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What are the best subscription Xbox Game Pass games for PC and Xbox?

19

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Considered

20

User
Recs.

Jul 2, 2018

Last
Updated

19 Games Considered

Best subscription Xbox Game Pass games for PC and Xbox	Price	Steam Rating	Genre
-- Limbo	-	Very Positive	-
-- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic	-	Very Positive	Sandbox
-- Terraria	-	-	2D platformer / Minecraft-like
-- Mass Effect	-	-	Action Role-Playing, Third-Person Shooter
-- Abzû	-	-	-

Limbo

Top Pro

Unique black and white aesthetic

Limbo uses (what was once) a very unique monochromatic color scheme to give an atmospheric feel. See More

Top Con

Keyboard controls not that good

Movement is locked to the arrow keys instead of wasd. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Top Pro

Artistic puzzle

Limbo has very unique environment with highly creative puzzles that offer a great experience with monochrome, b/w and other dim colors. See More

Top Con

Has some pacing issues

The first half of the game is filled with interesting creatures that you as a player encounter on the journey. While in sharp contrast, the second half of the game takes place in a deserted industrial area devoid of any lifeforms and even though puzzles become more and more interesting as you approach the end of the game, this sharp contrast between the two halves of the game creates some serious pacing issues. The pacing issues are even more evident as you reach the ending, which while good comes quite unexpectedly. See More

Top Pro

Astonishing sound design

The sound design is simply great. Even though there's virtually no soundtrack to speak of, the sound effects do a great job of creating the perfect atmosphere in which the players immerse themselves. What's more is that if you pay close attention to the sound cues while solving a puzzle, you will find out that the sound effects are quite helpful in reaching your objective. See More

Top Con

Somewhat short

Limbo can be finished in about 5-6 hours on average. See More

Top Pro

Immerses the player fully

Since there are no cutscenes or loading screens, Limbo makes you fully immerse yourself in the puzzles and atmosphere of the game. See More

Top Con

May be too dark for children

The game, by design, has the main character dying quite a bit, often very gruesomely, and so may not be appropriate for younger players. See More

Top Pro

Manages to communicate circumstance and casualty in a unique way

Being completely devoid of text, dialogue, and explanation Limbo manages to communicate circumstance and casualty to the player in a simple way not found in other games. Having a game completely devoid of those three things is hard but Limbo manages to pull it off perfectly. See More

Top Con

Ending comes somewhat abruptly

There's little lead up to the ending so it comes a little too suddenly and unexpectedly. See More

Top Pro

Good for people who don't want to waste too much time on a game

Being a relatively short game (five or six hours long), it's perfect for people who love interesting puzzle games that don't overstay their welcome. See More

Top Pro

Quite addictive

Limbo manages to keep your attention all throughout the game by consistently presenting new, interesting things for you to solve. It starts out simple, but increasingly gets more intricate and grows into smart multi-part puzzles. See More

Top Pro

Does not become frustrating even if you die a lot

Most players die a lot in Limbo. fortunately this does not translate to a frustrating experience while playing the game. If you die from a trap, the game immediately reloads and takes the character right before reaching that very same puzzle. This way you can try again immediately and find a solution. See More

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Top Pro

Handles Star Wars license well

Seeing things like Jedi vs Sith and politics in the game that are now staples of the newer movies helps to feel as though the game fits into the cannon quite well. With so many movie license games in the past being quick cash-ins it is great to see the Star Wars license used in a manner that fits with the cannon and of high quality development. See More

Top Con

Somewhat buggy

Crashes can happen while playing, while not a huge deal they can be annoying. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Controller Support:HID (IOS), Yes (PC)

Top Pro

Engaging story thanks to the superb writing

Being a role playing game, KotOR has a pretty long story that the player feels connected to that luckily was written well, making for a good story that is very engaging. See More

Top Pro

Gameplay holds up well

For what is now an eleven year old game, the classic Bioware RPG game mechanics such as branching dialog and turn based battles similar to a CRPG (where the player must pause the gameplay in order to choose their commands to then un-pause in order to watch their chosen strategy play out) hold up well. See More

Top Pro

Longevity through multiple playthroughs thanks to the sheer amount of text and choices to be found in the game

The games story is pretty deep and the text that can be found within that, tells it will take multiple playthroughs to see it all, making for not only a good reason to play many times, but creates the feeling of a very deep universe. See More

Terraria

Top Pro

Fun combat

It starts out simple, with you whacking away at slow moving zombies and flying eyes, gradually shifting to more fierce and fearsome enemies such as flying demons, agile lizardmen, and many more. To survive you'll have to be always on the move, dodge enemy attacks, and be accurate when you retaliate. There are also plenty of weapons to choose from. Melee weapons such as swords, hammers, lances, and flails. Ranged weapons such as bows, crossbows, rifles, and miniguns. And various items that allow you to cast spells. Whatever you choose, it feels great to destroy hordes of enemies. See More

Top Con

Low replay value for those who play it as an adventure game

Terraria is a sandbox platform-adventure game, so it partly hinges on beating various bosses. If you play it purely for the sake of defeating all the bosses, you might have little else to do afterwards. Restarting the game won't be as enjoyable either because you'll already know what to expect, causing continued play without a new goal feel mundane or boring. See More

Specs

Genre:2D platformer / Minecraft-like

Co-Op:8 Player Online / 8 Player LAN

Controller Support:Android (MOGA / HID), Steam (Full)

Top Pro

Intriguing world

Terraria uses a bright color palette and an upbeat chiptune soundtrack to ease you into its world. However, once you start exploring and spend time in it you'll notice it's not as cozy as it first seemed to be. Blood Moons that rouse the dead from their graves. Goblin armies trying to destroy everything in their wake. Vast and dark cave systems, filled with odd creatures and various dangers. Ancient ruins, teeming with the restless dead and evil spirits. Pockets of decaying land, thriving with misshapen monstrosities. It's really fun to explore and discover something new about the world of Terraria. See More

Top Con

Progress can feel slow

Quite often you'll have to collect tons of materials to craft the necessary tools, equipment, and boss summoning items to advance. This can take a really long time, especially if you're unlucky with the items dropped by mobs. See More

Top Pro

Lots of community servers, tutorials, and streams

Terraria has a large community of players on every platform including mobile, desktop, and console. Because of this, there are many servers to play on, as well as tutorials and Let's Plays. Finding content or help getting started is quite easy. See More

Top Pro

Playing with friends allows for endless scenarios

Up to 8 players can join any Terraria world. You can progress through the game normally, build a race course and compete in it, or split into factions and wage war against each other. The scenarios are endless, you just have to let loose your creativity. See More

