By Matt Espineli on Jun 27, 2018 11:57 pm
The Best Around
It feels just like yesterday, but PS4 launched over four years ago, and a ton of games have come out in that time. As such, it can be tough to sort through all of them and decide what to play. Luckily, we at GameSpot have played tons of PS4 over the years and have more than a few recommendations to start you off with--whether you're a new PS4 owner or have had the console and are just looking for something you might've missed. In this feature, we've collected the best PS4 games so far. This includes many of the games that have received an 8 or higher on GameSpot, and we've prioritized games that were nominated for our end-of-year Best PS4 Game lists. Check out our choices for the best games released on the PS4. And with the console's library continuing to expand, make sure to check back often as we update this feature over the coming weeks and months. For more PS4 games on a budget, see our roundups of the best cheap games on PS4, and make sure to check out our gallery of the PS4 exclusive games confirmed for 2018 as well as the biggest PS4 games of 2018 for everything coming to the console.
The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit -- 8/10
"Life is Strange gained a huge cult following, and whether you're a veteran or a newcomer, Captain Spirit captures a lot of the original game's appeal. Regardless of how you classify The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit--whether it's a standalone adventure, a demo, or a prologue--it's a beautiful game, and one that leaves you all the more excited about Life is Strange 2." [Read the full review] -- James O'Connor
Onrush -- 9/10
"When it comes to crumpling metal and high speed thrills, not all of Onrush's game modes are on equal footing in terms of consistent excitement. Yet its foundations are so strong, and so unique, that it's easy to lose hours upon hours barreling around these disparate tracks. The question of longevity will, of course, depend on post-release support, with new classes, game modes, and tracks potentially on the horizon. Considering you need 12 players to fill a full room, it would be a shame if Onrush doesn't find the kind of audience that will give it the lifespan it deserves. Part of this will depend on how Codemasters iterates on the game from here on out, but they've shown a proficiency in knowing how arcade racing games click, and Onrush is such a bold, refreshing twist on the genre that there should be little hesitation in putting your faith in them to succeed." -- Richard Wakeling
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life -- 8/10
"Yakuza 6 reins in its scope, but doubles down on what has made the series great. It's a unique and fascinating representation of the modern Japanese experience, worth playing even if you're a newcomer. The narrative is dramatic and sincere, and the game's endearing characters--coming from all walks of life--are interesting studies. The world is dense and rewarding to exist in, the dynamic combat system stays exciting even after you've kicked the crap out of five thousand enemies, and perhaps most importantly, Yakuza 6: The Song Of Life serves as a fulfilling conclusion to the turbulent, decade-long saga of its beloved icon, Kazuma Kiryu." [read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Senior Editor and Video Producer
God Of War -- 9/10
"In many ways God of War is what the series has always been. It's a spectacular action game with epic set pieces, big-budget production values, and hard-hitting combat that grows more feverish and impressive as you progress. What may surprise you is how mature its storytelling has become. Like Kratos, God of War recalls the past while acknowledging the need to improve. Everything new it does is for the better, and everything it holds onto benefits as a result. Kratos is no longer a predictable brute. God of War is no longer an old-fashioned action series. With this reboot, it confidently walks a new path that will hopefully lead to more exciting adventures to come." [read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Bloodborne -- 9/10
"The finest treasures are found within the city of Yharnam and the forests, lakes, and purgatories beyond it. Only Bloodborne would be so bold as to bury an entire factional player-versus-player mechanic within an optional region, which is in turn buried within a series of oblique steps you might miss if you aren't exploring every nook and cranny, or ignore the game's enigmatic hints. I finished Bloodborne in less time than I did Dark Souls II, yet I treasure it more in spite of its few missteps. In death there is life, and in blood, there is redemption. More hyperbole, yes, but for a game this theatrical, only hyperbole will do." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Monster Hunter: World -- 8/10
"Ever since the title was first announced last year, it was clear that Capcom was gunning for something grander than Monster Hunter Generations. It has succeeded, and this is likely the biggest and best that the franchise has ever been. It's not just the comparative depth of the narrative; it also boasts almost seamless integration between combat systems that were previously incomprehensible for amateurs. The Monster Hunter formula has definitely honed its claws, and all the above factors play their part in making Monster Hunter World a meaningful evolution for the series at large." [read the full review] -- Ginny Woo
Celeste -- 9/10
"It's a testament to convincing writing and ingenious design that after playing Celeste I felt like I'd been on the same journey as Madeline. Her struggle is one made easy to empathize with, her low points painful to watch, and her high notes exhilarating to experience. Her tale is delicately told and beautifully illustrated, confidently coalescing with the satisfying, empowering game it lies within. Not bad for a game about climbing a mountain." [read the full review] -- Oscar Dayus, Staff Writer
What Remains of Edith Finch -- 9/10
"Developer Giant Sparrow managed to strike the delicate balance between joy and sorrow in 2012's The Unfinished Swan, but What Remains of Edith Finch transcends even the latent sadness of that game, finding the beauty--even sometimes the fun--in what's always fundamentally a tragedy. It's not often that a game's plot slips past the bitterness of grief to finally get to the acceptance, but that's the triumph in What Remains of Edith Finch. Ultimately, if the game has any resemblance of a moral, it's that the bravest, most beautiful thing every one of us does is choose to keep going, despite knowing what's coming." [read the full review] -- Justin Clark
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus -- 9/10
"The New Colossus never lets you forget who and why you're fighting. Nazi brutality is on full display, from the blown-out, irradiated remains of Manhattan to each of the resistance members, who all carry mental scars if not physical ones. You're never given a chance between cutscenes, missions, and even downtime on the U-boat to lose sight of the Reich's cruelty. Wolfenstein's tense gameplay elevates this further by giving you the power to truly resist--and come out of each battle ready for another fight." [read the full review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
Sonic Mania -- 9/10
"Sonic Mania methodically uses its sentimental appeal to great effect, but in the process, it heals the wounds inflicted by its most disappointing predecessors and surpasses the series' best with its smart and interpretive design. An excellent 2D platformer, Sonic Mania goes beyond expectations, managing to be not only a proper evolution of the series' iconic formula, but the best Sonic game ever made." [read the full review] -- Matt Espineli, Associate Editor
Stardew Valley -- 9/10
"On the surface, Stardew Valley is a game about farming, but there are more adventures awaiting curious players beyond cultivating a rich and bountiful garden. From mining and fishing to making friends and falling in love, Stardew Valley's Pelican Town is stuffed with rewarding opportunities. As modern day woes give way to pressing matters on the farm and within your newfound community, Stardew Valley's meditative activities often lead to personal reflection in the real world. It's a game that tugs at your curiosity as often as it does your heart." [read the full review] -- Mary Kish
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard -- 8/10
"By the end of the campaign, I was ready for the game to be over, but that's okay. RE7 ends just as it starts to outstay its welcome, and after the fact, I felt like I'd survived a truly harrowing journey. The boss fights may be slightly inconsistent and certain sections might drag after a while, but RE7 is still a remarkable success. It has a clear vision and executes it with impressive patience and precision. By returning to horror, Resident Evil has once again become something special." [read the full review] -- Scott Butterworth
Night in the Woods -- 9/10
"Both intensely personal and widely relatable, Night in the Woods doesn't just tell a story--it gracefully captures complex, often unpleasant feelings and experiences. From the quiet melancholy of doing nothing on a rainy day to the emotional vacuum of severe depression, I felt deeply, sometimes too deeply, while wandering through the cartoon-animal version of a small Midwestern town. Its witty writing and character development keep its crushing existential themes grounded, making Night in the Woods one of the most evocative games I've played in a long time." [read the full review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
Overwatch -- 9/10
"Overwatch is an exercise in refined chaos. There are multitudes of layers hiding beneath the hectic surface, and they emerge, one after another, the more you play. This is a shooter that knows how to surprise, one that unfolds at a frantic pace, one that takes a handful of great ideas, and combines them into something spectacular." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End -- 10/10
"Uncharted 4's gameplay pushes the narrative forward, the narrative feeds off its gameplay, and every detail coalesces to create something bigger. Uncharted 4 bounces between set pieces and personal moments with such grace, with such skill and poise and affection for its characters, that you don't mind when the guns stop firing, and the smoke clears, and Nathan gets a moment to breathe." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Titanfall 2 -- 9/10
"Titanfall 2 demonstrates a vitality that its predecessor couldn't. Whereas the first Titanfall kept up its breakneck pace throughout the entirety of every match, Titanfall 2 understands that sometimes, dialing things back for a few moments can make the long run much more enjoyable. In many ways, Titanfall 2 feels like the game Respawn should have made in 2013. It's a fantastic sequel. It's a fluid shooter. It's a spectacular game." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Dishonored 2 -- 8/10
"Any time I'm given a choice between stealth and action, I go stealth. I love the hold-your-breath tension of hoping a guard didn't spot you and the hard-earned triumph of executing a perfectly timed plan. Dishonored 2 delivers that sneaky satisfaction, arming you with stealth essentials like hiding bodies, peering through keyholes, and silent takedowns. But it's also an incredible engine for gleeful chaos, one so engrossing and amusing that I kind of accidentally beat the entire campaign raining hilarious, elaborate death on my enemies." [read the full review] -- Scott Butterworth
Dark Souls III -- 8/10
"Dark Souls III is a game of valleys and peaks, down through dungeons and up over castle walls. It's a plummet into places we shouldn't be--an escape from places we don't belong. But of course, we fight our way through the darkness, and find our way out. There are a few stumbles along the way, but in the end, Dark Souls III is well worth the riveting climb." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt -- 10/10
"Where the Witcher 2 sputtered to a halt, The Witcher 3 is always in a crescendo, crafting battle scenarios that constantly one-up the last, until you reach the explosive finale and recover in the glow of the game's quiet denouement. But while the grand clashes are captivating, it is the moments between conflicts, when you drink with the local clans and bask in a trobairitz's song, that are truly inspiring." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Rise of the Tomb Raider -- 9/10
"Rise of the Tomb Raider's first shot pans over the vast, foreboding landscape we'll soon come to know. In many ways, it functions as a promise on the part of Crystal Dynamics: there are big things ahead of us. And at the end of Lara's journey, after we've seen her through this adventure, and experienced everything the world has to offer, it's clear that promise was kept." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain -- 10/10
"There has never been a game in the series with such depth to its gameplay, or so much volume in content. The best elements from the past games are here, and the new open-world gameplay adds more to love on top. When it comes to storytelling, there has never been a Metal Gear game that's so consistent in tone, daring in subject matter, and so captivating in presentation. The Phantom Pain may be a contender for one of the best action games ever made, but is undoubtedly the best Metal Gear game there is." [read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Fallout 4 -- 9/10
"Fallout 4 is an engrossing game that lures you in with mystery and the promise of adventure. Its wretched wasteland can be captivating, and you never know what odd person or settlement lies around the next bend. Fallout 4 uses its dark world as a canvas for exciting combat and gripping stories, and when you dig deeper into its post-nuclear-apocalypse version of Boston--defending yourself from violent scavengers and using your wits to climb social ladders--you become attached to the new you, and ultimately invested in the fate of your new world." [read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor -- 8/10
"This is a great game in its own right, narratively disjointed but mechanically sound, made up of excellent parts pieced together in excellent ways. I already knew what future lay in store for Middle-earth as I played Shadow of Mordor; I'm hoping that my own future might one day bring another Lord of the Rings adventure as stirring as this one." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Dragon Age: Inquisition -- 9/10
"Inquisition's characters and world recall the grand gestures of the original Dragon Age, even though the game as a whole is so structurally different to its predecessors. It offers the thrill of discovery and the passion of camaraderie. It features a glee club called The Sing-Quisition, and a dwarf with writer's block. It establishes connections with its world in big ways and small, with the sight of a titanous temple and the smirk of an Orlesian commander in love. Dragon Age: Inquisition is a wonderful game and a lengthy pilgrimage to a magical world with vital thematic ties to one we already know." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
NBA 2K17 -- 9/10
"Despite its few drawbacks, NBA 2K17's excitement for basketball is contagious, and it's hard not to get wrapped up in it. Apart from the lacking 2KU mode and stiff recreations of commentators, the rest of the game looks great and plays even better. After finally devoting a significant amount of time to one of these games, I now see why it's such a well-regarded series, and it makes me wish that every sport got the same treatment that basketball does in NBA 2K17." -- Mat Paget
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag -- 9/10
"There's an incredible scope to what you can do in Black Flag, with a level of harmony between its component parts that encourages you to try it all, and a story that keeps you invested throughout the whole thing. If there was ever any question that Assassin's Creed needed something ambitious to get the series back on track, Black Flag is that game and then some." [read the full review] -- Shaun McInnis
Until Dawn -- 8/10
"I didn't expect to have so much fun with Until Dawn, and the depth with which my choices mattered and affected the final outcome encouraged repeat playthroughs. The visuals can be wonky at times, but in the end Until Dawn succeeds in being a thoughtful use of familiar mechanics, a great achievement in player-driven narrative, and a horror game you shouldn't miss." [read the full review] -- Alexa Ray Corriea
The Last Guardian -- 9/10
"It isn't clear whether or not The Last Guardian means to be frustrating at times--if it's a concerted effort to test your patience for a lovable-yet-stubborn creature. Your affection for Trico and sympathy for both characters blossom nonetheless, culminating in an enrapturing series of revelations that cements your attachment to their personalities. Trico is the undeniable star of the show, exhibiting believable physicality and emotional range, but the boy is a valuable lesson in how to be patient and resilient when faced with unforeseen challenges. When the book closes on their story, it's hard not to open it up again and begin anew. The trials you overcome endear you to both characters, but the emotions Trico elicits make you want to give it another chance--to be the patient, effective partner it truly deserves." [read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Rocket League -- 9/10
"The joy of Rocket League rests on the countless plans that are conceived and discarded every other second in any given match. Trying to predict where and how the ball will bounce next is a game within the game. Despite the use of cars, Rocket League emulates the emotional surges typical of The Beautiful Game, such as the rush of an unexpected fast break or a well-timed header into a goal. With Rocket League, the promising concept of combining two wonderful things--cars and soccer--is equally magnificent in execution. You can't say the same thing about, say, combining cake and fruit to make fruitcake, as the comedian Jim Gaffigan observed." [read the full review] -- Miguel Concepcion
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice -- 8/10
"Hellblade's most notable achievement is the handling of an incredibly sensitive subject matter within an engaging and well-crafted action/adventure game. At its heart, the story is about Senua's struggle to come to terms with her illness. In the process, she learns to find the strength within herself to endure, and to make peace with her past. And in a profound and physical way, we go through those same struggles with her, and come away with a better understanding of a piece of something that many people in the world struggle with." [read the full review] -- Alessandro Fillari, Editor
MLB The Show 18 -- 9/10
"Sony's flagship baseball franchise has never been better. With its best-in-class controls and visuals, and impeccable attention to detail for the small stuff, MLB The Show 18 is worth catching for any baseball fan." [read the full review]
Horizon: Zero Dawn -- 9/10
"This is the first departure from the Killzone series for developer Guerrilla Games, and though you might think the team took a risk by stepping out of its FPS comfort zone to create a third-person open-world action game, you'd never know it was their first rodeo. For every minor imperfection, there's an element of greatness that recharges your desire to keep fighting and exploring Zero Dawn's beautiful and perilous world. Guerrilla Games has delivered one of the best open-world games of this generation, and redefined its team's reputation in the process." [read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Nier: Automata -- 9/10
"Thanks to Platinum Games' knack for riveting and gratifying combat, Automata is Yoko Taro's most exciting game to date. The combat mechanics click after hurdling a low learning curve, and the end result is a skillful dance where balletic dodges complement wushu-inspired aggression. Moreover, this multi-ending trip is generously peppered with surprises and revelations, as well as easter eggs that call back to the first game and the Drakengard series from which Nier spun off. It's a meaty, often exhilarating trek that showcases Platinum Games' and Yoko Taro's unique blend of genius." [read the full review] -- Miguel Concepcion
Persona 5 -- 9/10
"Within Persona 5 is a complex set of interconnected gameplay mechanics, and in almost every aspect Atlus has executed on its vision exceptionally, barring the pacing issues towards the end. At every turn, it presents something to marvel at, whether it's the fluid combat, vibrant world, or the many memorable characters. It's a game I could talk about for hours; I haven't mentioned the ability to connect to the Thieves Guild, which lets you see how other players spent their day or ask them for help answering questions at school. Or the thumping acid-jazz-infused soundtrack that I've not been able to get out of my head. Or even just the joy of seeing how it stylishly transitions between menus. But that encapsulates why Persona 5 is a game that shouldn't be missed. It's stuffed to bursting point with gameplay ideas and presentation flourishes--there's an overwhelming level of artistry in every part of Persona 5, making it a truly standout entry in the series. It's a refined, effortlessly stylish RPG that will be talked about for years to come." [read the full review] -- Lucy James, Video Producer
Unravel Two -- 8/10
"With its charming yarnlings and a newfound style of platforming, Unravel Two remains welcoming even at its most foreboding. Sure, a forest fire breaks out in one of the latter stages, but even then, the race to keep ahead of the blaze is fun and frantic instead of stressful. In almost every moment you're given ample time and space to breathe and take in the stunning photorealistic world from the viewpoint of the tiniest creatures. It's a game with boisterous birds, chases through meadows, and most importantly a cheerful partnership with a companion who's always got your back. With only six chapters that run roughly 30 minutes apiece, Unravel Two doesn't last long, but it's a game where the time you have is meaningful, memorable, and downright pleasant from beginning to end." -- Justin Clark
Madden NFL 18 -- 9/10
"Overall, Madden 18 marks an unusually large shakeup in a series that, due to its annualized releases, rarely features much more than small, iterative changes. The Frostbite engine allows the game to reach new levels of realism in its visuals, and EA has put a lot of effort into constantly evolving the game to keep it in line with real-world events. But it is the Longshot story mode that defines Madden 18. Some of Longshot is unnecessary spectacle, but its lasting value comes from the humanity that it brings to the game. The moments of vulnerability and sincerity between Devin Wade and Colt Cruise during the story are worthy of celebration and give the overall game a weight that Madden hasn't had before. And if that's not enough to entice you, it's also simply a terrific football game." [read the full review] -- Alex Newhouse
Far Cry 5 -- 9/10
"Despite some brief irritations and missed opportunities with its narrative, spending time in the world of Hope County remains absolutely delightful. Far Cry 5 boasts a wonderfully harmonious flow to its adventure, with its smart changes to exploration, discovery, and progression distinctly bolstering the enjoyment of creatively engaging and experimenting with its spectacular open world." [read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Senior Producer/Editor
Transistor -- 8/10
"Transistor is always a good-looking game, but in these instances, it demonstrates a rare knack for combining its visuals and music to powerfully convey both narrative information and tone, driving the story forward with Red's own unwavering resolve. So in the end, yes, Transistor is a fun action role-playing game with a neat combat system, but beautiful moments like these make it more than that. They make it a game with a soul." [read the full review] -- Carolyn Petit
Yakuza 0 -- 8/10
"Unless you have a strong aversion to violence, sex, or middling graphics, you owe it to yourself to give Zero a chance. Its story will surprise you, its inhabitants will make you laugh at every turn, and its ambitious scope will redefine how you think about open-world games. It's a fascinating adventure no matter how you approach it, and it's proof positive that a game can be wildly inconsistent yet remain a great experience." [read the full review]
Inside -- 8/10
"This is a beautiful, haunting, and memorable game, a worthy follow-up to Limbo. Its puzzles, although rarely difficult, are engaging complements to the story. The real achievement of this game, though, is the way that it crafts its narrative: detailed environments convey the bizarre world that you travel through; introspective moments are filled with minimalist sound design and just the barest touches of music; and the things you must do to complete your journey force you to confront the realities of humanity, freedom, and existence." [read the full review] -- Alex Newhouse
Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle -- 9/10
"Whether playing through the story mode alone or against hardened opponents online, Cross Tag Battle is an absolute joy with a surplus of possibilities within its wide roster and versatile fighting system. Even with all the ridiculousness of the overarching plot, I reveled in the charm of my favorite characters and embraced the many moments of fan service. It's a masterful unification of styles and mechanics from four different universes that compels you to dig deeper and dedicate the time to getting the most out of the beloved members of this cast." [Read the full review] -- Michael Higham, Associate Editor
By Matt Espineli on Jun 27, 2018 11:38 pm
The First Half's Finest
The first half of 2018 has been packed with tons of fantastic games. Much like last year, there are several well worth your time to play. Big-budget games, like God of War, Far Cry 5, and Dragon Ball FighterZ, floored us with their attention to detail and quality mechanics. On the other hand, smaller indie experiences continued to turn our heads; Iconoclasts and Celeste were some of the early standouts of this year, but a wealth of other unique experiences have released since then, like Yoku's Island Express and Minit. Around this time of year in 2017, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Nier: Automata, Persona 5, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard were some of the most fantastic experiences. However, this year seems to be meeting the high standard set by those games, and in a wide variety of genres. With so many games coming out every month, it can be tough keeping track of the best ones. To ensure you're aware of this year's finest, we've gathered them all here for your convenience. Ahead are games exemplary enough to be considered some of the best of this year so far. By the end of the year, a number of these could become candidates for 2018's Game of the Year awards. Which games do you think will be good enough to be included in our Game of the Year awards? Let us know in the comments below.
