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What are the best subscription PS Now games for PS4 and PC?

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Jul 5, 2018

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34 Games Considered

Best subscription PS Now games for PS4 and PC	Price	Steam Rating	Genre
-- Limbo	$9.99	Very Positive	-
-- Terraria	$19.99	-	2D platformer / Minecraft-like
-- Mass Effect 2	$19.99	Very Positive	Action Role-Playing, Third-Person Shooter
-- Journey	$14.99	-	-
-- The Walking Dead: Season 1	$19.99	Overwhelmingly Positive	Narrative, Adventure, Survival Horror

Limbo

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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

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

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

Somewhat short

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

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

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

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

Unique black and white aesthetic

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

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Terraria

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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 2

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Good romance subplots

The romance subplots in Mass Effect 2 are great. Playing as male Shepard, you can romance most of your female squadmates, while female Shepard can romance most of the male squadmates. If you romanced someone in the first Mass Effect, then that story continues here in Mass Effect 2. 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

The main enemies, the Collectors, feel misplaced in the trilogy

The Mass Effect trilogy's story is about stopping the Reapers -- ancient, unknowable beings who destroy all life -- but this gets interrupted in Mass Effect 2 by the Collectors who are more like minions of the Reapers. The Collectors are dangerous because they harvest humans, though this is not as important as the Reapers who seek to end all life in the galaxy in Mass Effect 3. It would have made sense for Mass Effect 2 to focus on the Reapers instead of the Collectors, since they're more of a secondary problem. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Genre:Action Role-Playing, Third-Person Shooter

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

Levels are very linear

Mass Effect 2's levels are more like winding corridors with the occasional wide open space here and there. You always have a clear sense of where to go next, but there isn't much room for exploration. It's also obvious when enemies are about to show up, since you'll come to a place with a bunch of chest-high walls conveniently spread around the area for you to take cover behind. It's unimaginative, making missions feel like you're only going from point A to B. See More

Top Pro

Improved third-person shooting combat from the first game

The combat in Mass Effect 2 is much better than its predecessor in every way possible. You can enter cover and vault over it whenever you want this time around instead of your body magnetically sticking to whichever surface you stand next to. Guns use expendable thermal clips, which are like bullet clips, meaning you're no longer held back by your weapons overheating if you fire them too much. They also feel more satisfying to shoot with a real kick to them, especially the meatier shotguns and sniper rifles. Your squadmates are smarter this time around, like how you can order them to use their own abilities to chain them with yours for cool bonuses like melting armor with fire powers. The combat is actually fun in Mass Effect 2 and stands on its own next to the great story and characters. 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. In Mass Effect 2, you get to choose between options like keeping or destroying inhumane scientific research that could help an entire galactic race, or exposing the dark truth about a squadmates' family for the greater good or keeping it hidden. Who you bring along for the final mission and how you lead your team has a huge impact on the ending. Each of your decisions, big and small, carry over into Mass Effect 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 2 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. You have about ten squadmates to choose from, not including DLC characters. They all have backstories and traits that are believable and natural. Their personalities shine through the most during their optional loyalty missions where you help them complete certain personal tasks separate from the main story. One of your human squadmates, Miranda, is cold and intimidating at first, since she distrusts you for her own reasons. Her loyalty mission is unexpectedly emotional, showing Miranda as more flawed and caring than she lets on. There's also Garrus, one of your returning squadmates from the first Mass Effect. He's a turian that looks somewhat bird-like in design, but his easygoing personality is very cool, making him feel relatable and reliable. His loyalty mission shows his darker side as you help him tie up loose ends from his past. 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

Journey

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Top Pro

Emotional soundtrack

You can really feel the effort and care that went into creating the soundtrack. From the relaxing flute as you trot along the desert. The heartfelt cello solo as you slide through the ruins of an ancient civilization. To the dramatic piece performed by an entire orchestra as you fall into an abyss. The soundtrack helps you feel the right emotions at the right moments, making Journey an unforgettable experience. See More

