HIGH Playful environments and cute co-op puzzles.

LOW Clunky movement and not enough puzzle variation.

WTF How did two bricks make me tear up like this?

Hi everyone! Eugene Sax here with another review from GameCritics.com!

With so many games that focus on offering hardcore action and explosions, I find myself occasionally searching for something a little more laid back. LEGO Voyagers is absolutely in that camp, and my wife and I had a great time in its meticulously crafted world — this is a co-op–only experience that focuses more on exploration than adrenaline, and it’s great.

Two LEGO brick friends are on an island together, dreaming of space travel because they live so close to a rocket launch site. After watching a rocket crash-land near the island, players control this pair of single-bricks as they solve puzzles and salvage the abandoned spaceship parts. Platforming and puzzles combine together in completely LEGO-fied world that will lead players through canyons, factories, forests, and more. 

These little bricks will jump, roll, and attach to larger LEGO pieces while on the hunt for the crashed rocket parts. While most of the puzzles they’ll need to solve to earn these pieces are simple, they’re effective in how they integrate into each level, and how they utilize multiplayer functions into the challenges.

For example, one puzzle had me control some platforms, flipping them between horizontal and vertical, while my wife had to use another by leveraging momentum. In other parts of the adventure there are vehicles that transport LEGOs to complete a puzzle. Working together with a partner to drive a truck (one steering, the other controlling speed) made for an enjoyable comedy of errors, and was ultimately satisfying when we finally got the truck where it needed to go. 

While my wife and I absolutely had a good time with LEGO Voyagers, there’s no denying that it’s a bit on the shallow end since many of the puzzles amount to repeating the same challenges — finding blocks to make a bridge, to complete a road, and so on.

Some of the puzzles feel a little misjudged, as well. Some took too long, some were too awkward, and some were both. The vehicle puzzles I just mentioned, while amusing, ended up also being annoying due to how long some of the sequences went on.

There were also some puzzles that were difficult thanks to their execution. In the factory, for example, I controlled a crane magnet that could pick up specific LEGOs. My wife had to pick up the correct piece with her character, wait for the me to pick it up and put them on a different conveyor belt so she could grab more LEGOs, and then I had to pick them all up again to go to a third location. Controlling all of those pieces plus my wife felt awkward and took much longer than it should have.

Ultimately, Voyagers lands in a weird place for me as far as recommending it goes, and also with who I would recommend it for. The simplicity and repetition of the experience means it’s hard to recommend to older players who might be looking for a little more meat on the bone. On the other hand, it might not be right for a younger audience due to the execution issues with some of the puzzles. Despite landing in this mixed middle ground, I did have an enjoyable time with my wife, and we walked away with fond memories of it, so for me Lego Voyagers gets 6.5 stuck together bricks out of 10.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is developed by Light Brick Studio and published by Annapurna Interactive. It is currently available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the PC. Approximately 3 hours of play were spent playing the game, and the game was completed. The game must be played completely in multiplayer.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated E. No specific disclosures here, just a couple of people roaming around as Lego bricks in a Lego world. Good for all ages!

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: There is no text in-game. Audio is not needed for gameplay. The game is fully accessible.

Controls: Controls are not remappable, and there is no control diagram. Players will move with the left stick, jump with A, attach and detach to blocks with X, and make noises with B (not required for gameplay completion).

The post LEGO Voyagers VIDEO Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH Franchise is once again the centerpiece of the Madden banquet table.

LOW The load times are unbearable for this console generation.

WTF Even digitally, the NY Giants seem lost and confused.

Please allow me to pull back the curtain on how things run at GameCritics headquarters. For years, our esteemed editor has questioned higher scores when a corresponding review indicated otherwise, and for years, I pushed back, arguing that the whole often exceeded the sum of its parts. While I stand behind every review I’ve ever published, from now on, I plan to approach scoring a little differently.

Madden NFL 26 is the reason why.

Last year, I awarded Madden 25 an 8 out of 10, citing steady, if minor improvements — and by and large, it was a good, solid football sim. After playing Madden NFL 26, I no longer want to see incremental upgrades. Nor do I want to review more ‘solid’ games. I want to see more of this.

Madden NFL 26 is the revelation football enthusiasts have wanted, breaking the cycle of minor fixes to deliver a monumental leap in immersion, atmosphere, and controls, and the largest refinement came where it was needed most — the criminally-overlooked Franchise Mode. After years of wondering if EA was pushing all users toward the microtransaction-focused Ultimate Team, it’s clear the developers listened to fan feedback, because Franchise feels like the heart of Madden once more.

For starters, the updated week-to-week tactical approach lets gamers design strategies on the fly, tailored to each opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. In turn, a new XP-based progression system personalizes the player development process, and the “Wear & Tear” mechanic (borrowed lovingly from College Football) forces users to make tough decisions about how to rest stars and manage rosters across a long season.

Another key development was the introduction of coaching archetypes, which allows players to choose whether to lead their team as an Offensive Guru, Defensive Genius, or Development Wizard. Each path provides unique skill trees and gameplay benefits, deepening the strategic investment. Combine this with enhanced scouting, revamped menus, and a more robust broadcast package, and Franchise has become a destination rather than an afterthought. Gamers asked for it, and EA delivered in a big way.

This realism is matched by the gameplay, which is both quicker and more realistic than before. Madden NFL 26 strikes a delicate balance between accuracy and responsiveness, creating a pace that is fast enough to excite without delving into arcade territory. The much-hyped “QB DNA” system brings more personality to quarterbacks and receivers by amplifying pocket passing/scrambling tendencies, receiver route discipline, and overall situational awareness, so the results better reflect what fans see on Sundays.

Defensive play has also improved, albeit not by the same leaps and bounds. Still, Madden’s AI shows more intelligent formation reads and more realistic animations for blocking and tackling. A lot of this will be missed by the casual player, but there’s a sense of fluidity and realism that enhances the immersion in each session.

One thing sports fans always seem to do is compare the current Madden series with the beloved NFL 2K titles, especially when it comes to broadcast quality, Well, Madden NFL 26 feels like a true primetime production with unique looks for Thursday night, Sunday afternoon, and Monday night football, right down to lighting that shifts with the time of year. Maybe the commentary isn’t quite as memorable as the first time we heard Dan Stevens on our Dreamcasts, but there’s little repetition or inaccuracy.

In turn, entertaining cutaways and postgame coverage match the old TV spirit of NFL 2K, delivering trivia, highlights, and halftime visuals for authenticity and immersion. It’s been a long time, but this year’s Madden finally captures the gravitas and flair of the NFL’s expanded weekly product.

