HIGH It’s a tried-and-true formula.

LOW Only diehards are going to spot the improvements in gameplay.

WTF We need a change in digital soccer.

Every year, sports fans brace themselves for another round of promises from annual game updates. Tighter gameplay, smarter AI, deeper modes, all wrapped in another sleek package that does just enough to justify the price of admission. Most years, the actual results fall somewhere between ‘incremental’ and ‘wow.’ Unfortunately, EA Sports FC 26 lands squarely on the lower end of that spectrum this season, bringing users a competent entry that shows a modicum of improvement on top of a core experience that still feels frustratingly inconsistent.

When I first loaded FC 26, I expected more of the same — refined controls, another minor Career mode adjustment, and a handful of Ultimate Team tweaks. As it turns out, that’s essentially what I got, though not in ways that reliably improves the experience.

The biggest change is the addition of two distinct gameplay presets — Competitive and Authentic.

Competitive mode caters to the online crowd, and is designed for the fast, responsive pace of FUT and Clubs. I found more enjoyment using Authentic mode, which slows the tempo, adding more weight and realism to each movement. In this setting, defenders more accurately hold their positions, midfielders fight for spacing, and goals feel earned, rather than expected. It’s a split that acknowledges how different the FC audience can be, but it also feels like EA is hedging its bets, rather than committing to a cohesive vision.

Player control remains an odd juxtaposition of schemes. Dribbling has been reworked, but often feels sticky and predetermined. In turn, players move with better agility in the open field, but the responsiveness isn’t always there when needed in tight quarters, typically around the goal. Plus, input delay creeps in during crucial moments, making skill moves feel more like happy accidents than strategic maneuvers.

I should also mention that there’s an odd rhythm to FC 26. While I enjoyed moments of fluid, effortless movement, there were more than a few where it seemed like the ball only went where the game wanted it to. By this, I mean opposing teams often anticipated passes prematurely, with passing accuracy seemingly random. When I lost possession of the ball, it was often hard to tell if it was my fault or the AI.

Speaking of which, the AI has improved in some areas — most notably in defensive positioning — but it still makes baffling decisions that lead to easy opportunities, completely breaking immersion. Likewise, the goalkeepers have improved for the most part, tracking shots and parrying realistically, though they still have bursts of inexplicable foresight. As discussed, scoring can feel earned, but it just as often feels as if the game had a different narrative in mind at certain junctures.

Happily, Career mode gets some overdue attention. Manager Live Challenges offer dynamic objectives, like steering a mid-table team into Europe or rescuing a struggling squad from relegation. (Fans of FX’s “Welcome to Wrexham” will appreciate these additions, for sure.) The new manager market evolves as seasons progress, with clubs hiring and firing AI managers who change tactics, formations, and even player roles.

There are also random events sprinkled throughout a season, adding unpredictability to a mode that needed it. By and large, it still feels somewhat mechanical and lacks the depth other sports games have achieved, but progress should be commended here, even if it’s difficult to get excited about features that should have been implemented years earlier.

Moving on, the Archetype system adds a layer of identity to Player Career and Clubs. Building a player as a creative midfielder or commanding center back now carries more meaning, with perks that accentuate a preferred style. It deepens immersion somewhat, though the grinding required to unlock meaningful progression remains tedious.

Ultimate Team and Clubs remain familiar. The interface feels more intuitive, matchmaking is less punishing in theory, and onboarding for new players is easier thanks to structured objectives before unlocking the transfer market. The Live Events and new knockout tournaments create reasons to return each week beyond simple pack grinding. That said, since it’s become a point of contention in all my EA reviews, I should mention that the mode’s monetization structure remains intact and as pushy as ever.

Finally, online play was solid, reliable, and enjoyable overall. The lobbies seemed oddly sparse during my time online, but navigating the menus and finding matches was seamless and lag-free. Unlike the more vibrant experiences in Madden and NBA 2K, the FIFA/FC crowd is always a little different, so user mileage may vary.

If my tone sounds a little flat in this review, it’s probably because it reflects how this game impacted me. Ultimately, FC 26 is a solid, if unspectacular, soccer title that makes incremental progress in some areas while stagnating in others. It’s competent enough to deliver moments of enjoyment, but the inconsistent controls and gameplay hold it back from providing the same thrills as the company’s American football titles this season.

Real talk, this entry won’t convert anyone tiring of EA’s approach to the world’s favorite sport, and longtime fans will likely feel the same frustrations they’ve felt for years. However, for anyone who still finds joy in a well-timed through ball or a diving header in extra time, it can deliver a good experience. It captures enough of football’s rhythm to be a good purchase for dedicated fans, but the execution just isn’t as sharp as I expected at this point.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is published by EA Sports and developed by EA Vancouver. It is available on XBO/X/S, PC, SW2, and PS4/5. This game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the XBX. Approximately 17 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was not completed. Approximately 3 hours of play were devoted to online multiplayer.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated E. This is a realistic representation of professional soccer. Some animations and injuries may concern some parents.

Colorblind Modes: Colorblind modes are available in the Game Settings menu.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: FC 26 features subtitles, speech-to-text, and numerous tactile feedback features in all modes. The game is easily playable without sound and is fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: No, the game’s controls are not remappable.

The post EA Sports FC 26 Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

This is a transcript excerpt covering the score awarded to Discounty on the So Videogames Podcast, episode 453. For further coverage, please see episodes 452 and 451.

Brad: Okay, just wanted to, finally, for the final. Final time, circle back on Discounty. We’ve been talking about it off and on for at least a month or so. finally rolled credits last night, and I will say, I was kind of surprised that I rolled credits. this is the case where I really like the game left me wanting more. I would have gladly played another ten, 20 hours of this game, and I kind of wished that there was so a little bit of like, it sounds bad to say that I was disappointed it was over, but I was kind of disappointed it was over for those who might have missed it

Discounty is a game.. a 2D indie? kind of a top down. Well, I don’t know, 2D, just whatever. How do you call it? I always struggle, I’ve been in the video game arena for like 40 fucking years. What do you call a game that is 2Dut you’re not looking straight down. But the characters are like side view, but like also the map is 2D. What the fuck do you call that besides 2D? I don’t even know.

Carlos: We’ve said three quarters view.

B: But it’s not three quarters view, though. It isn’t isometric. It’s not… whatever. Fuck it. Whatever. It’s the same thing as Stardew Valley, you know?

