your son Atreus may point out a few of them, most are found via thorough exploration of your surroundings or taking on side quests. By traveling off the beaten path and straying away from the main storyline, you'll find collectibles, treasure chests, challenging enemies, and various loot, so it's always rewarding to poke around and seek out the secrets. See More

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition

Top Pro

Great cinematic cutscenes

Beyond Lara's personal story, the overall presentation of the plot is gripping in how cinematic it is. Some of the set pieces are wild, like Lara falling from impossible heights into the sea at the start of the game and managing to survive. The way she thinks herself out of tough situations is also impressive, such as with the way the camera follows her with closeups as she wriggles her way out of traps or takes down enemies who seemingly have the upper hand over her. The direction and acting are similar to those in action movies, telling a grand and intense story. See More

Top Con

No dedicated servers for multiplayer

The multiplayer is peer-to-peer where your connection depends on the quality of one of the people in the lobby, who is the host. This means that you have to deal with lag, rubberbanding, and frequent disconnects when the host's connection is bad. Having dedicated servers could have drastically reduced this problem. See More

Specs

Genre:Third-Person Shooter, Action-Adventure

Top Pro

Stealth sections shine

Instead of going in guns blazing during combat, you can take a strategic, stealthy approach. You have plenty of opportunities to quietly take out bad guys if that's what you'd rather do. You can either rack up carefully-aimed headshots with your bow and arrow, or sneak up behind enemies and choke them out one at a time. Silently traversing tight quarters all while taking everyone out unseen is quite enjoyable. See More

Top Con

Excessive violence and gore

There are times when the violence is way too over-the-top. During cutscenes when Lara gets injured such as by falling and getting brutally impaled, the blood and gore can be extremely uncomfortable. To make it all worse, Lara's screams of pain are bloodcurdling and visceral, really making you feel for her. Even if you're used to violence in games, some of the scenes in Tomb Raider might be difficult to watch. See More

Top Pro

Exciting third-person shooting combat

The combat in Tomb Raider works really well and feels great, challenging you to stay active. You start off with only a bow and arrow, gradually working your way up to guns and bigger weapons like rocket launchers. Shooting with guns or arrows feels satisfying with plenty of feedback, especially the hard kick from the game's many different shotguns. The enemy AI is aggressive without feeling cheap, keeping you moving from place to place as you take down everyone in your path. When an enemy gets too close, you can use whatever Lara's holding in her hand, like her gun or an arrow for a bloody, cinematic finishing move. Combat is fast-paced and fun, constantly keeping you on your toes. See More

Top Con

Generic and predictable finale

The way that the story concludes is disappointing because you can see it coming from a mile away. Throughout the game, you learn a lot about the cool history of the island you're stranded on as you fight for a way to escape and get back to civilization. You might think that the ending lives up to all the historical intrigue in a creative way. Sadly, the finale goes about the way you'd expect it without doing anything new. It's boring and cliche, feeling a lot like a lost opportunity to do something different and unique. See More

Top Pro

Lara Croft's origin story feels authentic

This reboot of Tomb Raider tells a thoughtful, personal story of how Lara Croft became a seasoned explorer. She's wide-eyed and curious at the beginning of the game, growing into a more confident character as the plot progresses. Once she is left to fend for herself on the island she's stranded on, you see her fear and vulnerability over the unknown, and in how she struggles to learn how to hunt and survive. Each of her accomplishments are memorable because of how hard she fights to reach her goals. By the end, you have a full story of how and why Lara transforms into the iconic character many know her as from the previous games. See More

Top Con

Not enough tombs to explore

It's odd that this is a reboot of Tomb Raider without the tombs. There are a handful of tombs here and there, but you won't find the amount that you may expect, especially if you're a fan of the series. The game mostly focuses on the combat and parkour segments without giving you the chance to go raid tombs for unique treasure. More tombs with puzzles to solve would have been nice as a side activity to break up the regular gameplay from story missions. See More

Destiny 2

Top Pro

Improving your character is addicting

One of the main aspects online titles like Destiny 2 is character progression, which is done through leveling and collecting new equipment. Your character gets stronger and when you revisit missions/bosses that gave you trouble before, you can beat them with ease, which feels incredibly satisfying. This will push you to play just a bit more, collect a few more guns and armor pieces, defeat a couple more bosses, and before you know it, many hours will have passed. See More

