I have, admittedly, had a weird history with the Devil May Cry series. Having completely missed the original trilogy on PlayStation 2, I decided not to jump into Devil May Cry 4 when it released on PS3 since I felt that I wouldn’t be able to appreciate it without playing the others. When the reboot came, I saw it as a chance to finally get invested in the franchise, and while I did enjoy the controversial game, I always felt like I was missing out on something greater. So, with the much-anticipated Devil May Cry 5 on the horizon, I finally played the first four games on the series. I experienced the highs of battling with Virgil, along with the lows of fighting demon tanks and helicopters, and I truly had a blast going through each game. I finished just in time for the release of Devil May Cry 5, and with how incredible this new entry in the series is, I’m so glad that I took the time to catch up.

There’s no shortage of good things to say about the game, with the few negatives such as underused supporting cast members being incredibly minor problems when looking at the overall experience. The game is obviously prettier than its predecessors, but it also tells its story better and, impressively, manages to have the best gameplay in the series. The Devil May Cry developers pride themselves on creating pure action games, and DMC 5 is a prime example of that. Anything that was annoying in other games, such as a lack of direction on where to go, a troublesome fixed camera system and unsatisfying puzzles won’t be found in Devil May Cry 5. It relies only on its perfect action gameplay, giving its 3 protagonists unique mechanics that all feel fleshed out and satisfying to play with. For anyone still on the fence about getting Devil May Cry 5, it’s time to get off; don’t miss out on one of the best games of the generation.

For a full, spoiler-free review, read on!

Metro has certainly been an interesting series, as it’s one of the rare entries in the FPS genre to focus entirely on singleplayer experiences. While it may not be at the level of Bioshock or Machinegames’ stellar Wolfenstein reboot, the Metro series has done a fine job of combining stealth and survival elements with an atmospheric setting. The second game in the franchise, Last Light, improved on the original game by bringing in a much more interesting narrative. While the brand-new Metro: Exodus may have a slightly less compelling story than Last Light, the third game of the trilogy continues the upward trend of the series and marks another step forward for Metro due to its quality gameplay.

Exodus differs from the other titles by taking players outside of the underground Metro system for most of the game, and before long it becomes clear why this decision was made. The diverse locations explored on the journey feel like a breath of fresh air for the series, and the open world levels spread throughout the game offer exploration opportunities that are incredibly rewarding. There’s enough variety in enemies and weapons to make combat feel great, and upgrades for gear come only to those who take genuine risks to find them. A brutal, entertaining Hardcore difficulty brings these elements together to make for one of the best survival experiences of the generation, and Exodus stands as a game that is better to play on its max difficulty level because of this. To be clear, however, the game isn’t perfect. One of the key issues from the previous games, a (mostly) silent protagonist that meshes poorly with a supporting cast that’s average-at-best, remains. It’s a flaw that makes for dozens of awkward conversations and caring about the results that come from your choices is harder because of it. Further, load times are much more bothersome in Exodus than in any other Metro game, as the bigger levels throughout the game’s 15-hour story take up to a minute to reload if you die. The positives far outweigh the negatives, though, making Metro: Exodus a worthwhile pickup for anyone seeking a challenging survival experience.

I was very late to the Nintendo Switch party. While everyone was enjoying The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey, I was saving up money and waiting for a sale or a price drop. However, as more and more games kept releasing, that money I had set aside dwindled until it became nonexistent. For a while I started thinking I’d never get a Switch, but with games like Metroid Prime 4 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 on the way, I knew I couldn’t give up on the dream. So, as soon as 2019 hit, I pulled from my savings account and finally made the jump.

Having spent a little over a month with the console, I’m confident enough to talk about it. In this article, I’m going to grade five different aspects of the Switch (the games, the hybrid console gimmick, the online functionality, the battery life and the storage space) before giving it an overall rating. I’ll also be adding a tip to every section for those who are planning to get a Switch themselves, so be sure to check those out in order to make that first day setting things up as painless as possible. With that in mind, let’s get started!

I see Tetsuya Nomura’s series, “Kingdom Hearts,” as a Gordian Knot. It may have started out as a beautiful story about a child learning about the responsibility he was given seemingly by chance, but, through a deluge of convoluted storytelling over 13 years, it has become a twisted knot of storytelling fans believe to be unsolvable. This confusing story embedded in the cheerful plot driven by satisfying gameplay has been the muse and joy of many dedicated fans over the years. For this reason, some have concluded that this game is truly unreviewable and should not be attempted.  I, for one, have no issue trying anyways. What follows is a boy that grew up with the Kingdom Hearts series trying to explain why he enjoyed the eleventh game in the series...or is it the tenth?

​Five years ago, two friends sat down to talk about games using the PlayStation 4’s new Live From PlayStation feature. Little did they know that half a decade later they would have one of the most loyal and positive communities on Twitch, and that their dedicated group of viewers would help make a dream a reality.