Top Pro

Allows for freedom of expression for all ages, all at your own pace

Terraria has all kinds of tools and materials you can use to build whatever you can imagine. From housing, to furniture, to weapons, to types of structure, the possibilities are almost endless. This is great for children who enjoy building and problem solving, and for adults who enjoy the same. It also makes for a great objective-less game, where you can do just about anything you want at your own pace. See More

Mass Effect

Top Pro

Calm and thoughtful atmosphere

There's something calming about Mass Effect's atmosphere that really gives you the space to think and reflect. Exploring places like the indoor trade port Noveria feels special because of the cool blue color scheme, the blizzard blowing outside the full pane windows, and the ambient, yet quietly emotional synth music looping in the background. Even the title screen has a thoughtful song playing over the beautiful sight of Earth from orbit. The atmosphere is wonderful in a way that's almost nostalgic, making you feel right at home each time you start up the game. See More

Top Con

Tedious inventory management

The game overloads your inventory with weapon upgrades, modifiers, equipment, and all sorts of duplicates of those items. Clearing out your inventory can take several minutes at a time since there's no quick way to select the things you don't want and get rid of them. If you're diligent enough to trek to a store to sell things off every single time you're low on inventory space, you can make quite a bit of money, but it's not always convenient to do this, like when you're out in the middle of a remote planet. It takes a lot of patience to not get annoyed with managing all of your items and components. See More

Specs

Genre:Action Role-Playing, Third-Person Shooter

Top Pro

Good romance subplots

The romance subplots in Mass Effect are great. Playing as male Shepard, you can romance either Liara or Ashley, while female Shepard can romance Liara or Kaidan, your human male squadmate. There are certain consequences for being unfaithful where your partner will confront you or the person you're cheating with in a heated showdown. Sticking with one person for the whole game rewards you with a romantic scene near the end of the story. A lot of care and attention went into these subplots, giving you the chance to see each of the characters in a new light. See More

Top Con

Clunky third-person shooting combat

The third-person shooting part of Mass Effect isn't that fun because of how janky it is. Your character gets glued to cover whenever you're close to a wall instead of letting you press a button to enter cover whenever you want. The actual shooting mechanics are slow and heavy, and with guns that overheat if you keep firing them for too long. Suicidal squadmates run around getting killed unless you remember to keep directing them to hide behind cover everywhere you go. The combat is just unsatisfying, clearly taking a backseat to the game's story and characters. See More

Top Pro

You can customize your protagonist Commander Shepard

There are lots of ways to make Commander Shepard feel like your own character. The character creator at the start of a new game lets you change all sorts of options, from your hair, to your skin color, the shape of your nose, mouth, and ears, and so much more. Or, if you prefer, you can simply stick with the default male or female Shepard. You also get to pick which class you want to be for combat: soldier, infiltrator, vanguard, adept, or sentinel, each with their own unique abilities, like the adept's helpful "magic spells" and the infiltrator's specialty with sniper rifles. You can role-play as Shepard however you want, with plenty of options to customize your looks and your combat specialties for whichever role suits you the most. See More

Top Con

Vehicle controls with the Mako are absolutely terrible

Driving around on planets to get from place to place in the Mako is awful. Controls aren't as responsive as they should be and the vehicle's physics are all over the place. Just trying to make basic turns is bad enough; roving up a rocky mountain, for example, makes the Mako bounce and spin around like it's in zero gravity. These driving parts are mandatory and unskippable, so there's no way around them. It's so bad that the developers got rid of the Mako in Mass Effect 2 and 3, but you unfortunately still have to deal with it here. See More

Top Pro

Your choices have true consequences on the story

Your choices have direct consequences on how the story plays out, not only in this game but also across the rest of the Mass Effect trilogy. You get to choose between options like sparing or killing off an entire race of potentially dangerous enemies, saving or sacrificing one of your own squad members to finish an operation, and dealing with an enraged teammate who feels betrayed by your actions. How you handle certain side objectives during story missions can also have an impact on how the galaxy at large reacts to you. Each of your decisions, big and small, carry over through your save files to Mass Effect 2 and 3, opening things up for many different playthroughs to see how things turn out with other choices. See More

Top Pro

Memorable cast of authentic characters

Mass Effect has an amazing cast of both human and alien characters who feel like real people. While just about any NPC you meet is fantastic, your squad members are the ones that stand out the most. They all have backstories and traits that are believable and natural. Ashley is a human soldier who joins your team early on. As you chat with her in between missions, you get to learn about her history with her family and religious faith back on Earth. But then as you explore the Citadel, the game's main hub area, she makes snide comments about all the aliens around, keying you in on her true feelings about non-humans. By contrast, your scientist team member Liara is an asari: Mass Effect's species of blue female-only aliens. Despite being reserved and shy, Liara often jumps at the chance to gush about her research. Talking to her gives you the chance to learn more about the asari and why exactly she's so devoted to her academic studies. Getting to know everyone through dialogue and squad banter is a lot of fun, making it easy to grow attached to your favorite characters. See More

Abzû

Top Pro

Absolutely striking art style

Abzû was made by Thatgamecompany, the makers of Journey and Flower. In each of their games, they emphasize taking a distinctive art style and Abzû is no exception. It uses a very bright and vivid color palette to bring out the allure and mystique of the ocean. Lots of colorful fish and underwater plants with the sun shining down on you. Each location looks so peaceful it makes you rethink if the ocean truly is scary. Some of those are followed by a dark area, dim lights and ominous creatures to remind you of the fear. See More

Top Con

Extremely short

The first playthrough will take you only about 3 hours, which is way too short for a game of its price. You won't get much replay value out of it either, unless you want to get all the trophies. See More

Top Pro

Educational

Every time you encounter a new fish, you can learn what it's called. There is also the 'meditate' mode which cycles between all the different kinds of fish, naming them on screen. See More

Top Pro

Soft and calming

Diving through the ocean with an array of colorful fish is very soothing. Your character can even meditate, allowing you to gaze at the surrounding aquatic life. The orchestral music further adds to the soothing feeling, while also giving most locations a sense of wonder. Nothing quite like seeing a school of fish swimming around to the soft tune of pipe instruments. See More

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

Top Pro

Innovative control scheme

The controls for the game work through the player controlling two different characters simultaneously with the two analog thumb sticks on ones controller. A unique feature that creates a fun way to interact with the game that makes for a memorable experience. See More

Top Con

Puzzles are on the easy side

While the story and environment of the game are a pleasure the puzzles themselves are pretty easy and casual offering little challenge. While it can be a good game for those that like casual puzzles, those that enjoy a more difficult gameplay will be at a loss. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Genre:Adventure, Puzzle