Top Con

Inconvenient customization

While most online games usually give you permanent color packs for customization, the shaders in Destiny 2 are divided into single colors that can only be used once. You can't preview your new color scheme either, so if you end up with something you dislike, you're stuck with it because you can't change it back. This also means you shouldn't use shaders on leveling gear since you're gonna replace it anyway. As a result most players don't bother with creating unique appearances and everyone looks nearly identical, which is bad for the social aspect of Destiny 2. The sad part is that even though the shaders can drop randomly in the game world, they can also be bought from the in-game store. This makes it feel like customization has been turned into a cash grab by inconveniencing players. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Mostly Positive

Genre:First-Person Shooter, Multiplayer

Top Pro

Massive environments that feel alive

The open-world environments in games usually have a lot of empty space, so you spend most of the time traveling without doing much else. Destiny 2 has large areas filled with enemies, world events, and activity in general, eliminating most of the downtime. Because of this it feels like you're actually visiting a planet inhabited/occupied by aliens, which considerably adds to the immersion. See More

Top Con

Guns and armor do not feel unique like in the prequel

In Destiny 1, the guns and armor felt more unique when compared to Destiny 2. In Destiny 1, a gun or armor could drop that had one set of perks or stats boosts, and then it could drop again with a different set of perks and boosts. Weapons and armor from the raids also gave unique looks as well as perks that helped for that raid. In Destiny 2 those raid perks are gone, making the gear feel no different than what could get from anywhere else. The lack of variation in the guns and armor just make it hard to care about what you get and kills the urge to try to find the best gun and armor for your character. See More

Top Pro

Solid controls that don't detract from gameplay

Your character's movement, aiming your gun, and even driving your hoverbike feels really fluid and responsive. As a result, you can make very precise movements, jumps, and shots in any situation, allowing you to land a headshot with your sniper rifle from far away while strafing with ease. See More

Top Con

Content that was available at the start of the game ended up locked behind DLC

When the expansion Curse of Osiris was released, Bungie ended up preventing players without the expansion from being able to access the prestige versions of the first raid and nightfall strikes, as well as the PvP Iron Banner and Trials of the Nine. For the people who like to hunt achievements/trophies, this move effectively blocked them from earning them. Bungie has since patched things so players are not locked out of the prestige mode of the first raid, as well as nightfall strikes and Trials of the Nine when not using Curse of Osiris maps, making the achievements earnable again. Still, it was an extremely poor decision to lock player out of content they paid for and leaves the question as to will Bungie make another mistake with the next expansion. See More

Top Pro

Excellent co-op multiplayer

Even though Destiny 2 doesn't have strict class archetypes like most MMOs, each class/subclass has its role in a group setup. So whether you're capturing control points in a PVP match or fighting a tough boss in a raid, you still need to cover for each other's weaknesses. This can be providing support to surrounded teammates, taking the attention of groups of aliens or just picking off troublesome enemies from afar. Because of this you learn to rely on each other and working together feels rewarding. See More

Top Pro

Really fun gameplay

Destiny 2 is all about killing aliens and destroying massive robots. To do this you have a wide variety of weapons and abilities available to you. This includes hand cannons, shotguns, assault rifles, chain lightning grenades, and many more. Each weapon and ability feels great to use, making destruction and mayhem that much more enjoyable. It's a well-rounded and enjoyable experience, which will keep you interested for dozens of hours. See More

Star Wars: Battlefront

Top Pro

Fun team-based combat

Battlefront has fast-paced action and large scale battles between The Empire and the Rebels. There's a lot of shooting involved, so expect to see a flurry of laser beams overhead constantly. Most of the battles involve taking or holding a location from the opposing side. You can move around on foot or jump using your jetpack, which is useful for scaling walls and hills. You can enter various vehicles such as the AT-AT walker, which makes for great fun. When you die, you'll respawn after a short delay. This causes it to become a tug-of-war where one side slowly overpowers the other. See More

Top Con

No campaign

There is no single-player campaign; and it seems there never will be. No rich story to go with our current generation Star Wars shooter. Only limited Co-op missions fighting off waves of enemies. See More