The Red Strings Club -- 9/10 (Platforms: PC)
"From the game's opening piano chords, The Red String Club's futuristic exploration of themes regarding human emotion, strong writing, and exciting situations create an experience that is deeply gratifying. The cast of relatable, three-dimensional characters elevate the stakes of every bullet fired, secret divulged and cocktail poured. They are flawed and dangerous, but also convey admirable human characteristics that feel inspirational. The Red Strings Club is a tense adventure about a cast of characters that endanger themselves for goals that aren't necessarily guaranteed, a rewarding journey into the human soul, and a game that pushes the limits of what a point-and-click adventure can do." [Read the full review] -- David Rayfield
Iconoclasts -- 9/10 (Platforms: PS4, Vita, PC)
"When Iconoclasts' end credits begin to roll, it's bittersweet to see the journey come to a close. After solving every puzzle and witnessing the finale of its poignant narrative, you can't help but reflect on the growth of its characters and your impact onto the world. The game will shock and surprise you with how gripping its story is, and it's likely to do so again in subsequent playthroughs of New Game+ with your expanded knowledge of character histories and events. Iconoclasts may be a callback to the style and mechanics of old-school games, but it's also a sincere and compelling adventure that anyone with respect for fantastic storytelling and 2D-action can enjoy." [Read the full review] -- Matt Espineli, Associate Editor
The Inpatient -- 8/10 (Platforms: PSVR)
"The Inpatient doesn't just do right by Until Dawn, but stands right alongside it as one of the strongest horror experiences on PlayStation 4. It's a game far less concerned with pushing you towards what's lurking down every corridor than feeding you the worst ideas of what could be." [Read the full review] -- Justin Clark
Celeste -- 9/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)
"It's a testament to convincing writing and ingenious design that after playing Celeste I felt like I'd been on the same journey as Madeline. Her struggle is one made easy to empathize with, her low points painful to watch, and her high notes exhilarating to experience. Her tale is delicately told and beautifully illustrated, confidently coalescing with the satisfying, empowering game it lies within. Not bad for a game about climbing a mountain." [Read the full review] -- Oscar Dayus, Staff Writer
Monster Hunter World -- 8/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One)
"Ever since the title was first announced last year, it was clear that Capcom was gunning for something grander than Monster Hunter Generations. It has succeeded, and this is likely the biggest and best that the franchise has ever been. It's not just the comparative depth of the narrative; it also boasts almost seamless integration between combat systems that were previously incomprehensible for amateurs. The Monster Hunter formula has definitely honed its claws, and all the above factors play their part in making Monster Hunter World a meaningful evolution for the series at large." [Read the full review] -- Ginny Woo
Subnautica -- 9/10 (Platforms: PC)
"Subnautica's story, scares, and beautifully rendered underwater setting make it one of the most fascinating survival games around. You will always have to grind away to a certain extent to gather necessary resources, but the overall experience is both accessible and refined. Subnautica may not make you eager to get back to the beach this summer, but right now there is no better virtual way to experience the beauty, and the terror, of the deep blue sea." [Read the full review] -- Brett Todd
Shadow of the Colossus -- 9/10 (Platforms: PS4)
"Shadow of the Colossus is a tremendous journey, and one well worth taking and retaking. The visual overhaul is stunning, thoroughly enhancing every facet of Wander and Agro's excellent adventure. Galloping through the tranquil world is always breathtaking; felling a monumental colossus is always humbling. Shadow of the Colossus is a beautiful reconstruction of an already exceptional title. It continues to be a modern classic and is an extraordinary game that everyone must experience." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Editor and Senior Producer
Dragon Ball FighterZ (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC)
"FighterZ is complex and distinct enough to be enjoyed by fighting game competitors, but there's no question that it's been designed to tap into the hearts of Dragon Ball's most dedicated fans, and no doubt those same qualities will win people over who've never given the series a chance. Where past games attempted to get there through huge character rosters and deliberately predictable trips down memory lane, FighterZ has bottled the essence of what makes the series' characters, animation, and sense of humor so beloved and reconfigured it into something new: a Dragon Ball fighting game that can go toe-to-toe with the best of the genre." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
EA Sports UFC 3 -- 8/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One)
"EA Sports UFC 3 is a tense, exciting, and dynamic recreation of the stand and bang aspect of mixed martial arts. There's a fluidity to the way it moves, and a satisfying feel and unpredictability to the way fights can unfold that demands your engagement. The grappling still needs plenty of work, and one would hope this is something EA Canada addresses in the next iteration; yet these shortcomings become easier to overlook because of the accomplishment of its redefined striking. When it comes to the art of combat, few sports titles do it better." [Read the full review] -- Richard Wakeling
Radiant Historia Perfect Chronology -- 8/10 (Platforms: 3DS)
"With all the time juggling, the brain-teasing mechanic of the White Chronicle doesn't overshadow Radiant Historia Perfect Chronology's story. Its politically charged tale complements Stocke's personal journey as he follows his orders and makes sense of his powers. The White Chronicles' close connection to the plot only makes temporal manipulation all the more engrossing, regardless if you're working your way to the game's best conclusion or hitting every node in the timeline. This feature maintains its grip for much of the game's 60-hour journey in spite of its combat shortcomings. Had this been a straight port of the DS version, it would still warrant the attention of RPG enthusiasts who missed Radiant Historia the first time around. With its upgrades and considerable bonuses--particularly the Sub-History--even those who think they got their fill by beating the original game should check out this definitive edition." [Read the full review] -- Miguel Concepcion
Kingdom Come: Deliverance -- 8/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC)
"Even with these issues in mind, anyone who can appreciate the down-and-dirty nature of history should play Kingdom Come: Deliverance. It's an impressive and unflinching look at the medieval era that transports you inside the compelling story of a real person caught in the middle of a civil war. As such, this is one of those rare, memorable games that stays with you long after you stop playing. While quirks and bugs can certainly be frustrating, none of these issues interfere much with the unique and captivating nature of the overall experience." [Read the full review] -- Brett Todd
Moss -- 8/10 (Platforms: PSVR)
"It's a testament to just how well Moss understands PlayStation VR and works with the device instead of trying to bend it to a will it was never designed for. Moss wouldn't feel right without it at all, and its many strengths are married to the interactions that only full immersion can manufacture. Unsurprisingly, then, Moss is easily one of PlayStation VR's best titles to date, even if it's a little too eager to get you in and out of its world." [Read the full review] -- Alessandro Barbosa
Into The Breach -- 9/10 (Platforms: PC)
"There is so much strategic joy in seeing the potential destruction a swarm of giant monsters is about to unleash on a city, then quickly staging and executing elaborate counter maneuvers to ruin the party. Into The Breach's focus on foresight makes its turn-based encounters an action-packed, risk-free puzzle, and the remarkable diversity of playstyles afforded by unique units keeps each new run interesting. It's a pleasure to see what kind of life-threatening predicaments await for you to creatively resolve in every new turn, every new battle, and every new campaign. Into The Breach is a pristine and pragmatic tactical gem with dynamic conflicts that will inspire you to jump back in again, and again, and again." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Editor and Senior Producer
Kirby: Star Allies -- 8/10 (Platforms: Switch)
"Star Allies is yet another Kirby game, but it's up there with some of the best. It's an artistic showcase, and a great opportunity for co-op platforming. The one real complaint you can levy at it is that it gates off its more challenging aspects, but the fact that they are present to begin with will please anyone who's grown weary of the series' painless platforming." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Surviving Mars -- 8/10 (Platforms: Xbox One, PC)
"Surviving Mars, above else, is about hope. So many strategy games hold to their gameplay, eschewing any overarching themes or messages. But, as corny as it sounds, for those who believe in the majesty of spaceflight, for those who are keen to marvel at how pernicious our plucky little species can be, Surviving Mars is SimCity with soul. It shows the challenges that come along with planetary migration, but it also shows that they are solvable. With the right planning, drive, and ingenuity, we can do great things together." [Read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Attack On Titan 2 -- 8/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch)
"Despite its slow start, Attack on Titan 2 offers exciting gameplay along with a deep and intriguing plot that, melodrama aside, tugs on the heart strings. It's well-paced and offers some impressive spaces to move through. The unique combination of the movement and combat mechanics combines with a gripping story to make Attack on Titan 2 one of the more surprising releases of the year." [Read the full review] -- James Swinbanks
Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kindgom -- 8/10 (Platforms: PS4, PC)
"Ni No Kuni 2 is a robust game that offers ample ways to spend your time, and even if they aren't all up to the same level of quality, it's easy to appreciate how they collectively contribute to the bigger picture. It's chock full of excellent battles and surprising moments that make for a far more memorable experience than you initially expect and leaves you impressed by your own accomplishments. If you didn't play the first game, don't let this one pass you by too." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
MLB The Show 18 -- 9/10 (Platforms: PS4)
"Sony's flagship baseball franchise has never been better. With its best-in-class controls and visuals, and impeccable attention to detail for the small stuff, MLB The Show 18 is worth catching for any baseball fan." [Read the full review] -- Eddie Makuch, Editor
Minit -- 8/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC)
"Minit's lives might only last 60 seconds, but its extremely well-thought-out world design and engrossing loop of progress make it a curse-filled adventure that is worth dying the world over for. Its throwback to classic visuals aren't done for aesthetic alone, as none of its gameplay systems scream antiquity. It's a slickly presented adventure that continually manages to surprise you with every new area you uncover or item you procure, pushing you to pick away at its seams to uncover every drop of what it has to offer. With a delightful ending and more promised after its first run of credits, Minit is far more than just a collection of seconds." [Read the full review] -- Alessandro Barbosa
Far Cry 5 -- 9/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC)
"Despite some brief irritations and missed opportunities with its narrative, spending time in the world of Hope County remains absolutely delightful. Far Cry 5 boasts a wonderfully harmonious flow to its adventure, with its smart changes to exploration, discovery, and progression distinctly bolstering the enjoyment of creatively engaging and experimenting with its spectacular open world." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Editor and Senior Producer
God of War -- 9/10 (Platforms: PS4)
"In many ways God of War is what the series has always been. It's a spectacular action game with epic set pieces, big-budget production values, and hard-hitting combat that grows more feverish and impressive as you progress. What may surprise you is how mature its storytelling has become. Like Kratos, God of War recalls the past while acknowledging the need to improve. Everything new it does is for the better, and everything it holds onto benefits as a result. Kratos is no longer a predictable brute. God of War is no longer an old-fashioned action series. With this reboot, it confidently walks a new path that will hopefully lead to more exciting adventures to come." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life -- 8/10 (Platforms: PS4)
"Yakuza 6 reins in its scope, but doubles down on what has made the series great. It's a unique and fascinating representation of the modern Japanese experience, worth playing even if you're a newcomer. The narrative is dramatic and sincere, and the game's endearing characters--coming from all walks of life--are interesting studies. The world is dense and rewarding to exist in, the dynamic combat system stays exciting even after you've kicked the crap out of five thousand enemies, and perhaps most importantly, Yakuza 6: The Song Of Life serves as a fulfilling conclusion to the turbulent, decade-long saga of its beloved icon, Kazuma Kiryu." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Editor and Senior Producer
The Alliance Alive -- 8/10 (Platforms: 3DS)
"There's a lot to love about The Alliance Alive: a well-paced story in an interesting world, a meaty mashup of unique combat elements, and a fantastic soundtrack that keeps you pumped and eager to explore. If you can put up with a bit of a learning curve, you'll find a great portable adventure well worth dusting off your 3DS for." [Read the full review] -- Heidi Kemps
Frostpunk -- 9/10 (Platforms: PC)
"Frostpunk is among the best overall takes on the survival city builder to date. Its theming and consistency create a powerful narrative through line that binds your actions around the struggle to hold onto humanity in uncertain times. Hope is a qualified good, but you may not always be strong enough (or clever enough) to shelter that flame from the cold." [Read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Total War: Thrones of Britannia -- 8/10 (Platforms: PC)
"Thrones of Britannia is an exciting experience despite the cuts to integral components of the Total War series, such as city planning hinging on military needs, specific building customization, and expanded intrigue options. But this has given Creative Assembly room to focus on enhancing parts of the strategy experience that aren't quite as impenetrable to newcomers, and to allow the series to return to some of the beloved parts of previous historical games to balance out its newer, slimmer form. While there are minor issues with AI, and pacing suffers when you've comfortably gotten the upper hand, this is still a worthy and engaging contribution to the Total War stable that has successfully taken its cues from history's winners and losers alike." [Read the full review] -- Ginny Woo
Battletech -- 8/10 (Platforms: PC)
"Battletech is a game that selfishly takes its time to be meticulous in every respect, and pushing through the density and idiosyncrasies of its many, slow-moving parts can be tough. But if you have the will to decipher it, albeit, at a deliberate and punishingly plodding pace, you can find yourself completely engrossed in its kinetic clashes. Battletech's intricate components ultimately foster a fascinating wealth of nuanced systems that build a uniquely strenuous, detailed, and thoroughly rewarding tactical strategy game." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Editor and Senior Producer
Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire -- 8/10 (Platforms: PC)
"Deadfire is dense, and it isn't a small game, easily dwarfing its predecessor in terms of scale. There's a lot to do, and it's easier than ever to get lost in the little stories you find, without following the arcs that the game has specially set out for you. Still, it's worth taking your time. The richness of Deadfire takes a while to appreciate, and like the brined sailors that call it home, you'll be left with an indelible attachment to these islands when you do finally step away." [Read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Far: Lone Sails -- 8/10 (Platforms: PC)
"Lone Sails is a transfixing, lovely experience, one that takes recurring indie game tropes and does something unique and fun with them. It's short enough that you could play through it in a single two or three-hour session, but it will likely stick with you for a long time. I can see myself going back in a few months just to revisit the ship, like checking in on an old friend." [Read the full review] -- James O'Connor
Yoku's Island Express -- 8/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch)
"Yoku's Island Express takes two unlikely genres and combines them into one playful, natural experience. The game's audio and visual design is simply joyous and the large game world seamlessly combines its pinball puzzles with some brilliant level designs. While traversing the large map does get frustrating at times, Yoku's Island Express' main quest never drags, and with its slate of fun abilities, quirky supporting characters and a generous amount of optional content, Yoku's Island Express is a unique journey that's refreshing and just straight up fun." [Read the full review] -- Alexander Pan
BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle -- 9/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Switch)
"Whether playing through the story mode alone or against hardened opponents online, Cross Tag Battle is an absolute joy with a surplus of possibilities within its wide roster and versatile fighting system. Even with all the ridiculousness of the overarching plot, I reveled in the charm of my favorite characters and embraced the many moments of fan service. It's a masterful unification of styles and mechanics from four different universes that compels you to dig deeper and dedicate the time to getting the most out of the beloved members of this cast." [Read the full review] -- Michael Higham, Associate Editor
Onrush -- 9/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC)
"When it comes to crumpling metal and high speed thrills, not all of Onrush's game modes are on equal footing in terms of consistent excitement. Yet its foundations are so strong, and so unique, that it's easy to lose hours upon hours barreling around these disparate tracks. The question of longevity will, of course, depend on post-release support, with new classes, game modes, and tracks potentially on the horizon. Considering you need 12 players to fill a full room, it would be a shame if Onrush doesn't find the kind of audience that will give it the lifespan it deserves. Part of this will depend on how Codemasters iterates on the game from here on out, but they've shown a proficiency in knowing how arcade racing games click, and Onrush is such a bold, refreshing twist on the genre that there should be little hesitation in putting your faith in them to succeed." [Read the full review] -- Richard Wakeling
Unravel Two -- 8/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC)
"With its charming yarnlings and a newfound style of platforming, Unravel Two remains welcoming even at its most foreboding. Sure, a forest fire breaks out in one of the latter stages, but even then, the race to keep ahead of the blaze is fun and frantic instead of stressful. In almost every moment you're given ample time and space to breathe and take in the stunning photorealistic world from the viewpoint of the tiniest creatures. It's a game with boisterous birds, chases through meadows, and most importantly a cheerful partnership with a companion who's always got your back. With only six chapters that run roughly 30 minutes apiece, Unravel Two doesn't last long, but it's a game where the time you have is meaningful, memorable, and downright pleasant from beginning to end." [Read the full review] -- Justin Clark
The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit -- 8/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC)
"Life is Strange gained a huge cult following, and whether you're a veteran or a newcomer, Captain Spirit captures a lot of the original game's appeal. Regardless of how you classify The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit--whether it's a standalone adventure, a demo, or a prologue--it's a beautiful game, and one that leaves you all the more excited about Life is Strange 2." [Read the full review] -- James O'Connor
By Alessandro Fillari on Jun 27, 2018 10:25 pm
The underdogs of E3 2018
E3 2018 was loaded with some fantastic games that immediately captured the attention of many. Whether it was CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077, EA's blowout of Anthem and Battlefield V content, Sony's impressive demos for Ghost of Tsushima and Spider-Man, or the reveal of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's massive roster--there was definitely a lot to take in, leaving little room to properly digest some of the more lesser-known games. We at GameSpot explored the E3 show floor and its surrounding events, playing a number of different games coming to PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. In this gallery, we've compiled a list of some of the most interesting games from E3 2018 that didn't get enough attention, many of which are releasing sooner than you think. In addition to experiencing the likes of Annapurna Interactive's Ashen and Donut County, Avalanche Studios' Generation Zero, and the recently announced Killer Queen Black for Switch at E3 convention center, we also saw many games from the Indie Mix event. At these smaller events, many indie developers, like Double Fine Entertainment and Team17, show off their upcoming games. In many cases, all you need to stand out is a creative idea and the skillset to see it through, and these games made their presence known alongside the most talked-about games of E3 2018. While many of these games possess that familiar indie charm, they each have their own particular hook to them. Some focus on quirky adventures that have retro-inspired aesthetics and gameplay, while others go for a more somber or action-oriented experience. Here are 21 games you may have missed out on during the gaming industry's big show. For more info on some of the most noteworthy games of E3 2018, be sure to visit GameSpot's E3 hub page for all of our content on this year's show and to see what's coming up next in gaming.