If you’re here, there's a good chance you already know who Andrew is. Not only is he one of the co-hosts of The Level Up Show, the weekly gaming talk show that made The Level Up Network into what it is today, but Andrew is a genuinely awesome guy who recently quit his job to begin streaming full-time. While that is usually a big choice, it's made even bigger by the fact that Andrew also has a family to support. It is certainly an understatement to say that making this change to full-time streaming is a bit risky, so before it happens,  I wanted to get Andrew's thoughts on the journey so far, the excellent community that he’s brought together, and everything that’s about to happen when his journey finally kicks off on January 14th.

​Fallout 76 is Bethesda’s most controversial launch in years. It contains many of the same flaws present in the other Fallout games, only to a greater extent. When combined with some new issues and a multiplayer focus that a large portion of the fanbase found disappointing, both critics and fans gave the game mediocre reviews. The game’s weak critical reception has impacted its sales, with Fallout 76 already being dropped to $40 for Black Friday deals. Some gamers wanted 76 to fail and are happy to see it having such a rough launch (a stance I find to be truly pathetic), whereas other players are simply disappointed in how the ambitious game turned out. Then, there are those that expected a typical messy launch from Bethesda and are enjoying the game despite its lack of polish. I didn’t truly dive into the game until this weekend, but based on everything I had read about it, I was curious to see where I’d fall on it.

After playing Fallout 76 all weekend, I have my answer...

​​When Black Ops 4 was first revealed, there was plenty of controversy around the lack of a singleplayer campaign. Many news sites and gamers feared that the content would be lacking without one, but thankfully, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Black Ops 4 is the most content-filled Call of Duty ever made, and every bit of that content is quality. There are three times as many Zombies maps on disc as there were in Black Ops 3, and all are wildly different from one another and just as deep as can be expected from Treyarch. Multiplayer offers fourteen maps and some terrific new game modes, and with smart changes to the core mechanics, COD’s trademark gunplay feels better than ever. Finally, the most popular COD developer has proved why they’ve gained so much trust through Blackout, Call of Duty’s take on battle royale. Together, these three excellent game modes make for the best multiplayer game of 2018 and the best Call of Duty in years.

For a full review, read on.

​With the devastating collapse of Telltale, the fate of The Walking Dead’s final season was unknown. Thankfully, Skybound Entertainment has stepped in to finish the season with assistance from former members of the story-focused video game studio. While this is certainly good news, the reality of the situation is that many talented developers lost their jobs, and gamers have lost the main source of modern adventure games.

It’s fitting, then, that the final episode of The Walking Dead developed by Telltale represents the greatest strengths and biggest weaknesses of their games. Suffer The Children has moments that genuinely feel like filler, and it. sets up a story that The Walking Dead fans have seen time and time again. However, it remains enjoyable due to several strong character moments.

For a full review (with spoilers), read on...

With his most recent appearance in the gaming world being the second of two weak movie tie-ins, it’s been far too long since Marvel’s most iconic character has been featured in a great game. From the moment Insomniac’s take on the web-slinger was revealed, however, it was clear that their mission was to change that. Every interview and every piece of information release made it clear that the studio knows what makes Spidey special, and that that they’re fans themselves. It’s no surprise, then, that a game made by fans for fans turned out to be so phenomenal. Insomniac’s Spider-Man nails every key feature, from the combat to the traversal to the characters. It’s visually stunning, a blast to play, and nails both the serious and comedic story moments. Whether you’re a hardcore Spidey fan, or someone just looking for a great game to play, Spider-Man is something you absolutely need to pick up.
 
For a full, spoiler-free review, read on. ​

Written by Rick Warren / gfn21​

It’s been just under a year since I last wrote about PlayStation’s trophy system. Given that it’s such a huge part of gaming for me, I wanted to discuss it again, so... here we are. Last time, I talked about how Trophies were the best achievement system in gaming, and how easy it was to get addicted to earning trophies because of that. While I still stand by that outlook, it’s worth noting that even the best systems can be flawed.
 
On the off chance that someone from Sony is reading this, know that this is nothing but constructive criticism from someone who has dedicated a huge part of their life to getting trophies. I love hunting for them whenever I’m playing games, and I only want that hunt to get better. Without further ado, here are some key things I’d like to see addressed. ​

Written by ALFA_OverloRd

This game had been on my wishlist for a GOOD amount of time, and it finally went on sale for 75% off, and when I bought it, I completely forgot about it. Then I figured out around 3 months later that it was in my library, and I dove into it.
           
Dungeon Souls is a dungeon-crawling RPG rogue-lite, featuring a top-down bullet-hell combat system, equipped with appealing pixel art and a very fitting soundtrack. Seriously, some of these tunes are just great.
           
​You choose 1 of 10 classes to dive in for the run, and are dropped into baby-easy mode for the first few floors. Gold and materials for the Arcane Forge (more on that later) litter the floor as you wipe out any and all opposition. Crushing simple melee units in the palm of your hand and harvesting their XP to get stronger for the future battles, it truly is a satisfying time.