Even Madden Ultimate Team (MUT), long criticized for its money-hungry grind, benefits from smarter (if subtle) quality-of-life updates. Yes, the annoying pay-to-win structure remains, so MUT is still best suited for those comfortable with its monetization design. However, it’s also more welcoming to those who want to dabble before opening the wallet, which is a step in the right direction.

Superstar Mode has made a significant move forward by revisiting basic RPG-like elements. Maybe this isn’t exactly “Sunday Stadium Skyrim,” but this notably revamped mode now features career chapters, evolving player relationships and ongoing customization, showing an honest attempt to make the journey feel more personal. Though it still doesn’t quite reach the depth of Franchise, nor does it dabble in melodrama like the NBA 2K series, EA’s attempts at storytelling no longer feel half-baked, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s efforts.

Also, it should be noted that graduating seniors from the College Football series can be imported and drafted in Madden 26. This is handled well, and it’s enjoyable to watch a dominant college player adapt to the improved talent facing him in the pro ranks. It’s also a nice way to enhance the value of owning both titles, since there is no limit to how many created superstars can find their way into the hallowed halls of Madden NFL.

Even though readers probably know I’m about to laud this title with a stellar score, I do need to call out one odd, unexpected complaint — loading times. Both offline and online, I found myself staring at loading screens for far longer than I should with my Xbox Series X. Online, I’m willing to forgive these delays in the short term, as servers were understandably packed at the time of review. That said, jumping from mode to mode shouldn’t be timed by an hourglass. EA will hopefully patch this soon, if they haven’t already.

So, to bring this discussion full circle, Madden NFL 26 is a shining example of why it’s important to read full reviews, not just scores. Why? Even when discussing two games in a series made one year apart, there’s a world of difference between last year’s 8 and this year’s 9.5. Those waiting for Madden to finally make true forward progress can exhale, because the moment has come.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is published by EA Sports and developed by EA Orlando. It is available on XBO/X/S, PC, SW2, and PS4/5. This game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the XBX. Approximately 13 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was not completed. Approximately 4.5 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 26 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 26 Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH There has never been more immersive atmosphere in sports gaming.

LOW Ultimate Team remains either expensive, a grind, or both.

WTF Running up the score with a large fourth quarter lead, CPU? For shame.

A few years back, I reconnected with an old college buddy. We agreed to meet up for a couple of beers and spend a few hours traversing memory lane. The first hour was wonderful and emotional. The second hour was enjoyable, but a little strained. By the time the third round of drinks ran dry, we both started checking our phones — and once that regrettable fourth beer was gone, we exhaustedly agreed that it was great to see one another, and that we should try to stay in touch, knowing full well it was probably our final farewell.

That ‘we’re done here‘ feeling was what I had with EA Sports College Football 25. It was great times back then and the nostalgia was high, but after a few dozen hours on memory lane, flaws, gaps and cracks started to appear — and before long, the same old things began to wear on my patience. Still, it was a fine return by EA Sports, and I stand behind my 9 out of 10 review.

Readers who skip to the end are going to notice this year’s entry scored the same as its predecessor, but to be clear, College Football 26 is a significant upgrade from ’25 and a true return to form. To be honest, it might be the finest football game the venerable publisher has produced. Everything that made fans happy back then has now been amplified, optimized, and improved across the board.

In fact, let me lead with some hyperbole — College Football 26 might offer the most immersive sports gaming environments to date.

(Something tells me readers are going to want me to back that up.)

The atmosphere is one area in which College Football 26 truly shines. From stadium flyovers to note-perfect fight songs, to lifelike mascot and fan behavior, there’s little EA left on the drawing board here. A bonafide electricity comes from hearing (and even feeling) a packed stadium in a rivalry game. In fact, I took some rough phone videos and sent them to my non-gaming friends. They were transported to the coughcoughmid-1990scough the same way I was.

Of course, window dressing hardly matters if the gameplay doesn’t measure up. College Football 26 takes the rock solid foundation of its predecessor and gives it 100% more soul. Where last year’s iteration sometimes felt mechanical, 26 flows with the more realistic, unpredictable energy of the real thing.

Yes, I just wrote that College Football feels like, well, college football. But in reality, these players aren’t supposed to be perfect athletes. They’re college kids prone to physical lapses, and mental and emotional mistakes. This year’s version captures that in ways a cutscene never could.

Running backs don’t magically find holes in defenses in the first quarter. Instead, they work and learn over the course of the game, and try to expose weaknesses after being coached. Quarterbacks being chased by 750 pounds of linebackers don’t stay poised, they react with panic when their blocking collapses. Perhaps a professional can maintain composure under these circumstances, but these players shouldn’t be confused for NFL veterans.

Another major upgrade this season is the vastly improved fatigue system, which eliminates arbitrary stamina bars in favor of real performance dips. For example, if a running back carries 4-6 times every possession, he’ll definitely lose explosiveness by the fourth quarter, perhaps when the player needs him the most. 

Perhaps most important of all, the gameplay simply feels better. The best sports sims feature controls that respond instantly, almost like an extension of the player. College Football 26 features far fewer canned animations and ‘magical’ plays. Instead, I found myself discovering defensive gaps and exploiting them like a real player would. Option plays, which were hit or miss in 25, feel much more natural. It’s altogether more intuitive and responsive, and as a result, more enjoyable throughout.

My reviews always have to mention a few flaws, and this one is going to sound familiar, but I wish I could be enthusiastic about College Ultimate Team. Despite some improvements that make the card drops seem less random, this mode still feels like it belongs in a mobile game, not my $100 title on my $500 console. The menus are clunky, loading times are long, and the whole experience still prioritizes spending money over delivering a good time. It has its merits, but if there was a mode that needed some revisiting, it’s this one.

Getting back to the positives, Dynasty Mode has evolved considerably, bringing a good amount of strategy along with it. In last year’s edition, hiring and scouting felt like unavoidable homework between games. Now, these decisions have more impact on and off the field. I chose disciplinarian types for my staff and was rewarded with a hard-working squad of well-behaved kids. However, at season’s end, I noticed a number of my star players entering the transfer portal, likely as a result of the relentless training and coaching. These decisions matter now, and they matter for the future of a user’s legacy.

The Road to Glory story mode tries valiantly to capture the personal journey from high school superstar to campus legend, and there are some good moments, to be sure. However, the high school portion drags with oddly finicky missions to conquer, and more school selection drama than a teenager probably should endure. It can drag, but once chosen by a dream school, the Friday Night Lights moments are easily forgiven.