Top Con

Incredibly short

Journey is one of the shortest games ever made, clocking in just over two hours of gameplay. The ending credits will roll right as you're getting into it, leaving you unsatisfied. This may cause you to immediately replay it but it will never feel the same as your first playthrough. See More

Specs

Top Pro

Simple but really enjoyable gameplay

Journey doesn't have any difficult mechanics, any explicit story, or even an interface. You simply run, jump, and glide through the desert, trying to reach a snowy mountain in the distance. Along the way you'll find items, enemies, and even companions, but there never are any interruptions. It all flows so nicely, it feels like you're going gently down the stream. See More

Top Pro

Beautiful visuals

Wherever you look you'll find something beautiful to look at. This can be the obstructed sun shining down on an endless desert, creating a very calming scene. It can be the very detailed and massive ruins that sometimes look mysterious and sometimes imposing. It can be the sand beautifully shifting between your character's legs as it walks. It can even be your character's red robe and scarf fluttering in the wind as you glide across the desert. Everything in Journey looks so nice you just want to keep seeing more. See More

The Walking Dead: Season 1

Top Pro

A lot of replayability

Resembling an interactive novel, the game plays out as a series of dialogue choices or decisions that result in specific actions. It's pretty interesting to replay the game many times and choose all the different ways of handling situations just to see how they play out. See More

Top Con

Superficial player impact

While the game may on the face of it appear to have far reaching consequences for the decisions taken by the player. At times it can appear that these consequences cause mainly only superficial differences as the story progresses. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive

Genre:Narrative, Adventure, Survival Horror

Top Pro

Stellar voice acting brings the characters to life

Voice actors deliver their lines with a lot of emotion, never feeling forced or fake. This excellent acting really helps draw you into the story and its characters. There's a lot of great chemistry between the various voice actors as well, resulting in conversations that flow well and sound very natural. See More

Top Con

Some annoying quicktime events

Some of the quicktime events can feel like they drag on a bit too long and require too many button/key presses, especially during extended action sequences. See More

Top Pro

Standalone story makes it accessible for all

Even if you don't read the comic or watch the TV show, you can still play and enjoy this game. It's a completely standalone story. While there are some mild easter eggs for fans of the show/comic, you can still understand the game just fine without any prior knowledge of The Walking Dead. See More

Top Pro

Difficult decisions

The Walking Dead requires that the player make decisions throughout, these typically will be in the form of action or conversation options. In many of these situations there is no obviously correct or best choice yet these decisions must be taken in stressful situations often giving a matter of seconds. They can be morally testing as you can attempt to do what is 'right', what is best for the group or what is best for yourself as well having differing repercussions on how your character is perceived by different people. See More

Top Pro

Engrossing storyline

The Walking Dead tells a genuinely gripping story which can be a testing and exhausting experience for the player. It is told through the interactions between people fighting to survive in a new world in which resources are scarce and threats can come from both the living and the undead. Perhaps the major strength of the game in creating a compelling story telling experience is that it causes the player to care about the characters involved. This is an all too uncommon experience in gaming, and in The Walking Dead adds much greater meaning to the decisions which must be made along the way. See More

Thomas Was Alone

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Great story

For what is a pretty simplistic looking game, Thomas Was Alone offers a truly great story that actually gets the player to care about what are basically squares and rectangles. See More

Top Con

Some puzzles can be difficult

Here an there are a few really tough puzzles in the game which can be frustrating, luckily they are few and far between as the gameplay does not tend to repeat itself too often. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Genre:Puzzle, Platformer

Top Pro

Polished ethereal soundtrack

Haunting guitar strums mixed with beautiful piano chords and bits of chiptune creates a very fitting soundtrack that allows for an experience of polish not often found. See More

Top Con

Short

The gameplay only lasts about 3 or 4 hours. See More

Top Pro

Enjoyable professional narration

What really drives the well crafted story home is the wonderful narration done by British filmmaker, comedian, writer, actor, and presenter of radio and television, Danny Wallace. Not many indie small budget games receive the polish this game has in their voice acting, which really adds to the experience when playing the game. See More