Ashen (PC, Xbox One)
After playing through From Software's Soulsborne titles, I developed an incessant itch for more video games that promise challenging combat and use a stamina system to weigh the risks of attacking or defending. Ashen is just the scratch I needed. In Ashen, players take on the role of a faceless warrior who's looking for a home but finds death instead. Dying isn't the end, though, as this hero is resurrected each time they're killed. Good thing too, because you'll face off against some fierce enemies and challenging bosses on your journey. The second-to-last boss crushed me almost immediately on my first attempt. I got him to half health in a follow-up fight that lasted nearly 10 minutes before he killed me again. Ashen's story is focused on forging connections, both with NPCs and other players. Plenty of NPC humans dot the snaking map, each offering opportunities to pursue either professional or personal relationships. Several of these characters come with their own fascinating questlines, too. Players can also enter others' games, but it's always to assist, not to invade. Certain areas of Ashen's world can only be reached with a companion, so jolly cooperation is vital to discovering every hidden secret. | Jordan Ramee
Arca's Path (PC, and PS4)
There is a definite gap in the market for relaxing video games. There are some, of course--Rymdkapsel, Journey, and Monument Valley are three that come to mind for me--but they're still few and far between. Arca's Path aims to change that; it's a VR-only pseudo-platformer, and the main emotion it evoked inside me was pure relaxation. No controller is used in Arca's Path outside of your own head; you simply stare at where you want your ball to roll to, and it moves in that direction. Simple obstacles such as ramps and narrow gaps stand in your way, but they're there more for visual variety than for any meaningful challenge. A zen soundtrack and beautiful shapes and colors make this slow-paced game as soothing as it is attractive, and I look forward to playing more. No release date has yet been announced, but we know it's coming to PSVR, Oculus Rift, and Steam VR. | Oscar Dayus
Donut County (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
Donut County is a solo project from developer Ben Esposito, who worked on What Remains of Edith Finch and The Unfinished Swan. It has a different tone from some of his previous work--Donut County is full of smartly used internet humor and stars a cheeky, morally gray raccoon whose favorite app wreaks havoc on a town. Thanks to this app, you're able to control a hole in the ground that grows as you get more to fall inside of it. You start small with grass and pebbles and work your way up to cars, buildings, and even mountains, all while solving puzzles so you can get everything in the area into the hole. Each level shows how different objects or characters ended up underground, and they're broken up by funny scenes of those characters arguing about the events in the present. Playing as a hole sounds really silly, but in practice it's meditative and relaxing. It's essentially a game about cleaning up a bunch of garbage, at least from a gameplay standpoint, but thematically it's about consequence and becoming aware of how your actions affect other people. I played an hour of the Donut County at E3, and I can't wait to play it all the way through and see how everything comes together. | Kallie Plagge
The Endless Mission (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
Developer E-Line Media entered the public eye with Never Alone, a contemplative puzzle-platformer inspired by Alaska Native culture. The studio's latest project, however, is something radically different. The Endless Mission is a sandbox creation game that bears more similarities to Media Molecule's enigmatic Dreams than to E-Line's previous effort, and its ambitious premise makes it one of the most intriguing games we got to see at E3. Broadly speaking, The Endless Mission allows players to mash together elements of different genres to create new experiences. For instance, players can take the avatar from a 3D platformer and insert it into a racing game, then use that avatar to race on foot against the other vehicles. What's especially neat is that combining these disparate elements will cause other aspects of the game to change accordingly, so that regardless of which elements and genres you mash up, the game will still be playable. In the aforementioned example, adding an avatar to a racing game causes boxcars to appear around the course, which players can hop between to reach the finish line. That's only one of the possible combinations afforded by The Endless Mission. The game puts a suite of different genres, elements, and other tools at players' disposal, with even more planned for the title as development progresses. Those who are so inclined will even be able to tinker with the code, although no coding experience is necessary to make use of its tools. The Endless Mission enters Early Access on Steam this fall, with a full release planned for next year. | Kevin Knezevic
Generation Zero (PC, Xbox One)
Avalanche Studios' Generation Zero wants you to feel outmatched and equally unnerved in its large open world. Set in an isolated region in rural Sweden during the late 1980s, you find many of the residents dead or missing, and the only things left are swarms of killer robots that lurk in the dense forests and fog. In this open-world survival game set during the early period of the robopocalypse, you and your group of survivors will have to scrape together resources from buildings and fallen enemies in order to stand a chance against the machines in the area. The many items you'll find include weapons, clothing options, support items, and even scavenged robot parts that can boost your weapons' effectiveness. You'll initially encounter small runner bots, but over time, your group will come across bigger threats lurking throughout the world--which includes giant robot walkers that stand several stories tall. While you can play solo, the developers recommended playing through the game with friends, as many of the high-end challenges look to be quite overwhelming. Coming to PC, PS4, and Xbox One in 2019, Generation Zero seems to be an open-world survival game of a different flavor, focusing more on mystery and the errieness of its setting, which is definitely a welcome change of pace. With an atmosphere that recalls moments from Black Mirror's Metal Head episode, exploring what's left of the land will be just as challenging as trying to survive in it. | Alessandro Fillari
GTFO (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
GTFO handles a lot like Rainbow Six Siege, albeit with a horrifying twist. Each member of the squad outfits themselves with both a primary and secondary firearm, as well as a custom tool and melee weapon. Then, the elevator drops your team off at the mission location, where you can practically feel the tension in the air. It's really dark and eerily quiet, except for the occasional gurgle reminding your squad that they're not alone. GTFO never holds your hand as you and your team desperately try to escape its monster-infested corridors. The creatures hunt by sound, so running and gunning is a terrible idea. To keep the horde off your back, you'll have to be stealthy. You'll still die a lot, though. Both health and ammo are incredibly scarce, and mistakes are swiftly punished. The custom tools, ranging from explosive trip wires to a glue gun that can slow down enemies or plug breached doors, offer plenty of creative ways of handling the threats in front of you, but solid teamwork is ultimately the best weapon in your arsenal. Be sure to grab three friends you can trust. | Jordan Ramee
Indivisible (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
The next project from the studio behind Skullgirls is shaping up to be a lovely new take on the classic Metroidvania genre. Titled Indivisible, the game follows the story of Ajna. She and her father live just outside a quiet little town, but when mysterious powers awaken within her, she must embark on a journey to discover the truth behind them. Indivisible combines Metroid-style exploration with the combat system of cult classic RPG Valkyrie Profile. The combination sounds simple on paper, but Lab Zero Games tackles the formula with skill and finesse. Battles sport the nuance and complexity of a fighting game; each character in your party features their own unique attack and abilities, which you need to control quickly and efficiently. During my brief hands-on time with the game, it was a lot to take in. But when I got a knack for how to input and link together combos, I was instantly enamored by the possibilities. Before I played Indivisible, I had my eyes on it mostly because of its beautiful art style. But now that I've played it, I'm very excited to jump back in to explore its world and unlock the full potential of the devastating attack chains packed into its combat system. | Matt Espineli
KIDS (Mobile, PC)
Discussion of "games as art" has become trite to the point of comedy, but clearly some games are more overtly reminiscent of other art forms than others. KIDS, from Swiss developer Playables, wears its arthouse minimalism on its sleeve. The monochromatic palette is striking, consisting of white silhouettes with black outlines on a white background. Interactivity is relatively subtle and minimalist as well. In one vignette, touching one of the figures may make them move. In another, it could make them point their finger at another anonymous figure. It feels like KIDS would be at home in as an interactive piece in a gallery space. The simple mechanics are used to illustrate different group dynamics: following a leader, shifting blame, being part of a mob. Every vignette shown so far ends the same way: the group plunges itself, lemming-like, into a pit. A mobile release promises a tactile feeling to manipulating the mannequins, but the point comes across well enough on PC as well. This is bound to be the sort of game that inspires debate over "games versus experiences," given its linear interactivity and lack of a fail-state. Whatever it is, KIDS invites exploration and curiosity. | Steve Watts
Killer Queen Black (Switch)
Beneath its retro-style visuals and deceptively simple premise, Killer Queen Black is an intense and fast-paced game of strategy and coordination. A remake of the Killer Queen arcade game, Black has undergone a few notable changes in its move to Switch and PC, particularly in the number of players it supports (4v4 rather than 5v5 as in the arcade), but the competitive essence of the original remains very much intact. Each contest in Killer Queen Black pits the two teams against each other with three ways to win. You can either collect enough orbs to fill up your team's hive, eliminate the opposing team's queen three times, or ride the snail that's slowly crawling along the bottom of the arena from one end of the screen to the other to secure a victory. On paper, each of the victory conditions sounds simple enough to complete, but it's much more difficult in practice with both teams vying to achieve the same goals. As such, success in Killer Queen Black hinges upon planning and coordination between the entire team. For example, two players can act as decoys, collecting orbs while another tries to stealthily ride the snail to victory. Alternatively, players can take a more offensive approach and focus on eliminating the opposing queen, although that leaves open the possibility the other team could fill up their hive. With both local and online multiplayer support, Killer Queen Black looks like it'll make for a hectic party game when it releases early next year. | Kevin Knezevic
Knights And Bikes (PC)
Whether played solo or co-op, Knights and Bikes puts players in the role of two pre-teen girls, Nessa and Demelza, who are adventuring across a British isle during the 1980s. The only town on the island has seen better days, but the girls don't notice until the economic downturn begins to affect Nessa's family. They'll need to be brave to save the town. They'll need bikes too. Every aspect of this Secret of Mana-like RPG, from the gameplay to the story, is seen through the eyes of two adorable kids. Nessa splashes muddy puddles with a malicious glee, reimagining her rain boots as powerful weapons that send troublesome enemies scurrying away. Demelza attaches real value to the pieces of trash, squirming bugs, and random knick knacks she and Nessa collect, so she's very confused as to why the shopkeeper would prefer actual money when the girls try to buy a new bike. I love how Knights and Bikes does such a phenomenal job at capturing what it's like to be a kid who's dealing with the injustices encountered while growing up. Although both Nessa and Demelza initially face their ever-more adult situation with ingenuity and wide-eyed-wonder, I immediately recognized the slow creep of reality beginning to warp their childlike innocence. It's a bittersweet part of life that all adults can remember to some extent. | Jordan Ramee
Ninjala (Switch)
Coming to Nintendo Switch, this game is going to find an audience with the same crowd that was enraptured by the colorful aesthetic of Splatoon 2. Ninjala is a goofy multiplayer-focused arena brawler where bubble gum-chewing ninjas fight it out in the streets of Tokyo with baseball bats. It's bizarre, hectic, absolutely absurd, and insanely fun. Players choose one of eight different teenage ninjas, grab their weapon of choice, and head into the arena. Only the baseball bat was available when I played, but GungHo Online Entertainment promises a few of the other greyed-out options will be added by launch. In the eight-person Battle Royale mode, players blow up the bubble gum they're chewing to various sizes before utilizing it to run up walls or float to the ground. Players need to reach inside the bubbles they blow to acquire their weapon. Doing so pops the bubble. The weapon's size depends on how large the bubble was before it popped. Players score points by attacking others and can earn extra points by charging up and delivering a massive knockout strike. Regardless of whether the attack connects or not, once you swing, your weapon is lost and you'll need to blow another bubble to get a replacement. To keep enemy ninjas from escaping while charging your attack, you can spit out your bubble gum to temporarily trap other players where they stand. Matches end in just a few minutes so it's easy to just jump into one more round. | Jordan Ramee
Ooblets (PC, Xbox One)
While Harvest Moon has continued ever-onward and Story of Seasons was a valiant attempt to rekindle the magic, it was Stardew Valley that really showcased the modern viability of the candy-coated farming life sim. Enter Ooblets, an adorable entry in the newly revitalized genre that blends in elements of Pokemon for good measure. It's an altogether sweet and endearing combination that will be hard to pass up. While the loop of a farming sim is mercantile--buying seeds to sell crops to buy more seeds--Ooblets brings your plants to life as tiny companions with their own strengths and weaknesses. Other plant types make nourishment or special items for your fledgling creatures, and you can take them into battle. But this game is cute as a button in every aspect, so combat is handled through a dance competition. All of this is wrapped up in a charming art style and with cheeky writing. Ooblets is due on PC and Xbox One this year, and it's going to be a real life-eater--especially if it ever comes to Nintendo Switch. | Steve Watts
Pode (Switch)
Pode is a beautiful, soothing, adorable puzzle game about a rock helping an alien star find its way home. You can control both characters at once in single-player or play the whole game in co-op, helping the two characters interact in order to make your way through the gorgeous world. "Pode" in Norwegian refers to the act of two plants joining together to become one; it's also a cute word used by Norwegian families when talking to or about their children. The two meanings tell you everything you need to know about this game's wholesome nature. It also contains an exquisite soundtrack from Journey and Assassin's Creed Syndicate composer Austin Wintory. From what I played, Pode is shaping up to be a gorgeous and heartfelt experience, and I can't wait to play the full game on Nintendo Switch. | Oscar Dayus
Satisfactory (PC)
The next game from the creators of Goat Simulator is nothing like that wacky, over-the-top game. You play as an engineer who goes out into the world to find resources to create "Project Assembly," which is a machine with a "mysterious purpose." Satisfactory is a factory-building simulator presented from a first-person perspective, which is different in the building sim genre. The game bears visual similarities to No Man's Sky, but there is no procedural generation. There is just one big, big planet that is 30 square kilometers, and there is also multiplayer support and combat as well, which is new and unexpected for the building sim space. It's cool and exciting to see developers known for one thing do something completely unexpected. The game will launch with an alpha period, though no dates or details have been announced yet. | Eddie Makuch
Shadows: Awakening (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
At first glance, Shadows: Awakening can look like a traditional isometric single-player RPG, but it has some incredibly interesting gameplay dynamics that take it to the next level. You play as a demon who takes control of the souls of long-dead heroes. While you command those heroes to explore and battle in the land of the living, your demon who possesses them lives in the shadow world--you can instantly switch between the two parallel universes, something that's necessary to win certain battles, solve puzzles, and get the best loot. Shadows: Awakening takes a lot of the fun and appeal of multiplayer online battle arena games and brings it to a single-player, story-driven RPG with real-time party combat. There are tons of characters to play, more than 120 skills with which to customize your party's abilities, and 70 locations to explore. The developers say they want to inspire adventure, encouraging players to explore both the land of the living and the shadow realm (and using the two together) to find the best loot and discover the secrets of the world they've created. It's an exciting prospect to see a party-based RPG of this scale with real-time combat, all in a single-player experience. | Patrick Faller
Strange Brigade (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
Strange Brigade is a co-op third-person shooter from Sniper Elite developer Rebellion. Set in 1930s Egypt, it has you raiding tombs and mowing down supernatural creatures--ghouls, zombies, and more gruesome monsters--using both standard-issue guns and an array of more inventive abilities. Slain enemies drop blue soul-like orbs that you collect to power your magical amulet, which can be equipped with deadly flamethrower and electricity powers. There's also numerous traps to trigger, such as spinning blades and spike pits, to aid you in your fight. Strange Brigade lacks the polish of a AAA title, but there's something satisfying about being able to fry a dozen enemies in one go, and the game's bright, vaguely steampunky aesthetic and irreverent script help it stand out. It's coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC on August 28, and I can't wait to see more. | Oscar Dayus
Transference (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
Transference is a new game from Lord of the Rings actor Elijah Wood's film company SpectreVision and Assassin's Creed publisher Ubisoft. A deeply unsettling game made for VR (but also playable on standard platforms), Transference tells the story of a father who uploads his consciousness and that of his wife and son to the cloud. Something goes wrong and the data gets corrupted. Things get weird from there. The game lets you play from each family member's perspective. What's most interesting is that you might start the game questioning one of the character's motivations and mindset, but when you play as the others, you begin to feel empathy for their situation. And this messes with your head in some surprising ways. Transference launches this fall for VR platforms, as well as Xbox One, PS4, and PC. | Eddie Makuch
Tunic (PC, Xbox One)
Tunic's appearance during Microsoft's Xbox press conference at E3 2018 tells you everything you need to know about this adorable adventure game. In a beautiful isometric world that evokes the best of The Legend of Zelda, you control a courageous fox on a grand adventure. I was immediately drawn in by Tunic's astoundingly cute art style and graphics, not to mention its nostalgia-inducing soundtrack. But after playing it, I feel confident that it's going to deliver on the gameplay front as well. Tunic feels like classic Zelda, with a touch of things more modern, like the maneuverability of Hyper Light Drifter and the playfulness of Fez. Just look at the cryptic, unreadable text in the E3 trailer--whatever language that is, it's present within the game as well, and it makes actions as simple as picking up a sword feel fun and mysterious. In development by Andrew Shouldice and presented by Finji, Tunic is set for an exclusive release on Xbox One and Windows PC. And it's one I can't wait to check out again. | Mike Rougeau
What The Golf? (PC)
Right from the beginning, you discover that What The Golf? isn't really about playing golf. In the opening level, where you line up a putt on the green, the character--not the ball--is immediately flung from their shooting position towards the goal. You move onto the next stage right after. Referred to as an "anti-golf game for people who hate golf" by its developers, What The Golf? is a bizarre yet oddly endearing take on the idea of golf, but heavily recontextualized throughout stages that take a very loose and sometimes very literal approach to what golfing is. What The Golf? is, as strange as this sounds, a puzzle-golf game designed through the whimsical and stylized lense of Katamari Damacy. Whether driving a golf club down the fairway, guiding a soccer ball past a group of rowdy kids, or even relocating an entire house to another space, your goal is to simply get the object to the goal post. In stranger cases, you're controlling a mound of dirt and transporting it into a large hole in the shape of the number one--a literal hole in one--or controlling a character in a platforming game. And just when you think it couldn't get any weirder, it tosses in stages parodying other games like Super Mario Bros., Portal, and even Superhot--complete with time-bending gunplay. Playing What The Golf? had me repeatedly scratching my head, but always in a good way. The stranger it got, the more I respected how far it went with its weirdness. Expected to release later this year on PC, this quirky and always bizarre puzzle-golfing game never ceased to surprise me with just how far off the deep end it went. | Alessandro Fillari
Where Cards Fall (Mobile, PC)
Where Cards Fall is an isometric puzzler that takes its title both figuratively and literally. The game ostensibly revolves around manipulating and resizing stacks of cards to create platforms that can be traversed, but beneath the surface, it tells the coming-of-age story of a high schooler coping with the pressures and uncertainty of adolescence. While the aforementioned cards are primarily used to navigate through the game's levels, they aren't simply a means of solving puzzles; they also form the buildings that in-game characters live in. Splay a stack out long enough and it'll pop up into a house that you can enter. We only got a glimpse of this in our brief hands-on time with the game, but it's a novel concept that is expanded upon as players create different types of buildings and interact with their occupants. The underlying gameplay in Where Cards Fall is also clever and satisfying. It begins simply enough, tasking you with moving a stack and expanding it until it's large enough to allow you to cross a gap, but it quickly introduces additional stacks that you must expand, jump on, and rearrange as you work your way through a level. Where Cards Fall doesn't yet have a release date, but the game is coming to iOS devices, PC via Steam, and Apple TV. | Kevin Knezevic
World War Z (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
Licensed video games might not be as popular or as prevalent as they once were, but Saber Interactive's zombie game based on the Brad Pitt movie World War Z looks promising. The four-player co-op game is set in the universe of the film but does not follow the film's story. Instead, it tells an entirely new narrative featuring four survivors who must band together to survive waves of zombies in a variety of environments, including the New York City train line and lush jungles. I played a 20-minute demo of one of the chapters and found the shooting tight and responsive. Additionally, the brutal melee attacks--I had a firefighter's axe--are a good way to clear out zombies when you get surrounded. And it feels satisfying. World War Z is due out in early 2019 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. | Eddie Makuch
By GameSpot Staff on Jun 27, 2018 10:24 pm
Circa 2008
Though the year in gaming in 2007 was a tough act to follow, we all still have fond gaming memories from 2008. It was packed with a wealth of high-profile sequels to some of the biggest franchises, including Grand Theft Auto, Fallout, and Metal Gear Solid. In addition, there were notable debuts from unexpected gems, like the EA-produced big-budget survival game Dead Space and indie darling Braid, which each proved influential in a variety of ways. Many of the games in 2008 continued to push the boundaries of gaming, offering experiences that were substantial and memorable in their own right. The GameSpot staff is taking a personal look back at some of the more notable games of 2008, and the impact they've had in the ten years since their respective releases. While some of these games became the stepping-stones for something greater--and others have since fallen into obscurity--the impression they left on us is undeniable, and are worth recognition for their tenth anniversary. Here's a selection of games--in order of their respective releases--that made 2008 a year to remember for us. And if you want to see the biggest games that turned 10 last year, be sure to check out our feature covering the biggest games that turned 10 in 2007.