Online, the game performed well for roughly 80% of my time there near launch, and has been flawless in recent weeks thanks to a series of patches that have eliminated online animation glitches and matchmaking discrepancies that I experienced at launch. Today, the online portion is solid, enjoyable, and balanced.

This isn’t a title to nitpick, so, let’s break this down to the important things. College Football 26 is an absolute blast to play, and is a massive step forward for the reborn franchise, thanks to the type of year-over-year improvements that will please even the most cynical gamers. A title this deep and layered will never be perfect, but seeing last year’s foundation turn into this year’s celebration has been wonderful. I’m not likely to put this down any time soon.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. It is available on XBX/S and PS5. This game copy was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the XBX. Approximately 21 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was not completed. Approximately 6 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 college football, and 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: College Football 26 features subtitles, speech-to-text, and numerous tactile feedback features in all modes. (See examples in the pictures posted.) 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 College Football 26 Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH Addicting, fast-paced gameplay.

LOW Egoistic teammates.

WTF Bicycle kicks for days!!!

From French developers Sloclap, Rematch delivers an arcadey, action packed spin on the beautiful game. Differing from the beat em up genre of Sifu, Rematch doesn’t include any fighting, unless fighting with the controls count. The multiplayer soccer (or football) simulator focuses on teamwork and skill to create stunning goals fit only for the largest stage. Rematch executes this idea very well, but a few glaring issues sometimes lets the game trip over its own feet.

Rematch offers 3v3, 4v4, and 5v5 casual modes, and ranked 5v5. The player cycles between positions with multiple outfield ones and a goalkeeper, controlling a character in a third person point of view. Rematch doesn’t focus on realism, but instead gamifies soccer to make it less about actual tactics and more about the action – running, jumping, and diving. The arcade feel comes from everything being sped up. The pitch is similar to the one in Rocket League, with borders that the ball can ricochet off of. The actual playable area is small, and paired with rapid sprinting, aggressive slide tackles, and acrobatic kicks, the ball seems to never stop bouncing. Dribbling and fancy skills let the player live out their professional player dreams with adrenaline pumping plays that further make Rematch more of an action game than a soccer one.

Rematch uses the classic W,A,S,D controls to move, with a few special keys implemented. E for tackling, Q for jumping, and the mouse buttons for passing. Sprinting and slide tackling use the shift key and keys like F can change the type of pass. The mechanics of Rematch are easy enough to understand, but incredibly difficult to master. As the player advances divisions, people only get smarter. Learning how to properly use each key takes time, but the satisfaction of moving past opponents and scoring majestic goals makes the time commitment more than worth it. Even if the player isn’t into soccer in real life, the competitive gameplay still makes the game addicting.

In terms of graphics, Rematch uses bright colors and stylized art to further add to the arcade feel. Each game takes place in a unique stadium like a jungle, a desert, or even outer space. The settings are inspired by an environmentally friendly utopia, and the stadiums combined with nature highlight that. The colors are beautifully integrated, and sometimes I found myself stopping just to look at the background. Player customization is also diverse, with a large variety of attributes and colors to choose from.

While Rematch has a lot going for it, it does have some big negatives that need to be addressed. The most frustrating issue is passing, particularly on PC. Passing is done with the left mouse, but the sensitivity is turned up a lot. Just a tiny change in the mouse direction will cause the pass to go to a wildly different place. I frequently found my passes to go accidentally behind me, which really hindered goal scoring opportunities. Most other functions work well, but since passing is a huge part of Rematch, the unoptimized controls make it hard to deal with.

In my games, I also encountered bugs. These weren’t frequent, but when they happened it literally made the game unplayable. In one of my matches, I couldn’t touch the ball. It would go straight through me, which turned a fair match into a 5v4. When these bugs get patched, I expect the game to run much smoother.

My last complaint isn’t specific to Rematch, in fact it extends to all multiplayer games, but I still feel like it should be brought up. No one is Messi, and trying to dribble the enemy team while playing goalkeeper is not a viable strategy. Some teammates in Rematch let their egos take over, making selfish decisions and costing the team crucial goals. This happens way too often, and especially in ranked, feels enraging. Hopefully Sloclap will introduce a report button to help with this.

Rematch is a great example of when developers take a popular topic and put their own spin on it. Some might describe it as a “Rocket League without cars”, but it is so much more than that. The creativity Rematch encourages creates an engaging team-based game that incorporates every player. With easy to learn controls and flashy skills, fans and non-watchers alike are bound to enjoy this chaotic adaptation of soccer.

Rating: 8 out of 10

— Eddie Guo

Disclosures: This game is developed by Sloclap and published by Kepler Interactive. It is currently available on XBX/S/PS5/PC.This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on PC. Approximately 38 hours of play was devoted to the multiplayer mode. There is no set completion mark. There are no single-player modes.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated E. There is nothing explicit and Rematch is safe for all ages.

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game has player dialogue that does not affect gameplay. Voice chat exists but visual cues allow communication without talking (in fact, I turned voice chat off to stop toxicity). Informational text is communicated through text boxes that cannot be altered/resized.

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

The post Rematch Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

Death Game Hotel, White Owls’ VR title that forces players to ante up their body parts before playing games of chance and skill, recently relaunched as a free-to-play title which allows anyone with a Meta Quest helmet to get in on the bloody multiplayer action.

Recently, Gamecritics had the chance to interview creator Swery65 about what changes have been made to the game, and what he has planned for the future, for both DGH and other projects, such as the upcoming horror-themed beat-’em-up Hotel Barcelona (co-designed with Suda51) and a possible new version of Deadly Premonition!

The interview was conducted through a translator, and has been edited for clarity.

*

GameCritics (GC) — How did you come to the decision to move Death Game Hotel to being Free to Play?

SWERY — When I originally created the concept for Death Game Hotel it was mainly for a social, multiplayer type of game. Ever since launch, we’ve had such an amazing community around the game — especially on Discord — and a lot of the members let us know that they want to spread the game around to their friends and people they know online, however it’s sometimes difficult to do that with a premium, or ‘not free’ game. So I thought by making the game more accessible to players around the world, and allowing them to experience the game and lore firsthand, it would be able to transform into a sustainable business model, allowing us to make the tweaks to keep the game healthy. The main goal is to make sure as many people as possible can access that game that we made, and that the community wants to share.

GC — Speaking of the community, what do you find most interesting about the fanbase that has built up around the game?