Divinity: Original Sin

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Self-deprecating humor allows the game to stay lighthearted despite many serious overtones

The writing in the game is often entertaining and humorous as the game does not take itself too seriously. There are quite a few inside jokes to be found for this type of genre game as well as many situations that lighten the mood, such as talking pets that hand out light-hearted quests. See More

Top Con

Building a working party may take several tries

Some party setups work better than others and some don't work at all depending on the difficulty. A bad party can make the game feel like an impossible struggle at times. This may cause you to restart several times until you get the right setup, allowing you to enjoy a much smoother playthrough. See More

Specs

Genre:Dungeon Crawler RPG

Co-Op:2 Player Local / Online

Top Pro

Morality based gameplay that actually impacts the game

You'll be confronted with moral choices during your quests. These choices change how other characters perceive you, affecting the overall story and ending. This makes the story feel more realistic and immersive since actions have consequences. See More

Top Con

Mechanics take some trial and error

There is a basic tutorial, but it doesn't explain some of the finer aspects of the game such as using spells. Most spells can be used in and out of combat, giving you access to locked or hidden areas. For example, if you want to get into a locked door, you can burn it down. If you want to save a burning ship, cast a rain spell over it. While this is an intuitive mechanic, it may take a while to get used to. Until then you might spend some time scratching your head, trying to figure out how to proceed. See More

Top Pro

Highly interactive world

Divinity: Original Sin has a highly interactive world. This ranges from NPC interactions, elemental spells that can affect the environment, to a cornucopia of in-world items and objects that can taken or moved. There are so many things you can do, it's very easy to immerse yourself and have a great time. See More

HELLDIVERS

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Intense co-op play

The whole game can be played in local or online co-op with up to three other players. Each stage is procedurally generated and feature certain objectives that need completed. Of course, the objectives need executed while hordes of enemies swarm you. This is what makes for the intense action as there are so many enemies to be found coming at you at all times, add in extra players and the action becomes quite turbulent thanks to the friendly fire mechanic. There is no way to turn off friendly fire which means everyone who is going in guns blazing may upset the other players meaning everyone will need to keep a close eye on all of the action taking place in order to succeed. See More

Top Con

Game gets difficult

There are 12 different classifications of difficulty in the game, as you progress the game gets a lot more difficult going all the way up to the twelfth difficulty. For some this may be too difficult and will end in frustration, so for those not looking for a challenge, this game may not be for them. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Top Pro

Heavily influenced by the film Starship Troopers

The main story of the game plays out a lot like the theme in Starship Troopers, where the world is united in exterminating an alien race on other planets. The humor found in the movie as well as the action are to be found in this game as well, which is all a bit over the top but all in fun, of which the game is. So for all of those that are fans of Starship Troopers, this game should offer a bit of nostalgia for them. See More

Top Con

Joining co-op can be a pain

There is no way for everyone to just jump into a game, one player needs to host and then the others can be invited, but of course they already need to be on the players friend list, which may not always be the case which means more work to get everything together. A more seamless experience would be nice to see but sadly that is not how the co-op was designed. See More

Top Pro

Requires more tactics over other twin stick shooters

Ammo is limited in the game, meaning the player needs to make each shot count. On top of this, where an enemy is hit matters as well, so center mass is the best place to shoot them, of course this is not always easy. Due to the fact that ammo is limited and placement of shots matter it is up to the player to try and figure out the best methods for not running out of ammo and shooting each creature. This requires patience and planning, something that is often missing from run of the mill twin stick shooters. See More

Top Con

Things can get a bit repetitive

After a while of playing the game, it can all seem a bit "samey" in that really all you are doing is the same tasks over and over again. the repetitiveness of the game can get frustrating after a while leading to the game being ignored. See More

Top Pro

Enemies go all out during extractions

At the end of each stage the player/players must order an extraction vehicle. Once called the players must ward off an onslaught of enemies for 90 seconds. Only one player needs to get on the extraction vehicle, which means all out mayhem as each player can just start unleashing their most devastating weapons. This is quite a fun part of the game as each player can just go all out. See More