Burnout Paradise (January 22, 2008)
Vehicular free-roaming games had existed long before 2008, but none had so eloquently blended urban racing with automotive slaughter like Burnout Paradise. In a time when quest-loaded open-world adventures on consoles were about to hit their stride, Burnout Paradise was a rare 40-hour non-RPG that warranted the time and attention of completionists like myself. Today's racing market--dominated by Need for Speed, Forza, and Codemasters games--skew toward realistic car performance regardless if you prefer arcade or sim controls. Upon firing up Burnout Paradise today, I'm reminded of how its car handling has more in common with Sega arcade games of yore than with more recent racers--titles that are tied to their respective franchise goals of realism and authenticity. Burnout Paradise never had to worry about that, especially when your audience expects quarter-mile-long leaps over cliffs and destructive car chases that can stretch halfway around its 26 square-mile map. The game's density of goals ensures that the moment you tick off a mission box, you're just blocks away from starting another. The next quest might even come to you, whether a high-value target happens to drive by or someone challenges you to an online match. And the fact that the online servers are still up--rare for a 10-year-old racing game--is a testament to its following and resiliency. Much larger drivable worlds have sprouted up in the last ten years, but none have managed to replicate the happy and balanced marriage of speed and ruination quite like Burnout Paradise, much to the dismay of fans who long for a successor. -- Miguel Concepcion
No More Heroes (JPN December 6 2007; US January 22, 2008)
Killer7 on GameCube was the beginning of a continued fascination with the Goichi Suda (Suda 51) for me, but No More Heroes was the game that sparked that interest and set it aflame. It struck at a high point for Wii software; Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3 were still fresh in our minds. But No More Heroes stood out because of how abrasively different and boisterous it was, at least on the surface level. Protagonist Travis Touchdown had a raucously ambivalent attitude and an unhealthy obsession with anime girls, and he set out on adventures that were entirely self-serving, involving copious amounts of slaughter and blood. Suda and Grasshopper Manufacture seemed like they were purposefully going out of their way to be lewd on a characteristically family-friendly console. You had to take a dump on the toilet to save your game. You needed to shake your controller vigorously, and suggestively, to charge your beam katana. Double entendres and bad words were doled out like free candy. It was easy to see all that and dismiss No More Heroes as straight-up crass. And though its combat and the open world had some great ideas, they were admittedly repetitive and bland in the long run, which might not have helped its broader perception. But once you looked just past the facade, there was something extraordinary about No More Heroes. The game's attitude housed unique twists that satirised and denounced conventional storytelling structures, and the whole nature of video games and geek culture in general. At the time, I found it completely fascinating. Ten years later, there's a laundry list of things that don't fly as well. And though No More Heroes 2 was great, the rest of Grasshopper's output has mostly missed the mark, especially as our culture and video games have developed. But No More Heroes is still a defining moment for games in my eyes, so I'm hoping that the return of No More Heroes for Switch, Travis Strikes Back, will use its intriguing game-within-a-game setting to positively revitalize its satirical spirit. -- Edmond Tran
Rez HD (January 30, 2008)
When Rez debuted on Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade as Rez HD, I was vaguely aware of it--the Dreamcast version never launched in the US, but reading about the Trance Vibrator accessory as a young teen ensured I'd never completely forget the game it accompanied. Early 2008 was still a time where any new XBLA release was an obligatory purchase, and so I somewhat blindly picked up what would go on to become one of my all-time favorite games. My immediate impressions were underwhelming--sure, it had an interesting look and some stellar music, but the basic gameplay conceit of highlighting enemies and launching attacks seemed exceedingly simple. As the minutes went by, I cranked up the volume higher and higher and noticed how the music was morphing based on how I was playing. Stats presented at the end of a stage detailing the percentage of enemies or power-ups I was able to collect tapped into my competitive side. By Area 4--home to one of the greatest songs in any video game--the level of intensity and synesthesia-esque sensation provided one of the truly memorable experiences I've ever had with a game. The ensuing spiritual successor, Child of Eden, offered this to some extent, but it couldn't totally recreate what made Rez special. I found myself returning to Rez HD even years later, believing it to be too niche to ever receive any remaster treatment. Cut to almost a decade later, and Rez Infinite shows up to leverage not only modern graphical technology, but also add a VR mode (which justified a PSVR for me) and a new stage (Area X) that provided a greater level of freedom. Now, a full decade-plus later, I still routinely take the game for a spin, and although I dispatch many of its enemies through sheer memorization, it remains quite unlike anything else. -- Chris Pereira
Devil May Cry 4 (February 5, 2008)
Capcom's popular Devil May Cry series is in a class of its own when it comes to delivering fast-paced action and thrills. As an admirer of the series since the first, I've always had a soft spot for the devil-hunting mercenary Dante and his crazy antics. As the Street Fighter of the action genre, DMC is a spectacle to behold in the hands of a skilled player. And while I was never one of those players who was able to juggle multiple enemies at once and execute style switches in rapid fashion, I still found enjoyment from watching other players make magic happen. The DMC community found a lot to love in Devil May Cry 4, and watching what the top players posted online was just as fun as playing the game itself. When Devil May Cry 4 was announced, Capcom showed brief footage of the game's new main character, Nero, a younger and more gung-ho brawler with a demonic arm that could yank enemies from afar. While I wasn't so keen on this new guy at first, I grew to love his style after getting my hands on him, and he ended up complementing Dante's class-based mechanics. While the community, and its connectedness, came into its own with the fourth game, this particular title was also a bit of a letdown compared to the prequel DMC3. The game featured far more backtracking, and less overall content compared to previous games, which made it the most repetitive of the series. Having said that, DMC4's combat mechanics are incredibly responsive and refined, offering the best action of the series. Not long after, the community went into meltdown when Ninja Theory's DmC: Devil May Cry reboot was announced--and despite the odds, it ended up being one of the strongest games of the series. Still, the fans kept DMC4 alive and well over the last ten years, and even showed the same enthusiasm for the recent Special Edition release. I'd often revisit the game over the years, and while its blemishes are still noticeable, I can't help but smile at all the cheesy bits and pump my fist when I pull off a slick combo. It's been a while since OG Dante's last outing, and with the rumors of DMC5 happening, now seems like a good time for the devil-hunter and his protege Nero to move on and experience something new. -- Alessandro Fillari
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (JPN January 31, 2008/US March 9, 2008)
Since the debut of Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64, I've become hooked on the franchise. Smash Bros. Melee was my favorite game in the series--and one took over my college life. My friends and I would play the game for hours on end, even skipping classes, just so we could get another match in. When Smash Bros. Brawl was first announced for Wii, I knew I was going to pick it up. As the roster was being revealed, I became more and more excited to get my hands on it. This was going to be the largest Smash roster to date with 35 characters, and the idea of playing as Snake, Sonic, Wolf, or even the Pokemon Trainer had me giddy with excitement. Once the game came out, however, my reaction wasn't quite as positive towards the changes made. The characters felt a bit "floatier" and as such didn't feel as fluid as Melee did. The game also introduced a tripping mechanic that I felt took away the competitive feel that Melee had established. As time went on, I did change my tune as I grew to enjoy the game more for what it was. While the new mechanics weren't necessarily to my liking, the game at its core was still undeniably fun, and I've come to appreciate the game for its distinct style and charm. -- Gajan Kulasingham
Valkyria Chronicles (April 24, 2008)
Console tactical strategy games, specifically those with settings grounded in reality, have a special place in my heart. The same could also be said of that part of the mid-'00s Sega that was killing it with new franchises: Yakuza, Bayonetta, and Valkyria. Valkyria Chronicles, the brainchild of the directors behind the Sakura Wars tactics series and the celebrated RPG Skies of Arcadia, remains a beautiful debut. Its seemingly timeless art style, a superb execution of cel-shaded polygons to evoke pencil-drawings and watercolors, is still gorgeous. The setting, a somber, anime-influenced take on Europe during the early stages of World War II, still feels distinct. It tells a sincere story with relatable characters about citizens forced into war to protect their homeland. And its strategic combat system, which mixes top-down, turn-based strategy with third-person, real-time action, is still unique, robust, and satisfying to use. Its sequels, while competent, never quite lived up to the original for me. The PSP failed to capture the beauty of the visuals, the strategy system felt like it was getting unnecessarily complex, and the stories they told started to get too ambitious and unrelatable for me. Every time I played a new Valkyria Chronicles game, I would inevitably hit a point where I would go back and start another run of the original. Valkyria Chronicles was remastered for PS4 and PC recently, and it's very much a game that has held up after ten years. It's the only game worth playing or revisiting in anticipation for Valkyria Chronicles 4, due for release in 2018. The upcoming sequel is set in the same timeframe as the original game, so here's hoping Sega remembers what made the first game so special. -- Edmond Tran
Grand Theft Auto IV (April 29, 2008)
Playing the Grand Theft Auto series felt something like a rite of passage back in my day. When GTA III first came out in 2001, I was a freshman in high school, and this game captured the interest of my fellow students. It was the game that every kid played, even when their parents told them not to. I'd eventually plow through GTA III, savor the '80s bliss of Vice City, and stew in the expansiveness of San Andreas--just enjoying the many ways to explore and cause chaos. When Grand Theft Auto IV came around, it was not only the first game on new hardware--showing off new visuals and more convincing storytelling--it was also the first GTA game I played as an adult. While the previous three games and PSP spin-offs featured a connected story, IV started from scratch. Set in a newly designed Liberty City, it ended up feeling like a reboot for the series. Taking on the role of an eastern-European immigrant named Niko Bellic, the game told a surprisingly subdued and somewhat understated story about an outsider trying to fit in. One of the great strengths of the series is its strong focus on satire, more specifically its critique of American consumerism, greed, and lust for violence. While I caught some of the references and humor in the previous games when I was younger, I'm not ashamed to admit that many of the other critiques flew over my head. While the satire can sometimes have the subtlety of a sledgehammer, many of its jabs at American culture were successful at hitting its mark. Over the course of the game, GTA IV would grow a bit crazier with its escalating story, but it never quite reached the full-blown absurdity of its predecessors. And you know what? That's OK. If anything, the new approach to storytelling made for far more convincing and impactful sequences, which include the infamous bank heist mission, Three Leaf Clover. While GTA IV didn't have as much to do as its predecessors, it did possess a number of ideas forward looking ideas, such as additional playable characters in the following DLC campaigns, a fairly developed online mode, and a mobile phone that yielded opportunities for side-events. All of which would set the stage for what would be core mechanics in GTA V. Still, I have some fond memories of exploring Liberty City. And I wonder to this day if Niko Bellic is still alive and well in the GTA's world. -- Alessandro Fillari
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots (June 12, 2008)
I never swore at a game as often I as did with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. All the swearing was positive, though; every time there was a callback to a previous Metal Gear game, I couldn't help but react with an ear-to-ear grin, an expletive, a fist pump, or some combination of the three. My eyes grew when I saw the Hind-D wreckage, a callback to the first Metal Gear Solid that was all the more poignant since you never saw the ship crash in the original game. The worst and best thing about MGS4 is how it cannot be appreciated on its own. Its variety of finely tuned combat mechanics and its dark theme on the proliferation of paramilitary companies are overshadowed by the abundance of exposition to serve and please its long-term fans. To a newcomer who has no context, hearing Big Mama utter, "That's my boy!" to Old Snake sounds like simple encouragement. To a fan, that line is loaded with 50 years' worth of lore, suddenly connecting two characters who never appeared in a game together prior to MGS4. I get a lump in my throat every time I hear it. MGS4 also exists to tie every major loose end Hideo Kojima unleashed since the original Metal Gear. Resolutions ranged from forced to graceful to inexplicable and many of us fans ate it up, even if we blamed plot issues on nanomachines. In a market where franchises like Halo and Gears of War can potentially outlive its fanfare and leave unresolved narrative threads, it was unreal how many storylines MGS4 resolved. Metal Gear Solid 4 is fan service in its purest form, the likes of which we might never see again. -- Miguel Concepcion
Battlefield: Bad Company (June 23, 2008)
It was a decade ago, but I remember playing the Battlefield: Bad Company beta back in early 2008. I didn't have much experience with previous games in the franchise, as they were focused around PC and I was primarily a console gamer. Right away, from the first match I got into, I remember the multiplayer taking my breath away and showing me something I'd never seen before. Using the power of the Frostbite engine, basically everything in the world could collapse and disintegrate, in turn opening up the battlefield in new and exciting ways. No longer could someone camp in a hideout and live to tell the tale. Just blast them away. Seeing a building collapse and crumble completely changes the way you think in a multiplayer shooter. No area is safe. Danger lurks at every turn. Watching the battlefield change around you as a match progresses afforded a level of dynamism that I hadn't experienced before. When the game was officially released, however, it was the campaign that really made Battlefield: Bad Company stand out--and it remains one of my favorite Battlefield games to this day. It was the first title in the series to feature a real campaign, and its characters were some of the more memorable and dynamic ones I can remember in a military FPS. The story was praised for its humour, which was a refreshing change of pace from military games that came before it. A sequel was released in 2010, and it was similarly excellent. While I do also enjoy the mainline Battlefield series and logged many hours on Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 1 (sorry, Battlefield Hardline), I think the time is right for the Bad Company sub-brand to return. The newest rumour is that 2018's Battlefield is Bad Company 3, and I could not be more excited. -- Eddie Makuch
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (July 10, 2008)
When Persona 4 first released, it didn't get much recognition. Sure, it had its hardcore fans, but this JRPG released on the outdated PS2 was overlooked. Only in the years following its release was Persona 4 recognized as one of the greatest RPGs on the PS2, if not of all time. A unique element to Persona is its balance of participating in everyday life while simultaneously dealing with supernatural elements that make up its more traditional RPG gameplay. Participating in every day of a full calendar year lets you experience the daily life of a Japanese high schooler and get an intimate familiarity with the characters. The game focuses heavily on your party member's personal struggles, mirroring what many teenagers go through. Back in 2008, I was the exact same age as the main character, and I was able to see many of my own insecurities represented in the game. In a medium where power fantasies and fantastical heroes are the norm, to see a group of characters go through the same anxiety I had right then created an attachment that no game has ever been able to match. In the decade since its release, Persona 4 has gotten the recognition it deserved with numerous spin-offs and an enhanced remaster for the PS Vita, which would be my recommended version to play. Its sequel, Persona 5, has made vast improvements to the series formula and a cast of characters that stand on their own. But as great as that game is, it's still no Persona 4 for me. The circumstances in which I played Persona 4 will never be recreated. It was there in a time when I needed it, and that's why it's one of my favorite games of all time. -- Jean-Luc Seipke
Braid (August 6, 2008)
Jonathan Blow busted onto the scene as a prominent independent game developer when Braid released in 2008, and for good reason. It was one of the early hits that thrusted indie games into the mainstream via Xbox Live Arcade, but Braid turned out to be much more than that for those who connected with the game's themes and gameplay. Braid plays like a 2D side-scrolling platformer but mixes in the ability to reverse time that affects objects and enemies in clever ways. In your effort to piece together protagonist Tim's past and search for a mysterious princess, you rack your brain to solve the numerous puzzles and execute perfectly timed jumps onto platforms and atop enemies. If you happen to fall to your death, just reverse time and try again in a matter of seconds. As you progress through Braid, the layers of lessons learned along the way stack, and you're constantly challenged to use what you know in new ways. Keys tucked away in hard-to-reach ledges unlock doors to make it through levels, but the collectable puzzle pieces paint the picture of a man who lost control of his personal and professional life. The sparse, yet affecting story is arguably one of Braid's strongest aspects. Storytelling in independent games was still in a sort of infancy in 2008, but Braid set an example for how smaller games can tell bigger stories. The overarching plot is open to interpretations, even with the extensive post-game texts, but in its final moments, Braid subverts expectations to leave a lasting impact. What starts out lighthearted becomes increasingly foreboding as to earn the final twist and completely flip your interpretation of who you thought Tim and the princess were. A beautiful soundtrack that borrows elements of traditional Celtic folk music to drive home the heartfelt journey further supports Braid's tale. -- Michael Higham
Too Human (August 19, 2008)