Top Pro

Uniquely tells much of the story through gameplay mechanics

The story is told silently without text and it is through the games puzzles/gameplay that one learns the story of the game. This is quite a departure from many games where the story is told to the player, here is is learned through playing. See More

Top Con

Slow for the sake of being slow

That pulley lever at the start took almost 3 minutes to raise,.. definitely does not need to take so long,. See More

Top Pro

Meloncholy/beautiful artwork and atmosphere

Top Con

The controls takes some time getting used to

It might take some minutes of struggling before getting the hang of it. See More

Top Pro

It's a short game worth your time

This game takes you through an amazing world and tells a unique story, without any dialogue or text. See More

Rise of the Tomb Raider

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

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

Specs

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

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

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

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

Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition

Top Pro

There's a bunch of stuff to do even after beating the game

You can replay the game on higher difficulties, try to find all the hidden missions or collect all the upgrades. You can even try to get the max style rank on all the missions. Doing any of these will award you extra collectibles or unlock new modes. There's also the The Bloody Palace, which is an arena consisting of 101 levels. Each level contains enemies and bosses found within the main game. The first few levels are quite easy, but each level becomes increasingly more difficult. Only the most skilled players can reach the end, giving you another goal to strive for. See More

Top Con

Recycled stage designs and lack of character-specific bosses

Capcom basically just slapped on the 3 new characters (Lady, Trish, and Vergil) and they suffer the same problems that Dante does, and that's lack of bosses designed specifically for their toolset. They run through the same bosses and levels instead of getting unique missions. See More

Top Pro

Great soundtrack

Most of the battle music has the lyrical styling of progressive rock while mixing in dark electronica guitar riffs. It matches the rhythm and speed of the battles really well, spurring on your combos and devastating attacks. The exploration sections and cutscenes have an entirely different style of music. It ranges from divine vocals accompanied with organ music to eerie pieces with harp and piano sounds creating a bone-chilling ambience. See More

Top Con

Occasional difficulty spikes

Upon reaching the first boss you'll encounter the first difficulty spike. The boss attacks a lot faster and stronger than the enemies leading up to it. Messing up means you'll die in a couple of seconds, which can be really frustrating. Especially because you have to switch gears so suddenly and adapt to a new playstyle, where the enemy stands on equal footing. See More

Top Pro

Highest level of combat depth in any hack and slash game

An open-ended cancelling system (Jump Cancelling) stacked with individual character mechanics (Dante styles and style/weapon switching, Nero ACT and parries, Vergil being Vergil, Lady and Trish are the weakest in terms of combo-ability of the 5 but you can still style with them) and system physics create a combat masterpiece that rewards practice and creativity. See More

Top Pro

Fun combat

You'll immediately notice how nice it feels to attack the enemies with each slash, strike and shot having an impact behind it. Enemies will flinch, get thrown back and get suspended mid-air from your attacks, making it feel like you're always the dominant force. It's especially amusing seeing an enemy flail about and slamming it into the ground with your demonic arm. Some of the stylistic elements add fun as well. The prime example is Nero's greatsword the Red Queen, which is equipped with a motorcycle-like gear shift. You can use the gear shift mid-combo to add a flame effect to your sword. This increases your damage and the range of your combos and also looks very nice. It's especially awesome to see your character ascend in a whirlwind of flames. See More

State of Decay 2

Top Pro

Excellent performance

Everything runs well at solid framerates on both console and PC. If you're on the Xbox One X, or if you have a high-end PC at max settings, you'll hardly notice any stuttering or FPS issues. The regular Xbox One and mid-tier PCs also run the game quite well. See More

Top Con

Not for players who dislike micromanaging small details

If you don't like keeping track of resources and other necessities that come along with base-building games, then State of Decay 2 probably isn't for you. Your main objective is keeping your survivors alive and your base thriving, meaning you have to scavenge the open world for food and materials, make sure your peoples' needs are met, and a lot of other similar tasks. Finding and allocating resources is what makes or breaks your group and your operations, so if you hate keeping track of things like that, then you may not want to pick this game up. See More

Specs

Genre:Survival Horror, Third-Person Shooter

Co-Op:4 Player Online

Top Pro

Good price of $29.99 USD at release

State of Decay 2 is priced well at launch at only $29.99. Even better, with the Xbox Game Pass, you can get the game for only $10 on either PC or your Xbox console. This is great for anyone who doesn't want to shell out the usual $59.99 for a retail game as soon as it's released. See More

Top Con

Buggy

There are some random bugs that pop up during gameplay. They're mostly physics-based, with zombies dropping down from the sky as they spawn, or vehicles tipping over and flipping around for no apparent reason. Some of them are pretty funny and aren't too detrimental, but they still make the game look and feel unpolished. A few patches from the devs should iron out these issues. See More

Top Pro

Online co-op with friends makes the game more fun and strategic

Four-player co-op online with friends is great. You all get to work together to plan your next move, gather resources, and protect your base by killing zombies. The third-person shooter gameplay shines as you work cooperatively, since you can watch each other's blind spots to take out any enemies that might catch someone off guard. You can also pull off more strategic moves, like coordinating fire strikes to distract zombies, while another person hurries to collect the resources in an area. Working as a team lets you accomplish more and experience the game in a way that the single-player mode just doesn't offer. See More

Top Con

No dedicated servers for online play

Not having dedicated servers makes online play hit-or-miss. The peer-to-peer connection means that one player in the lobby acts as the "host" for your game. If the host's individual connection is bad, then everyone in the lobby suffers with possible rubberbanding and packet loss. You'll be fine as long as the host's connection is okay, but if not, then you're out of luck. It would have been better to have dedicated servers to avoid these awkward issues. See More

Top Pro

Open-ended approach to managing your base, resources, and survivors

You have the freedom to make choices in State of Decay 2 that determine how things turn out for your operations. You're tasked with taking care of groups of survivors during a zombie apocalypse, so that means gathering food and other resources to keep your people and your base safe. When you know you're about to exhaust all the resources in one area, you have to decide if you want to keep your base in what's probably a safe location away from zombies, at the cost of having to cross more distance to find materials in the future. Or if you do move your base to a resource-rich location, you may end up getting swarmed by zombies more often, and potentially losing your survivors. These types of moment-to-moment choices end up having a big impact down the line, making each of your gameplay sessions unique. See More