Specs

Genre:First-Person Shooter

Top Pro

Fantastically Star Wars themed

Quality FPS that really captures the essence of playing in the Star Wars universe. This fresh take on the Classic Star Wars Battlefront games captures the Star Wars experience of fighting on the ground and in the air. You can fight on the ground as a stormtrooper or a rebel, control the AT-AT Walker or fly around in a TIE Fighter. See More

Top Con

Expensive season pass

While some DLC has been free so far, like the Battle of Jakku; EA and DICE set a pricy amount of $50 for the season pass, bringing the total cost to over $100 just to purchase the game and season pass at face value. See More

Top Pro

Recreates many beautiful movie-like locations

Fight against the Empire or the Rebels in beautiful locations from the films, and visited and recreated by the developers: Hoth, Jakku, Endor and Tatooine. See More

Top Pro

Iconic Star Wars characters featured

Play as favorite classic Star Wars characters. Luke, Han, Leia, Boba Fett, Darth Vader and the Emperor are all there. See More

Top Pro

Split-screen co-op

Battlefront includes local co-op where you and a friend can fight off waves of imperial troops and walkers. This mode is also available online as well. See More

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue

Top Pro

Gets you prepared for story events leading into Kingdom Hearts III

This is perfect for players looking to get ready for Kingdom Hearts III. The games and short movie included in this Kingdom Hearts 2.8 package all show crucial story events, acting as a prologue to the next installment in the series. Playing the games in the Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 HD ReMIX Collection first, and then the ones in Kingdom Hearts 2.8 will get you all caught up to speed on everything you need to know. Since this is such a story-heavy franchise, it's really convenient to be able to pick this up as a companion piece to the ReMIX Collection. See More

Top Con

The gameplay in Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance isn't for everyone

Dream Drop Distance drastically changes up the gameplay formula. Combat is a mix of the usual keyblade fights, along with jumping, dashing, and swinging from various surfaces in the environment. Journeying to different worlds is also different, where you "drop down" from an overhead view into the planet's orbit, with rewards to collect and obstacles to avoid along the way. While different doesn't equal bad, this change is pretty out-there compared to the rest of the games in the series, and some players might not like it that much. See More

Specs

Genre:Action Role-Playing

Top Pro

Includes two games and a short movie in one package

You get a selection of things in a single disc here. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is more of an umbrella name for everything included. There's Kingdom Hearts 2.8: A Fragmentary Passage that features series character Aqua as the protagonist, an HD port of Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, and Kingdom Hearts: Back Cover, a short film that covers additional lore and story information that leads into Kingdom Hearts III. See More

Top Con

Not accessible for newcomers to the Kingdom Hearts series

If you've never played a Kingdom Hearts game before, this isn't the best place to start. The content included here assumes that you're caught up to speed with the series, filling in additional information and expanding on existing plotlines. There are also major spoilers for previous Kingdom Hearts games. New players will have a better time starting with the Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 HD ReMIX Collection first before picking this one up. See More

Top Pro

Wonderful soundtracks

The soundtracks are incredible. In both Kingdom Hearts 2.8 and Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, the music goes above and beyond to convey any given tone or theme wherever they play. Battle and boss themes are catchy even in their classical influences, with epic final boss songs that tell a story about the main villain through music. Songs for Disney worlds stay true to their original material and are sure to make longtime fans nostalgic for their favorite movies and characters. Even the song that plays on the title screen, "Dearly Beloved", is a quiet but emotional song that stays in your heart. The composer Yoko Shimomura does a fantastic job with the music across the series, putting her background in classical music to use here in the best ways possible. See More

Top Con

The playable section with Aqua is only two hours long

Aqua's section, A Fragmentary Passage, is way too short. As the main selling point of Kingdom Hearts 2.8, it's the only new playable content, showing off the latest engine that Kingdom Hearts III uses. But there are only a few areas to explore, and the story is a footnote compared to the length of the rest of the games in the series. This is sadly more like a demo of what Kingdom Hearts III is capable of instead of a full standalone title. See More