SWERY — Rather than just using social channels to promote the game, for the first time in White Owls’ history we created a dedicated Discord server so that players would have a place to gather. We have various channels where players can freely talk to each other and find games, ‘Ask SWERY’ and ‘suggestions’ channels where the devs can get immediate feedback from players. We also have ‘dev parties’, where players can challenge the developers in the various death games, which we also livestream. We’ve used Discord to keep up with the community and make sure that they’re being heard — which has allowed us to see what changes are most important to the fans — even if those tweaks are sometimes far more difficult than the players might realize to implement. Being able to create a feedback loop makes sure that players feel like they’re being heard, which is a big part of why we took the game free to play.

GC — While making the move to Free to Play, you also included a new single player mode, the Slot Machine — why add this, and was it difficult to balance?

SWERY — It was extremely difficult to maintain the balance between the single and multiplayer modes. The main reason we wanted to include a single player mode was because we understood how difficult it can be for people to organize multiplayer sessions, so we wanted to make sure that players could have something enjoyable and thrilling to do inside the game while waiting for their party to arrive. One of the most complicated aspects was figuring out how we were going to use the chips you can win playing death game. We didn’t want players to wind up with huge stacks of chips that they couldn’t spend on anything, so we thought the slot machine would be a great way to give players another way to use those chips in an entertaining way. Of course, you can also lose body parts while playing the slot machine, and even win them back. The important part was making single players feel like they were getting the same experience as in the multiplayer gambling games.

GC — Speaking of losing body parts, in the table games players can use them to cheat in a variety of ways. Can you also cheat at the slot machine?

SWERY — The slot machine is entirely RNG-based, so we thought it would be a little risky to add in cheating mechanics.

GC — Is there just one slot machine room, or will players be able to use the slot machine in a variety of the game’s environments?

SWERY — Right now there is only one dedicated slot room per lobby, but it’s possible in future DLC updates we could add additional characters and locations for the death slot machines.

GC — Is the ‘story mode DLC’ that players can buy for the free to play game the same content as the game’s original single player mode?

SWERY — Yes, the story mode is the same as the single player mode from the Premium version of the game. The only change we’ve made is to tweak the amount of nuggets you can win playing the single player mode so that it doesn’t affect the free-to-play experience too much.

GC — What additional items are you adding to the shop in this new release? I was particularly happy to see a ‘Killer Tomato’ in there.

SWERY — We are currently working on a variety of item designs, although we can’t reveal any specifics just yet. Stay tuned for for news about other SWERY-ish items we’ll be adding. As for the new items available in the free-to-play version, we’ve added new items like bladed weapons you can use to cut off your own limbs, and darts you can throw into other players’ faces to try and gouge out their eyes. There’s plenty of interesting things to do with pointy and bladed items in the game.

GC — You’ve announced that there are going to be seasonal events in Death Game Hotel. How many are you thinking about, and what will these events feature?

SWERY — For right now you can expect the same kind of seasonal events we had in the Premium version, including summer, winter and Halloween festivals. But I’m not satisfied with just continuing as-is, and right now I’m looking at ways to include more original events and focus on the lore of the game. That could include crazy items and decorations around the lobby, because we’re working to make sure that it feels different from last year’s events. We haven’t locked down any specific dates yet, but given the game’s theme, we might do a Day of the Dead celebration, and there’s also a Japanese celebration of ancestors every summer that we would like to focus on. If only there was a national torture day, that would be perfect. We’d like to find weird celebrations that fit the game’s themes.

GC — Are you planning on adding any more multiplayer games to the current lineup of Goblets of the Reaper and Death Poker?

SWERY — We have plans for additional games, but nothing to announce just yet. Right now we want people to focus on Death Poker, since it’s a game that a lot of people already understand the rules of. Stay tuned for news about more games to come.

GC — Do you have any news to share about expanding the world of the game, be that through manga or light novel adaptations?

SWERY — I do have an idea for a light novel in the world of Death Game Hotel, and right now I’m looking for a good partner to work alongside. The writers I worked with on The Good Life have had their careers take off, and are very busy with their own projects, so the biggest obstacle right now is finding a partner who I work well with. So yes, I do have plans in this area.

GC — Now, to move on to other subjects — do you have any news you can share about Hotel Barcelona?

SWERY — We are currently working the the publisher, Cult Games, to find the best release date for the game. We’re currently taking the game to various events and looking for ways to get their hands on it.

GC — So Hotel Barcelona is complete?

SWERY — Yes, the game is finished, we’re just going through the console submission proccess.

GC — Where would you rank Hotel Barcelona among your games?

SWERY — Well, that’s hard to answer, it’s like asking me which is my favorite child. I can say that I’m always most excited about the game I’m currently working on, and Hotel Barcelona is the focus of all of my attention.

GC — It was recently reported that you worked on a VR test for Deadly Premonition, can you tell us a little more about that?

SWERY — It was actually Deadly Premonition 2. The developers and I did a test to see how the game’s environment worked in VR, but sadly I don’t have the rights to keep working on it or share what we made with the public. So if fans want to see Deadly Premonition in VR, they’ll have to let the publisher know and draw attention to it.

GC — Now, a question for you — is there any media you’ve been enjoying recently?

SWERY – I watch a lot of movies, as you know, but something I’ve really been enjoying lately is On Call, a show about the LA Police and what they go through. It’s from Dick Wolf, who’s done a lot of shows about law enforcement, and whose work I really like.

GC — Is there anything else that you’re working on you’d like to give people a hint about?

SWERY — Actually, there are a few games that we’re working on, focusing right now on how to build the new mechanics we’ve envisioned. One example is a multiplayer horror game, where we’re trying to find a way to make people feel like they’re having an out-of-body experience.

GC — Thank you so much for your time — do you have any final thoughts about Death Game Hotel you’d like to share?

SWERY — The most important thing I want people to know about Death Game Hotel is that when you buy a piece of pizza in the game and ‘eat’ it, when you pull your hand away the cheese will stretch realistically.

*

Thanks again to SWERY for providing a look into Death Game Hotel and what else White Owls is working on Death Game Hotel is currently free to play on Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro.

The post INTERVIEW: SWERY65 – Revisiting Death Game Hotel appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH Cool concept and highly customizable gameplay. 

LOW The main horde mode can get stale.

WTF Looking up Spider-Man 2 action figures on eBay.

Growing up, I had plenty of action figures ranging from the then-new Power Rangers Wild Force line to some pretty sick hand-me-downs I got from my older cousins. I have distinct memories of crafting wild storylines involving the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man, Rey Mysterio, Beast from X-Men, and a velociraptor from Jurassic Park working together to save the world from destruction, all while driving a red Tonka truck. I outgrew those toys and moved onto videogames, seeking handcrafted experiences that can rival the scenarios I created in my head.