Fallout 4

Top Pro

Deep perk/skill system

Fallout 4 has a great selection of perks centered on surviving in the wasteland. You'll gain a point each time you level up, allowing you to select one of the perks. The perks can give you an increase to your sneaking ability, improve your lockpicking skills, or even add unique effects such as causing bullets fired by enemies to ricochet back and killing them. There's easily enough variation to make multiple playthroughs feel fresh and exciting. To make it even better, if you don't like multiple playthroughs, you can just unlock every single perk on a single character, albeit with a much longer playtime. See More

Top Con

The dialogue choices are confusing

Most of the dialogue choices will only show a few words that don't actually reflect what your character is gonna say. This creates a disconnect between you and your character, making it seem like you don't control what your character is gonna say at any point. See More

Specs

Genre:Action RPG

Co-Op:Single Player

Top Pro

You can adjust equipment to suit your playstyle

In Fallout 4 you have a lot of options when modifying your equipment, giving you a chance to make equipment that matches your playstyle. You can take an assault rifle and change most of its parts. Each part you can change has an upside and a downside to it. For example, adding a long range scope would make the rifle useless in close quarters, but it would be great for pick off targets from afar. You can also tailor your armors for various situations. You can lower the weight or add pockets to make carrying loot easier. Or you can add additional linings or padding to gain increased protection against various hazards such as radiation. See More

Top Con

Occasional bugs

There are bugs in the game that users will run into. While most are not game breaking, it can detract from the experience. See More

Top Pro

Diverse enemy types keep the gameplay exciting

There a lot of different enemies found in the game such as super mutants, feral ghouls, robots, mutated wildlife, and many others. All of them have their unique behaviors, strengths, and weaknesses. For example, robots often use heavy weaponry such as rocket launchers and lasers, making it really hard to deal with them. Fortunately enough, they're very vulnerable to EMP grenades and can also be hacked. Another example are the feral ghouls that will almost always charge at you. They can surround you really fast, clawing away at your health and affecting you with radiation, but they lack any intelligence. So if you plant mines infront of you and attract them with gunshots, they'll lose their legs in the minefield, leaving them at your mercy. The various enemy types and methods you can fight them with keeps the gameplay fresh for a long time. See More

Top Con

Pipboy UI feels unpleasant to use

When you open your Pipboy (a personal computer that manages your quests, inventory, character data, etc) the screen containing the useful information only covers about a fourth of the entire screen. As a result some of the elements are too crammed, requiring a lot of scrolling. This can be really annoying if you're trying to find something in a list of 100 items. See More

Top Pro

Companions can help make the game a little easier

There are a bunch of companions to find in the game, starting with Dogmeat, the dog. Each companion has their own skills that can help you. For example, Dogmeat can dig up hidden items and bring them to you. They can also distract the enemy, causing the combat to be a little easier since all the attention won't be on just you. The only real downside is that you can only use one companion at a time, but you can easily swap them out. Using a companion is not mandatory either, so if you prefer the added challenge you can travel without a companion. See More

Top Pro

Great storyline

The main story has a very personal theme of family and revenge, featuring a main character looking for their lost son in a post-apocalyptic version of Boston. The side-quests also provide a decent backdrop, expanding on some of the plot elements of the main story. There are many twists and mysteries, but the narrative remains coherent throughout the story, creating a very enjoyable experience. See More

Top Pro

Addicting building mechanic

One of the more interesting parts of managing your settlement is the house building aspect. There are various preset houses you can put down quickly, but you can make large structures entirely from scratch, starting with the foundation and ending with the roof of a 10 story building. While there are some constraints such as limited building area, you can really let your imagination loose, allowing you to spend countless hours on it. See More

Top Pro

Huge world with loads of content

The world of Fallout 4 is massive so there's quite a lot to do. Many areas to explore, tons of quests to complete, and lots of collectibles to find. There's easily enough content to keep you playing for over a hundred hours. See More

Top Pro

Interesting settlement management

In Fallout 4 you can set up thriving communities in various locations. You'll have to provide the settlers with housing, bedding, water, food, and protection. Over time you'll be able to establish trade routes between the settlements and expand into an empire spanning the entire territory of Fallout 4. This really gives it the feeling like you're trying to rebuild society, which is a welcome change in a post-apocalyptic game. See More

Top Pro

Addictive to collect loot

You can pick up most of the stuff you see laying around in Fallout 4. Every item, including weapons and armors, can be broken down into reusable crafting materials. This makes it hard to stop yourself from going around and collecting everything in sight because everything has a purpose. You can also find unique versions of equipment on the corpses of legendary enemies. Each of these items has an additional effect such as speed boost or extra damage. This may cause you to constantly pick fights you'll probably lose, but it's worth it once you get your hands on that extremely good piece of equipment. See More

Top Pro

Solid gunplay with an interesting twist

The gunplay plays so well it almost feels like a pure FPS. You can shoot from the hip, aim down the sights/scope, or even just run and gun. However, what makes Fallout 4 stand out is VATS (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System). When you activate VATS, the time slows down to a crawl, allowing you to mark body parts of enemies. When you execute it your character will automatically shoot the marked body parts. This is very useful for getting out of tight spots, allowing you to instantly clear groups of enemies or kill a really tough enemy charging at you. It also has the benefit of making you feel like an expert gunman, even if your aim isn't that great. See More

Gears of War 4

Top Pro

Excellent visuals

Gears of War 4 has some really outstanding visuals with high quality textures, great lighting, and excellent shadow mapping. This makes all of the armored human characters, monstrous lizard-like enemies, and the various lush landscapes filled with ruins look especially good. All of this is turned up a notch with the help of excellent weather effects, such as rain, lighting, and gusts of heavy wind that carry massive objects over your head, giving Gears of War 4 a very cinematic feel. See More

Top Con

Poorly done story

The story has some cool moments, but it mostly focuses on pointless drama and issues that end up feeling like filler because they have no real impact on the story or character building. This coupled with a few plot holes will make you want to press the skip button and just get back into the action. See More

Top Pro

Local splitscreen multiplayer

Nowadays, some titles tend to exclude local multiplayer, focusing primarily on online play but Gears of War 4 is an exception. You can play both the campaign and all multiplayer modes with your friends via splitscreen. See More

Top Pro

Exciting gameplay

In Gears of War you and a squad of several other soldiers fight against the enemies of humanity, using various weapons such as rifles, a shotgun, and even a weapon that fires saw blades. It's very fast paced and a lot of fun, rewarding not only effective use of cover and accurate shooting, but also quick decision making on when to charge your enemy and take them out with your knife or your chainsaw bayonet. This leads to a lot of very intense, sometimes brutal, and always satisfying battles, making Gears of War 4 a really enjoyable ride. See More