Top Pro

The scoring system greatly encourages teamwork

When playing co-op, once a level is completed there will be a score rewarded to the players. Luckily this score is not based off of kills, which means players can focus more on objectives instead of going lone wolf for kills. the scoring allows for more teamwork to happen, which is great as that is what co-op should be geared more towards, cooperation. See More

Abzû

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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

Spelunky

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Provides an interesting challenge by heavily relying on increasing your skill

Spelunky gives the player everything needed to succeed from the start so it is only when the players skills get better will they advance. See More

Top Con

Difficult to the point of frustration

Spelunky is pretty difficult and some could say abusive, but with practice and a desire for masochism the game can be mastered. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Genre:Platformer / Indie / Roguelike

Co-Op:4 Player Couch

Controller Support:Full

Top Pro

Up to 4 player local co-op

Spelunky features 4 player local co-op where players share the same screen, which can get a bit hectic. See More

Top Con

Co-op is boring and confusing

In co-op this game is very confusing with little instruction on how to play. With little to spice up the game play, it gets boring quickly. See More

Top Pro

Expanded gameplay through mods to improve replayability

Ranging from Mega Man to Metroid, there are a tone of great mods for Spelunky all of which make for a new experience in the game which vastly expands the replayability. See More

Top Pro

Quick sessions so you can play in short bursts

Being that Spelunky is at its heart a roguelike the gameplay sessions can tend to be quick as the player will die quite often. This makes for something that can be played in quick bursts throughout the day. The convenient saving also lends to this as a game that is still ongoing can be quickly saved in order to be picked up at a later time. See More

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

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Top Con

You must be lethal during boss fights, even on a pacifist run

It's really disappointing that the game doesn't let you take a purely pacifist approach. You can sneak around all you want while making sure to only perform silent takedowns, but the moment you step into a boss room, all of that role-playing goes out the window. You have to kill the boss, no questions asked. It would have been nice to have the option to outmaneuver them instead and lead them into non-lethal traps. Thankfully, the devs addressed this issue in the sequel, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, but you still have to deal with it here. See More

Top Pro

Cool soundtrack

The music in Human Revolution is an amazing mix of synthwave and other electronic sounds. Each track that plays in the different locations you explore, such as Montreal and Singapore, make you feel like you're in a futuristic version of those places. Even the more atmospheric tracks go a long way to set the mood in any given place, like the somber yet thoughtful track that plays in the main protagonist's home, giving you a moment to breathe after playing through the game's tense and exciting missions. The soundtrack absolutely does its job of setting the stage for wherever you're at while creating emotional memories of where each song plays. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Genre:Action Role-Playing, Stealth, First-Person Shooter

Top Con

Stiff character animations during cutscenes

It can be distracting to watch two characters speak during a cutscene. Aside from maybe Adam, everyone has such stiff and repetitive gestures and movements. Mouth movements don't sync up with voiced lines, making it look like the characters are just miming and faking their way through conversations. Depending on your tolerance levels, it's possible to tune out these annoyances and still enjoy the scenes. See More

Top Pro

Amazing futuristic themes and visual style

Deus Ex: Human Revolution has a great aesthetic that fits with its setting and themes. The visuals have plenty of bright golds and harsh blacks, and many recurring instances of hard geometric shapes to match with the prevalence of augmented humans with cybernetics. Along with this rapidly expanding technology, the story delves into the angle of what would happen if corrupt corporations became more influential than the government, bringing up some tough parallels to the current year in the real world. The unique look of the game goes so well with the subjects it tackles, creating a cohesive and stylistic whole. See More

Top Con

Boring main protagonist

Adam is such a dull lead character. He's stereotypically gruff, he barely ever shows any emotion, and he seems quite disaffected by the game's events. Even though most of his arc revolves around his quest to save his ex-girlfriend, it's hard to get invested or care about either of them, since you don't see them interact that much except during the start of the game. Though there is a silver lining to his personality, since his unconcerned attitude leads to one particular line of his that's turned into a running joke online. But other than that, he's not a remarkable protagonist that you find yourself rooting for on a personal level. See More