Hypercharge: Unboxed, a shooter from Digital Cybercherries, allows players to relive their own childhood memories of staging great battles between their action figures. Played from either a third- or first-person perspective, players control a customizable action figure tasked with protecting a central MacGuffin known as a Hypercore. In a fairly expansive and somewhat bizarre story, this Hypercore keeps the memories of action figures alive for the kids who play with them. 

Presentation is a strong suit here, reminding me of Saturday morning cartoons like G.I. Joe or even the hilarious Action League Now! Its approximation of real-life toys, like the aforementioned G.I. Joe, He-Man, and even Beyblades, was cool to see, and I appreciated the comic book-style presentation the cutscenes employed. They’re fully voiced, too, adding context to why players are defending a Hypercore and why they have to shoot enemies.

The story mode introduces all of the core concepts while players control their chosen action figure in gargantuan recreations of children’s bedrooms, toy stores, and even a bathroom. Similar to how 2023’s Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged used scale to highlight the feeling of controlling a toy in real-world settings, seeing the shelves of a toy store warehouse look as tall as buildings or a simple garden feel like a battlefield is a cool design choice.

In these levels, players are tasked with protecting three Hypercores in a wave-based horde mode. Before each wave starts, there’s a brief build period in which defenses can be built. These range from LEGO-like blocks that surround the Hypercore to anti-air turrets that scan the skies for flying enemies. This downtime also allowed me to explore the maps. While not huge or completely open-ended, there are a cool secrets to find, like collectibles that can be used to unlock customizable items and money used to build structures or buy weapons between rounds. 

Once a round starts, combat is the priority. The shooting feels satisfying, though enemies are fairly bullet-spongey, though nothing too egregious. Enemy types range from mindless drones that will walk towards any of the objectives to smarter opponents that can fire guns at the player. The variety in enemy types is solid, showcasing things like green army men that parachute to the battlefield and even Madball-ish slime monsters that explode before dying. 

The gameplay loop of defending and shooting is agreeable, and the variety of each level means I was always seeing something new. Players have the choice to go through the entire campaign solo or with other players. I liked the difficulty options and how smart NPC teammates acted, meaning I didn’t feel too bad about playing by myself when I couldn’t squad up. While not the deepest single-player shooter around, it still provided a lot of entertainment, and I was happy to go back and replay levels to explore parts of the maps I may have missed.

Players who are exhausted of horde modes might be more interested in the suite of competitive modes that Hypercharge offers. Like the single-player, these are highly customizable and can either be played online, split-screen, or against AI bots. Modes include deathmatches and even objective-based types, all set within the maps of the main adventure. Being able to play against bots and customize what weapons spawn on the map is a great throwback to the days of playing old console arena shooters, and I spent a decent amount of time running through multiplayer levels with ultra-skilled bots.  

If I had to nitpick anything about HYPERCHARGE‘s gameplay loop, it’s that the main mode lacks depth. While the levels are fairly big and lend themselves to extra objectives and exploration, offering only horde modes in the campaign becomes too repetitive. I would have loved to see a traditional single-player campaign focused on changing things up with some linear shooting levels or even large-scale arena firefights. I got a lot of enjoyment from what’s offered, but this feels like an excellent jumping-off point for a much better sequel. 

Overall, Hypercharge: Unboxed is a delightfully enjoyable old-school shooter that harkens back to games of the past and action figure-obsessed childhoods. Being able to fine-tune many aspects of the experience with various options on top of the solid action and exploration makes this one of the most enjoyable shooters I’ve played. If the devs can use the groundwork laid here to deliver an expanded experience in a potential follow-up, I have no doubt it’ll be even better. For now, though, anyone with an appreciation for action and action figures will want to keep an eye on this.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Buy Hypercharge Unboxed: PS5— Xbox — PC — Switch

Disclosures: This game is published and developed by Digital Cybercherries. It is available on PC, PS4/5, XBO/S/X and Switch. This copy was obtained via publisher and was reviewed on PS5. Approximately 10 hours were spent in single-player and the game was not completed. 5 hours were spent in the multiplayer modes

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated E10+ for Fantasy Violence. The game is a first/third person shooter, with violence happening to plastic toys. There’s no blood and gore, and the violence is over-the-top and cartoony. Parents should be fine with their kids playing this one.

Colorblind Modes: Colorblind modes are present in the options menu.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Gamers: There are subtitles in both the cutscenes and gameplay, and there are also visual cues alerting players of enemies around the map. These can all be adjusted and resized, and as such I’d say it’s fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: Controls can be remapped.

The post HYPERCHARGE Unboxed Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

This is a transcript excerpt covering the score awarded to Monster Hunter Wilds on the So Videogames podcast, Episode 433. For the original, expanded coverage, please listen to episode 431.

BRAD: One more game and then we’re gonna wrap the show here. Monster Hunter Wilds, Carlos. Now, I talked about this earlier. I’m happy to circle back. And in fact, this is good timing for you because I have now played enough to where I feel comfortable giving it an official score, which I will do here on the show.

CARLOS: I will too.

B: Alright, but since I already covered a little bit, we will talk about your experience first and then we’ll circle back to my stuff. I think folks kind of know that I’m like the monster hunter guy, which is all fine, well and good. But, Carlos, tell us a little bit about your background. I have you, in my mind, pegged as being not the monster hunter guy, so tell us about your relationship with the series. Where are you coming from on this?

C: Well, I’ve talked about on the show, if you remember, over the course of many years, but it’s been a while. But I generally don’t like it. I don’t like the, uh, sharpening of swords, which they still have, which is still really dumb. A sword is still sharp. Doesn’t need to be sharpened. But they make it easier, as you probably obviously know, that you can sharpen it on your horse or your mount. so that makes it easier.

B: I do call it a horse, by the way, despite the fact it looks like a dinosaur. I call it my horse.

C: And so, in general, you know, I played Monster Hunter Worlds, liked it because it was a little more accessible. And I think I didn’t beat that, but I did like it a little more. But I still was annoyed because I just don’t ever want to like, you know, collect all that shit and do all the things. There’s like lots of things to do and collect and plan. I don’t want to do any of that strategy. You know, I just want to fight things. So I’m generally not that monster person. This is probably my favorite one because it’s just a no brainer. I think the devs were like, okay, let’s bring everybody in and make and like streamline the campaign. And that’s what they did. They made it “easier”. It is. And I mean, the main dragon I was fighting — spoiler –Their main bad monster thing. At the end of the campaign, I was like, oh, I got this. You know, like there was like no thought in my mind. I was like, oh, I don’t know, you know? I was like, yeah, I, I’m fine, you know. And so when I beat it, it’s like when the game starts that bullshit and, you know, you can go four more or three more chapters of stuff. So I might go back with my friends, you know, maybe even you and like and do some multiplayer stuff because I like my character. I had a pretty good time with it. It’s not my favorite game still, but I liked it. I thought the campaign story was just garbage. Uh, I so didn’t care about that kid. Just get him out of here, man. Get him out of here. I don’t care what he thinks and what he’s feeling. I just never cared about that kid. and the fact that we were doing everything for him. And I don’t love the idea of the ending. You know, I’m not going to spoil it, but that, you know, hidden message of what the story is about. No care. No care.