Top Pro

Really fun horde mode

Horde mode is a multiplayer co-op mode where up to 5 players try to survive against waves of enemies. It features regular combat and allows you to build fortifications, which you can do by collecting resources from killed enemies and using the fabricator. This allows you to build blockades, sentries, and various other defenses, giving it a very tower defense-esque feel, which is also a lot of fun. You can also choose between 5 classes with each class being better at something different. For example, the Engineer can build and repair defenses much faster than others and the Heavy uses stronger weapons that allow him to kill large enemies much faster. As a result, teamwork is very important, so when your squad is co-operating like a well-oiled machine, it just feels incredibly satisfying. See More

Resident Evil: Revelations 2

Top Pro

Entertaining episodic story

Episode-style games are still catching on fairly quickly. It's a great way to keep people entertained and keep the content flowing. See More

Top Con

Lack of detail in the visual design

One of the more plain looking Resident Evil games, the graphics are not really going to wow anyone. See More

Specs

Genre:Survival Horror, Third-Person Shooter

Co-Op:2 Player Online / 2 Player Local

Top Pro

Great variety

Revelations 2's episodic structure means that players switch between different characters with unique play styles. Additionally, each episode sees players exploring different locations, with a lot of cool gameplay variety. See More

Top Pro

Thoughtful gameplay

Revelations 2 uses its horror theme to encourage thoughtful play. Ammo is scarce, so players need to be thoughtful about inventory management. Players will have to solve puzzles to get through some of the encounters. Sometimes, it is wiser to sneak past enemies than shoot them. See More

Top Pro

The return of classic characters

Revelations 2 brings back characters like Claire and Barry, who have been missing from the Resident Evil series for years. Their absence has been disappointing, so it's great to see them returning. See More

Top Pro

The campaign isn't the only draw to the game, Raid Mode adds dozens of hours of content for you to play

Raid mode is back, and it's so much better than the first game. Raid Mode is a run-and-gun game that can be played either solo or cooperatively with a friend; you get to blast your way through enemies in short stages and upgrade your equipment on your way. You also level up in Raid Mode - you obtain a set amount of skill points and can use them to customize your character in order to make your Raid Mode experience more fulfilling. You can also unlock several characters to play as you go through the episodes of the campaign and earn achievements. See More

Top Pro

One of the strongest Resident Evil game in the series

RE: Revelations 2 is an excellent installment in the series. It has a very solid, engaging plot and memorable characters that keep you motivated throughout the story. See More

Riptide GP: Renegade

Top Pro

Never a dull moment with lots of action

Levels are designed to be action packed, with a generous amount of ramps and waves to jump off, twists and turns, and opponents trying to gain the lead. Race through waterways and flooded streets and use waves to make those big jumps and perform airborne stunts. The surface tension of the water is noticed as you race your way around the various tracks, take tight turns, and perhaps even wipeout. The riders around you leave a foamy wake in their path, waves crash from side to side knocking you around, and the water churns as you splash around and perform stunts resulting in some authentic and fast paced water-based racing action. See More

Top Con

Some sound effect levels are mixed poorly

A few of the water effects such as hitting the water hard after a big jump are too loud, resulting in a sound effect that will drown out and overpower the background music. This sudden burst of sound can be jarring at times and break your concentration from focusing on a tough race or opponent. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Controller Support:Yes

Top Pro

Excellent hydrojet handling

The controls for your craft are finely-tuned and completely lag free as you turn tight corners on your hydrojet. Some of the turns are very sharp and sudden, but due to the way the game controls, making these turns is more about seeing the action play out and less about losing control due to a sudden change in the course. Acceleration is natural and exciting as you race your hydrojet through the various waterways as you can gain speed without losing control. Performing stunts while airborne off a big jump come natural, as the controls to do so are the same as piloting your craft. See More

Top Con

Low number of tracks

There's only nine different racetracks to choose from, meaning the player will have to keep grinding the same maps over and over. After a while, the same maps starts to get old fast and once you learn all the shortcuts and tricks to the various races, racing the same tracks time after time loses it appeal. See More

Top Pro

Water-based racing is a new way to enjoy the racing genre

Rather than rubber on asphalt as in other racing games, Riptide GP: Renegade features racing your hydrojet in semi-submerged cities, with the flooded streets serving as the race track. Rather than driving a car around a track, you will be racing robots (and friends!) by cruising your hydrojet through the wreckage of a flooded city, jumping waves, and running from cops who are chasing you. This puts a new coat of paint on the racing genre, resulting in a unique look and feel that can't be accomplished in standard racing games. See More

Top Con

The police only target players and not the AI racers

During races, the police hydrojets will only pester players and not the other AI racers. Getting constantly knocked off your hydrojet as the computer controlled AI racers zoom past you completely ignored by the police feels unfair. See More

Top Pro

Solid sense of progression for all skill levels

You don't have to be the best racer to get the most out of this game. Even if you lose a race, you will still earn experience and money to keep upgrading your hydrojet until you can finally beat the track that has been giving you problems. Upgrading your craft and purchasing new moves to perform is continuous throughout the game, regardless of your skill level, meaning everyone can progress at their own pace and unlock all of the various stunts and crafts. See More

Bayonetta

Top Pro

Unique enemy designs with angels that defy typical conventions

Angels in Bayonetta are far from how they are depicted in pop culture. Despite their bright glow and the religious music that you hear when they're introduced, they're hunched over, lumbering when they walk and fight in battle. They're designed in ways that definitely make them look like Bayonetta's enemies instead of entities that we're supposed to side with. The larger, gargantuan angelic bosses appear otherwordly and incomprehensible like Lovecraftian creatures, They're quite the sight to behold and make for interesting boss fights with cool set pieces, like Bayonetta surfing on a wooden plank as she fights a huge angel in the middle of an ocean. See More

Top Con

On-rails sections can be frustrating

There will be a few times where you'll play through retro-inspired sequences where you race down a highway on a motorcycle, or shoot missiles at enemies from an airship. You have to handle quick time event button presses on the motorcycle and deal with a bunch of enemies firing at you on the ship. These sequences are a huge change from the normal combat, and if you're not good at them, you may find yourself getting frustrated. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Top Pro