C: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

B: Okay, I need, like, a really definitive… I can’t just say 2D because that’s too broad. But it’s not top down either, because you’re not looking at characters heads. What the fuck? 40 years and I still can’t describe it. Anybody listening? Help me out. What the fuck is a good title? Okay, it doesn’t matter anyway. Moving on…

So you move to town, you start a grocery store, and you stock the shelves and you rearrange the store, and you run the store every day, which is really well done. It’s very streamlined and fast and fun. But then you’re also dealing with side quests in the town where it seems like something spooky is going on or something weird is going on. And so you’ve got like these side quests which are not super long and involved, like they’re very light, they feel very appropriate for the game. So you’ve got like your side content, which keeps you busy during night time. You’ve got your store content which keeps you busy during the day. It’s just really, really well done. It’s really measured and polished and balanced. Graphics are great. I think the controls are nice.

I think the UI is great. Everything about it is really well considered. I think the scope is right on. I’ve had just like a blast playing it. It just feels like a very, very well put together game from somebody who really thought carefully about what they were doing and really made sure all the pieces fit together. It was great. I had a blast the entire time from start to finish. The only thing I think that I had an issue with, and this is kind of what I just mentioned a second ago, was like, it feels like it stops a little abruptly. I’m not going to spoil anything. I absolutely think it’s worth playing. I loved it, had a great time. Would recommend it. No problem. , it just feels like when you get to the next big thing, it kind of is like, and there’s the end and I’m like, oh it ended a little bit too abruptly for me. But again, I guess it’s better to leave me wanting more rather than going on for 20 hours too long. Yeah. Like, you know, oh, I’m so sick of this.

C: Which we’ve had.

B: We’ve definitely have had. That’s the norm. Honestly.

C: Two follow up questions. First, how long have you played… how long, how many hours then?

B: I mean, it’s hard to say because I was playing a little bit every night before bed. I want to say it’s like not longer than 20 hours. It might even be shorter than that.

C: Well, that’s not bad.

B: No, no, it’s very reasonable. It’s probably in fact, it’s probably shorter than that. It just seems longer because I was playing it in such small doses.

C: Second question, can you keep playing after credits or is it not that kind of game?

B: You can like you can keep playing if you want to just if you just really like super enjoy running the store, you can keep doing that infinitely. But there are no more like side quests. There’s nothing else really to like to do other than to run the store, which is fine.

C: Ok well all right, well, I still I’m still interested and I still might pick it up because.

B: It’s a good time. It’s a good time. I don’t want to end on a downer because I had a blast with Discounty and I would love DLC or a Discounty 2. I want the developers to expand what they built on. I think the mechanics are smart, the size is smart, the pace is smart — it’s it’s just really, really well done.

C: A good problem to have.

B: It’s like the best possible complaint.

C: Yes. I was just talking to my buddy Damien last night about short games. And again it came back with Silksong and he just played a couple and I feel bad. I can’t remember the names of them. I’ll I’ll find it. And you can put in the show notes. But he just played two and he beat both of them and I’m like, you know. Or he beat one and he’s about to beat the other. And I’m like, oh my goodness, that’s what I want right now in my life. Yeah, I want to beat these short experiences. And we go in cycles, you know, like sometimes I want Assassin’s Creed and just like to live in those worlds forever. Yeah. But just recently, like, Diablo is different because I can put that up and pick it up and put it down. You know.

B: It’s more of a lifestyle.

C: Yeah, yeah. But other games like hell, which we’ll talk about in the show, you know, they’re if they’re pretty huge in scope, I’m like, oh, I don’t know. You know, I just want to like beat something. So yeah.

B: Well, before we get off of this Discounty, I do want to give it an official score, since I talked about it so many times, and I’ve gone through the whole journey with the people here listening.

So I feel like it’s a great game. Like I said, at the end of the day, my only complaint about Discounty is that I wanted more of it, and that’s probably the best problem you could possibly have. It was great from start to finish and I wanted more, but it does what it does well — it gets in, it gets out, and it’s a great example of of how to deliver a measured experience. And I feel like a solid eight is a good place for that to live.

C: I totally I totally predicted that score from you.

B: Did you? Okay.

C: In my head I said it’s he’s gonna say eight.

B: There you go. Eight out of ten.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is developed by Crinkle Cut Games and published by PQube. It is currently available on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the Switch. Approximately 20 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was completed. There are no multiplayer modes.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated E and contains Alcohol Reference. The official description reads: Discounty is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB with Alcohol Reference. This is a role-playing/simulation game in which players help a character salvage a grocery store in an old harbor town. Players organize and restock shelves, assist customers, and befriend local characters. A bar location is named the Drunken Tern, with billboards depicting a bird with bubbles over its head.

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available in the options.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: All dialogue comes in the form of text which cannot be resized or altered. There are no audio cues needed for play. This game is fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: No, this game’s controls are not remappable. There is no control diagram. The left stick moves the character, the face buttons handle interact/confirm/cancel. The plus button brings up a menu. The entire control scheme is fairly straightforward.

The post SVG REVIEW: Discounty appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH Tight city-building controls and lots of customization.

LOW Each experience ends abruptly.

WTF Why am I able to infinitely stack bushes into the sky?

Tranquil Isle is all about building a tiny island village far away from everything, and it doesn’t pretend to be anything else.

The objective of Tranquil Isle, if you can even call it an objective, is to place buildings around an archipelago’s town center and slowly expand the population by building houses, artisan buildings, and other fixtures, while also expanding to other islands. Each building the player can place also has a point total assigned to it, with certain buildings buffing and debuffing others.

As the points add up, Tranquil Isle presents the player with two options for buildings to populate their village with after certain point thresholds, like a choice between one group of an altar and five houses, or another group comprising a farm and some stables. It’s an effort to give players more control over their end score, which tallies up all the points for every building placed across their village, after which the player can move on to a new project.

A player can experience Tranquil Isle in two different styles — the first being a purely numbers-based experience where they attempt to stack as many buildings as close to each other as possible, while combining certain groups of buildings and their buffs to get the highest score possible. The other is to create an aesthetically pleasing paradise to look at.

Mechanically, the first style is a complex puzzle to solve, but placing certain buildings next to each other makes intuitive sense. Forager buildings work better when they’re not in contact with any other nearby buildings. The mills with big windmills get buffed by nearby farms, but are debuffed by other mills within a certain distance. Houses buff the town center, as well as altars and town halls where people who live in these houses certainly congregate.

The best part of this buff and debuff system is that it naturally lends itself to creating towns that look aesthetically pleasing, so it rarely compromises any part of itself. I don’t play builder-adjacent games like The Sims or Frostpunk because I feel like my poor design choices would ruin whatever architectural layouts make a well-run city look the part, but Tranquil Isle takes that out of the equation, and makes me feel like a somewhat capable city planner.

Aesthetically, designing my islands to make them look more lived-in came secondary to placing down buildings — but that doesn’t mean I still didn’t try to dress them up.