B: What? I don’t remember what the what secret is.

C: Guardians or whatever. The things that are in the little eggs.

B: What was the message?

C: Minor spoiler. Right now, for one minute. Yeah, they created those monsters. And that’s like a big reveal. They created monsters to protect them, and they’re in, like, eggs. Like clones. But who cares? Who cares? No one cares.

No, I didn’t care anything about the story. Had a good time. Beat it. Which I’ve never done. So that’s something, right?

B: Yes, that’s definitely something.

C: One big con, and you’ve probably already talked about it. But you beat the game. You beat this massive monster. You feeling badass? They make you do your first mission after you beat the game. And I died like, a million times to the bird guy because you gotta capture it. And it’s like, oh yeah, you can capture things. Did you know that? Here’s how you do it. Well, they don’t really tell you very well. And then the bird just pecks me to death, and I just die over and over, and I go, oh, cool. Great thing for an end game thing, buddy. Capture this thing that’s gonna peck. I hated that.

B: I think you’ve kind of hit on one of my big, big complaints of this game. So, like, I have ups and downs with this game, right? Like, I think it’s better than Monster Hunter World.

C: Yeah, I do too.

B: But also, Monster Hunter World is one of my least favorite Monster Hunters, like in the entire series. So it was kind of a low bar. I talked about it before. I’m not going to get super into the weeds here, but like so to give you context of where I’m at, I rolled the the initial credits. I want to say it was about 15 or 16 hours. So you can like get to the end. The first part of the the main campaign where you can just put the game down and be like, you know what, I had a good experience. This was fun and I’m gonna bounce. So that’s about 15 hours in. I’m now I’m like at 55 hours in. And so after you roll the credits the first time, there’s like like I mean, yeah, not to not to belittle anybody or anything, but like that’s really like the tutorial. The campaign is 15 hours of a miserable tutorial, but once you get past that, the real Monster Hunter begins with more options, more missions, more systems and different weapon upgrades. You get all sorts of like systems that open up that weren’t there before. So I think that’s kind of my big gripe about this game is like, they put this really, really boring — I hate the fucking story. I hate the story. I hate that the story, like, makes you watch so much walking and talking. I don’t care about the characters. It actually interferes with gameplay because there’s several times I wanted to go do a mission, and I couldn’t do a mission because I had to go through the story mission first, or I’ve got a quest to turn in and the guy to give it to isn’t there, because you got to watch the cutscene first, and it’s like it’s a problem.

I find it very irritating, but they also don’t prepare you for the real game, like the trapping thing like you just mentioned. You’re exactly correct. The very first mission after your credits is go capture something and they don’t tell you anything about capturing that. It barely even exists in the game until that point. It’s like, why did you, like, make me play 15 hours and you haven’t covered it at any point up until this point? So that part was a problem. Um, yeah, I have issues with this. But now. But I will say, to be fair, on the other side of the coin here, um, once you get past the first “ending” at 15 hours and get into the main portion of the game when the story takes a backseat, this is the experience that most Monster Hunter players are looking for. They give you, like, more armor types, more, um, upgrades, like more different systems, like you unlock like a whole other, like 2 or 3 other systems that you’ve never even seen in the game up until that point. And you have a bunch of side quests open up like it’s all like side quests all the time. Like, I don’t know if you noticed, but in the main campaign you get exactly. And I counted. You get exactly one side quest in the first 15 hours. All the rest of it is all main story quests, and then once you get past that, you’ve got like 50 side quests you can do, which is like more variety, gives you more choice.

You can go after different monsters you want to go after. So I think that makes the game better once you get into the what I see anyway as a long time Monster Hunter guy, what I kind of wanted from the game doesn’t appear until like 15 20 hours in. At that point, I started really enjoying myself where I’m like, okay, here’s the stuff that I wanted. Here’s the meatier stuff. The deeper stuff, it does get a lot harder. I’ll say that for sure. It gets way harder. Um, and that’s fine too. I’m not a difficulty whore, but I, you know, I, I do want to have like, a reason to strategize. I do want to tweak my armor a little bit. I want to use some gems and, and do some powers and attributes and stuff that you don’t really ever have to engage with in the first 15 hours or so. So there’s a lot of stuff here. I think it is a legit monster hunter at some point, but getting through 15 hours is kind of a big ask. It’s like you said, boring story, boring campaign, but the gameplay is okay. But still, for me anyway. It didn’t didn’t really open up for quite a while. So I guess Carlos, besides the capturing thing, you think you’re going to go back? Do you think you’re going to like, engage with the other systems, or what do you think you want from Monster Hunter at this point, now that you’ve kind of rolled credits?

C: The only thing is, I know that there’s three more chapters that I haven’t done. So, like, I like story bits, like we just said in the beginning. So I might want to do those right. And I might want to play with my friends. Like I have a couple friends who are playing it and I’m like, okay, maybe I’ll do that because I never do multiplayer, but in general, I got it, you know, like if that’s what they wanted me to do is to understand it and then be done. Well, success, you know, because I’m like, I might not have to go back.

B: Yeah, but you feel like you got a pretty good experience just from going through the story campaign and rolling credits. Yeah. Like you feel satisfied?

C: Yeah. I think it was worth the purchase or whatever.

B: All right. That’s that’s pretty fair. So for me,I was going to come back and give this game my official review because like I said, I’m like 50, 55 hours or something. I’m literally like, I think two fights away from the actual end of the campaign. And there’s more, of course, there’s more game, there’s optional battles, there’s new stuff updating all the time. They just added a brand new monster into the campaign, So forth and so on. so I think with everything I said in this show, everything I said in last show and what I know is still in the game to come, I think I feel pretty comfortable giving this game like an eight… an eight out of ten, but that’s with the caveat that you have to get past the first 15 hours of it. And that’s a huge ask. Like, I don’t say that lightly, and I never want to be the “it just gets good later” kind of guy, but in this case it really is true — for a good monster hunting experience, it doesn’t heat up until 15 hours in, which sucks. But I’m here now and I’ve been having fun, so I think an eight is the right way to go.