When We Happy Few was first revealed, it immediately caught my eye with its Bioshock-like tone and art style. Since that first trailer, though, I tried to keep myself in the dark on the game. I avoided every bit of info from its early access run in hopes to go into We Happy Few completely blind, and I succeeded in doing so. I was ready to see the game that came out of that awesome first teaser. What I found upon playing was and an incredibly interesting setting, and quite possibly the worst running game I’ve ever seen. I loved exploring and finding new details about the world of Wellington Wells, but after nearly every discovery, I was met with bugs, long load times and crashes. The story was intriguing and many of the quests were fun, but the clunky gameplay and weak AI held them back. For every strength We Happy Few has, there’s a weakness to match it. Perhaps the game will be worth a playthrough down the road after some patches, but sadly, right now it’s too much of a mess to recommend to anyone.

For a full review, read on.

Telltale’s The Walking Dead series has certainly had its ups and downs. While the first two seasons that focused on Clementine were excellent, recent efforts like the Michonne spinoff and A New Frontier have seen a steep fall in quality. The Final Season makes Clementine the protagonist once again, and while that’s a smart choice, I’ve struggled to get excited for the last episodes of the series. Taking the focus away from Clem for so long took my focus away from the series, and it’s hard not to feel burnt out when the past two seasons have been mediocre. Still, I’ve always loved the character of Clementine. I gave the first episode a chance because of that... and I’m happy to see that The Walking Dead is back on track. The first episode is well-written, the new cast is already more likable than the characters from A New Frontier, and some smart improvements are made to the Telltale Formula. The end of Clementine’s journey is off to a strong start, and for fans of the first two seasons of The Walking Dead, it’s a journey worth experiencing.
​
For a full, spoiler-packed review, read onward.

Written by Jose Gonzalez

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a….family of superheroes? That’s right, the Parr family from The Incredibles films have finally transferred into LEGO form in the newest creation from TT Games. So strap yourselves in for an adventure with a wacky family with wacky abilities who work together to stop crime.
 
What’s different about this game in contrast to other movie-tie-in LEGO games is that it starts with the second film rather than the first. For the most part, the game follows both movies faithfully tying in major characters, scenes and battles so if you’ve seen both movies, you basically know what’s going on and even if you haven’t, you’re getting the crash course on what happened in both Incredibles movies so it’s like you’re playing the movies without having to actually go see the movies.

​Developed by: DONTNOD
Release Date: 6/5/2018
MSRP: $59.99 USD
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC (played on PS4)

​Written by Rick Warren / gfn21

Set in post-war London during the year 1918, Vampyr puts players in the shoes of Dr. Jonathan Reid, a brilliant doctor-turned-Vampire. His journey consists of two major tasks: finding the Vampire who gave him eternal life and rescuing London from a deadly epidemic. With the story accompanied by action-oriented combat, a detailed open world, and a unique morality system, Life is Strange developer Don’t Nod has completely left their comfort zone with Vampyr. The resulting product might not be the best game of this year, but it’s certainly the most interesting one.

The future is here…the future is now. What if androids could service your every need, want, and desire? What if androids replaced humans? What if androids could develop human emotions, thought and logic and fight for their own freedoms and rights? The story of Detroit: Become Human explores all three of these simple, but philosophical questions along with a lot more and the context in the grey.
 
In Detroit: Become Human, you play as three androids: Connor, a straight-laced by-the-book android investigator; Kara, a simple housekeeper searching for a better life, and Markus, an android escaping to unite other androids against the system. While all three androids have different ambitions and goals, each story is defined with depth, meaning, sorrow, and every emotion in between and everything else dependent on player choice and how he/she wants the story to go.

Written by Jose Gonzalez

A god reimagined and reawakened for the current generation of gamers, God Of War takes players on an adventure full of action, tragedy and a quest to lay the past to rest. God Of War places you in the eyes of a redesigned Kratos and his young son Atreus. After a family incident, the two decide they must travel across the lands and realms to finish the job they started and put the past to rest once and for all. Around 15-20 hours (with some side exploration in my personal opinion) and 12-14 running through the main story only, God Of War provides the frame for a stunning masterpiece of an experience that everyone should run out to buy a PS4 for.

This is it; the last top five. For over 8 months, each Friday I’ve shared everything from my favorite games of all time to my own ideas for superhero games. Easter eggs, endings, soundtracks, art styles... it’s all been covered. Sure, I could keep going (maybe I’d write a list on weapons or start doing lists about specific series, like one on Uncharted setpieces) but I feel like I’ve done every list that I truly want to do. It’s time to move on to something new, but before I do, one last top five: my most anticipated games.​

From double rainbows to NPCs with arrows in their knees, just about every game is packed with references and hidden details. Some are simple, others are complex, but all are fun. With this list, I'll be sharing my absolute favorite easter eggs - give it a read and share yours in the comments below!

Set in the fictional location of Hope County, Montana, Far Cry moves to the United States for the first time in the series. With all the entry and exit points blocked off by a religious cult, things seem hopeless and outside assistance is not an option. It’s up to the player to build a resistance and, in typical Far Cry fashion, take down the monsters in charge. All the necessary pieces for success are there, and even if Ubisoft doesn’t always fit them together perfectly, the final product is still a great one.