While each building has spacial requirements that prevent them from being too close to one another, there’s no limit to the amount of decorations the player can put on every building and empty inch of grass in town. I found the limits of customization in Tranquil Isle when I found out I could infinitely stack decoration objects like rocks and shrubs on top of each other. Naturally, I made infinitely tall stacks of these objects and just laughed to myself that I was permitted me to do that.

Getting to create a beautiful island utopia is most evident in Tranquil Isle’s Sandbox Mode, which lifts the limits of building space requirements and allows players to run free. I could put ten town halls on one island, or make an island that’s full of taverns and theatres, surrounded by houses so the townspeople could access them. There’s a world full of combinations of buildings, decorations, and terrain forms that can make Sandbox mode a joy to explore.

My only issue with Tranquil Isle come from the eventual end to these building experiences. While I can begin lots of new islands to create lots of different potential towns, it always feels like the building process ends too abruptly.

For example, a “medium” sized town will have three different islands to populate and build upon, but once the player runs out of buildings to build, the game forces them to end. Every time I’d place my last building, I was given the option to build a bridge to a new island… that didn’t exist.

I wish Tranquil Isle would give players a greater sense of closure when they were clearly finished with the space at hand, or build out some objectives for the player to complete when they were actually done. However, with tons of combinations of buildings, decorations, and island constructions, players can get nearly infinite replayability out of this title’s solid foundation, chill vibes, and potential.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Buy Tranquil Isle – PC

Disclosures: This game is developed by Tom Daly and published by Future Friends Games. It is currently available on PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and was reviewed on PC. Approximately 2.5 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was completed. There are no multiplayer modes.

Parents: This game is not rated by the ESRB, but it contains no violence, graphic imagery or language.

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.

Dear & Hard of Hearing Gamers: There is no dialogue, and the only bits of text are in pop-ups on the screen. The text can be resized by a “UI Slider” in the game’s settings. The game is fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: The game’s controls are fully remappable.

The post Tranquil Isle Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH Incredible attention to detail with great graphics and unique building types.

LOW A janky camera and constant bugs.

WTF Why is it so easy to bribe officials?!

Pax Augusta isn’t quite a spectacular Roman triumph, but it is certainly a valiant effort from a solo developer that could earn the admiration of city-building fans. In this title, the player takes on the life of a minor Roman official climbing their way to riches by managing colonies. While the detail and ambition is impressive, Pax Augusta suffers from bugs and technical frustrations that hold it back. However, with some polishing, Pax Augusta could rise like Rome itself.

The underlying premise of Pax Augusta is to build a Roman city from the ground up using structures such as houses, gardens, and temples. The core gameplay is about citizen and resource management. Expanding too quickly leads to resource shortages, so Pax Augusta prioritizes slow and steady growth, as opposed to rapid construction. The idea is extremely promising, and paired with a well-known historical period, the immersion aspect is exceptional. Pax Augusta, at its heart, feels like an old-school city-builder
utilizing the iconic Roman setting.

Diving into the positives, the building mechanics are well-implemented and the graphics are riveting. The main goal is to increase population to obtain more wealth and reputation, allowing the player to rise in the ranks of Roman nobility. Players can do things like build, manage food and production, and trade.
The town ‘layer’ is where the main gameplay happens, but there’s also an outer map that allows the player to buy resources from other villages and move around the Roman empire. The progression from a village to a town is satisfying, and milestones are marked with new building unlocks and higher class citizens. The needs and design system also balances challenge and enjoyability. Citizen satisfaction is based on how happy people feel in their home, which is influenced by variables like access to food, water, and distance from the town center.

A unique mechanic cities offer is a forum, which is essentially a town hall. As the player gains more population, the forum needs to expand, and elements like calendars and shrines can be added. Additionally, the forum is built square by square, and with a variety of choices, the player has a lot of room to let their creativity run wild and build authentic architecture.

The graphics and art style in Pax Augusta are great. The design leans heavily towards realism, with a good veneer of authenticity. White-marbled temples and wooden market stalls amplify the feel of a Roman town, and buildings stand out and are easily identified, even when close to each other. The world map depicts a grassy landscape with paved roads and markers that make navigating clear and organized.
Unfortunately, Pax Augusta is held back by potentially game-breaking bugs.

First of all, the camera is janky. It constantly glitches or freezes when the screen moves, and it gave me a bit of a headache moving around. Also, when loading the map, it took a long time to render the buildings, causing stuttering and glitching before eventually crashing. The story mode has a bug where if the player leaves their town to go to the world map, the questline is broken – this happened to me multiple times, and I was never able to get past the third quest in the story.

The user interface is clean, and the tutorial does a decent job of explaining how each button works, but there are some mechanics that are overly complex. For instance, to put on a show, the player has to construct a theater, construct a shrine and pay augurs to reveal the omens, and then hire a theater company from the world map before finally being able to choose a compatible month to display a performance. Mechanics like these largely discourage the player from building specific buildings because the effects they have are negligible compared to the hassle it takes to pull them off.

The senate (spoiler: it’s me) has deliberated on Pax Augusta and sees a lot of potential. The building effects are well developed and its fundamental mechanics prove to be entertaining. The graphics are also a positive talking point, creating a realistic feel that can transport the player a few thousand years back. However, Pax Augusta – at the time of review – remains incredibly unpolished and riddled with bugs, some of them which simply can’t be ignored. It’s clear that the developer put time and passion into this
project, and if the bugs can be ironed out, it will be a solid title for history and city-builder fans to enjoy.

Rating: 4.5 out of 10

— Eddie Guo

Buy Pax Augusta – PC

Disclosures: This game is developed by Roger Gassmann and published by Senatis. It is currently available on PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on PC. Approximately 7 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was not completed. There are no multiplayer modes.

Parents: This has not been rated by ESRB. There are mentions of slavery, but as expected for a city-builder, there is very little violence, gore, or cursing. The main focus is on strategic development which makes this game suitable for most ages.

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game has no dialogue and everything is communicated with big text boxes that cannot be altered/resized. There are no necessary audio cues. This game is fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: Yes, this game offers fully remappable controls.

The post Pax Augusta Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH Goro Majima finally gets his very own game!

LOW The sailing and piracy aspects fall short of expectations.

WTF Sorry, no WTF moment here. Everything in this game is completely normal.

Some time after the events of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, series favorite Goro Majima washes up shirtless and dehydrated on a small island and is promptly saved by an innocent little tyke named Noah who warily hands the tattooed weirdo a cup of water. This random act of kindness results in Majima dedicating his life to protecting the little guy from assorted bastards on the island and making sure Noah’s wish of seeing the world is granted… by becoming an actual pirate sailing around the high seas at the helm of his own pirate ship.