Too Human isn't necessarily something worth going back to, and it also wasn't exactly praised as a worthwhile game when it released in 2008. It turned out to be a fairly middling third-person action RPG, and in the words of GameSpot reviewer Kevin VanOrd, "It will lift you up only to continually let you down." Too Human tells the story of Norse mythology in a dystopian sci-fi setting, but its threads are wholly incomplete. Regardless, the systems made for fun combat scenarios, and co-op highlighted those moments. So, why is Too Human worth mentioning? Developer Silicon Knights and Epic Games (makers of Unreal Engine) went into one of the more wild legal disputes in modern gaming history. Silicon Knights first sued Epic for "failure to provide a working game engine" in July 2007. However, Epic struck back with a counter-suit a month later claiming that both parties were fully aware that features of the engine were still in development and that Silicon Knights violated the license agreement by modifying the engine and sharing technology with Sega. It wouldn't be until five years after Too Human's release that the case would be resolved; In 2012, Epic won the suit on grounds that Silicon Knights committed "copyright infringement, misappropriation of trade secrets, and breach of contract." As a result, Silicon Knights was ordered to destroy all its tech and code that was derived from Unreal Engine 3 and give Epic access to company devices to make sure this happened. This meant that any unsold copies of Too Human (and other titles using UE3 tech) had to be destroyed as well. The studio went defunct after filing bankruptcy two years later. Luckily, if you really wanted to play this lacking action RPG, used copies are out there for cheap despite the obliteration of copies and its code. It may have been more or less erased from the games market, but the circumstances in which Too Human existed is a story that left a more lasting impression than the game itself. -- Michael Higham
Dead Space (October 20, 2008)
The first Dead Space was a bold and unexpected move from publisher Electronic Arts, which was not typically known to dabble in survival-horror games. When I first watched footage of the game on GameSpot back in 2008, it seemed like an Alien-inspired Resident Evil 4 clone, but as I watched further, I was quickly enthralled by its chilling atmosphere, sleek UI, and inventive combat mechanics. As an avid fan of survival-horror games, I knew I had to play it; but after spending all the money I had on Metal Gear Solid 4 and a DualShock 3 controller that year, I was flat-out broke. Luckily, my brother's friend had a copy I could borrow. I have fond memories of my first playthrough of Dead Space; its setting and atmosphere affected me in ways I find hard to forget. I often remember how frigid the USG Ishimura seemed, which felt amplified by the chilly weather outside during the time of year I was playing. A cold sweat covered my hands as I tightly gripped my controller, anticipating how I'd strategically dismember the next necromorph waiting to ambush me. I even recall consciously avoiding playing the game at night; the darkness I'd glimpse through my room's shutter blinds seemed like endless black voids, which made my trek through hallways into the unknown feel all the more haunting. Dead Space was a terrifying survival-horror game like no other in 2008. To this day, the game remains one of my all-time favorites in the genre. While its sequels don't quite live up to its brilliance, don't let that deter you from jumping into this one. It's well worth it for the gruesome frights and action-packed dismemberment. -- Matt Espineli
Far Cry 2 (October 21, 2008)
Today, the Far Cry series revels in allowing its players to explore exotic open worlds in over-the-top fashion--oftentimes with hilarious results. However, there was one game that did something a bit different, telling a story that was tonally unlike the original PC game and its console oriented spin-offs featuring a super-powered Jack Carver. As the first sequel, and also first true open-world game of the series, Far Cry 2 gave off a sense of weight that's still left an impression on me. Focusing on the exploits of a foreign mercenary in the African wilderness, you're quickly caught up in a brutal faction war while on the hunt for an infamous arms dealer named The Jackal--who actively sows the seeds of chaos in the isolated country. Oh yeah, and the main character is slowly dying from malaria. Instead of the B-movie schlockly tone of its predecessor, Far Cry 2's story focused on the hardships of a country caught in a civil-war, offering some of the most harrowing and even nihilistic moments of the series. FC2 would go on to set standard for open-world action in a the series, such as invading enemy bases and taking on missions with your AI buddy character in tow, and it did it in a way that expressed a level of earnestness that the series hasn't seen since. The sequel also added in a stark difficulty spike due to its focus on realism that made the previous games feel like they were on training wheels. In a lot of cases, I was gunned down after forgetting that weapons often jam, and that enemies are far more cunning than in the average FPS. To say that Far Cry 2 sticks out from the rest of the series would be an understatement. Its silent main character has to deal with the reality of existing in a space where the political conflict forces civilians into the crossfire, with many of the most important characters--the ones that can actually stop it all--weighing the cost of their lives over a pile of conflict diamonds. I'd often wonder if I was making this place worse by trying to carry out my own mission, like I was the lever for an ever-turning meat-grinder. At the time of playing this game, I was still in college, and one of my classes brought up the subject of the systemic disruption of Central and Northern Africa's society from outside influences. It didn't take long for me to understand where Far Cry 2 was coming from after its bleak conclusion. And that's really something I haven't really felt from another game since. -- Alessandro Fillari
Fallout 3 (October 28, 2008)
Having a video game, movie, or book set in your city is not uncommon, but when you're presented with a post-apocalyptic version of a town you know, the imagery takes on new weight. As a kid growing up in Maryland, I had innumerable school field trips and other excursions into DC, so seeing a bombed-out version of the US capitol immediately grabbed my attention. Museums I had visited, streets I had walked, buildings where my own father had worked--these were shown in a post-war light that rendered them both familiar and unrecognizable. A setting can only get you so far, and that's where Fallout 3's incredibly engaging story and mechanics come into play. An RPG providing you with guns and improvised weapons is nothing new, but the brutality here makes them feel that much more powerful. Mad Max was clearly an influence on Fallout 3, and it shows in the combat and the amateurly constructed weapons you take into battle. It was definitely one of the goriest games of '08--and your view of the blood splatter got almost too close for comfort thanks to the game's VATS system. Outside of combat, your actions and dialogue choices could completely change the course of the story. These branching paths weren't new--BioWare had already done it a few times--but choosing a side is a theme that carried forward into both New Vegas and Fallout 4, growing in scope each time. The open-endedness of quests also blew my high-school mind. On a second or third playthrough, I stumbled into Raven Rock hours before the story had intended me to, effectively cutting the main quests in half. You wouldn't know any better if it were to happen on your first experience, but having been through the game before, I was amazed that it allowed for such exploration. To this day, exploring every interesting-looking corner of the map is a habit I happily cannot break. -- Tony Wilson
Call of Duty: World At War (November 11, 2008)
Call of Duty: World at War is my favorite COD game. It's almost certainly not the best--its campaign could not match the thrills of its predecessor, Modern Warfare, and its multiplayer was a little unbalanced--but it's my favorite, because it brought so many of my friends together. I was still in school in 2008, and a large portion of my friends group had bought PS3s and Xbox 360s, so I frequently had a dozen or so friends online at the same time, all playing the latest Call of Duty. Luckily, World at War was also the first in the series to include Nazi Zombies--the perfect, ridiculous mode for a group of teenage boys to bond. We bought all the map packs, played every night, and had an amazing time doing so. As Call of Duty got bigger and we got older, people started dropping off, foregoing Black Ops or Modern Warfare 2 in favor of, I don't know, alcohol or something. Despite this, World at War will forever be cemented in my memory as a magical time in my life, where socializing was frequent and easy, and included pack-a-punched weapons and exploding zombie heads. Doesn't it just bring a tear to your eye? -- Oscar Dayus
Mirror's Edge (November 11, 2008)
The original Mirror's Edge was a critical hit when it landed in 2008, but sadly, its striking presentation and unique gameplay didn't translate to commercial success. Nevertheless, soaring stories above city streets from one alabaster rooftop to the next was a thrill no other game could match, and for many of us, our memories of Mirror's Edge feel just as fresh today as the day we made them; neither time nor an open-world sequel could make us forget the first time we took a leap of Faith. I came to Mirror's Edge during my first year covering games, back when I was an assistant video producer. I had the simple job of capturing gameplay video of EA's experimental parkour game, but what began as a routine capture session grew into a short-term obsession, and a long-term appreciation for Mirror's Edge's unique accomplishments. Far more for my own satisfaction than my manager's, I couldn't rest until I'd perfected the few levels I set out to capture. Run after run, I continued to identify and fix flaws in my approach, and take advantage of new opportunities that revealed themselves to my ever-more trained eye. I was already impressed by the first-person platforming and the clever ways one high-flying maneuver connected to the other, but after coming to grips with how Mirror's Edge worked, I was able to define my own approach to virtual parkour, and appreciate it on an entirely different level. I look back on Mirror's Edge as a game that was far ahead of its time, but one that came at the right time for me. Whether or not the sequel from a couple of years ago proves that the concept was nothing more than a one-hit wonder, I'm okay if EA puts the series to bed indefinitely. I don't need a new Mirror's Edge, I only need the Mirror's Edge that struck a chord with me, the unsuspecting player, ten long years ago. -- Peter Brown
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (November 13, 2008)
It had been four years since I was introduced to the world of Azeroth, and Blizzard's MMO wasn't showing signs of slowing down, especially after the release of its first expansion, The Burning Crusade. Even after defeating Illidan Stormrage, I was definitely not prepared for what was around the corner with the game's next expansion, Wrath of The Lich King, which gave me and everyone else a shot at Arthas still sitting high atop his frozen throne. Once I managed to wait through the server queue and the crashes, I was finally ready to take my Night Elf Rogue, Philanthropy, and board the boat from Stormwind to the Borean Tundra. I didn't realize it at the time, but more was changing than just the expansion for me. I ended up transferring servers later that week. This expansion ended up being one of the more interesting times in my Warcrafting career. The biggest changes were leaving my guild of 300+ active members (we had two 40- raids back in vanilla; it was nuts), transferring to a different server, and undergoing a faction change/realizing my full potential and becoming the world's edgiest Undead Rogue. It was a whole new experience that showed me a side of World of Warcraft I didn't know existed. Even with all the changes I still had a great time clearing through dungeon and raid content with the new friends I'd made. I still look fondly back on late-night runs of Naxxramas, defeating the Old God Yogg-Saron in Ulduar, and eventually getting taken out by the Lich King and watching Tirion Fordring steal our kill. It's these memories and many more that make me realize just how great Wrath of the Lich King really was. It was the height of the game's popularity for a reason. -- Ben Janca
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (November 16, 2008)
Many remember Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe as the game that toned down the series' iconic violence, but when it launched in 2008, it gave the series its groove back. Sure, fatalities and over-the-top gore are an integral part of the Mortal Kombat formula, but this was the first time in years where I felt like I was playing a classic Mortal Kombat. It was still on a 3D plane, but for the most part, it felt like those first three games. As a Scorpion player, I was ecstatic to see the return of back, back, low punch (only '90s kids will remember this). Additionally, seeing some of my favorite superheroes stand in for some of my favorite Mortal Kombat characters was an absolute treat--Batman used his smoke bombs and disappearing act as if he was Smoke, while The Flash tripped up his opponents with his Kabal-like speed. In addition to the excellent fighting gameplay, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe was the first to feature NetherRealm's trademark story template. For those who aren't familiar, it's basically a movie in which you take part in a couple dozen fights with gameplay and cutscenes transitioning seamlessly between each other. It kicked off a period in which NetherRealm not only made my favorite fighting games, but also some of my favorite single-player experiences. On top of that, it's used the story template in every one of its games since and has even pushed other fighting game developers to follow suit with cinematic story modes now being featured in games like Street Fighter V, Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite, and Tekken 7. The Mortal Kombat series may not have regained all of its footing until 2011's simply titled Mortal Kombat, but it was Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe that planted the seeds for that comeback. And despite NetherRealm putting out four arguably better fighting games since then, I'll still go back from time to time to play a few matches and remind myself of how it all started. -- Mat Paget
Left 4 Dead (November 18, 2008)
While the zombie apocalypse is a bit of a passé setting, even back in 2008, Valve's Left 4 Dead went about it in ways that weren't immediately apparent at a first glance. Like many other Valve games, Left 4 Dead was in development for quite some time, and the early trailers showed off a more somber and serious take on the game. The game we got, however, was a little more of a lighthearted and self-aware romp through the zombie apocalypse. Despite the surprising sense of humor, Left 4 Dead still offered a lot of scares and tense moments. Releasing a demo about two weeks before the release, my friends and I would replay the same levels, and found different encounters and death traps in each run. Focusing on the trials of four unique protagonists--a biker, a vietnam veteran, a college student, and a retail salesman--the group would travel through several zombie-infested cities that offered randomized encounters thanks to the game's AI director. While players came in expecting a fun co-op zombie-shooter, my friends and I ended up getting an intense online bonding experience. Playing through Left 4 Dead's stages, which switched up set-pieces depending on your performance, resulted in us watching everyone's back closely to ensure we were in good shape. Because if it wasn't the AI zombie horde that got us, it'd be the cunning special monsters controlled by enemy players, such as The Smoker, a hacking and wheezing undead, who'd tangle survivors with its tongue and drag them into a dark alley to be swarmed by other zombies. By far, the most iconic level of the series is No Mercy. This first stage was the most pure and representative of what people can expect from the game. Starting out on the roof of an apartment building, you'd slowly work your way down through its many rooms to the streets below. Your only hope for survival is a helicopter located on the rooftop of a nearby hospital. Making it there alive would be an exercise in teamwork and patience, while also keeping a quick finger on the trigger. For me, Left 4 Dead wasn't really about the action in a zombie shooter. Rather, it was a more affecting and tense experience to see if you could work well with others under pressure--something I still admire about the game to this day. -- Alessandro Fillari
By Chris E. Hayner on Jun 27, 2018 10:22 pm
100. Vandal Savage
First appearance: The Flash (Season 2, Episode 8) The main antagonist during the first season of Legends of Tomorrow is a major dud. Savage is the type of mustache-twirling villain who isn't threatening, let alone scary. Thankfully, the show has yet to revisit him. Image: The CW
99. Rip Hunter
First appearance: Legends of Tomorrow (Season 1, Episode 1) After leading the Legends in Season 1, Rip's character took a strange turn thanks to brainwashing by the Legion of Doom in Season 2. While it was a refreshing change, evil Rip was short lived. Image: The CW
98. The Calculator
First appearance: Arrow (Season 4, Episode 12) While The Calculator is a world-renowned cyber-criminal, Arrow fans only briefly saw that side of the character. After all, nobody wants to hate Felicity's dad. Image: The CW
97. Constantine Drakon
First appearance: Arrow (Season 1, Episode 1) Prior to being the Green Arrow, Oliver was The Hood. In the Arrow pilot, The Hood comes face-to-face with a corrupt CEO's head of security named Constantine. He may only appear once, but he's still officially Oliver's first villain. Image: The CW
96. Captain Boomerang
First appearance: Arrow (Season 3, Episode 7) The Captain is a former member of the Suicide Squad and deadly with a boomerang. While he might be able to outsmart Oliver in some of their Season 3 encounters, he ends up in the shadow of most other villains in the Arrowverse. Image: The CW
95. Atom Smasher
First appearance: The Flash (Season 2, Episode 1) Atom-Smasher was one of the many metahuman enemies Team Flash has come up against and is definitely the least interesting of the bunch. It's easy to see why when all he really does is grow bigger and smash things. Image: The CW
94. Solovar
First appearance: The Flash (Season 3, Episode 13) While this giant albino gorilla -- and leader of Gorilla -- is impressive, he's too little too late to the party. Thanks to Grodd, The Flash fans already have plenty of experience with huge ape villains. Image: The CW
93. Cooper Seldon
First appearance: Arrow (Season 3, Episode 5) How did Felicity's ex-boyfriend from her goth phase make the list? After hacking his way into trouble in Star City, he ends up joining forces with Damien Darhk. All told, though, he's near the bottom of the list when it comes to Darhk's henchmen. Image: The CW
92. Baron Reiter
First appearance: Arrow (Season 4, Episode 2) Beron Reiter is responsible for a lot of Oliver's misfortune on Lian Yu in the Season 4 flashbacks. He's pretty forgettable, though, given how that season is regarded as one of the show's worst. Image: The CW
91. Abra Kadabra
First appearance: The Flash (Season 3, Episode 18) Abra Kadabra has amazing potential as a baddie on The Flash. He's a time traveler from another dimension and has powers that heavily resemble magic. Unfortunately, he also looks and acts like a cheesy Las Vegas magician, which doesn't help him. Image: The CW
90. The Mist
First appearance: The Flash (Season 1, Episode 3) This meta-human can turn himself into a poisonous gas, which should be useful in killing superheroes. Unfortunately, he is wasted as one of far too many villains-of-the-week in the first season of The Flash. Image: The CW
89. Cyrus Gold
First appearance: Arrow (Season 2, Episode 7) The biggest misstep with Cyrus is his name. In the comics, Cyrus Gold is widely known as Solomon Grundy--the reanimated villain with superhuman strength. Unfortunately, Arrow never takes him that far. Instead, he's a test subject of Brother Blood's. While he does gain some strength, it's not enough to become the iconic character comic fans know. Image: The CW