Top Pro

Fun real-time action combat with keyblade swords

The combat in the games is a lot of fun with the unique keyblade weapons: swords that are shaped like keys. Attacking enemies with your keyblade feels swift and smooth, with plenty of abilities to help you dash quicker, jump higher, and more. Elemental magic spells are snappy and pretty to look at; leveling up unlocks cooler and more powerful spells, with giant flare explosions, thunderstorms, and blizzards with detailed particle effects. You also get rewarded for using certain magic spells, letting you chain faster, flashier keyblade attacks where you're practically invincible until the effect wears off. Combat is really enjoyable, especially as you unlock new skills over time. See More

Star Wars: Battlefront II

Top Pro

Excellent arcade mode

Battlefront II includes an arcade mode where you alone or with a friend via split-screen or online, can fight against waves of enemies. This is a welcome addition for players that don't enjoy competitive multiplayer, but would like to have some Star Wars-themed fun. See More

Top Con

Grindy progression system built on corporate interest

To earn the currency for unlocking everything (guns, characters, etc) in Battlefront II you'd have to play for over 4000 hours, averaging to about 6 hours every day for nearly 2 years. On top of that, this is after the developer cut item costs by 75%, yet it's still incredibly tedious for regular players and an absolute nightmare for completionists. The developer initially built around this idea by adding loot boxes, which would allow players to spend real money for unlocks, totaling to about $2000 for everything. After an outrage in the gaming community, the developer swiftly removed the loot boxes, but the player base's trust and the game's overall longevity has already been impacted negatively. See More

Specs

Genre:First-Person Shooter

Top Pro

Solid team-based gameplay

Battlefront II has fast-paced action and large scale battles between two teams, pitting two of the six available factions against each other. You can shoot blasters, swing lightsabers, and drive various vehicles such as AATs or AT-MTs. You can even take part in space battles while piloting one of the many starfighters. Whichever gamemode you choose, it always feels like an epic struggle that will keep you interested for a long time. See More

Top Con

Campaign's story is a wasted opportunity

While the story starts out really interesting, it quickly loses steam due to a questionable direction and illogical character development. There are constraints because story is considered canon and has to fit into the Star Wars continuity, but the writers could have done so much more with it. See More

Top Pro

Breathtaking graphics

Battlefront II is a visual spectacle, surpassing the vast majority games in its generation. Texture quality, model detail, shadow mapping, lighting, reflections, particle effects, and just about every aspect of the graphics is top of the line. Whether you're taking part in a dogfight in outer space, circling asteroids and shooting Tie Fighters with your X-wing Starfighter. Or if you're advancing through the city of Theed as a battle droid, systematically eliminating Stormtroopers. Battlefront II is an incredibly cinematic and beautiful experience. See More

Top Pro

Great fun for Star Wars fans

It's a very accurate depiction of the Star Wars universe, featuring the vast majority of iconic characters, including Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, and even newer characters such as Kylo Ren. There is also a set of excellent locations, including Theed, the capital of Naboo, the Jedi temple on Coruscant, and various others. It's a game most Star Wars fans won't want to miss. See More

Top Pro

You can switch between first-person and third-person camera at any time

You can switch the camera view at any time, allowing you to play Battlefront II either as an FPS game or as a third-person action game. Neither camera view has any game-breaking advantages, so the choice is entirely up to your preference. This is also a great way to keep the gameplay from going stale since switching the camera view alters the overall experience. See More

Heavy Rain

Top Pro

Each character you play as has their own believable history

All four playable characters have believable backstories and motivations. You initially play as a father trying to keep his family together after a great loss, and then a private investigator working to find clues about the game's Origami Killer, a cop struggling with a drug addiction while on the job, and finally a journalist dealing with insomnia while chasing after leads for stories. Everyone, if kept alive by the player, ends up meeting each other in some form as their individual stories intertwine throughout the plot. It's a realistic and grounded approach that still manages to provide plenty of twists and turns as you learn more about the characters. See More

Top Con

The multiple endings aren't all that different

Despite the amount of multiple endings, none of them fundamentally change the outcome of the story. They are mostly some type of fail state where you don't figure out who the Origami Killer is, or where you do figure out who it is but you don't manage to stop them. There is also a happy ending where everything works out, but it just seems like there should have been more types of endings, considering the sheer amount of decisions you get to make across the story. See More