Typically, if a sixty-year-old man loses his memory, begins dressing up as a pirate and promises to take a random ten year old boy away from his family on an extensive adventure… well, it wouldn’t end well for them. However, the story told in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii isn’t terrifying — it’s heartwarming! Swoon as our lovable amnesiac ex-yakuza scamp rolls around Hawaii sinking enemy ships for plunder and stabbing the living hell out of anybody who gets in his way.

Of course, pirates have enemies and Majima will have to frequently defend himself from people who think a one-eyed maniac carrying a pair of razor sharp swords will make for an easy target. This entry opts for real-time third-person combat, and while Majima might be over the hill, he’s still a nippy little bugger in combat, scooting around the battlefield faster than a greased ferret shooting down a drainpipe.

Majima has access to two battle styles — his classic ‘Mad Dog’ where he brandishes a knife and can split into doppelgangers, and the new ‘Sea Dog’ pirate-themed stance where he dual wields a pair of cutlasses, can haul people around with a grappling hook or blast them in the face with a flintlock pistol. There are often tons of enemies on the screen, but fret not — Captain Majima is more than capable of ripping through anyone.

So, realism may have left the building, but joyful antics and salty shenanigans are in plentiful supply when it comes to Pirate Yakuza.

Unsurprising to anyone familiar with the character, Majima makes for an fantastic protagonist. He’s fearless and borderline demented, but also surprisingly sharp and empathetic in story scenes — at least when he’s not summoning cursed monkey Gods to punch people in the face.

The Hawaii map from the previous game makes a return, and there’s a few islands peppered nearby that can be visited for various reasons, from Noah’s home on Rich Island to the insane pirate lair known as Madlantis, where cannon-blasting seadogs drop anchor for well-deserved R&R. There may be shark tanks.

Naturally for a Yakuza game, there are tons of side activities, substories and minigames to indulge in. I’m not going to spoil them, but the revamped baseball minigame Bang Bang Batting deserves a special shout out, transforming one of the least interesting tasks in the series into a seriously addictive spectacle. It’s great.

Customization options aren’t too shabby either. Majima’s ship can be decked out as the player prefers, from the ominous black and gold setup I went with, to something that looks like it’s been dragged straight out of a magical girl anime with laser cannons melting everything in sight. Clothing options are also incredibly extensive, from basic t-shirts and hoodies to the apocalyptic Fist of the North Star-adjacent spiked shoulder pads I rolled with.

Given that this all of this madness sounds like it’s leading up to being the best game ever made, what’s the catch? Well, the catch is that as a side entry in the series, it doesn’t feel as fully-fleshed-out as it could have been.

Take the sailing, for example. The shipborne side of things isn’t bad, exactly, but it is disappointingly safe. There’s no truly open world sailing, with various maps being chopped up into sections and accessed via quick travel. Most battles on the high sea end in the blink of an eye, and its arcadey feel robs it of authenticity.

The fact is that despite the theming it’s not a pirate simulator in any way, and things such as weather changes are minor. Anyone who’s played Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag or Sea of Thieves will know how a sudden squall and churning waves can enhance the experience, but Pirate Yakuza doesn’t even attempt to compete on that level. For such a focal point of the story, being on the ship feels much like any other bolted on minigame in the series — decent, but somewhat throwaway.

I also have to say that despite liking the story overall, corners have been cut here, too. The whimsical and generally carefree nature of the plot is great, but there’s too much filler in the midgame. It doesn’t feel offensively padded out, but expect to fight human chew toy and supposed pirate boss “Keith” far more often than is desired, or to slam the brakes on storyline progression until the player levels up Majima’s ship or progresses through the ranks of the Pirate Coliseum before being allowed to continue to the superb finale. They’re unnecessary detours.

Despite all that, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is still pretty great overall, but this was one case where the devs should have pulled out all the stops to offer something truly different and unique within the series, and it didn’t quite get there.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Buy Like a Dragon: Yakuza Pirate in Hawaii: PC – PS – XB

Disclosures: This game is developed by Ryu ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. It is currently available on XBO/X/S, PS4/5 and PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the PS5. Approximately 30 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was completed. There are no multiplayer modes.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated M and contains Blood, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, and Violence. The official description reads as follows: This is an action-adventure game in which players control an ex-yakuza (Goro Majima) stranded on an island in the Pacific. As players seek to regain Majima’s memories, they explore the island and battle enemies to become captain of a pirate ship. Players engage in melee combat, using punches, kicks, blades, and pistols to kill enemies. Fighting is highlighted by impact sounds, cries of pain, and frequent blood-splatter effects. Finishing moves can involve brief slow-motion effects and/or dramatic stabbings. Cutscenes depict further instances of violence: a character shot repeatedly; a bound man punched and kicked; a child kicked on the ground. Some female characters wear revealing outfits (e.g., low-cut tops, deep cleavage); in one background area, a man is depicted groping a woman’s chest. The word “f**k” appears in the game.

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available, though elements such as the subtitles can be recolored to suit.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game offers subtitles. The subtitles can be altered and/ or resized. There are no significant auditory cues. I’d also say that the game is also fully playable without audio.

Remappable Controls: Yes, this game offers fully remappable controls.

The post Like A Dragon: Yakuza Pirate In Hawaii Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH Unique setting and tone. Charming aesthetics.

LOW Lackluster quests and NPC interactions. Frustrating combat and farming mechanics.

WTF Not having a grid for interior design is a huge blindspot for a cozy game.

Mirthwood is a new farming sim/sandbox RPG from Bad Ridge Games in collaboration with V Publishing.

At first glance, it would appear to be nothing more than medieval Stardew Valley, but that’s neither wholly accurate nor a fair thing to say, even if that might have been what the developers were going for.

In many ways, it follows the formula established by its predecessors — the player starts by creating a character who then travels to a faraway place where they receive the deed to a remote homestead to do with as they will — but it differs in setting and overall tone.

Everything looks as if it were pulled straight out of some Eyvind Earle concept art, between its storybook-like character models and layered forest scenes that seem like setpieces on a stage, allowing the player to be swept off to their very own farming fantasy.

The adventure opens with a brief cinematic before launching into a prologue where the player will learn the basics of movement and interact with NPCs before a horde of bandits descends upon their family home. At this point they learn the basics of combat, fighting their way to the nearest ship bound for the Free Lands.

As one might expect from a title that is a farming sim first and a RPG second, the combat is basic — there’s a light attack, a heavy attack and the ability to block or sidestep. It resembles fencing in that the player must be lined up with their enemy in order to attack or evade, which wouldn’t be a problem if the game was entirely 2D. However, because it’s isometric, such limitations make combat frustrating as the engine will sometimes lock the player into attacking in a certain direction even after the enemy has changed position.

Once the player arrives in the Free Lands, they can set their own pace as they develop their homestead, harvest crops, chop wood, forage for plants and mushrooms, explore the surrounding environs, aid NPCs and find their footing in pastoral medieval life — warts and all.