88. Everyman
First appearance: The Flash (Season 1, Episode 19) This metahuman is a shapeshifter, which could make him a major villain in the Arrowverse, with the ability to become anybody--including The Flash. Unfortunately, he is largely forgotten after being killed off in Season 1. Image: The CW
87. Amunet Black
First appearance: The Flash (Season 4, Episode 5) Though she has the ability to control metal and gets a kick out of controlling Killer Frost, Amunet sort of ended up being a good guy. Still, she has a cool power and a mean streak. For now, though, she just doesn't add up. Image: The CW
86. Dr. Light
First appearance: The Flash (Season 2, Episode 5) Dr. Light shoots concentrated blasts of light from her hands, is trying to kill The Flash, and is the Earth-2 doppelganger of Barry Allen's girlfriend. She has all the makings of a great villain but her role essentially sees her ushering in Zoom as the new primary antagonist. Image: The CW
85. Alchemy
First appearance: The Flash (Season 3, Episode 1) As the leader of the Cult of Savitar, Alchemy was set to be a major force of evil on The Flash. Instead, he's sent to different earths to prepare them for Savitar's arrival, rather than being his own villain. Unfortunately, Savitar ends up not being all that impressive, which can also be said of Alchemy. Image: The CW
84. Shrapnel
First appearance: Arrow (Season 2, Episode 10) Shrapnel doesn't have special powers or a bloodlust for Oliver Queen. He's just an insane serial bomber who doesn't last long enough to become a more notorious villain. He does briefly join the Suicide Squad, though. Image: The CW
83. Reactron
First appearance: Supergirl (Season 1, Episode 3) Thanks to his super suit, Reactron can fly, has superhuman strength and can fire blasts of concentrated energy at his enemies. He's still no match for Supergirl. Image: CBS
82. Anthony Ivo
First appearance: Arrow (Season 2, Episode 5) The doctor plays a big role in Season 2's flashbacks to Lian Yu. His obsession with a mysterious serum and his eventual pleading for Oliver to kill him show he isn't truly evil, just driven mad after the death of his wife. Image: The CW
81. Rival
First appearance: The Flash (Season 3, Episode 1) This speedster villain was created thanks to the Flashpoint timeline. Born Edward Clariss, he isn't quite as bad as Savitar--if only because he only lasts two episodes. His cartoony costume does him no favors, though. Image: The CW
80. Jeremy Tell
First appearance: Arrow (Season 4, Episode 3) Tell, also known as Double Down, pulls playing cards from his tattooed skin. While they can cut through just about anything, he is essentially a less exciting version of X-Men's Gambit and ultimately becomes one of Damien Darhk's lackies. Image: The CW
79. The Mayor
First appearance: Arrow (Season 2, Episode 4) The Mayor's only appearance on Arrow was a single episode. His attack on a charity event makes him stand out among the show's villains, though. Image: The CW
78. Zaman Druce
First appearance: Legends of Tomorrow (Season 1, Episode 4) Druce, a Time Master, partnered with Vandal Savage to hunt down Rip Hunter and the Legends. While he may have been working with the absolute worst villain in the Arrowverse, Druce is even more devious than Savage due to his personal connection to Rip--he is the Legend's former mentor. Image: The CW
77. Non
First appearance: Supergirl (Season 1, Episode 8) Like Kara Zor-El herself, Non is a Kryptonian. However, while Kara becomes Supergirl, Non is a warlord set on destroying the world. He is nowhere near as impactful as his wife, Astra, though. Image: The CW
76. Edward Fyers
First appearance: Arrow (Season 1, Episode 5) A mercenary from Season 1, Edward is yet another in a long line of flashback villains. While his fights with Oliver on Lian Yu are impressive, he's unable to leave a lasting impression. Image: The CW
75. Bronze Tiger
First appearance: Arrow (Season 2, Episode 2) An associate of China White, Bronze Tiger gets major points for the metal claws he wore--which look rather similar to Wolverine. He always plays second fiddle to somebody, though, whether it's China or members of the Suicide Squad later on. Image: The CW
74. Clyde Mardon
First appearance: The Flash (Season 1, Episode 1) Clyde holds the distinction of being the first metahuman villain on The Flash, with the ability to manipulate weather. Unfortunately, he is rather forgettable, unlike his brother Weather Wizard. Image: The CW
73. Anarky
First appearance: Arrow (Season 4, Episode 2) While his time as a low-level HIVE member of easily forgettable, Anarchy's disfigurement and obsession with killing Damien Darhk and the Green Arrow make him someone you want to watch. Unfortunately, his failure keeps him from landing higher on the list. Image: The CW
72. Savitar
First appearance: The Flash (Season 3, Episode 6) The main villain of Season 3 of The Flash is also one of the very worst the of the series. The show's repetition of using speedsters as adversaries makes him not that interesting. Plus, the reveal that a different version of Barry Allen--the hero--was the villain all along ended up being poorly done. Image: The CW
71. Tobias Church
First appearance: Arrow (Season 5, Episode 1) Tobias Church is a villain who would rank higher on the list had he of lasted longer. What worked so well about the character is the fact that he's not superpowered, mystic or from another Earth. He's just a vicious crime lord. Image: The CW
70. Music Meister
First appearance: Supergirl (Season 2, Episode 16) Music Meister is one of the sillier villains to appear in the Arrowverse, with the ability to hypnotize people and take their powers. He's single-handedly responsible for the musical crossover, though, so he cannot be forgotten. Image: The CW
69. Ricardo Diaz
First appearance: Arrow (Season 6, Episode 6) This drug kingpin was a member of Cayden James' group of villains in Season 6 Arrow. It remains to be seen how he'll be remembered in the long run, as this wasn't the show's best season--largely due to the villains. Still, he tried. Image: The CW
68. Kuasa
First appearance: Vixen (Season 1, Episode 2) After debuting on the animated Vixen series, Kuasa arrives on Legends of Tomorrow as a follower of Mallus. As the granddaughter of Amaya and with the ability to manipulate water, she's already a great Legends of Tomorrow villain with room to become even better. Image: The CW
67. Murmur
First appearance: Arrow (Season 3, Episode 16) Murmur may not have been a major villain in the Arrowverse, but his simple presence is creepy enough to make him memorable. With his mouth sewn shut, he eventually becomes the right-hand man of Damien Darhk in his war against the Green Arrow. Image: The CW
66. Al-Owal
First appearance: Arrow (Season 2, Episode 5) This member of the League of Assassins is a master assassin in his own right. However, his death at the hands of Sara Lance, who snapped his neck, keeps him from becoming a bigger force. Image: The CW
65. Brick
First appearance: Arrow (Season 3, Episode 10) Danny Brickwell is a notorious criminal with practically superhuman strength. After becoming feared throughout Star City, he's able to align himself with Damien Darhk. Still, even with the killing of Rebecca Merlyn, Brick doesn't leave much of a mark on Arrow. Image: The CW
64. The Dollmaker
First appearance: Arrow (Season 2, Episode 3) While the Dollmaker may only be a nuisance to Team Arrow for a single episode, the way this twisted serial killer would treat his victims as toy dolls is pretty unforgettable. Image: The CW
63. Rainbow Raider
First appearance: The Flash (Season 1, Episode 8) While the Rainbow Raider may seem like a minor villain, he's the one behind the first true crossover: Flash vs. Arrow. With his power to manipulate people with his eyes, he's able to turn the heroes against each other. Image: The CW
62. Metallo
First appearance: Supergirl (Season 2, Episode 1) Metallo is a worthy villain for Supergirl, due to being powered by Kryptonite, her one weakness. However, the same Kryptonite also becomes his undoing when it becomes unstable and explodes. A villain that defeats himself can only be so memorable. Image: The CW
61. Multiplex
First appearance: The Flash (Season 1, Episode 2) Given the power to instantly create an unlimited number of clones of himself, Multiplex has the opportunity to be one of The Flash's best villains. Unfortunately, it takes very little for the team to end the threat he poses, keeping him from landing too high on the list. Image: The CW
60. Clock King
First appearance: Arrow (Season 2, Episode 14) Clock King is one of the few villains to raise trouble on both Arrow and The Flash, and he did so without any special powers. However, neither show treats him as a major opponent of Green Arrow or The Flash, preventing him from becoming too iconic. Image: The CW
59. Bug-Eyed Bandit
First appearance: The Flash (Season 1, Episode 18) The Bandit is another villain that jumped shows. While her army of robotic bees makes her memorable, she's little more than a nuisance on either show. Image: The CW
58. Zoom
First appearance: The Flash (Season 2, Episode 1) No speedster villain is ever going to live up to Eobard Thawne. While Zoom may responsible for introducing the multiverse on The Flash, in the end he's a pretender to the speedster villain throne. Image: The CW
57. Trajectory
First appearance: The Flash (Season 2, Episode 16) There's no other way to say it: The Flash is lousy with speedster villains. Still, while Season 2 villain-of-the-week Trajectory may not have the longevity of Savitar or Zoom, she makes an impact as the first female speedster on the show. Bonus points for creating a serum to obtain the Speed Force herself. Image: The CW
56. Red Tornado
First appearance: Supergirl (Season 1, Episode 6) As an android with the ability to manipulate air and create tornadoes and fly, the Red Tornado is one of Supergirl's trickier enemies. However, Supergirl's heat vision proves to be too much for the sentient droid in the end. Image: The CW
55. Mirror Master
First appearance: The Flash (Season 3, Episode 4) When it comes to interesting powers, the ability to turn mirrors into portals is hard to beat. Still, that can only take you so far in terms of fighting, as Mirror Master finds out. Image: The CW
54. Isabel Rochev
First appearance: Arrow (Season 2, Episode 1) In Season 2, Isabel's hands were in many evil groups, from Deathstroke's to the Church of Blood. After taking on the alter ego of Ravager, alongside Deathstroke, she solidified herself as one of Oliver's bigger villains of the season. Image: The CW
53. Evelyn Sharp
First appearance: Arrow (Season 4, Episode 19) Though she was originally a member of Team Arrow, Evelyn's betrayal of Oliver and the crew shook them to their very core. Siding with Prometheus, she has proven to be a valuable asset. Image: The CW
52. Indigo
First appearance: Supergirl (Season 1, Episode 15) Indigo, otherwise known as Brainiac 8, might be the most powerful villain Kara has ever faced on Supergirl. She's a synthetic being from another planet that has many of Kara's own powers, plus the ability to shapeshift into a human to blend in with the world. Image: The CW
51. Derek Sampson
First appearance: Arrow (Season 5, Episode 3) After being thrown into a vat of chemicals--which is very similar to The Joker's origin--this drug dealer now has mutated powers that make him far more dangerous to Team Arrow. His joining forces with Prometheus makes him even scarier, though it ultimately was a losing battle. Image: The CW
50. Cyborg Superman
First appearance: Supergirl (Season 1, Episode 4) The original Hank Henshaw managed to avoid death thanks to Project Cadmus. However, his survival includes being turned into an unstoppable killing machine. While he was able to defeat Supergirl at one point and remains alive, he is ultimately little more than Lillian Luthor's pawn. Image: The CW
49. Black Flash
First appearance: The Flash (Season 2, Episode 23) Black Flash is essentially what's left of Zoom following his defeat at the hands of The Flash. After being captured by Time Wraiths and bound to the speed force forever, he now resembles a decayed corpse in a speedster costume. Image: The CW
48. Astra
First appearance: Supergirl (Season 1, Episode 1) Like her husband, Non, Astra is a powerful Kryptonian warlord and a commander of their army. She is the Kryptonian that's had the biggest negative impact on Kara; her forces nearly destroyed the world. Image: The CW
47. Amanda Waller
First appearance: Arrow (Season 1, Episode 22) As the former director or ARGUS and leader of the Suicide Squad, Waller is never directly involved in the fight, which makes her a brilliant villain. Instead, she sent minions to do her bidding. Image: The CW
46. Black Siren
First appearance: The Flash (Season 2, Episode 22) What makes Black Siren so effective as a villain that she's an Earth-2 doppelganger of Laurel Lance, a dead superhero. It's an asset she's used time and again to torment Team Arrow and her Earth-1 father Quentin Lance, proving how ruthless she is. Image: The CW
45. Clifford DeVoe
First appearance: The Flash (Season 4, Episode 1) The latest big bad on The Flash was just...kind of weak. He wreaked havoc on Barry's life throughout Season 4, even landing him in prison at one point. In the end, though, he went out with a whimper. He's certainly not the worst villain The Flash has ever had, but a good example of why stretching one big bad out for an entire season can get tiring.. Image: The CW
44. Deadshot
First appearance: Arrow (Season 1, Episode 3) As the primary member of the Suicide Squad, Deadshot holds the distinction as one of the few villains to appear in all of the first five seasons of Arrow, though his Season 5 cameo was a hallucination. It goes to show the importance of this assassin and master marksman. Image: The CW
43. Konstantin Kovar
First appearance: Arrow (Season 5, Episode 6) Two words: Dolph Lundgren. Lundgren portraying the Russian gangster who tormented Oliver in his pre-Green Arrow life made him exciting to watch. What's more, the fight scenes between Konstantin and Oliver stand up as some of the show's best and most vicious. Image: The CW
42. General Eiling
First appearance: The Flash (Season 1, Episode 5) General Eiling started off in Season 1 of The Flash as a thorn in the team's side. After initially attempting to turn a meta-human into a weapon of mass destruction, he eventually becomes mind-controlled by Grodd. Through it all, Eiling has survived, so chances are he'll be back one day. Image: The CW
41. Silver Banshee
First appearance: Supergirl (Season 1, Episode 14) Cursed with superhuman strength and a deadly scream, Silver Banshee proves dangerous to Supergirl on her own. It was teaming with Livewire that truly shows the villain she can be, though. Image: The CW
40. Livewire
First appearance: Supergirl (Season 1, Episode 4) After acquiring the ability to manipulate electricity, she finds her true power in teaming with Silver Banshee. The duo makes for a formidable force against Supergirl. Image: The CW
39. General Shrieve
First appearance: Arrow (Season 3, Episode 14) In the Season 3 flashbacks, General Shrieve's quest had him attempting to topple China with a biological weapon. He succeeded in killing thousands, but Oliver and Maseo eventually put a stop to him. Image: The CW
38. Girder
First appearance: The Flash (Season 1, Episode 6) With the ability to transform his body to steel, Girder easily outmuscles Team Flash in Season 1. However, it's his reanimation as a zombie in Season 2 that makes Girder become the stuff of legend. Image: The CW
37. Golden Glider
First appearance: The Flash (Season 1, Episode 16) Captain Cold's sister might not be as great of a villain as he is, but she certainly did pick up some of his style. She also has the distinction of having a weapon that turns anything she wants to gold, which is rather impressive. Image: The CW
36. Pied Piper
First appearance: The Flash (Season 1, Episode 11) While Pied Piper's only real metahuman power is super hearing, his brain is his most dangerous weapon. The former STAR Labs employee is able to hack into the facility's computers to find a way to stop The Flash, even if it's temporary. Image: The CW
35. Talia al Ghul
First appearance: Arrow (Season 5, Episode 10) Talia is the eldest daughter of Ra's al Ghul and half-sister of Nyssa. In Season 5, she fights side-by-side with Prometheus in his quest to destroy Oliver Queen. Ultimately, though, she faces off against her sister and loses, proving Nyssa to be the superior sibling. Image: The CW
34. Weather Wizard
First appearance: The Flash (Season 1, Episode 15) The brother of Clyde Mardon ended up with similar metahuman powers--only far more powerful. That, combined with his quest for revenge over his brother's death, makes Weather Wizard an exciting villain to watch. Image: The CW
33. Cupid
First appearance: Arrow (Season 3, Episode 6) Many Arrow fans might think Cupid is the biggest villain yet, simply because they were forced to watch a fake wedding between Oliver and Felicity, rather than the real thing. Still, Cupid's Green Arrow obsession makes her do some terrible things. Image: The CW
32. Reign
First appearance: Supergirl (Season 2, Episode 22) While the full impact of Reign has yet to be established, already this Kryptonian world killer has shown to be a villain Kara will have a hard time overcoming. In the Season 3 winter finale, Reign actually defeated the Girl of Steel, at least temporarily. Image: The CW
31. The Huntress
First appearance: Arrow (Season 1, Episode 7) Though she's been absent since Season 2, The Huntress remains a very personal enemy on Arrow. She's Oliver's ex, and he tried time and again to keep her away from becoming a vigilante. Ultimately, the vendetta she had against her father overtook her and she now resides in prison. Image: The CW
30. Maxwell Lord
First appearance: Supergirl (Season 1, Episode 2) While Supergirl is largely populated with aliens and monsters as villains, Maxwell Lord is very human and resembled Lex Luthor with his genius intellect and penchant for evil--even creating the Bizarro clone of Supergirl. By the end of Season 1, though, the two became allies. Image: CBS
29. Killer Frost
First appearance: The Flash (Season 1, Episode 23) Killer Frost is as deadly as they come, and when Caitlyn Snow transforms into the evil ice queen, all bets are off. Still, if Frost wants to crack the top ten, she's going to have to be more of a villain than a hero. Image: The CW
28. King Shark
First appearance: The Flash (Season 2, Episode 4) If anything, The Flash deserves credit for bringing such an unconventional villain to the small screen. With appearances in Seasons 2 and 3, this massive metahuman is half-man, half-shark, and one of the most dangerous foes Team Flash ever battled. Image: The CW
27. Maseo Yamashiro
First appearance: Arrow (Season 3, Episode 1) What makes Maseo such a good and scary villain is that he was once not only a close friend of Oliver, but also his mentor. However, after joining the League of Assassins and serving at the side of Ra's al Ghul, he became one of his most bitter enemies. Image: The CW
26. Andrew Diggle
First appearance: Arrow (Season 3, Episode 14) The younger brother of John Diggle is one of Arrow's most heartbreaking villains. After being recruited by HIVE, he became one of Damien Darhk's most useful allies; his personal connection to Team Arrow made them vulnerable. Image: The CW
25. China White
First appearance: Arrow (Season 1, Episode 2) A major figure in Season 1, China White was one of the first assassins Oliver crossed paths with as the Hood, and she left a lasting impression. She last appeared in Season 5, proving she's not done yet. Image: The CW
24. Cayden James
First appearance: Arrow (Season 5, Episode 19) He's a supervillain, an evil hacker, and the former lead of Helix. It took almost no time for James to make his presence known and his misguided vendetta against Oliver Queen was very interesting to watch. After all, he managed to break up the team and, in the end, Oliver is headed to prison.Image: The CW
23. Queen Rhea of Daxam
First appearance: Supergirl (Season 2, Episode 8) The Queen of Daxam--and mother of Mon-El--was Supergirl's most notorious alien foe. She set out to invade Earth as revenge for turning her son against her. In the end, it was Mon-El that was her undoing. Image: The CW
22. Trickster
First appearance: The Flash (Season 1, Episode 17) Trickster is one of the most unforgettable villains in the Arrowverse. Mark Hamill plays the role, which he originated on the 1990s version of The Flash--one of the new show's few connections to the original. Image: The CW