C: I agree.

B: I’m gonna give it an official 8.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Buy Monster Hunter Wilds: PC – PS – XB

Disclosures: This game is developed and published by Capcom. It is currently available on PC, PS and XB. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the PS5. Approximately 65 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the full campaign was completed. All 65 hours were spent in either offline multi (with bots) or online multi (with real players.)

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated T and contains Blood, Crude Humor, and Violence. The official description reads: This is an adventure role-playing game in which players assume the role of a monster hunter attempting to save the people and ecosystem of forbidden lands. From a third-person perspective, players explore a fantasy world, complete quests, interact with characters, and battle fantastical creatures (e.g., dragons, dinosaurs, giant insects). Players use swords, hammers, axes, and bows to defeat enemies in fast-paced, melee-style combat. Battles are accompanied by impact sounds, explosions, and blood-splatter effects. One cutscene depicts a large monster using a flatulence attack, causing a brown cloud to knock back characters; some monsters are depicted urinating and defecating in the environment.

Colorblind Modes: There are colorblind modes available in the options.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: All dialogue is subtitled and the game comes with closed captions (and various display options) for supporting information. This game is fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: Certain functions are remappable. The controls in Wilds are extremely complicated. There’s no one control diagram that shows everything, and most controls are context-sensitive, with many buttons having multiple functions based not only on the situation, but also on which weapon is being used. Players can toggle and switch many functions, but I would not say that the controls are fully remappable. In general, the left stick moves, the right stick handles camera, and the face/shoulder buttons handle a variety of other actions. Again, everything has multiple functions, so there’s no easy way of explaining it all — just assume every button and stick is used multiple times in multiple ways.

The post SVG REVIEW: Monster Hunter Wilds appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH The new boss fights are challenging, creative encounters.

LOW Things can get a bit too hectic with four players.

WTF There should’ve been an “easy online” mode from the start…

Casey Jones & The Junkyard Jam is the first piece of paid DLC released for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate, a competent roguelike from 2024.

This DLC is a fairly priced expansion to the base game that doesn’t alter its fundamentals, it merely allows a few more ways for players to find enjoyment while re-treading Splintered Fate’s chaotic stages. Hence, everything said in the full game’s review stands today, so readers should definitely check that out for full details.

Casey Jones & The Junkyard Jam DLC adds Casey as a new playable character. There’s also a new biome, complete with altered enemy types and two new bosses. Plotwise, the DLC revolves around a car theft committed by the Punk Frogs, prompting the team to head to their junkyard and look for clues with extreme prejudice.

The entire DLC will take around 10 minutes of a run’s time, as it’s merely a stage that we can opt for in lieu of the usual Bebop and Rocksteady stage that crops up. While that isn’t a lot of content per se, given the repeating nature of the title, spicing things up with a new biome is exactly what players need to disrupt the monotony. On top of that, the DLC introduces a few more shimmering portal types, allowing players to add punishing modifiers like limiting the number of dashes they can perform to gain heftier remuneration later on.

As with the base campaign, everything in Junkyard Jam is fully voiced and true to the source material — Casey Jones fans will surely feel glee as they step into the shoes of the hockey stick-wielding youngster, ready to aid the turtles in their never-ending quest.

As Casey is a human without a turtle shell on his back, his silhouette is easily discernable during play, which is important as two players can’t pick the same character during a run. Casey’s also no slouch, but selecting him offers a more calculated way to dominate Splintered Fate — while swinging the hockey stick is slow and cumbersome, he comes with a well-rounded skillset built around creating short windows for bestowing lethal damage. If done right, his combo can nullify a screenful of enemies in seconds, which makes him a popular choice in any combination of characters.

Junkyard Jam also brings other welcome changes — water damage has received a revamp, and some synergies have been tweaked, encouraging further experimentation. 

However, the most important change to the core experience comes with a free patch that the devs had rolled out prior — there’s finally an easy way to jump into an existing run!

Given that Splintered Fate was made for co-op, it was baffling that the game lacked an option to instantly connect with a random online team. This omission marred the entire experience and created a significant barrier to enjoyment. Now there’s a “Find Public Run” option that simplifies matters. Thanks to this patch, I was only playing solo for a small fraction of the review time, a stark difference to my previously lonely evaluation period. As such, the ability to quickly and easily join others boosts value of this title immensely. 

Casey Jones & The Junkyard Jam DLC isn’t a game-changer, but the asking price is low and the recent option to quickly join players online improves the entire package’s quality. As a result, those who might have given Splintered Fate a pass before might find themselves now intrigued by the possibility of slapping ninjas and robots around with three other players, at least for a few afternoons.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

Buy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate: PC – Switch – iOS

Disclosures: This game was developed and published by Super Evil Mega Corp. It is currently available on Switch, PS5, PC, iOS, XBX/S, and Mac. This copy of the DLC was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the Switch Lite. Approximately 10 hours of play were devoted to the original game and four more hours with the DLC, and the content was completed. The game features an intuitive hop-in/hop-out multiplayer mode, and up to four people can play at a time. 

Parents: This game has received an E rating from the ESRB and contains Fantasy Violence. The game features the titular cartoon characters as they battle through hordes of enemy ninjas and robots in an attempt to track down and save their kidnapped master. The writing, action, and art direction are all fateful to Nickelodeon’s long-running Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. 

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: All dialogue in this game is shown via textboxes and fairly well-acted voiceovers, so they’re easy to keep track of, even mid-fight. Text cannot be altered or resized. All enemy attacks are clearly telegraphed on-screen with easy-to-note areas of attack. I’d say this game is fully accessible. 

Remappable Controls: This game doesn’t offer a controller diagram and the controls are not remappable. However, the controls are displayed at all times at the screen’s corners (i.e., on the Switch, the face buttons are for striking, using special attacks, and dashing in and out of danger, while the left stick moves the character)

The post Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate – Casey Jones & The Junkyard Jam 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 The WNBA mode is inching closer to completion. (Thanks to the class of ‘24!)

LOW Microtransactions still permeate the landscape.

WTF Why am I so enamored with realistic mesh fabric and beads of sweat?

One year ago, I closed my NBA 2K24 review with the line “In the end, NBA 2K24 might be the finest sports videogame I’ve ever resented.” because with each passing edition, the game gets deeper, more involved, and more overwhelming, but without any major improvements or truly unique features.

This year, I don’t resent 2K.