Once at their homestead proper, the player will be greeted by a mysterious plague doctor who says the player can do whatever they wish with the property. I started with the first items of business — gathering the resources needed to restore the dilapidated cottage and planting seeds for what would become the garden.

I used my starter axe to chop down enough wood to replace the worn-down floorboards and my basic pickax split enough rock to replace the crumbling walls which instantly turned what was a dirty hovel into a cozy cabin.

Just as one would do in something like Animal Crossing, I started adding decor that I had crafted, like a cooking pot, chest and wardrobe to make it feel homey, but I was disappointed to find that there was no grid to help guide my interior design ideas, and no ability to change viewing angles or use anything except for the very back for wall decor.

When I finally made my way into town, a host of NPCs flooded the screen, greeting me as I passed by. These greetings opened up multi-path dialogue chains with options such as romance, gossip, joke, etc. While there were plenty of people to interact with, nearly all of them left me wanting as they lacked any semblance of depth or nuance, which are key components for any farming sim/RPG worth its salt. Meeting back up with the enigmatic plague doctor was little better — the quests he offered me were underwhelming, amounting to glorified fetch quests.

However, there was one side quest that I was invested in — investigating what happened to the Medville family meadery outside of town.

Arriving on the scene, I fended off attacking bandits and poked around the ruins, finding a few letters written by the owner, Duncan Medville, who described a tragic chain of events that led to the fall of the meadery in harrowing detail. The second part of fulfilling this side quest was to venture across the continent to track down the owner’s surviving wife and deliver the news of her husband’s passing.

Rather than receiving a weapon or armor set as one might in a typical RPG, however, she gave me a lucky rabbit’s foot which merely buffed the efficacy of other equipped items — the equivalent of going through all that and getting a t-shirt emblazoned with “I traveled all the way across the Free Lands and all I got was this shitty rabbit’s foot.”

From that point on, I became all too aware of the feeling that I was wasting my time in Mirthwood, which in my mind, is the mark of an experience that is mediocre at best.

Ultimately, I see a lot of unrealized potential here. Blending cozy gameplay with dark subject matter, Mirthwood offers an experience that is pleasantly familiar, yet distinct enough to stand out from other games of its ilk. That said, it’s not an experience that appeals to me in its current state. Once some changes are made to the combat mechanics and NPC dialogue, perhaps I’ll want to return to the Free Lands and finally see my crops bear fruit.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Disclosures: This game was developed by Bad Ridge Games and published by V Publishing. It is currently available on PC. It was obtained via publisher and reviewed on PC. Approximately 5.5 hours were devoted to the campaign mode. The game was not finished. There is no multiplayer mode.

Parents: This game is not yet rated by the ESRB but there is some blood and violence. The player will frequently encounter enemies in the wilderness who will attack them, as well as commit acts of violence against other NPCs. They will have to fight to survive and make decisions about whether or not NPCs should be executed. Thus, the game will likely be rated T.

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game features dialogue presented in text format. Incoming threats are indicated by exclamation points flashing above attacking enemies and there are no sounds that affect gameplay. This title is fully accessible.

Remappable controls: The controls cannot be remapped.

The post Mirthwood Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH New gameplay mechanics

LOW Terrible performance issue in final chapters

WTF Why don’t you talk to me!?

Frostpunk was an ambitious post-apocalyptic city builder. 11 Bit Studios not only told a dark and tragic story in a unique “Hardy Victorians Vs. the Ice Age” setting, but they pushed the boundaries of how intricately challenging the genre could be if focus was placed on survival elements such as heat scarcity in a frozen wasteland.

Even though it was a bold and unproven project at the time, it was a success that led to the release of Frostpunk 2 – a sequel that follows the people of chilly New London in their quest to survive in a never-ending winter under the leadership of the town’s Steward. However, while some developers might have been content to simply crank out more of the same, Frostpunk 2 has completely overhauled the gameplay mechanics.

Rather than following the blueprint of a classic-style city builder in which players create districts by placing similar building types next to each other, Frostpunk 2 provides districts with clearly specified purposes, such as an industrial district which produces goods to be traded for money, an extraction district which handles materials and fuel, a food district which provides sustenance, and a housing district which provides shelter. Players must gather resources, food, materials, and fuel to manage the needs of the people as well as to support the development of the city.

Dispensing heat throughout the city – a massive mechanic in the original – is now simplified compared to the first installment. Players don’t need to build roads or place heaters across the map to make sure everyone is safe from deadly whiteouts. As long as the generator is getting enough fuel, everyone is safe and warm. By taking this approach, 11 Bit Studios took a big risk with the difficulty curve by putting focus on other, newly-introduced mechanics that have a more political bentwhich those with a more classic taste in city builders might not approve of while those who look for a more unique and different experience in the genre might love.

There are four established factions now, the Frostlanders, Stalwarts, New Londoners and Pilgrims, each with their own agenda and aspirations, and each group’s vision of progress is sometimes in contradiction with the others.

As the Steward, players have to balance the needs and wants of each faction by doing research, constructing specific buildings, and negotiating laws in the Council. Managing the expectations of these groups is perhaps the most difficult part of Frostpunk 2 because failing to do so will result in protests and rallies which not only halt economic activities in the city, but also threaten the life of its people and the integrity of the city’s infrastructure. It can be frustrating for sure, and even more so in higher difficulties.

An issue with this new focus on new political mechanics is how they are introduced. Frostpunk 2’s tutorial mission is too simplistic to effectively teach the deep, interconnected mechanisms. The politics and aspects of the Council aren’t covered well when players are given the helm of New London, and might easily be frustrated and confused.

Though there is a written tutorial section always available, it doesn’t convey the specifics like what steps the player needs to take to be able to use things like negotiation tools in the Council – something I found purely by chance when I accidentally clicked on a group’s picture in the UI. This failure of communication to players is not limited to the early stages, as I had issues completing one of the final missions. A search online revealed that hundreds of other people had the exact same question – the mission details were just not clear enough.

On the technical side, Frostpunk 2 has some rough edges. While things start smoothly, as the city expands and settlements are added, the more the performance drops. There are also occasional lag spikes and stutters when the game is automatically saved, and events such as new mission announcements or requests from citizens is displayed – in fact, the frequency of lag spikes in the final chapters when players need to manage three different settlements at the same time with events happening in each of them is quite frustrating, often making the player wait at too-frequent intervals.

Frostpunk 2 is an ambitious sequel to an innovative title. While breaking new ground is surely appreciated in today’s often-too-static gaming scene, it’s sad to see that its new ideas are not introduced to the players properly, and the current performance issues make playing through once a bit of a chore – a second play would be difficult to sit through. Though the challenges in maintaining peace and order in New London while searching for a safe haven are things that stand out in the genre, I wish it could provide a more polished experience. As it stands, Frostpunk 2 is a good second step that fans of the franchise and the genre will enjoy, but there’s plenty of room for improvement here. 