Specs

Genre:Interactive Narrative, Action-Adventure

Top Pro

Great soundtrack that hits the right emotional notes

Heavy Rain's soundtrack fits well with the game's dramatic and emotional plot. The quiet, sorrowful piano songs reflect some of the characters' moments of loss. Other, more powerful tracks with blaring brass instruments compliment the action-heavy moments. The thoughtful, slow-moving pieces set the tone for all the mystery surrounding the Origami Killer and how careful everyone has to be while investigating them. The composer Normand Corbeil hit the right tone for any given scene, making the story even more memorable. See More

Top Con

The harder difficulties are more frustrating than challenging

Increasing the difficulty in Heavy Rain is supposed to give you a harder experience, but it only ends up being more frustrating than anything. All it does is increase the difficulty of the QTE sequences, like during action scenes, by making them more convoluted. They essentially force you to move your hands in unnatural and uncomfortable ways to reach all of the buttons. During tense moments where you have to react quickly, this might end up making you rage if you miss the correct inputs. It's a bad design decision. See More

Top Pro

Your choices have a big impact on the murder mystery story

Each choice you make, no matter how small, affects how the story plays out in some way. There are the bigger decisions, like pressing a QTE in time to keep your character from dying, or making the right dialog choices during encounters with the game's mysterious Origami Killer in order to outsmart them. But there are also smaller decisions, like taking care of a pet or choosing to spend time with one of the character's sons, and the unexpected ways these choices get taken into account down the line. The best part is that everything leads up to multiple endings depending on which path your choices take you. See More

Top Pro

Plenty of tense and exciting action moments

Even though the game is like an interactive movie, there are still some action scenes with more involved gameplay. There are moments where you're attacked by an antagonist and have to escape, or you have to navigate a dangerous road, or your senses are impaired and you have to try to keep yourself together in a pinch. You then have to press buttons in time or navigate your analog sticks in certain ways to stay in control of the scene. The game does rely a lot on button presses with QTEs to keep you involved in the gameplay, but as long as you feel engrossed in the game and the overall plot, you probably won't mind too much. See More

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands

Top Pro

Rarely a dull moment

Whether you're whipping around on a dirt bike toward your next mission, or storming a fort with your team, you're constantly in motion. Even though you can slow down a bit should you choose to, the game encourages a faster-paced experience and makes it a ton of fun. See More

Top Con

The cover system is terrible

When you bump into terrain, you take cover behind it. While the theory behind this is fine, the execution is very unreliable and clunky. Even when it manages to work, cover offers little to no protection from your enemy. See More

Specs

Top Pro

Truly an open world game

Ghost Recon Wildlands lets you do anything you want, any time you want. You can rush right toward the final boss if you decide to. You can complete missions by blowing people up with drones from a safe distance, or by storming the gates. Do the missions you want to, leave others to rot. Everything is up to you. The landscape is vast, and if you can see it, you can probably get to it. This allows you to experience the gorgeous environments through exploration. There are also rewards for exploring, such as new weapons or upgrades, giving you more goals to strive for. See More

Top Con

The enemy AI has only one setting

The AI in this game will consistently push toward the player. Essentially all you've got to do is get them into a corridor or other narrow space and mow them down. See More

Top Pro

Detailed environments provide great immersion

Ghost Recon Wildlands is set in Bolivia, and the game makes you feel like you're really there. It's one of the most varied places on earth, and each area feels wildly different from the next. It ranges from lush, green forests, to barren deserts, to both urban and rural cities. The distinct feel, architecture, and culture of Bolivia will serve to pull you even deeper into the game. See More

Top Pro

Great customization

In Ghost Recon Wildlands, the customization is not limited to just character facial features. It also has an extensive customization system for weapons and clothes. When creating a character you can set the face, gender, hair, hat, top, tattoos, pants, and shoes. All of these can be changed in the loadout menu at any point in-game. You can also modify your weapons and gear extensively. When you begin customizing a weapon, it will split into pieces, letting you select and adjust each one. This includes triggers, sights, scopes, grips, stocks, barrels, and any other attachment. You can also change the colors and designs of both weapons and gear. It really lets you play exactly the way you want to, which is always more satisfying. See More