Top Pro

Conversations feel dynamic from your dialog choices

Speaking with major NPCs feels natural thanks to the dialog options you get to make. Each character has their own personalities and worldviews, so selecting certain options gives you the chance to move the conversation forward, make the person hand over something you need, or persuade them during debates. You can choose to appease someone who has a dominant personality in order to get what you want from them, or you can intimidate someone with a weaker personality. There's even a cool cybernetic implant you can get that lets you read someone's personality and reactions to you to determine the best options to pick. This gives discussions a lot of weight and impact, making sure that your choices matter. See More

Top Pro

You can take a lethal or pacifist approach to missions

You have total freedom in how you approach missions, mainly with whether you want to take the silent approach or go in guns blazing. Going with weapons such as stun guns, picking non-lethal knock-outs, and sneaking around through vents and hidden passageways makes up the pacifist methods. The more violent ways of playing include using deadly guns and abilities, killing enemies when you take them down, and generally running head-first into each mission. You don't have to stick with one or the other; if the situation calls for it, you can change things up as needed, keeping things interesting as you go along. See More

Top Pro

Tons of ways to customize your playstyle

Unlocking and upgrading abilities gives you a great chance to tailor how you approach missions and explorations. There are certain perks that lean more toward stealth, like an invisibility cloak, and others that are more lethal-oriented, like a flashy area of effect ability that lets you take out surrounding enemies all at once. And there are other skills that give you a leg up in exploring levels, like boosting the amount of fall damage you can take to prevent death and reach secret locations. One player's build may be completely different from someone else's, adding replay value to experiment with unlocks. See More

Strider

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Top Pro

Big game world that rewards exploration

The world of Strider is massive city where you'll be climbing a lot of high walls and tall buildings. It also hides a lot of upgrades that will help you clear a level or beat a boss a lot easier. Most of these can only be accessed later when you have the right type of weapon (similar to Metroid Prime). So you'll be spending a lot of time exploring (backtracking) if you decide to access these new locations. See More

Top Con

Story is not explained

Strider has a very simple "good guy defeats evil tyrant" type of story, but none of the characters are truly fleshed out. See More

Top Pro

Tons of collectibles

You can find new upgrades, concept art, story info, character info, and costumes during the game. There are also hidden challenges such as Survival and Beacon. Only the upgrades are marked on the map, so the rest can be difficult to find, making 100% completion a tough goal to reach. See More

Top Con

No "Fast-Travel" really

It is a big game world, and most of the time you are stuck exploring it all by foot. There is something that lets you travel between areas, but they are few and far between and not really all that helpful. Plus, it is unlocked fairly late into the game. If you know there is something you need to return to on the other side of the game, you are in for a good hike. See More

Top Pro

Fast, fun combat

Strider is a really fast-paced side-scrolling hack and slash. The enemies will never stop trying to shoot your or end you in any way possible. This could easily become punishingly difficult, but is avoided thanks to the very responsive controls. You'll scale walls and kill groups of enemies within seconds, which truly makes you feel like an assassin with inhuman reflexes. The boss fights increase the tempo and may seem really cheap at first. Luckily, you'll learn their abilities over time, which will allow you to predict and counter them all. Defeating a boss without taking a single hit feels incredibly satisfying. See More

Top Con

Cannot skip pre-boss chatter

This is not an issue if you don't die to a boss, but if you do, you have to sit through their introduction and banter every time. You cannot skip talk scenes you've already seen. The final boss, in particular, is quite the chatter-box. See More

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

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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

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

Devil May Cry 4

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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

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

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 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

Mirror's Edge

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Top Pro

Time trials

There are time trial bonus levels that are free of platforming sections and combat, just pure timed running missions. See More

Top Con

Some people may experience motion sickness

In order to maintain its immersive nature, Mirrors Edge has virtually no UI, other than a small dot at the center of the screen. This should ward off motion sickness for most people, but be aware that if you're queasy, you might not feel too well after playing. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Genre:Action-Adventure