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is developed and published by 11 Bit Studios. It is currently available on PC. This copy of the game was obtained via Publisher and 12 hours were dedicated to the single-player campaign. The game was completed. There are no multiplayer options available.

Parents: This game is rated M by the ESRB. It contains Blood, Drug Reference, Mild Sexual Themes, Mild Violence, and Strong Language. The official description reads: This is a strategy simulation game in which players assume the role of a steward in charge of an industrial city in a frozen post-apocalyptic world. From an overhead perspective, players manage the city’s survival and expansion, making decisions on social policies, economic growth, and political standing. Some decisions can reference thematic elements (e.g., suicide, murder) and/or lead to brief depictions of violence and blood: a man stabbed to death; a body lying in a pool of blood. Some still images depict frozen corpses and/or bodies stained with blood. The dialogue/text contains some sexual material (e.g., “I’ve got the clap, but I ain’t spreading that”; “a man convicted of rape and murder”; “creeps and pervs, the whole lot of them”; “Some people are trying to use Pleasure Clubs to climb the social ladder.”). The game also references drugs (e.g., “overdoses with mixing opioids and stimulants”; “people are still overdosing”; “producing both stimulants and opioids”). The word “f**k” appears in the game.

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes present.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game offers subtitles, the subtitles can be altered or resized and all the info is delivered through text. Important audio cues have visual representations as well. The game is fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: Controls can be remapped.

The post Frostpunk 2 Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH AI is here, and it truly adapts to player input.

LOW Franchise mode updates feel incremental and obligatory.

WTF Seriously, can someone explain what “Chel” is?

After the launch of the first Playstation in 1995, SCEA launched NHL Faceoff, the first true competitor to EA’s dominance of digital ice hockey. Thinking back, I can practically taste the Clearly Canadian water and Gushers candy. While that series experienced a wide range of experimental iterations before fading away, that inaugural, sprite-based edition presented an enjoyable, unique alternative to the largely stagnant NHL series.

In 2024, nearly three decades later, I’m still waiting for another “NHL Faceoff moment” bringing a truly unique feel to digital hockey. This is because last year NHL 24 offered reliable, predictable gameplay but lacked new features and brought an overabundance of microtransactions — I found myself writing a review too similar to the one I had the year before. This time around it’s evident that EA Sports has taken that feedback to heart — at least to some extent.

While the ’24-25 edition doesn’t completely overhaul everything, it refines the experience further to provide a smoother, more measured, and ultimately more authentic feel that resonates with the essence of the sport.

Right out of the gate, NHL 25 is visually impressive. From the moment the puck drops, the reflective ice, realistic player movements, and improved crowd animations are hard to ignore. Improved lighting effects bring the arena vibe to life, adding depth and detail to both the players and their environment. Whether it’s Chris Kreider weaving through defenders or an intense 1-0 goaltending duel, the game appears more realistic than ever. And it’s not just about the visuals–the real-time ice degradation is more realistic, introducing a surprising level of immersion that fans should appreciate.

In NHL 25, new technology (codenamed ICE-Q, for those who enjoy branding) enhances gameplay through a more logic-driven animation system. This consists of several main components, starting with Next-Gen Vision Control. Building on the well-received pressure system from NHL 24, this enhancement is particularly noticeable when facing the puck carrier in the scoring zone, greatly improving responsiveness and scoring chances once mastered.

With Next-Gen Vision Control offering better reads of the attacking zone, the introduction of Skill-Based One-Timers acts as a welcome new feature. I’ll admit to being worried when hearing about enhanced one-timers since these shots were largely spammable and unstoppable in older renditions, but it requires much more skill than luck this time around. When playing from the wing positions, players must set up and ensure a teammate is ready to receive a one-timer. Passing the puck and pushing up on the right stick will activate this move when a barely-there gray indicator appears under the player. While the indicator could be more noticeable, it enhances offensive maneuvers and keeps defenders alert, adding strategic depth to the gameplay.

The other components of ICE-Q technology focus on generative artificial intelligence through Empowered AI and Reactive Actions. AI is all the rage these days, and sure enough, EA has completely revamped its own AI, resulting in a smoother and more natural gameplay flow.

The details of how it’s implemented are too detailed to list here but in short, non-controlled players no longer skate aimlessly around the rink on invisible rubber bands, waiting for the user to establish a position. Instead, they fill lanes naturally, check away from the puck, and don’t allow games to become a series of strategy-free breakaways. It’s not perfect, but my time with NHL 25 felt more realistic, and I have to believe we’re inching closer to that true hockey feel. 

What is more notable about NHL 25 is its play recognition. This year, AI isn’t just a buzzword — it accurately learns the tendencies of both human and CPU players, legitimately adapting as the game progresses. Users who choose to skate down center ice and launch slapshots in each possession will quickly learn why they shouldn’t. The AI will catch on and counter, encouraging players to adjust their strategies before the score gets out of hand. Greater realism has been needed in this series for a while, and this closes that gap just a bit more.

The expanding World of Chel (a name that still confuses me) makes its annual appearance, emphasizing player upgrades and customization options. An updated structure and schedule for Live Events are now in place, along with a new playlist structure and competitive tournaments. However, both this and Be A Pro don’t introduce many significant changes. Players can also practice, engage in versus mode both online and offline, and enjoy the arcadey NHL Threes mode. It’s not essential, but no one can say EA skimped on content this year.

Despite these advancements, NHL 25 has more than a few scratches on its facemask. Franchise mode, an annual go-to for long-time enthusiasts, again sees only minor changes. New training options and some detailed management tools are introduced, but it just feels like EA Sports could have done more. These updates keep the mode functional, but they’re almost window-dressing, rather than necessary upgrades. Considering how deep franchise modes are in other sports titles, this remains a mild disappointment. 

More disappointing is how Be a Pro mode only made slight strides in storytelling, through some nuanced choices and a greater focus on off-ice activities. However, it still doesn’t match the narrative depth a story mode should contain in this console generation. Conversations are less robotic, and the branching storylines provide a slightly more meaningful progression, but this mode is teetering ever closer to irrelevance. Truthfully, I’d be okay if the attention put on Be a Pro was reallocated to other features.

Likewise, Hockey Ultimate Team makes its return, as well, featuring an updated reward system that relies (slightly) less on microtransactions. While this is a small win for fans who were frustrated by the pay-to-win mechanics of previous years, real progress will only come through a true alternative for those who want to build their simulated teams organically without diving deeper into their very real wallets. 