Bayonetta herself is unconventional and entertaining

Bayonetta is a character who exudes confidence and charm, and every aspect of the game's mechanics and design fits with her personality. She's over eight feet tall, wears a skin-tight suit that's actually made of her magical hair, and always fights with style and finesse. When you do a double jump, a butterfly's wings appear over her back, and when you use any type of long weapon like a lance, you can have her pole dance and quickly fire her guns in all directions. Since she's a sadistic character, her finisher moves are called Torture Attacks. After accumulating enough magic points through normal attacks, you can make Bayonetta conjure one of many types of medieval torture devices. She'll trap enemies inside and send blood everywhere, or she'll whip their backs with a flourish, doing more damage as you mash the button prompt on the screen. Healing and buff items, instead of the usual potions, are different-flavored lollipops like the one that Bayonetta likes to keep in her mouth during some cutscenes. Upgrades to her jumping ability are also beyond the norm, letting you transform her into a black panther to run faster and jump higher. Overall, Bayonetta is independent and likes to have a good time, never missing an opportunity to strike a pose or dance in between pummeling and whipping her enemies into submission. If you see Bayonetta's sexualized moves and portrayal as the game's way of parodying other media, then you'll probably find her over-the-top presentation more entertaining than offensive. See More

Top Con

Locked at 60 frames per second on PC

Action sequences are locked at 60FPS which means that you can not go above that framerate regardless of your PC's capabilities. See More

Top Pro

Fun and complex gameplay

Bayonetta excels in its combat, going above and beyond to entertain the player with the scale of its gigantic, angelic enemies and the depth of its gameplay. The tutorial teaches you the bare basics of punching and kicking, and then it's up to you to experiment with inputs and find the best combos to keep up the pain. Even on normal difficulty, the game can seem punishing for newcomers, but there are lots of skills you can pick up on to make things smoother. There's a ton of depth to the combat, especially in how you have the potential to keep up limitless combos with punches, kicks, and gunfire. When you hold down your buttons, Bayonetta will freeze her punching or kicking pose while firing the guns from her heels or in her hands. In the middle of that pose, you can dodge offset an incoming attack and initiate Witch Time, which rewards you by making enemies move at a snail's pace while you get more hits in than you normally could. In other situations where you're surrounded by enemies and need some crowd control, you can have Bayonetta do some handstands while she fires her guns. Each new weapon you acquire, whether it's a katana or a huge lance you pick up from a downed enemy, gives you a whole new set of combos to master. There's an incredible variety in the gameplay for you to play around with, whether it's with new weapons or Bayonetta's punches, kicks, and guns. You'll constantly find new ways to enjoy the combat as you play through the game, keeping things fresh from start to finish. See More

Top Con

The story is nonsensical

While Bayonetta has some intriguing lore involving witches battling against a puritanical religion, you won't get to learn much about it. The storytelling is a mess, with sudden changes that don't make sense, and underdeveloped characters that the game expects you to care about. As long as you go in without taking the story and presentation all that seriously, you'll still be able to have a good time. See More

Tom Clancy's The Division

Top Pro

Class can be changed at any time

The class system for this game allows for the player to change class and perks at any time, meaning anyone can take on the role of their choosing at the drop of a hat. While this may cut down or replayability due to not having to play through multiple times to experience each class it does make for a great way to test out each one and their perks to land on one of the player's liking. See More

Top Con

Cheaters running amok on PC

Many players complain about cheaters on PC as it is easy to game the system currently. The problem being that any user who modifies their local memory can then change what happens in the online game. An issue discovered by users in the public beta that Ubisoft promised to fix but never did. It fundamentally breaks the online component of the game as it is too easy for anyone to cheat. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Mostly Positive

Genre:Open world RPG

Top Pro

Rich crafting environment

Every piece of gear and every weapon can be customized with different Mods. But the game does not stop there, as a player can actually alter attributes of individual pieces, deconstruct old gear for parts, and find and build gear from blueprints. See More

Top Con

Repetitive cover-based shooting

Literally the only mechanic in the game. There are no other true ways to avoid and attack enemies. See More

Top Pro

Great use of a cover system

The cover system in the game is quite intuitive. The player can easily crouch behind an object for cover (being that it is highlighted, so the player knows where they can cover) with one button press. Once in cover, any other area within a certain distance will highlight letting the player know they can run to the next spot for cover. This is done through a singular button press while being held down. This makes for an easy way to run from cover to cover with little effort. Which allows for flanking enemies and just an overly easy way to move around without taking too many bullets while in a fire fight. See More

Top Con

Awful AI system

AI will run all over the place and then stand in front of your turret for no reason. See More

Top Pro

Lots of fun to play with friends

The missions get hard fast, so the game forces you to co-ordinate with your team and ensure you have the right team composition to beat the more difficult missions. You'll have to keep track of the locations of all your team to make sure you're not getting flanked, be in position to rescue downed friends and let people know when you spot a sniper or a boss. See More

Top Con

Poor enemy NPC chatter

The in game chatter of the enemy NPC is laughably bad. As you are shooting them one by one they constantly say the same things that are not really relevant to the situation such as calling you names or just simply stating that you should "get lost". This can be immersion breaking and asks the question what the devs were thinking when putting this type of chatter in the game in these situations. See More

Top Pro

Great matchmaking

This game has made it very easy to group up with friends, nearby players, or random players looking for the same content. Grouping from the player menu is always available, and when you enter a mission you can choose to look for players to join you as well as set the difficulty. Also looking at the ISAC map lets you see friends' locations and invite them to group. See More

Top Con

Boring grinding system

After hitting level 14 - 15 most missions are either way to high or to low to go back to play. So you are stuck doing awfully boring side missions that become quite repetitive, most are Hostage Rescue or Zone Decontamination and require no effort. The next missions start around level 20, which seems to be a way to force players into the Dark Zone. See More

Top Pro

Fun team shooter gameplay with RPG elements

The core gameplay for the division is a cover based third person team shooter, however over the course of the game you can customize your solider in a lot of different ways to keep things interesting. You can unlock various active skills to use during combat, passive perks that buff up your solider and talents that activate when you perform a certain action like getting a headshot. Although it starts simple, as you progress through the game you can then modify and upgrade a lot of the abilities to keep things interesting. On top of all this the loot and gear systems make it really fun to continually upgrade your solider. You have over 10 slots for various bits of gear that have a primary attribute that will improve either your DPS, health or how powerful your active ability are. Weapons also have multiple mod slots, so you can add on different scopes, silencers, grips etc that make meaningful changes to gameplay. See More

Top Con

Boring repetitive side-quests

The side-quests in the game tend to consist of the same tasks over and over again, this is repetitive and can get boring due to not much changing up in side-quest gameplay. See More

Top Pro

Open world freedom

Once the introduction to the game is played through, all missions for the game can be unlocked by just walking around the map. The player is free to choose any mission they would like to try, though some may be too tough depending on the player and mission skill level. The game is set in a living breathing world, in addition to the primary missions you will randomly encounter a variety of side missions you can do for additional experience and rewards. See More