Now, this is not to say that NBA 2K25 is perfect, nor does it scratch my ongoing itch for a gameplay overhaul. But what the developers did do was listen. The result is a fantastic entry into this annual series that tightens the controls, enhances the realism, and broadens the scope, fine-tuning the proven format in countless positive ways.

Visually, NBA 2K25 continues the series’ legacy of stunning graphics and animations. Beads of sweat, realistic hair, more dynamic crowds, and unbelievable lighting and reflections dazzle the user as soon as it fires up. In turn, the enhanced ProPlay system ensures that stars’ actual movements are reflected on screen without seeming like canned animations. While series vets might not notice the sheer visual splendor, newcomers definitely will. In what is becoming an annual tradition, my wife was once again fooled by the game, thinking there was an actual NBA broadcast on my television.

However, visuals only tell part of the story. While it’s nice to have a realistic Jalen Brunson gracing my screen, none of it matters if there isn’t a larger sense of atmosphere, and that’s where NBA 2K25 shines brightest. The audio, visuals, timely commentary, and responsive crowds all blend to create the most authentic sports videogame environments around. The word “immersion” is overused in reviews, but it’s appropriate here.

Last year users enjoyed tighter, more responsive controls to complement the visuals. This year, 2K ups its game by introducing both an improved dribbling system and a “Rhythm Shooting” mechanic that bases shot success on more than just timing. Instead, it factors in performance, defensive matchups, team momentum, and other variables to build an unbeatable sense of ‘feel.’ Just like the actual NBA, players feed off one another, and those roof-shaking comeback rallies can change an entire game. Fans of professional basketball know these moments, and they can now recreate them like never before.

(side note — players aren’t obligated to use the new shooting mechanics, but I ask purists to give it a legitimate chance. It’s a nice change that’s well worth exploring.)

On the court, these upgrades enhance what is already the most rewarding control scheme in sports gaming. Make no mistake, the complex finger gymnastics needed to dominate rival those of fighting games, but when the controls sink in they become second nature, and the simulation becomes a lifelike representation of how players attack the basket, set up on defense, or have those clutch end-of-game moments.

When it comes to modes and features, no series in sports gaming (if not all of gaming) offers more value to fans than the NBA 2K franchise. The sheer amount of content is already overwhelming, and the regular additions and upgrades only enhance the experience. If there’s any complaints to be had, it’s that so much is dependent on leveling up, which can quickly become a lethargic grind without spending real-world money. I’ll spare everyone my annual griping about microtransactions, but suffice it to say, it will be very difficult for newcomers to achieve the top tiers of this title without spending countless hours (or dollars) on upgrades.

Despite this, there’s still plenty to do without opening a wallet, starting with a well-designed and revamped tutorial mode called Learn2K. This enhanced practice mode allows newcomers to become familiar with the controls in regular scenarios without taxing them too much on minutiae. Despite being a fan of this series since its Dreamcast debut, I still found myself revisiting the practice courts to hone some skills.

Also, kudos to 2K for listening and bringing a deeper WNBA mode to the party. I have no doubt that the international emergence of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese helped move this to the forefront, and 2K25 does a great job giving the women’s game its own feel and atmosphere. Likewise, having its own story and other modes allows everyone to enjoy the title.

MyTEAM is back, as well, with a deeper, more customizable card-collecting system. The addition of era-specific challenges that cover decades of history is a nice touch to be sure, but the mode’s biggest advancement is how it adjusted the usual reward system to give everyone a chance to earn premium upgrades, not just those who pay their way.

Speaking of eras, the ever-evolving Eras mode continues to bring enjoyable nostalgia to fans of any decade in NBA history. Users will get the Magic/Kareem Lakers, the untouchable 1990s Chicago Bulls, and even some recent Steph Curry paths to follow. However, it also includes some nice nods to other eras, like the rough and ready, defense-first early 2000s.

Of course, all of these decades are represented with period-appropriate graphics, fuzzy camera filters, and the like. Immersion is the name of the game, and this mode brings it by the carload.

Of all the modes available (and I don’t have the column inches to cover them all), none has returned to glory more than MyCareer. Unlike some of the MyPlayer modes of years past, NBA 2K25 immediateky throws users into the heart of the story. This urgency not only introduces the mode to those who might not have played in the past, it also lets users bypass the usual “draft night” nonsense and allows them to carve an ideal experience from the start.

In turn, the branching conversation trees have been largely improved, letting users make truly meaningful decisions about their avatar’s career path. Past editions have felt too linear to deliver authenticity, and while most of us will never live the life of an NBA superstar, these expanded conversations sure seem realistic, and they also make a noticeable impact on how the character develops. Team-first player or selfish hotshot? First one at practice or first in line for promotional opportunities? 2K25 lets users choose, and these impacts are felt throughout the story.

For fans of the open-world City mode, 2K25 will be a breath of fresh air. Last year, traversing the endless sprawl of the cityscape was a meaningless slog. This year’s layout is much easier to navigate, with more pickup games, side quests, and more to do at each corner. It still seems a little bloated and distracting for gamers who just want to play basketball, but at least developers are listening.

One facet of the City worth mentioning is how seamlessly the experience bridges offline and online play. When reviewing NBA 2K25, it was launch weekend, and lobbies were clogged and slow. But in the weeks that followed, the traffic was managed more quickly, and I found myself jumping in and out of online experiences with ease.

That said, the City mode highlights something users knew was coming — NBA 2K25 is the first edition to make it seem that last-gen users should upgrade their consoles. Graphics and options aside, there has never been a larger gap between current and past-gen editions of the title. Not only are there the obvious graphics and mode discrepancies, but the entire past-gen offering seems a little half-baked by comparison. I appreciate 2K continuing to deliver for Xbox One and PS4 users, but it’s clear that the sand is quickly leaving the hourglass for holdouts.

With all of that said, I won’t end this review by splitting hairs. Though it’s not a revolution as much as an evolution, NBA 2K25 easily justifies its price tag. There’s still grinding, leveling, and more side quests than Skyrim. but it all seems more accessible and approachable than in years past, while also being more realistic and beautiful than ever before.

Score: 9 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is published by 2K Games and developed by Visual Concepts. It is available on XBO/X/S, PS4/5, PC and Switch. This game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the XBX. Approximately 23 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 basketball simulation game in which players can select teams from real NBA rosters, compete in tournaments, and play through regular seasons. Players can also manage individual franchises and the careers of their customized athletes.

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers:  NBA 2K25 features subtitles, speech-to-text, and numerous tactile feedback features in all modes. The game is playable without sound and is fully accessible.The game is fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: There are several pre-set control schemes, but the game’s controls are not remappable.

The post NBA 2K25 Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.