Online play remains strong — arguably better than most sports titles — with highly competitive, accurate matchups. With improved matchmaking and strong server performance, diving into ranked matches or casual games feels smooth and non-intimidating for newcomers. Though my initial forays online were a little touch-and-go, once things calmed down, the gameplay experience was mostly free of lag.

As readers have probably guessed by now, NHL 25 isn’t a “must-purchase” title, except for users that have taken several years away. That doesn’t make it less enjoyable — just less necessary. Updates to game modes could have been more notable and microtransactions continue to be a drawback, but there’s still plenty here to make this a worthwhile return to the rink. Ultimately, we may never experience another “NHL Faceoff moment,” but EA’s focus on more adaptive AI and improved player control raises the bar (slightly) in the right direction.

Score: 7 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is published by EA Sports and developed by EA Vancouver. It is available on XBX/S, PS5, and PC. This game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the XBX. Approximately 11 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was not completed. Approximately 4 hours of play were devoted to online multiplayer.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated E10+. It features realistic depictions of hockey gameplay and minimal on-ice violence. Parents should be aware that online interactions may include user-generated content not rated by the ESRB.

Colorblind Modes: Colorblind modes are available in the Accessibility menu.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: NHL 25 features subtitles and numerous tactile feedback features within the controller, in all modes. The game is easily playable without sound and is fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: The game offers several pre-set control schemes but does not support full remapping.

The post NHL 25 Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH This is the smoothest, most visually appealing Madden to date.

LOW Not enough changes to modes and features.

WTF Is the physics model really called “BOOM Tech”?

“Maybe next year.”

Fans of gaming’s most venerable sports series have said these words each September for the better part
of a decade. I should know, I’m one of them.

This year, the Madden NFL series takes another incremental step forward. Improvements are there.
Enhancements are there. And Madden NFL 25 is often stunning visually. But will that be enough for
jaded players?

First, I need to address the $69 elephant in the room — many football gamers just invested in EA
Sports College Football 25 and from what I can gather, they’re enjoying the immersion, pageantry, and
true-to-life detail the title offers. After a few weeks of enjoying the pomp and circumstance of the
college game, a new NFL title might feel a little flat and faceless, even though Madden is arguably better
than ever.

I’ll start with the most important factors — Madden NFL 25 is gorgeous. Player models inch ever closer to
leaving the uncanny valley, with noticeable improvements in animations, both when controlling a player and on NPCs throughout the field. Unlike previous editions, the juke moves and leaps aren’t overly exaggerated to excite players. Rather, they’re more accurate to a player’s real-life abilities and playstyle. For a change, I didn’t find myself trying to have stocky RBs attempt to leap for circus catches — that isn’t their game, and EA Sports brings reality to life once more.

In turn, Madden NFL 25 just feels… intuitive. In past editions, the complicated thumb gymnastics often
made it difficult for casual fans to make the most of the title. Some would call it “arcade-like” but as an
increasingly middle-aged person, I never felt overwhelmed by the streamlined control scheme. I even
took my skills online more than a few times. Now, I didn’t even come close to winning these matchups,
but I felt more competitive — an accomplishment in itself.

The audio offering is a bit of a mixed bag. While I enjoyed having multiple commentary teams joining
stalwarts Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis, the new pairings pale in comparison to the veterans. The
new voices have far fewer original comments and seem to repeat themselves more than usual.

One of the big knocks against Madden NFL 25 so far has been its notable lack of new modes and features. In my opinion, this is great news. So many prior Madden titles were buried in marketing lingo and fabricated buzzwords. This year, it seems like the developers chose to fine-tune the existing game and make good on past promises. I applaud this level of commitment — by and large, it works. And in the
case of Franchise Mode, it far exceeds its predecessors.

I have long lamented the decreased attention given to Franchise Mode, but this year the mode is
arguably the biggest highlight. From the moment players dive in, they enjoy a refined (but in-depth)
management experience, allowing them to control as much or as little of the team as they want. While
some people might want to keep their focus on the field, those who dig deeper will be rewarded with
expanded scouting, detailed coaching mechanics, elaborate player and team builder, and even a “Coach
Carousel” feature that lets users modify coaching staffs for better results. As a result, team morale and
player development become more active parts of the experience.

Superstar, the story-driven narrative mode, largely succeeds by taking a “less is more” approach. For starters, EA delivers new rewards, themed programs, and the ability to transfer an avatar’s style and skills across Ultimate Team Franchise and live game modes. In an even nicer touch, a successful graduate from College Football 25 can find their way to Madden’s NFL Draft Night, creating a tremendous feeling of continuity and reward.

Despite all of the above, the mode’s story and interaction have been (mercifully) pared back to basic
interactions, press conferences, and text conversations. It’s hardly the most immersive storyline, but it
far surpasses maudlin, overdone underdog stories. For that, I’m thankful.

Ultimate Team is… well… Ultimate Team. But, to be fair, EA has expanded the offering to include
updated H2H rankings, AI-driven solo seasons, and other new ways to put your best 11 to work. It’s still
a microtransaction bonanza, but kudos to the developers for trying to inject a wealth of new content
into a previously tired mode.

Other than these leaps forward, most of the other advancements live under the hood. Improved FieldSense controls on both offense and defense, more impactful hits from the BOOM Tech stick controls, more powerful Momentum Meters, and a litany of tweaks to menus and presentation. Again, those who believe the hype on the game box might not be impressed, but I was.

Also, longtime readers of Gamecritics know we take accessibility very seriously. EA Sports has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to implementing accessible controls into its titles, but Madden NFL 25 is the best example yet. Customization options include the ability to adjust icon size, text size, colorblind modes, and several control schemes designed to accommodate individual needs.

On a broader scale, the game also includes more detailed tutorials and guides to help new players learn
the ins and outs of various gameplay mechanics. This ensures that even those unfamiliar with the
Madden series can jump in and enjoy the experience. Kudos across the board, to all involved with
making this happen.

Online, Madden NFL 25 performed admirably. Last year’s laggy menus are a thing of the past, replaced
by snappy lobbies, short wait times, and virtually no latency on decent broadband connections. Oh sure,
the rage quitters and play spammers are still out in force, but at least they won’t be whining about lag
and balance issues this time around.

At this point in the review, most fans are likely wondering one thing — is Madden NFL 25 worth the money this year? The answer is undoubtedly “yes” as long as you didn’t also just purchase College Football 25. Even with the vast improvements Madden NFL 25 has on display, it’s fundamentally very similar to its undergraduate counterpart, and its professional atmosphere isn’t always as enjoyable as a collegiate gameday.

For those who’ve spent a month immersed in the pageantry of the college game, it might be hard to
get excited for a less unique version of that same title. But for those who have waited a few years for an improved, upgraded football experience, the new Madden will be a revelation.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is published by EA Sports and developed by EA Orlando. It is available on XBO/X/S, PC and PS4/5. This game copy was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the XBX.
Approximately 11 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was not
completed. Approximately 4 hours of play were devoted to online multiplayer.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated E. This is a realistic representation of full-contact
professional football. Some tackling animations and injuries may concern some parents.