21. Vigilante
First appearance: Arrow (Season 5, Episode 7) One of Arrow's most interesting villains was one of its most mysterious. The identity of Vigilante, a gun-wielding masked maniac, was a closely-guarded secret. In the end, his connection to Dinah Drake helped in tearing Team Arrow apart. Image: The CW
20. Time Wraiths
First appearance: The Flash (Season 2, Episode 17) Time Wraiths are essentially the guardians of the Speed Force. They hunt down speedsters that misuse their powers--which Barry Allen has done numerous times. What makes them so scary and evil is the mystery that surrounds them, much like anything regarding the Speed Force. Image: The CW
19. Nora Darhk
First appearance: Arrow (Season 4, Episode 9) The daughter of Damien Darhk and Ruve Adams is shaping up to be one of the very best the Legends of Tomorrow have faced. After growing up with her father, she's now become a follower of Mallis with a deep hatred for heroes. Image: The CW
18. Sebastian Blood
First appearance: Arrow (Season 2, Episode 2) As the leader of the Church of Blood, Sebastian spent much of Season 2 working with Deathstroke to take over Star City. However, Blood being elected mayor caused Deathstroke to change course, making the two enemies. Image: The CW
17. Ra's al Ghul
First appearance: Arrow (Season 3, Episode 4) The Demon's Head and leader of the League of Assassins managed to actually kill Oliver, resurrect him, and recruit him into the League. He was easily one of the Green Arrow's most dangerous villains. Image: The CW
16. The Count
First appearance: Arrow (Season 1, Episode 12) The man behind the Vertigo drug who tried to kill Felicity early in the series was one of Oliver's most significant Season 1 foes. He returned in Season 2 as Count Vertigo to continue his evil ways, cementing him as one of Arrow's finest baddies. Image: The CW
15. Dominators
First appearance: Invasion! crossover While not the greatest Arrowverse villains, the Dominators alien race are the craziest. Nobody on any of the shows had faced an enemy quite like these beings that almost got away with world domination. Image: The CW
14. Black Arrow
First appearance: Crisis on Earth-X crossover Thanks to Crisis on Earth-X, viewers got to see what Oliver Queen would be like if he were a Nazi, and the results were horrifying. The Black Arrow is more ruthless than the Green Arrow could ever be and does it all for the Reich. Image: The CW
13. Overgirl
First appearance: Crisis on Earth-X crossover As with the Black Arrow, Overgirl was the Earth-X version of Supergirl--a Nazi Girl of Steel. Given how wholesome and good Supergirl is, seeing her exact opposite on screen was jarring. Image: The CW
12. Ruve Adams
First appearance: Arrow (Season 4, Episode 9) While Ruve may not have had the supernatural powers of her husband, Damien Darhk, she was perhaps even more manipulative than he could dream of being. So manipulative that she used Oliver's war with her husband to blackmail him out of the mayoral election--becoming mayor herself. Image: The CW
11. Grodd
First appearance: The Flash (Season 1, Episode 21) When Grodd was first introduced as a meta-powered ape in Season 1 of The Flash, he was a sight to behold. However, when Team Flash went to Gorilla in Season 3, Grodd was established as one of the best villains ever. Image: The CW
10. Heat Wave
First appearance: The Flash (Season 1, Episode 10) Captain Cold's partner in crime is more psychotic than his friend, and a much bigger fan of inflicting pain. Still, as evil as Heat Wave can be, it's hard not to love how corrupt his mind is. Thankfully, he switched sides to become a Legend of Tomorrow. Image: The CW
9. Captain Cold
First appearance: The Flash (Season 1, Episode 4) Captain Cold was not only the first major villain to face The Flash, but also among the to first to do it with flair. Captain Cold was so memorable he became a fan favorite and ultimately a hero on Legends of Tomorrow. Image: The CW
8. Nyssa al Ghul
First appearance: Arrow (Season 2, Episode 14) As the daughter of Ra's al Ghul, Nyssa was often seen as a villain simply by association. Her place of esteem within the League of Assassins established that. However, her love for Sara Lance was often her saving grace, which kept Nyssa from going completely to the dark side. Image: The CW
7. Lillian Luthor
First appearance: Supergirl (Season 2, Episode 1) After being introduced in Season 2, Lillian Luthor--mother to Superman's foe Lex--has become a dominant force on Supergirl. She's the leader of Project Cadmus, which has declared war on aliens and wants the Girl of Steel dead. Her son had to get his awfulness from somewhere, and it seems Lillian is where it comes from. Image: The CW
6. Anatoly Knyazev
First appearance: Arrow (Season 2, Episode 4) Anatoly has been a thorn in Oliver Queen's side since first introduced in Season 2. The former KGB agent and Bratva leader was Oliver's mentor in the underworld before turning against him. The feud between these two is as personal as it gets. Image: The CW
5. Damien Darhk
First appearance: Arrow (Season 4, Episode 1) Damien brought a new wrinkle to Team Arrow's villains--the mystic. With his supernatural powers, Damien was able to push the Green Arrow to the brink and ultimately kill Laurel Lance. Image: The CW
4. Malcolm Merlyn
First appearance: Arrow (Season 1, Episode 4) One of the best Arrowverse villains is also one of the first. From the very beginning, there was something devious about Malcolm. Between his time as the Dark Archer to his angling to become the Demon's Head, he proved time and again he was only out for himself. Image: The CW
3. Prometheus
First appearance: Arrow (Season 5, Episode 1) Prometheus broke the Green Arrow by essentially making him look in the mirror. Showing Oliver Queen his worst self nearly destroyed not only Team Arrow, but also Oliver himself. Image: The CW
2. Deathstroke
First appearance: Arrow (Season 1, Episode 13) Oliver Queen's sometimes friend, often foe, has been pushing the Green Arrow to his limits since he was stranded on the remote island of Lian Yu. Between that and his rich comic book history, Deathstroke is hard to beat. Image: The CW
1. Eobard Thawne
First appearance: The Flash (Season 1, Episode 1) There are none more devious or destructive than Eobard Thawne. This villain from the future made The Flash's life absolutely miserable, and he did it while posing as Barry Allen's mentor, Harrison Wells. Image: The CW
By Chris E. Hayner on Jun 27, 2018 10:12 pm
These are the most ridiculous and useless X-Men characters.
The X-Men were first introduced in 1963 and have given comic book fans some of the greatest Marvel superheroes of all time. From Wolverine to Jean Grey to Cyclops to Storm, and so many more, the X-Men stands the test of time as one of the best superhero teams ever. Still, that doesn't mean every X-Men decision is a home run. While characters like Gambit, Nightcrawler, and Beast remain some of the most popular in the Marvel universe, there are plenty of mutants that are utterly ridiculous. Like these. Image: Marvel.
Eye-Scream
This particular mutant only appeared once, in a 1983 comic book. His mutant power is an ability to transform himself into any ice cream flavor. Image: Marvel
Goldballs
What power does Goldballs have? It's all in his name. He can shoot gold-colored balls from his body -- just don't ask what they're made of. Image: Marvel
Glob Herman
While some heroes can become invisible, this mutant's powers are limited to translucent skin. His bones, muscles and organs are still visible, though, so his foes know where to aim. Image: Marvel
Tag
Tag's secret power? He tags people, which causes them to emit a signal that makes everyone else run away. Image: Marvel
Beak
He's essentially a bird--hollow bones, lots of feathers, and a beak. What good is that, honestly? Image: Marvel
Ugly John
How do we put this delicately? Ugly John's power is that he has three faces, all of which are ugly. It's literally the only "power" he has working in his favor. Image: Marvel
Cypher
Cypher's power is the ability to translate any language -- both human and alien. It may not come in too handy during a fight, but at least he's got jokes. Image: Marvel
Longneck
Go ahead and guess what Longneck's mutant power is. If you guessed anything other than having a long neck, you're clearly not paying attention. Image: Marvel
Zeitgeist
Vomit. That's what Zeitgeist is good at. He has an acidic vomit that can burn through just about anything. He's definitely not the kind of guy you want to go on a pub crawl with. Image: Marvel
Kylun
Kylun sure looks scary. As far as powers go, though, not so much. He has the ability to mimic any sound he hears using his vocal chords. Yes, he's essentially Michael Winslow from the Police Academy films. Image: Marvel
Jazz
This mutant's one and only power is that his skin is blue. This is not a joke. Image: Marvel
Jubilee
Anyone who's seen the X-Men animated series from the '90s loves Jubilee, no doubt. That said, her ability to create explosive light blasts with her hands essentially means she shoots fireworks at people. It looks cool, but it's not very intimidating. Image: Marvel
Skin
Try to contain your surprise when we tell you that Skin's mutant power is his skin. More specifically, it's the elasticity of his skin. He has roughly six extra feet of skin on his body. Image: Marvel
Layla Miller
On the surface, Layla's power to resurrect the dead is incredibly useful. However, they come back without their souls. That complicates matters quite a bit. Image: Marvel
Maggott
He can't eat, however, two creatures that can devour anything live in his digestive system. They leave his body, eat, then return to impart the energy they've gained to Maggott. It's...complicated. Image: Marvel
Mimic
While more useful than Kylun's, Mimic's power isn't that original: He can mimic anybody near him. That said, it essentially leaves Mimic only as useful as those in his vicinity. Image: Mimic
Broo
Broo's big power is -- wait for it -- compassion and the ability to think for himself. Honestly. He's a mutant Brood, an alien race that works as a hive-mind that wants to protect its queen. But Broo makes his own choices, can make friends, and also happens to have genius-level intellect. Image: Marvel
Rogue
In the comics and cartoons, Rogue has some cool powers--like flight. In the movies, though, her power absorption ability is more of a hindrance than a help. She drains mutant powers with a touch, which is a real bummer for her boyfriend Iceman. Image: 20th Century Fox
Adam-X
Adam-X can essentially make an enemy's blood combust, burning them alive from the inside-out. To do that, though, he has to get oxygen into the blood by cutting his opponent open. So, in order to inflict harm, he must first inflict harm... to the X-treme. Image: Marvel
Karma
Karma has a pretty strange form of telepathy as a power. Not only can she read minds, but she can also possess other beings to take control of them temporarily. She can even tune into their thoughts and feelings so she can feel them herself. Truth be told, that sounds like more of a burden than anything else. Image: Marvel
Stacy X
A former prostitute, Stacy X has the power to control pheromones--meaning she can control your bodily functions like orgasms, nausea, and vomiting with a touch. Let that sink in. Image: Marvel
Toad
Toad, like Beak, has animalistic powers. That includes superhuman leaping abilities, an elongated tongue that can dart out, and a flexible bone structure. Still, it's hard to look past the fact that he's essentially a frog. Image: Marvel
Ink
Ink's powers are actually due to his tattoos. He's not a mutant, but instead gets tattoos from a mutant that give him powers. Image: 20th Century Fox
Marrow
While Marrow's ability to control the growth and strength of her bone structure does earn her a spot on this list, it's pretty useful. She can make spikes and bones grow on-demand, creating a litany of armor and weapon possibilities. Image: Marvel
Callisto
What powers does Callisto have? Her senses are enhanced. That means she can smell things from far away, has great vision, and her sense of touch is second-to-none. How useful is that on the battlefield, though? Image: 20th Century Fox
John Wraith
While John Wraith's primary ability is to phase from one location to another, it's another of his powers that is utterly ridiculous. He has anti-aging capabilities, meaning he ages slower than others. While that might sound cool in theory, keep in mind what little aging comic book characters normally do. Image; 20th Century Fox
Lifeguard
Lifeguard's powers are peculiar in that she can detect danger to human life and automatically gains any powers needed to save those at risk. Definitely take her when you go hiking or swimming. Image: Marvel
By Michael Rougeau on Jun 27, 2018 10:12 pm
There's nothing scarier than a true horror story.
That's something Hollywood knows well, which is why there are so many classic and contemporary horror films that are based on true events. Some of these films stray far from the bounds of reality, while others stick true to their non-fiction source material. Either way, they're all terrifying in their own rights. How many have you seen? Let us know in the comments below.
The Blob (1958)
The fiction: An alien blob terrorizes a small town in Pennsylvania, growing larger and more aggressive as it devours people whole. The fact: The Blob was inspired by a 1950 incident involving a handful of Philadelphia police officers who witnessed a mysterious, gelatinous alien mass fall from the sky. It allegedly dissolved before long, and thankfully didn't eat anyone. (source)
Psycho (1960)
The fiction: A young woman is murdered by a motel manager who occasionally cosplays as his dead mother, who's still decomposing in his house. The fact: Psycho's story, adapted from a 1959 book of the same name, is based loosely on the real world murderer Ed Gein, whose fixation on his mother and other qualities are mirrored in the character Norman Bates. (source)
The Exorcist (1973)
The fiction: Two priests and a mother attempt to save a 12-year-old girl from demonic possession. The fact: The Exorcist was adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name. The book was based at least partially on the story of an unidentified 13-year-old boy who exhibited signs of possession in Cottage City, MD in 1949. (source)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
The fiction: A group of friends are terrorized by an isolated family of rural cannibals, including the now-iconic Leatherface. The fact: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was marketed as "based on a true story," which isn't entirely accurate--although Leatherface was inspired by real life killer Ed Gein, who also wore human skin over his own. (source)
Deranged (1974)
The fiction: A deranged man becomes obsessed with corpses, eventually resorting to creating new ones. The film was subtitled "The Confessions of a Necrophile" in the US. The fact: Like so many other horror films of the era, Deranged killer Ezra Cobb was based on the murderer Ed Gein. (source)
Jaws (1975)
The fiction: An enormous shark terrorizes beachgoers off the coast of the fictional New England town of Amity Island. The fact: Jaws was inspired by the 1916 deaths in New Jersey of five victims at the teeth of one ferocious rogue shark. (source)
The Hills Have Eyes (1976)
The fiction: A family is terrorized by savages in the Nevada desert who turn out to all be part of one big, cannibalistic clan. The fact: The Hills Have Eyes and its 2006 remake are modern retellings of the story of Sawney Bean, who legend has it led a clan of dozens of cannibals in killing over 1,000 people in Scotland around the 16th century. (source)
The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)
The fiction: A "Phantom" killer in a simple mask terrorizes the small town of Texarkana, Texas. The fact: The Town That Dreaded Sundown was based on similar murders that took place in Texarkana between February and May of 1946. It was even shot there, with several locals cast as extras. (source)
Eaten Alive (1977)
The fiction: The proprietor of a rural Texas hotel attacks victims and feed them to his pet crocodile. The fact: The events of Eaten Alive, which also went by the alternate titles Death Trap, Horror Hotel, and Starlight Slaughter, were based on the real life "alligator killer," Joe Ball. Ball murdered at least two women in the 1930s, and rumor is he disposed of the bodies by feeding them to the pet alligators he kept at his Elmendorf, Texas bar. (source)
Audrey Rose (1977)
The fiction: In one of his earliest roles, Anthony Hopkins plays Elliot Hoover, who becomes convinced that a 10-year-old girl is the reincarnation of his dead daughter. The fact: Audrey Rose was adapted from a novel of the same title by Frank De Felitta, who was inspired to explore reincarnation in his writing after his 6-year-old son allegedly began spontaneously playing ragtime piano. (source)
The Amityville Horror (1979)
The fiction: A young couple find their new home already inhabited by unfriendly spirits. The fact: Based on Jay Anson's book of the same name, The Amityville Horror is a well known retelling of Ronald J. DeFeo Jr.'s real life murder of his parents and four siblings, and the subsequent events experienced by the house's later owners. (source)
The Entity (1982)
The fiction: A woman is attacked by a paranormal, invisible attacker. The fact: The Entity was adapted from the novel of the same name by Frank De Felitta (also the author of Audrey Rose). It was based on the story of a Culver City, Calif. woman who believed she was being raped by ghosts. (source)
A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
The fiction: The infamous Freedy Krueger stalks and kills a group of teenagers in their dreams. The fact: Wes Craven was inspired by reports of Asian men throughout the '70s and '80s dying in their sleep, a phenomenon that at the time was labeled "Asian Death Syndrome." (source)
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
The fiction: The Walking Dead's Michael Rooker plays Henry, a serial killer on a crime spree. The fact: The movie tells a fictionalized version of the real life of killer Henry Lee Lucas. (source)
The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)
The fiction: An ethnobotanist--a scientist who studies how native cultures use plants for medicine and other purposes--investigates a drug that allegedly creates Voodoo zombies. The fact: It was based on the nonfiction book of the same name by real world ethnobotanist Wade Davis, who investigated the story of alleged zombie Clairvius Narcisse. (source)
Child's Play (1988)
The fiction: A child's doll is possessed by the soul of a serial killer. The fact: Chucky's story was inspired by Robert, a haunted doll that allegedly talked and inspired fits of rage in its young owner. Robert is still on display in the Florida Key West Martello Museum. (source)
Fire in the Sky (1993)
The fiction: A group of men are investigated for murder after a friend was apparently abducted by aliens. The fact: In 1975 Travis Walton claimed to have been abducted by a UFO, although he was never able to prove it. (source)
The Dentist (1996)
The fiction: Amid various hallucinations, a sadistic dentist gets revenge on his cheating wife. The fact: It's been speculated that The Dentist was based on the true story of Dr. Glennon Edward Engleman, a Missouri dentist who, over decades, convinced multiple women to marry other men, who he would then murder. They'd split the insurance checks. (source)
Ravenous (1999)
The fiction: A US soldier during the Mexican-American War is assigned to a remote mountain fort, where he encounters a stranger who turns out to be a murderous cannibal. The fact: Ravenous was inspired both by the Donner Party, the infamous group of pioneers who were forced to resort to cannibalism after becoming stranded in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and by Alfred Packer, who apparently ate his companions on a gold-prospecting expedition when they became stranded in the Rockies. (source)
From Hell (2001)
The fiction: Scotland Yard investigates the murders committed by the infamous Jack the Ripper, uncovering conspiracies along the way. The fact: From Hell, based on a graphic novel by Alan Moore, speculates on the real murderer Jack the Ripper, who was never definitively identified. (source)
Dahmer (2002)
The fiction: A recluse in Wisconsin captures, murders, and does really unspeakable things to a total of 17 male victims. The fact: It's about Jeffrey Dahmer. Do you really need a source for that? By the way, yes, that's Hawkeye.