Top Pro

Great soundtrack

The soundtrack's spacious ambient texture coupled with electronic beats and synthetic sounds supplement the game's otherworldly, contrasting setting. The complete soundtrack is available with the purchase of the game. See More

Top Con

Poor combat sytem

The combat system often feels out of place and definitely interferes with the flow of the gameplay. See More

Top Pro

Unique, minimalistic art-style

Mirror's Edge is set in a world where a totalitarian government runs a city and tries to eliminate anything that stands out, such as the free-running protagonist. The levels are created minimalistic, mostly white with aggressively contrasting primary colors, to represent the oppressive nature and sterility of the world. See More

Top Pro

Innovative, parkour-inspired, first-person platforming with excellent sense of motion

The game's core mechanic is about traversing levels using wall-jumps, rolls and slides without losing momentum. It does a great job of creating a fluid sense of motion that you have complete control over. See More

Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance

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Fun tactical gameplay

In Disgaea 5 it's all about having your character cooperate. They can perform combos together, multiplying the damage done and showing a cool animation. They can pick each other up, allowing you to throw them into a better position to perform a devastating attack. They can also pick up enemies to throw them among your squad, allowing for a multipronged beat down. Your monsters can be combined into a giant monster or turned into weapons a humanoid character can equip. All of these and many other things give the gameplay enough variety to keep it interesting for a long time. See More

Top Con

Can get really repetitive

Disgaea 5 is all about leveling your characters and items. This means repeating the same stage, defeating the same enemies, or running the item world hundreds of times. See More

Specs

Genre:Tactical Role-Playing

Top Pro

Making your characters strong is addicting

The first time you 1-hit-kill an enemy, you'll realize how good it feels to overpower an enemy. So when you encounter stronger enemies, you'll want to keep this feeling up, turning it into an obsession. This will repeat all the way to the strongest boss in the game – Overlord Baal. Being able to defeat him in a single turn feels like a lifelong accomplishment since you've reached the pinnacle of strength in Disgaea 5. See More

Top Pro

Tons of content

There are multiple endings, secret superbosses, hidden items, unlockable classes, and even a map editor for creating new content. All of this keeps it interesting for a long time, allowing you to easily spend hundreds of hours playing Disgaea 5. See More

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

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Runs at 1080p and 60fps

The game runs at 1080p and 60 FPS. See More

Top Con

Framerate drops from 60fps

There are framerate drops in the game but they never go below 30fps and do not tear due to the progressive vsync. See More

Specs

Genre:Horror, Adventure, Puzzle, Narrative

Top Pro

Gorgeous, state-of-the-art graphics

During development, real objects were photographed, scanned, and put into the game world using a process called photogrammetry. As a result, everything in-game renders as photo realistic without jagged lines or appearing pixelated. Everything from buildings and trees down to the smallest details like rocks and blades of grass look great. See More

Top Con

Pacing feels unbalanced

There is one notable part of the game where the player spends an uneven amount of time in that the environment is lackluster as well as holds many frustrating puzzles. This makes for what feels like unbalanced pacing and is an aggravating section of the game. See More

Top Pro

Very surreal and mysterious storytelling

While the game starts out with the premise of a detective trying to solve the disappearance of a young boy, the story quickly takes a sharp turn and begins mixing in some very surreal, strange themes. These themes border on the paranormal and supernatural, and it quickly becomes apparent this is not a clear cut missing persons case. During the course of the game, the story keeps you guessing and invested as you try to figure out exactly what's going on. Additionally, due to the way you explore the nonlinear world, you might be witnessing events out of order which makes it even more mysterious. See More

Top Con

Not much dialogue

For a game that is heavily steeped in storytelling, there is a surprisingly low amount of actual dialogue and spoken lines. While it doesn't detract much from the experience, some people might be expecting a lot more writing for a game that boasts its story as a selling point. See More