Colorblind Modes: Colorblind modes are available in the Game Settings menu.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: Madden NFL 25 features subtitles, speech-to-text, and numerous
tactile feedback features in all modes. (See examples above) The game is easily playable without sound and is fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: No, the game’s controls are not remappable.

The post Madden NFL 25 Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH Escaping from jail for the first time.

LOW The final heist mission.

WTF Why does everyone in this town sleep with their eyes open?

Thief Simulator 2 is a wireframe — and by that I mean it’s an amalgam of mechanics that form the shape of something interesting, if not the substance.  Generally, Thief Simulator 2 makes good on its titular promise, offering a technical exploration of the trade complete with home invasions, safecracking and bank heists.  Upon closer examination, it fails to stretch beyond these constituent parts to truly embrace a life of larceny.

The narrative here is mostly a setup for thievery. Our unnamed protagonist has found himself in over his head with the mob, and is now staring down the wrong end of a sizable debt. Thankfully, it’s nothing some lockpicks and a solid work ethic can’t fix.  Set in modern-day suburbia, Thief Simulator 2 takes place across two semi open-world neighborhoods as our thief-on-the-run attempts to burgle his way back into the Lombardi family’s good graces.

While there are several mission types in this first-person crime spree, each is structured similarly — case the joint, sneak in, grab the loot and exfiltrate with none the wiser.  There’s an emphasis on preparation, with reconnaissance forming the cornerstone of a successful infiltration.  Early on, players are required to manually ‘mark’ residents through line of sight, revealing a chunk of their 24 hour schedule.  This is quickly obviated by the micro-camera — a handy little device which, when planted outside a residence for 24 hours, reveals every inhabitant’s full schedule, including pets. 

To streamline the pilfering are a host of tools and skills that can be unlocked and upgraded as the player progresses.  Gaining these abilities requires experience points which are awarded not only for completing missions, but also for all items stolen along the way.  I developed a form of digital kleptomania as I stuffed my backpack with every cell phone, wallet and bottle of wine I could lay hands on, chuckling as I imagined the inhabitants waking up the next morning to bare walls and empty safes.

These abilities and tools act as a kind of stage-gating to the progression.  House 112 on Madison Street just installed those fancy new ‘Level 2’ locks?  Time to steal as much stuff as I can to level up my lockpicking skills.  Someone just install out-or-reach security cameras? A fancy remote control drone can disable it, allowing me to bypass security and move on.

I appreciate Thief Simulator 2’s emphasis on planning, and the ever-expanding toolset offers an appealing carrot to keep one moving forward. However, I quickly developed a sequence that worked for virtually every main mission — plant the micro-camera, cross-reference the schedules to discern when everyone is either asleep or out, and then sneak in and sneak out.  Rarely did I feel pushed outside of this comfort zone, and I rarely had to think on my feet.  The residents seldom deviate from their daily agenda, and as long as I picked an opportune time and didn’t dilly-dally, I rarely ran into issues.

I found this ease slightly disappointing. Given the open nature of the missions and the wide array of abilities and tools, I was hoping that creative problem solving would be encouraged.  Not only is this not required, there generally isn’t opportunity for it.  Player agency, for the most part, begins and ends at whether I want to sneak in through a window, vent or front door — beyond this, most levels play out in identical fashion.

To be fair, later missions do offer stiffer challenges.  More complex homes have full security teams and increased levels of electronic surveillance and countermeasures.  These were more engaging and emphasize my favorite feature in Thief Simulator 2 — the door closing mechanic. 

For a thief, silence is golden. As such, doors must be slowly closed by holding down the button for an extended period to avoid unwanted attention.  Equally important was re-locking each door behind me, as residents and guards will become suspicious if doors are left open or unlocked.  Of all the mechanics in Thief Simulator 2, this made me feel most like a real burglar, and added a much-needed layer of tension when trying to quickly execute a robbery.

Beyond the standard residence thefts there are two other mission types. The first occurs if the player is arrested, and is by far the more successful of the pair. 

Finding themselves in a jail cell, the player must pay a fine or plan their escape.  Picking the lock of my jail cell, sneaking through the station (and course filching whatever my sticky fingers could nab) and finding a key to make my escape was the highlight of my time with Thief Simulator 2.

Unfortunately, the heist missions don’t fare as well. These complex stages completely abandon planning, which then removes much of the player’s agency in the process.  These could have served as a ‘final exam’ of sorts after cutting one’s teeth on the small scale robberies prior, but instead they’re largely trial-and-error stealth missions, requiring little more than avoiding the paths of guards.

There’s a compulsive, checklist quality to the action in Thief Simulator 2.  Once I developed a successful sequence, I found pleasure in its repetition — I dotted every “I” as I deftly picked locks on my way in, and then crossed every “T” as I shut and relocked those same doors on the way out.  However, these moments were just base mechanics and never developed beyond that — planning is as simple as planting a camera, and a successful robbery is just a matter choosing the right the time of day. I have to imagine that being a real thief is more complicated than this, and I wished Thief Simulator 2 asked more from me.

Rating: 6 out of 10

— Ryan Nalley

Disclosures: This game is developed and published by Ultimate Games. It is currently available on XBX/S, PS5, and PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the XBX. Approximately 20 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was completed. There are no multiplayer modes.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated T and contains Drug Reference, Language, Use of Alcohol, and Violence.  Given the title, it’s safe to assume that Thief Simulator 2 doesn’t encourage lawful behavior, and every mission revolves around stealing or other illegal activities such as vandalism. Conflict avoidance is generally best practice in Thief Simulator 2 and as such, there’s not a significant amount of violence.  Characters can be struck with a baton or crowbar, but there is no blood or gore present. Most four-letter profanities are present throughout the game, but not excessively.

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game offers subtitles, however this only pertains to the dialogue for the story.  Ambient dialogue in the world is not subtitled. The subtitles cannot be altered and/or resized. Outside of the glaring omission of subtitles in the game world, Thief Simulator 2 does a good job of providing visual representation of essential sounds.  I played a number of missions without sound and did not find that there were any limitations.

Remappable Controls: No, this game’s controls are not remappable. This game does not offer a full controller map diagram.  In addition to the screenshots, movement is mapped to the left stick, with camera control on the right.  The A button is used to interact with the world, while the B button is used to jump, and the X button to lock doors.  The Left Trigger is used to sprint, while the Right Trigger is used to attack. While in a vehicle, the Right Trigger controls the gas, while the Left Trigger controls braking and reversing.

The post Thief Simulator 2 Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.