Final Fantasy XV

Top Pro

Impressive visuals

Final Fantasy XV is an epic game that knows how to put on a show with its visuals. Some of its best moments are visually awe-inspiring, standing out from other games through sheer ambition and huge proportions, like fighting boss battles against enormous foes. Even during regular battles, if you're at low HP and you need to finish off a group of enemies, you can summon a giant, god-like being to instakill the enemies at the cost of not gaining any experience points. The summon animation for the thunder god Ramuh is amazing, with the whole sky shifting to a violet lightning storm as the huge deity comes down from the sky, using his scepter to rain down crazy amounts of lightning to kill everything in your path. Instances like these are more of the norm instead of the exception, making for some unforgettable scenes throughout the game. See More

Top Con

The magic system is a downgrade from previous Final Fantasy games

In most Final Fantasy games, magic spells are unlocked by leveling a character up or acquiring them through other means, such as nodes on a level grid, equipping gear that can teach a spell, or from items found in the game, such as Final Fantasy VII's materia system. Final Fantasy XV reduces the magic casting to collecting fire, ice and thunder energy from nodes near campsites, and them filling up flasks with the energy in various combos, and sometimes drops from enemies, to be able to create a spell. The ability to add what you want to a flask does allow for the creation of strong spells or spells that end up being cast multiple times, but it ends up being limited by the resources you have. The worst part though about the magic system is that casting the spells is done by throwing the flask like a grenade causing an explosion of the spell, damaging friend and foe alike. The only way to prevent friendly fire is the Ring of Resistance accessory, which is obtained from paid DLC. It should also be noted that the ring only protects from the initial affects of the spell, which means the party can still be paralyzed from a thunder spell if they are standing in water. See More

Specs

Genre:Action Role-Playing

Top Pro

You can fly a car

When the right upgrade parts are found, the Regalia is given an additional travel mode of flight. While the controls take some getting used to and might result in death, hopefully amusing death, it does allow for an interesting new mode of travel. See More

Top Con

The world can feel empty at times

The majority of Final Fantasy XV takes place in the area known as Lucis. Lucis is comprised of one main town, a beach resort, and various little outposts that mainly serve as places to get food, gas for the car, rest, and obtain hunts. The lack of multiple large towns makes the world feel rather empty at times compared to previous Final Fantasy games. The feeling of emptiness is further enhanced by some areas having few monsters encounters while exploring. See More

Top Pro

Lets you choose which weapons to use to best suit your playstyle

There is a wide range of weapons that Noctis can equip, such as greatswords, lances, short swords and even guns. Four different weapons can be equipped to Noctis at once and when in battle, the weapon being used can be switched with the press of a button. This allows for you to select weapons that might be beneficial for certain fights, or for a preferred playstyle, and switch between them with ease when the situation calls for it. See More

Top Con

Core character development for Noctis' companions isn't in the main story

The weak story in Final Fantasy XV links back to Noctis' companions--Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto--and how you won't get to know the guys all that well unless you play the paid DLC. You have to reach certain points in the story before these DLC stories are available, and without the context in this content, you won't have a solid understanding of the main characters beyond the tropes they represent. Aside from a few heartwarming moments in the story, it's all too easy to dismiss Prompto as a happy-go-lucky guy with little depth to him. It isn't until you play through his DLC, Episode Prompto, that you get to know him in ways that should have been in the main story. It's a poor business decision that prevents the story from standing on its own two feet. See More

Top Pro

Great interaction between the main characters

It was enjoyable to watch how the main characters dealt with the story as it progressed from fixing a broken car on the way to a wedding, to avenging the destruction of their home to eventually saving the world and dealing with the issues along the way. What stuck out the most though was the interactions between the characters while just playing the game. They will make comments while fighting battles, banter with each other while riding in the car or on chocobos. They even make comments when you are trying to catch fish. These small interactions between the characters were a great detail is not always found in other games. See More

Top Con

Weak story

Because the Final Fantasy series is known for its great stories, it's frustrating that the one here is badly executed. There are a lot of payoffs in the plot that the writers intended to be dramatic and emotional, and yet you probably won't feel the full impact of them since the buildup to those moments is lacking. There's too much missing with Final Fantasy XV's storytelling, all but abandoning the plot to land on its face by the end credits. See More