Top Pro

Pleasing graphics

While not up to par of the promotional material Ubisoft showed off a few years ago (not much of a surprise, this is Ubisoft after-all), the graphics are quite good and can easily be set on max setting with a smooth 60fps for those with good components in their computers. Even when using a mid range rig the graphics can easily be on high while getting above 30fps. In general what is present in the game is a winter city that is in a pre-opocolyptic crisis. The snow is randomized and can sweep in and out of the city at any time making for a beautiful representation of snow storms in a city. The city itself is pretty sparsely populated, which allows for less tax on the graphics, but of course the excuse is that it is basically an abandoned city other than the bad guys. There will be a few civilians in the streets but mainly you are alone out there until you run into trouble. See More

MotoGP 17

Top Pro

Racing veterans will find a challenge to conquer

For anyone looking for customizable difficulties in a racing game, MotoGP has plenty of settings that you can fine-tune to match your skill level. Longtime racing fans can jump right into races at higher difficulties, or you can tweak the AI settings to be more challenging across the board. For tournaments, there's a ramp-up in difficulty from the qualifying rounds to the ranked races, so veterans will find a good challenge in adjusting to each race on the fly. See More

Top Con

Inconsistent AI difficulty

During qualifier rounds where there should be a reasonable amount of difficulty, the AI is deceptively easy. You'll end up winning races with a false sense of security, only to find much harder ones later on. It makes things confusing when trying to figure out your skill level and where you might need to improve. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Mostly Positive

Top Pro

Plenty of tools to help new players excel

For new players, you're able to adjust settings in the menu to give you an easier time controlling your motorcycle. You can set colored path lines along the track that you can follow if you need some help with getting ready for turns ahead of time. There are also options to manually lower the AI difficulty to get you used to the game's learning curve. As you become more skilled at the game, you can gradually wean yourself off of these tools. They're great for anyone who wants to reach those expert levels of play, but might be discouraged by all the new mechanics that come with the racing game genre. See More

Top Con

Overall presentation is barren and soulless

The game has overused, repetitive animations,and lifeless movement from crowd NPCs during matches. Overall there's a general emptiness in the environments. There's a lack of emotion and soul in MotoGP 17, making the game feel unfinished and unpolished. It's not a pleasing game to look at, and it might break immersion for you if you're looking for something that's more realistic and lively. See More

Top Pro

Racing is fun and the controls are responsive

In MotoGP 17, you'll race at full speed to push ahead of the pack of other motorcycles, using the game's tight controls to your advantage to make narrow turns before accelerating again. Keeping that balance between speed and strategic slowdowns is exhilarating when you manage to pull it off and win race after race. You'll get to feel the weight of the motorcycle in your hands through the controller. The vibrations mimic the engine and your wheels grinding against the asphalt of the tracks, making you feel like your hands are right on the handles of your motorcycle. The smooth, responsive controls help to make sure that every race is all about your skills as the player, so you won't have to worry about laggy button inputs when going for difficult turns. No music plays during races, but listening to the buzzing of your motorcycle's engine is addicting and doesn't get old. See More

Top Pro

Fun experimentation with the team manager simulator

MotoGP 17's managerial mode gives you control over a team's resources to lead your riders to the World Championship. It has some interesting features that have potential for more additions in future games in the series. Working behind-the-scenes, you'll invest resources into improving your riders' skills, like with nutrition programs and athletic training. As your team wins more races, you'll gain more visibility and have a better selections of paid sponsors to choose from, earning you more money. As you earn more money, you'll be able to afford faster motorcycles, making your team even better. All of these systems have the promise for more improvements and depth, but what's available is plenty of fun to experiment with. See More

Halo 5: Guardians

Top Pro

Balanced multiplayer

Even though there are various upgrades and progression bonuses in Halo 5's multiplayer, it is enjoyable even before unlocking any of them. This is because it puts emphasis on player skill, allowing you to have fun without getting punished for not having invested enough time in it. The only way it starts feeling unfair is when you meet players that outmatch your skill level by a lot. See More

Top Con

Short single player/co-op campaign

A single playthrough takes only about 5 hours on average, so if you don't like replaying campaigns or if you don't enjoy competitive multiplayer, you won't be able to enjoy Halo 5 for very long. See More

Specs

Genre:First-Person Shooter

Top Pro

Feels great to play

It doesn't matter if you're playing single player, co-op, or competitive multiplayer, Halo 5 always is a blast to play. This is partly because of the sharp and fluid controls, awesome gunplay, and the great graphics run at a smooth 60 fps. It's also because the gameplay just flows so nicely, from performing takedowns on enemies, to shooting your laser rifle, to even ramming your jeep into an unsuspecting alien, Halo 5 as a whole feels really enjoyable. See More

Top Con

No local multiplayer

While there is online co-op/multiplayer, Halo 5 has no local split screen co-op/multiplayer. This means you can only play with your friends/family over the internet, with each of you needing a separate console and a copy of the game. See More

Top Pro

Great co-op

You can play the campaign with up to 3 other players, which increases the fun by quite a bit. You get the sense of being in an actual squad of elite soldiers that cover and support each other, making it feel really awesome to destroy aliens and robots with the help of your fellow Spartan soldiers. It's the type of feeling you simply can't get with AI companions. See More

Sea of Thieves

Top Pro

The water looks absolutely incredible

Standing on the port of your ship and looking out over the water makes you feel like you're really standing on a real ship in the ocean. Utilizing the Unreal 4 engine to full capacity, the water itself looks fantastic, with great shimmering effects as waves gently roll or violently crash. Sea foam froths and the sun illuminates the water below. It's some of the best looking water in any game to date and helps immerse you in the world of pirates and ships, as the game world is largely made up of being on the water or surrounded by it. See More

Top Con

Lore can be hard to follow without outside sources

Without the lore book or comic book, characters and lore may be hard to follow. To understand the legends and characters properly, you will most likely need to read from outside sources simply due to the sheer amount of the lore the game tries to tackle. See More

Specs

Genre:Action-Adventure, Multiplayer

Top Pro

A huge open world with lots to explore

For those who enjoy exploration and games without restrictions on travel, there is a lot to see and do here. The game is mainly an open world where you are free to sail your ship around in any direction you choose and explore the various islands at your own leisure. There are reputations to grind, quests from 3 different companies, forts to conquer, shipwrecks to scavenge, and islands to plunder for their treasure. The game world itself is huge, giving you the freedom to traverse it and discover it's secrets at will. See More

Top Con

The look of outfits, ship upgrades, and weapons are cosmetic only

The various outfits, ship upgrades, and weapons require you to spend gold in-game, but they are cosmetic only. This can be a huge turn off after saving up a bunch of gold for a shiny new weapon, only to find it's purely cosmetic and doesn't add to any kind of stat pool. See More