Top Pro

Immersive atmosphere

While wandering the landscape, it's easy to believe you are exploring an old forest and town lost to time. The buildings are run down and decrepit, the roads and railroad tracks are overgrown with grass, and save for the chirping of birds or the river babbling, it is eerily silent. Exploring around and poking into every dark corner of the vast wilderness, one can't help but feel a complete sense of awe and become fully immersed in the mystery. See More

Top Con

Horrible character models

They are very plain and look almost cartoonish in nature, which is a stark contrast to the photo realistic environment they inhabit. The same level of work that went into the game world didn't quite make it into the character models, and as a result, they are disappointingly bad. See More

Top Pro

Heavily exploration based

With the exception of a few storyline gated or locked areas, you have the freedom to explore the entire game world from the very beginning. From the dark forests to the run down old houses, you can wander and go wherever you please, stopping to enjoy the scenery or investigate locations at your leisure. There are no linear story paths to follow and most of the puzzles can be completed in any order. This unhindered exploration allows you to explore the world and unravel the mystery completely at your own pace. See More

Top Con

Simplistic gameplay

There is very little direct interaction with the world outside of solving puzzles and reading notes. Much of the game is simply walking around and exploring. From time to time, you will stumble upon a location in which you can manipulate items to solve the various puzzles, read notes, and watch story cutscenes play out. See More

Top Pro

Challenging and rewarding puzzles

The puzzles require great observational skills with many clues being found only after thoroughly exploring the location in which the puzzle resides. Oftentimes, these clues are very discreet, well hidden, and integrated into the environment in creative ways. Piecing everything together can be quite a challenge at times as the puzzles provide no instructions, but also very rewarding as bits of the story are revealed after each successful solve. See More

Top Con

Repetitive puzzle solving

Without revealing spoilers, almost every major puzzle in the game is solved using the exact same logic. While the puzzles themselves are thematically different, the way you approach them and the mechanics they use are the same. After you've figured out how the first one works, you'll be applying the same basic principles to every puzzle in the game thereafter. See More

Battleborn

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Plenty of loot to earn

The huge array of customization comes from all of the loot you earn as you play. Lootboxes are generous, giving tiered rewards such as epic gear, like high-powered weapons that you constantly want to aim for. There's also the nice addition of unique skins that you can unlock for each of your characters, helping them stand out even more from other players who may be using the same ones as you. After every battle, you may find yourself opening as many lootboxes as you can to get as much gear, weapons, and skins as you possibly can. See More

Top Con

Boring story mode

There is little story in the game, and what there is, is often uninspired and boring. The narrative is pretty basic, and it will sound too familiar to you if you've played other popular shooter games. The gameplay in the story mode is also a bland horde mode that throws the same types of side missions at you over and over again. There's sadly not much here that's fresh or interesting. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Mixed

Genre:First-Person Shooter, Multiplayer, MOBA

Co-Op:5 Player Local / Online

Top Pro

Tons of customization for your characters

Thanks to a variety of gear from lootboxes and in-depth skill trees, you have a lot of control over how your character plays. Customizing your preferred character with certain gear with bonuses to damage or defense, for example, and then doubling down on those stats through the skills you pick is a great way to tailor your gameplay experience. You have many ways to make your character your own, which ensures that no two players will have the same experience. Whoever you spend the time to customize the most ends up feeling unique to your playstyle. See More

Top Pro

Great blend of FPS gameplay and MOBA elements

Battleborn mixes FPS gameplay and MOBA-like elements. You shoot, use special abilities, and gain exp as you kill enemies, allowing you to select new abilities as you level up. This adds a surprising depth to the standard FPS formula since a kill advantage will also make you stronger than your opponent. Fortunately, it's not just about being a good shot, since you also need to plan properly, use abilities at the right times, and know when to take risks and when to avoid them. See More

Alienation

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Fast paced, arcade action

The action never stops. Enemies of multiple types spawn all over the place in random locations, lasers and flamethrowers light up the screen, and things explode into a shower of color and particle effects. Loot is everywhere, drops randomly, and can be upgraded RPG style. There's hardly a chance to catch your breath because the enemies just don't stop coming as you make your way through procedurally-generated maps and missions. See More