Top Pro

Powerful soundtrack

The soundtrack in this game is grand and inspiring, going the extra mile to help plenty of moments stick out in your memory alongside the music. The prologue alone gives a great preview of a fiery level you'll reach later in the story, playing the song "Hellfire" with an energized chorus singing over a strong mix of percussion instruments. Music for regular boss fights, called "Omnis Lacrima", is as whimsical and intense, with a determined chorus singing in Latin over frenzied violins, pianos, and brass instruments. Certain story sequences are heartfelt with "Love Lost" playing in the background, featuring wind instruments and pianos that are strong enough to affect you emotionally. The music overall does a great job of elevating the plot with its huge sense of scale and emotional impact. See More

Madden NFL 19

Top Pro

True-to-life gameplay that accurately simulates the NFL

The gameplay in the Madden series excellently plays out just like the professional American football league in real life. You get to play as teams from the current year's league, with rosters that are up-to-date with the latest players, including the biggest celebrity names. The actual NFL rules are in play as well, where you control your quarterback while on offense, passing to other players in order to score, or managing your defensive players when the other team has the ball, working to tackle them and earn turnovers. If you're a diehard fan of American football, then Madden NFL 19 is a great way to live out the experience of being in the NFL through a video game. See More

Top Con

More or less still the same old Madden

Honestly, if you've played any one Madden game, you've played them all. Aside from a few tweaks and experiments here and there, this is an annual franchise that banks on selling the same experience year after year. The graphics get better, and they keep the roster up to date for the current year the NFL season, but there isn't much else that they can do with a sports game that's meant to simulate professional American football. If you don't want to fork over the money to pay for this game when you've already played and enjoyed other Madden titles, you won't miss out on much. See More

Specs

Top Pro

Responsive and organic controls for maneuvering your players

The latest update to the long-running Madden series gives you more freedom in how you control your player when he has the ball. You can change your speed while running to throw off opponents, such as hesitating to force the other team to stop while you find an opening and make a run for the touchdown. You can also side step the defense, spin around other players, and pretty much pull off the same types of moves that you see in real life from players out in the field. This makes the game feel like much more of a simulation of the sport with the way you have much more natural control over your team members. See More

Top Con

Weird clipping issues

There are some strange instances where players' bodies, or sometimes just their limbs, clip through each other in ways that clearly look bad. It happens a lot during tackles and sacks, with players tumbling around over each other on the field. Their physics just look off, clashing terribly with the polished graphics and weather effects on the field, and pulling you out of the experience. See More

Top Pro

Photorealistic visuals

Madden NFL 19 is a great looking game. Players look true-to-life, with their exact proportions, hairstyles, and girth of their muscles matching how they are in actual pictures. You can see the sheen of sweat on their arms and see the ruffles in their uniform as they get tackled. And the weather is nice too, especially with how snow shows up on the field in patches and uneven patterns just like in real life. Just like with every other new Madden game, the devs did an incredible job with improving the graphics, keeping the technology advancing forward. See More

Top Con

Occasional game crashes

There are some major problems where the game will crash, forcing you to boot everything back up to try and get back your lost progress. The devs should be able to put out a patch that takes care of this issue, so you may want to hold off on getting the game until then. See More

Top Pro

Continues the story mode from Madden NFL 18

Madden NFL 18 had a pretty decent story mode that followed the careers of two best friends, with Madden NFL 19 continuing from where the last game left off. It's a nice change of pace to play through a dedicated story mode in a sports game, helping to show the more human side of the league and the types of things that many players go through, in trying to balance their private and family lives with their time out on the field. While it's not exactly a sweeping and intricate narrative, it's an interesting little bonus. See More

Top Con

Bland story mode

Even though it's great that Madden NFL 19 continues the well-received story mode from the last game, it doesn't really live up to expectations this time around. Getting to see the two best friends deal with their real-life struggles is still intriguing, but other than that, things feel really forced and generic, and it's way too short, taking about four hours to finish. They continued the story for the sake of continuing it without innovating or keeping things interesting. It's too bad, because they could have done a better job building on the sadly novel idea of having a dedicated story mode in Madden to change things up. See More

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