Top Pro

A lot of unique ways to customize the look of your pirate

You can outfit your character in a variety of different costumes and outfits, including hook hands, hats, eye patches, and bandanas. While some are open to anyone with the gold or reputation, sometimes the game will put special items on a vendor just for your play style. For example, if you spend a lot of time killing other players, the game will recognize this by putting special items on vendors that you can purchase to denote you are a bloodthirsty pirate who does a lot of PvP. If you want to be the biggest, baddest looking pirate around, there's plenty of ways to unlock the look you want. See More

Top Pro

Controlling the pirate ship together provides a great co-op experience

When playing with friends, you can all control the pirate ship together. The sails need someone to control them so that the ship is able to take advantage of wind to propel itself forward. Another in the role of captain may be steering the ship as it rolls over salty ocean waves. A friend might also opt to climb up to the crow's nest to keep an eye out for other ships on the prowl. Additionally, someone will have to be making repairs on the ship with wooden planks or bailing with buckets if the deck takes on water. Working together to control the ship works well and encourages a level of team work that is very conducive to fun co-op play. See More

Top Pro

The ship battles are intense

Other players and their crews can attack you on the open waters in PvP combat, as well as AI skeletal crews with varying strengths and weaknesses, sometimes with little to no warning. This results in some pretty intense and epic battles where authentic pirate warfare comes into play. Battling involves the coordination of your entire crew as things can get extremely hectic really quickly. Someone will have to run below deck to grab the cannonballs, while another loads them in the cannons and shoots at the enemy. Others may be using buckets to bail out water after your ship takes damage and starts to sink. You'll have to manage damage to your ship while also protecting yourself from enemy attacks. You can even grab your pistol and sword and jump aboard the enemy ship, swinging and shooting your way to victory. Keep in mind, the enemy will also try to board your ship and cut you down, so you'll always have to stay alert and react on the fly. Overall, the ship battles are done incredibly well, require teamwork due to offensive and defensive aspects such as shooting cannons and bailing water, and are loaded with fast paced and intense action. See More

Top Pro

Rare and random events keep everyone on their toes

For example, your ship may be attacked by a huge Kraken. This can happen anytime or anywhere you're on the open seas. The water bubbles and turns black, the sign of a big and deadly sea monster approaching. Eventually it will be attacking your ship, attempting to drag your ship and your crew down into the depths. You'll have to fend it off and unleash all your firepower on it if you want it to release your ship so you can safely sail away. This can be especially dramatic if you're hauling back a large amount of loot to sell off. Because of the completely random nature of these events and their ability to easily sink an unprepared ship, you will have to stay alert and on your toes at all times. See More

Top Pro

Hours of content thanks to the the Voyage system

Due to the variety of the voyages and three different factions, things stay fresh and fun for quite some time resulting in quite a bit of content to play through as you sail your ship towards loot and infamy. The game centers around a quest system, called voyages, which works incredibly well to provide hours of content. Completing these voyages will allow you to build your reputation and earn gold, which in turn, will allow you embark on even more dangerous and exciting voyages, sometimes with multiple parts and their own ministory. Voyages include sailing your ship on the rough seas to your destination, and then finally following your map to the treasure. But there are a lot of variables involved. Getting attacked at sea, various enemies, islands with different layouts, traps on the treasure chests, and other obstacles are between you and your goal at all times, with each voyage being distinctly different so you'll never be doing the same thing twice. See More

Layers of Fear

Top Pro

The horror of mental illness & alcoholism

Perception is everything, and the insane artist in Layers Of Fear sees the world as a nightmarish canvas. Smeared with huge daubs of color instead of gore, this game has unique and mind bending scenarios, teeming with impossible spaces. See More

Top Con

Limited exploration

As you move from room to room, the one you exited from will close off and lock, preventing you permanently from going back to see if there's any notes you missed. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Top Pro

Multiple paths for replaybility

As you explore the surreal house, sometimes you will be presented with multiple doorways or paths. Since a majority of the doors close and lock behind you as move through the house, your choice is permanent and will influence the ending and certain story elements. This gives the game a bit of replayability as you will have to play more than once to see everything the game has to offer. See More

Top Con

Somewhat nonsensical story

The game attempts to be "too artistic" at times, opting for a surreal horror experience akin to an art movie instead of a truly coherent story with ordered plot elements. While this creates a good enough gaming experience, those looking for a solid story may be disappointed. Even though there are multiple endings, most are open ended and painfully inconclusive. See More

Top Pro

Lots of little secrets for those those who explore deeper

Throughout the game, the player can discover notes and journal entries that are small pieces of the bigger story. These are stashed in all kinds of different hiding spots such as dresser drawers. Those who poke into every nook and cranny will uncover more plot elements than players who opt not to do much searching. Additionally, there are some mysterious items scattered throughout the house such as a hand crank and an Oujia board. No direction is given on how to use these items, and it's completely up to the player to figure it out. It's still possible to complete the game without discovering everything, but extra secrets, multiple endings, and additional story elements await for those who dig a little deeper. See More

Top Pro

Focused on horror immersion without puzzles as roadblocks

Layers of Fear is almost entirely immersion based, meaning a majority of the experience consists of going from room to room and soaking in the truly horrific atmosphere. Rather than scratching your head over tricky puzzles, you can instead simply enjoy watching strange events unfold right before your eyes as you fall deeper into madness. There are a few puzzles and riddles to overcome, although they fit into the game well. Keeping an uninterrupted flow is a vital part in keeping the horror in the forefront and the immersion strong. See More

Top Pro

Uses the environment itself as a way to portray horror

There's an ever-present sense of psychological dread by feeling constantly lost and trapped. By using clever visual tricks such as doors disappearing when you turn around and hallways that never seem to end, the impossible architecture of the house itself is used as a horror element. Most of the changes are so subtle, you won't even notice them as they're happening. You may be watching that strange painting morphing on the wall, only to turn around and see the entire room around you has changed. See More

Top Pro

Strong emphasis on tension and fear over jump scares

Layers of Fear truly focuses on the fear aspect via tension rather than cheap jump scares. Whether it's that darkened hallway where you can't see the other side, cheery paintings that melt away to reveal horrific imagery, or the shadowy shapes that disappear when you turn to face them, the game does all in it's power to keep the player guessing while feeling frightened and ill at ease. Rooms are dark and ominous, hallways stretch into blackness, a baby's cry can softly be heard coming through walls, and the player never knows what they're going to find in the next room. The architecture of the house shifts and bends, in impossible ways, to create rooms and spaces that simply should not exist. Since everything is changing all the time, there is no way to know or predict what horror lurks beyond the next door. See More

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