Top Con

Guns are all pretty similar

With the exception of their raw damage output and base stats, most guns of the same type (shotgun, flamethrower, etc) look and perform the same. See More

Top Pro

Lots of variety in enemy type

There are many enemy types, from the slow-moving kind you can simply shoot down as you run and gun, to ones that move fast, explode, wear heavy armor, and teleport around the map. Every enemy has a trick up it's sleeve, so you'll have to adjust your strategies on the fly. As you progress through the game, the enemies become more numerous and stronger resulting in exciting and balanced gameplay. You won't get bored of shooting the same enemies over and over, as they are randomly placed with plenty of variety. See More

Top Con

PvP can be unfair

Through an 'Invasion' system, other players can invade your game and attempt to kill you while you attempt to defend against them. However, there is no attempt to match up players of equal power, so it usually results in unfair play where higher level players are demolishing lower level players. It feels very unbalanced and offers no extra rewards like loot or experience. See More

Top Pro

Great weapon looting and upgrade system

There's always a new weapon to loot or find via randomized weapon drops. Weapons come with a variety of upgrade sockets that can be fitted with upgrade "cores" to increase the base stats like damage, clip size, and rate of fire. All upgrades are incredibly satisfying as they feel immediately more powerful. Each player can carry 3 weapons at the same time, as well as a grenade slot for explosives like boomerangs and mines. You're free to mix and match your weapons to create a style that works for you. If you're not happy with your random drop, you can always salvage/reroll it to have new stats and sockets. Regardless of your weapon choice, you'll always be able to custom tailor it to suit your playstyle through the versatile upgrading system. See More

Top Con

Single player can be hard

This game was meant for co-op, meaning the single player mode can feel overwhelming at time. Playing alone and with no support, you will oftentimes simply be outgunned. See More

Top Pro

Different classes to compliment each other in co-op play

Alienation features three different classes to choose from, all of which compliment each other in co-op play. Tanks can take the brunt of the damage, while saboteurs can dash into swarms of ranged enemies to take them out, and the bio-specialist which serves as an assist role by healing teammates can unleash clouds of poison to choke enemies. Playing with your friends offers the opportunity to create some fun team compositions that compliment each other as you work together to blast your way through swarms of aliens. See More

DARK SOULS II

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Branching gameplay with plenty of choices

The branching gameplay within Dark Souls II makes for not only a great way to tailor each adventure to each player keeping everyones experiences unique, but also a reprieve from many difficult points in the game. If one area has become to tough or something has the payer stuck from advancing further, an alternate path in the game can be taken to wholly different areas. This allows for a multitude of options on how to level up as well as well as many different options in finding and equipping that found gear. See More

Top Con

Difficulty that requires a lot of time and patience

To be honest, difficult is a nice way of putting it, this game can destroy ones will to live. It is not even worth counting how many times one dies, as it will be in the hundreds if not thousands. Only through patience and sure determination will many reach the ending of the game. So much time is needed in order to replay many areas and bosses over and over in order to learn the exact timing and what moves to use that not many people can spare it. This is not a game for casual players, that is for sure. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Genre:Action Role-Playing

Top Pro

Expansive fantasy settings

Dark Souls II offers a wide variety of locales to explore, all within a fantasy setting. The amount of differing locations does give a feeling of lack of cohesion though but does have the benefit of locations that are wildly different from each other, which can be refreshing at times. See More

Top Pro

Excellent boss battles

There are many iconic boss battles throughout the game that make for some of the most difficult moments to be played. But once finally defeating a boss the feeling of accomplishment is well worth it. See More

Top Pro

Slow and deliberate fighting with reward/risk mechanics

Each enemy encounter needs to be calculated and precisely timed, as any mistake will most likely mean death. An added level of complexity to this equation is enemies that can be ignored but will then gang up on the player once a boss is beaten. This creates a risk/reward scenario that the player needs to weigh with a lot of thought. See More

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