The Mothman Prophecies (2002)
The fiction: A man investigates the Mothman, a strange red-eyed creature that appears to signify impending disasters. The fact: Real world journalist John Keel wrote the book The Mothman Prophecies after investigating hundreds of reports of sightings and other strange phenomena in Point Pleasant, West Virginia during the late 1960s. (source)
Open Water (2003)
The fiction: A scuba-diving couple find themselves stranded in shark-infested Caribbean waters. The fact: The true story involves Tom and Eileen Lonergan, who were left behind while scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef because their tour guides failed to take a head count. Their bodies were never found. (source)
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
The fiction: An attorney defends a priest accused of negligent homicide after an exorcism. The fact: In real life a German woman named Anneliese Michel died after being subjected to an exorcism. She was found to have been malnourished and dehydrated, and her parents and the responsible priests were charged with negligent homicide and sentenced to three years' probation. Her epilepsy was likely the real culprit. (source)
Wolf Creek (2005)
The fiction: Three backpackers are hunted by a madman through the Australian outback. The fact: Writer and director Greg McLean said Wolf Creek was based on three separate real life Australian serial killers: Ivan Milat, AKA The Backpacker Killer, who murdered backpackers in the '90s; Bradley Murdoch, who allegedly tried to kidnap a woman after murdering her boyfriend; and the Snowtown Murders, a series of 11 grisly murders carried out by four men and one woman in the small town of Snowtown in South Australia. (source)
Them (2006)
The fiction: A couple are attacked in their home by a group of sadistic children and teenagers. The fact: Them is reportedly based on the story of an Austrian couple murdered at their home in the Czech Republic. That said, the details on those alleged real events are hard to come by, so take this one with a grain of salt. (source)
The Girl Next Door (2007)
The fiction: A young woman is tortured and killed in suburban America. The fact: Real life Sylvia Likens was tortured, humiliated, and sexually abused for months by her caretakers, the Baniszewski family, and various neighborhood youths, leading to her death. It's really soul-wrenching stuff; do yourself a favor and don't look into it any further. (source)
Borderland (2007)
The fiction: A group of college students discover a cult that practices human sacrifice in Mexico. The fact: The real story is of Adolfo Constanzo, a "witch doctor" who ingratiated himself with cartels in Mexico as he racked up a crazy body count as a serial killer. He used human remains to perform "spells" and attracted an impressive following of cult members and accomplices. He wasn't caught until he murdered an American college student in 1989. (source)
Zodiac (2007)
The fiction: Investigators hunt the Zodiac Killer, who was active in the San Francisco Bay area during the '60s and '70s. The fact: David Fincher's film was based on James Vanderbilt's 1986 nonfiction book of the same name. The Zodiac Killer was a real serial killer directly linked to at least five murders in the late '60s. He was never positively identified. (source)
Primeval (2007)
The fiction: A team of American journalists travel to the African country Burundi to hunt a giant crocodile. The fact: The real crocodile is named Gustave, and he's reportedly 20 feet long and over 60 years old. They say he's claimed more than 300 victims, and he may still be at large today. (source)
The Strangers (2008)
The fiction: A couple is harassed in their home by a group of masked intruders. The fact: This beloved slasher was inspired by three separate sources: a personal experience of writer/director Bryan Bertino's in which strangers knocked on his door while his parents were away, and he later found out they'd been responsible for break-ins in the area; the Manson Family murders, in which followers of infamous killer Charles Manson murdered five people in a home invasion, including actress Sharon Tate; and the Keddie Cabin Murders, which involved a woman and her children staying at a remote resort in California. (source)
The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)
The fiction: A family moves into a haunted house that used to be a mortuary. The fact: The Reed family experienced strange events, including apparitions of a man with long black hair, after moving into a former funeral home in the '80s. The house was allegedly rid of the unfriendly ghost(s) after a three-hour exorcism, although the Catholic church denies having performed it. (source)
The Rite (2011)
The fiction: An American seminary student travels to Italy to take a course on exorcism, and he eventually witnesses real supernatural events. The fact: The Rite is based loosely on the life of a real priest, father Gary Thomas, who is one of the few to complete a 40-hour Vatican course on exorcism. Journalist Matt Baglio wrote about him in his book The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist, which served as the film's inspiration. (source)
Silent House (2011)
The fiction: A young woman is terrorized in her family vacation home. The fact: Silent House is a remake of a 2010 Uruguyan film called La Casa Muda ("The Silent House"), which was based on an incident that allegedly occurred in a village in Uruguay in the 1940s. (source)
The Possession (2012)
The fiction: A young girl inadvertently purchases a haunted box at a yard sale. Scary stuff ensues. The fact: The Possession was originally titled "The Dibbuk Box," after the story of a haunted box that supposedly terrorized multiple owners. (source)
The Conjuring (2013)
The fiction: A pair of paranormal investigators attempt to rid a family of their home's irate spirits. The fact: The Conjuring was famously based on just one of the many historical incidents involving real life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. (source)
The Sacrament (2013)
The fiction: Journalists accompany a co-worker and document their attempt to rescue a relative from an abusive cult. The fact: The cult was inspired by the Peoples Temple settlement Jonestown in Guyana, which made the phrase "drink the Kool-Aid" famous after its nearly 1,000 members died from drinking poisoned Flavor Aid in a mass suicide (although, it's been reported, some gulped it down less willingly than others. (source)
Annabelle (2014)
The fiction: A couple is harassed by the soul of a cultist murderer that's trapped inside a creepy doll. The fact: The doll Annabelle originated in The Conjuring, but it wasn't until the 2014 film Annabelle that she got her own backstory. The doll itself is based on a real life alleged haunted doll, also named Annabelle, investigated by the paranormal experts Ed and Lorrain Warren. (source)
Deliver Us From Evil (2014)
The fiction: A veteran NYPD officer and a renegade priest wrestle with real evil. The fact: The movie was based on Ralph Sarchie's book Beware the Night, which documents his work as a demonologist. The plot of the movie is entirely fictional, but it allegedly is true to the character of the writer himself. (source)
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
The fiction: Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren reluctantly help a family haunted by demons in England. The fact: Like the other movies in the extended Conjuring universe, The Conjuring 2 is based on a real case the Warrens investigated: the Enfield Poltergeist, one of England's most infamous hauntings. (source)
By Dan Auty on Jun 27, 2018 10:12 pm
Superhero shows have never been more popular. Between Marvel's Netflix-verse (Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Iron Fist, and Defenders), the Arrow-verse on CW, and many more, it's a great time for superheroes on TV. There have of course been a variety of iconic and much-loved shows over the decades too, but for every Smallville or Wonder Woman, there are many more that are long forgotten. Here 11 of the least remembered superhero shows--most of them forgotten for good reason...
Black Scorpion
Legendary producer Roger Corman, best known for his exploitation and horror movies, dabbled briefly in the world of superheroes. Most notoriously, he produced 1992's never-released Fantastic Four movie, but he was also responsible for the Sci-Fi Channel's Black Scorpion. The show lasted one season in 2001, and focused on a police detective called Darcy Walker, who by night dons a leather outfit to fight such amusingly-named villains as Aerobicide, Professor Prophet, and Gangster Prankster. Like Batman, Black Scorpion has no superpowers, just gadgets and skills. Unlike Batman, no one remembers her.
Super Force
Another powerless hero was Zachary Stone, the main character of 1990's Super Force. Unlike many shows on this list, this one ran for two seasons and had a sister show that is even less-remembered (Lightning Force). Stone is an astronaut who returns from a mission to Mars to avenge his brother's death with the help of high-tech fighting suit. Confusingly, Super Force is the name of the suit, not a team, but in the tradition of Knight Rider's KITT, our hero has a computer that chats to him while wearing the suit. Curiously, one of the bad guys was played by G. Gordon Liddy, the former lawyer and key player in the Watergate burglary that led to President Richard Nixon's downfall.
Night Man
Glen A. Larson was the king of high concept, popular TV in the 1980s--from Battlestar Galactica and Knight Rider to Magnum PI and The Fall Guy, Larson's shows put an indelible mark on pop culture. Less successful however was Night Man, Larson's attempt to get into the superhero game. Based on a little-remembered Marvel character, the show hit screens in 1997 and ran for two seasons. It starred Malcolm McColm as Johnny Domino (aka Night Man), a supernatural hero who can fly and fire lasers from his eyes. While he's not fighting crime, Domino plays smooth jazz saxophone, something I think the superhero genre needs more of.
Superboy
This 1988 show was produced by the Salkind brothers, who were the men behind the first three Superman movies and 1984's Supergirl film. The series ran for 100 episodes and was popular throughout its run, but a successful legal challenge by Warner to reclaim full ownership of the entire Superman property meant that the show came to a sudden stop in 1992. Superboy saw a lot of cast changes throughout its run, including two different actors in the lead role, plus a wildly varying tone that lurched from light and fun to dark and moody. And with the subsequent small screen success of The New Adventures of Superman, Smallville, and Supergirl, this one has drifted into the mists of time.
Isis
On the face of it, the plot of Isis sounds like a blatant attempt to cash in on the success of the Wonder Woman TV show, but in fact, this 1975 series premiered a year earlier. Also known as Secrets of Isis, it has the honor of being TV's first female-led superhero show, and focused on a schoolteacher who can transform into the titular Egyptian goddess via the power of an ancient amulet. The show wasn't exactly ambitious with its plot; most of the 22 episodes involved Isis using her powers to rescue her students from a series of not particularly dangerous mishaps. But our heroine's habit of smiling straight at the camera shows that no one was supposed to take it very seriously. Interestingly, the character to set to resurface next month in the CW's DC show Legends of Tomorrow under the name Zari Adrianna Tomaz. Let's hope they give her something more interesting to do.
Blade
Everyone remembers the Blade movie and its sequels, but it's safe to say the TV spinoff is less familiar. The 2006 show followed directly on from the events of Blade: Trinity; it was produced by David Goyer, who wrote all three movies, with rapper Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones replacing Wesley Snipes as the leather-clad vampire hunter of the title. Unfortunately, despite strong initial viewing figures and decent reviews, it only lasted one season on Spike, with the cost of the production leading to its cancellation. Bye bye Blade.
Birds of Prey
Last year, it was rumored that DC were working on Gotham City Sirens, a movie that was to focus on some of the female characters of the DC universe. The movie is no longer happening, but disappointed fans can relax--a TV version already exists! Bird of Prey premiered in 2002 to impressive viewing figures, but these quickly plummeted and the show was cancelled 13 episodes later. The series was set in a post-Batman Gotham, and it teamed Huntress (the daughter of Batman and Catwoman) with Oracle, the new identity of former Batgirl, Barbara Gordon. Other familiar characters include Harley Quinn and Alfred, with Mark Hamill lending his voice to the Joker in the pilot episode.
Sheena
Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, was the first ever female comic book character to get her own title, with her 1939 comic being introduced four years before the first issue of Wonder Woman. In 2000, the character was briefly revived for modern audiences, with former Baywatch star Gena Lee Nolin as the super-fast, shape-shifting heroine, who also goes by the mysterious alias of Darak'na. Unfortunately, the producers couldn't let Sheena deal with the dangerous of the jungle alone, so they gave her a useless male companion, a grizzled ex-CIA agent called Matt Cutter. Sheena ran for two seasons and reappeared on DVD last month in a six-disc box set.
Swamp Thing: The Series
Swamp Thing: The Series actually had a better run than many of the shows on this list. Based on DC's comic books about a scientist turned gloopy marsh monster, the 1990 series saw stuntman Dick Durock reprise the lead role from the two terrible movies in the 1980s and was shot on an entirely studio-bound--but reasonably convincing--swamp set. The critics hated it, and many of the episodes were confusingly broadcast out-of-sequence, but it must have done something right. It ran for three years, 72 episodes and for a time, was the highest rated original show on the USA Network.
The Cape
The most recent show on this list, 2011's The Cape was NBC's attempt to follow the success of its earlier hit Heroes. While Heroes went quickly downhill, The Cape never got started--mediocre reviews and poor ratings ensured that it was cancelled after one season. The show followed the adventures of an ex-cop named Farraday who was trained by a gang of circus performers and given a mystical superpowered cape. Farraday had been framed for a crime he did not commit by the corrupt police force and fought to clear his name. Unfortunately for Farraday, no one cared, and 10 episodes later, The Cape was no more.
The Amazing Spider-Man
Before Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland, there was Nicholas Hammond. Hammond was the star of this short-lived live-action Spider-Man show, which was produced after Stan Lee sold the Spidey TV right to CBS in the mid-70s. While a generation of Marvel-loving kids finally got to see Spidey on screen, budgetary constraints meant that very little of the expected web swinging could be realized; much of the action consisted of Spidey climbing up the occasional wall and getting in some unthrilling punch-ups. CBS cancelled the show in 1979 because it was worried about being identified too heavily with the superhero genre, which is certainly not something that worries studios these days.
By Array on Jun 27, 2018 10:12 pm
Hostel (2005)
This brainchild of horror guru Eli Roth is pretty much every backpacker's nightmare. In it, a pair of American travelers check in to a hostel in Slovakia and are forced to endure a series of truly gruesome tortures. Image: Lions Gate Films
mother! (2017)
It's hard to tell exactly which genre mother! belongs in. One thing's for sure, though: It has some of the most disturbing moments ever committed to film, including the cannibalistic climax of the film that finally sends Jennifer Lawrence's titular character over the edge. Image: Paramount Pictures
Saw (2004)
The players: two men. The stakes: Only one gets out alive. The twist: One has to kill the other to survive. Add in plenty of torture and you'll soon understand why Saw is one of the most infamous kidnap-and-torture films to date. Image: Lions Gate Films
The Thing (1982)
Eighties horror at its best, the remake of the 1951 original has become something of a cult classic itself. Starring Kurt Russell in his glory days and featuring alien possession, this story, with its gore and goo, might seem a little kitschy to today's viewer. However, props to director John Carpenter for pulling off a story about an enormous, nigh-unstoppable parasite that's still fairly scary. Image: Universal Pictures
House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
Rob Zombie's directorial debut is filled with the kind of gore one would expect from the White Zombie frontman. In the movie, a character is scalped and later vivisected, exposing his organs without killing him. Image: Lionsgate
Raw (2017)
This French-Belgian horror tale is about as graphic as you'd expect a movie about flesh-eating to be. Your stomach will churn as Justine, a former vegetarian, develops an unquenchable hunger for human flesh. Image: Focus World
The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) (2011)
Take the original Human Centipede and quadruple the most important elements: You know. The people. In the human centipede. In short: Ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ewwwwwwwww. Image: IFC Midnight
The Last House on the Left (1972)
Before he was renowned at the creator of A Nightmare on Elm Street, Wes Craven released this truly depraved and sadistic film in which a gang of killers and rapists torment two young women. It was so violent that it was banned in the United Kingdom until 2002, when particularly offensive scenes were removed. Image: Hallmark Releasing
Strangeland (1998)
This horrorfest was written by Dee Snider, who also stars as the mentally unbalanced Captain Howdy. Howdy, a sadist and a schizophrenic, lures teenage victims via chat rooms. Briefly reformed after a stay in an institution, he soon becomes unbalanced again and wreaks havoc in a small town. It's pretty much every parent's nightmare come true. Image: Artisan Entertainment
The Woman (2011)
This story has every "ordinary family in the backwoods hiding a secret" horror trope imaginable. Those are accompanied by brutal torture scenes leading up to a bloodbath that pretty much decimates 75 percent of the characters in the film. And in (probably purposeful) irony, the real monsters in the film are the men, not the eponymous woman. Image: Bloody Disgusting
Evil Dead (2013)
This 2013 reboot of a cult classic, which gender swaps Ash for a woman named Mia, has some incredibly disturbing moments -- such as when Mia loses her hand and replaces it with a chainsaw. Image: TriStar Pictures
The Lure (2015)
In this Polish horror-musical -- essentially a demented retelling of The Little Mermaid -- an actual mermaid falls in love with a boy. She then faces the choice of either eating him or dying. Image: Kino Swiat
Antichrist (2009)
With one of the most graphic and infamous self-mutilation scenes in the history of filmmaking, Lars von Trier's controversial work stars Charlotte Gainsbourg and Willem Dafoe as a grieving couple trying to get their relationship on track following the death of their child. Of course, they decide to do this in a cabin in the woods, and from there things just go so, so...wrong. Image: Zentropa Entertainments
Martyrs (2008)
Child abuse survivor Lucie sets off on a quest to take vengeance on her former torturers. In the process, she and fellow survivor Anna must endure a house of horrors. Featuring a scene where one character is flayed alive, the gruesome flick packages two philosophical questions: What is true transcendence? And what happens after death? Image: The Weinstein Company
Deadgirl (2008)
Part coming-of-age film, part zombie movie, part ewwwwwww, this dark interpretation of teenage hormones throws together an undead captive girl, an abandoned mental asylum, and two indolent high school boys. The result: One horrifying scenario. It's so grisly that its attempt at black comedy is lost in all the wince-worthy moments on screen. Image: Dark Sky Films
Event Horizon (1997)
A classic in the science-fiction horror genre, this is the stuff of nightmares come to life. When the rescue crew of Lewis and Clark investigate what went wrong at the starship Event Horizon, they discover an evil sentience that hurls people into insanity and horrifying hallucinations. This flick may not be as sick and twisted as the others on this list, but the lurid torture scenes are still burned into our brains, so there's that. Image: Paramount Pictures
Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
The title pretty much explains what this 95-minute film is filled with: people eating people, and in the most gruesome of ways. Framed as "found footage" from a documentary team researching a tribe in the Amazon rainforest, this movie should not be watched while you are eating...anything. Image: Grindhouse Releasing
A Serbian Film (2011)
This is the kind of movie whose plot description will scar your soul before you can even see the first frame. Filmmaker Srdjan Spasojevic pulls out all the stops, including plenty of gore, in this story about an actor tricked into participating in a snuff film. Rated NC-17, this is not a viewing experience for the faint of heart. Image: Invincible Pictures
The Skin I Live In (2011)
With Antonio Banderas in perhaps his creepiest performance to date, this psychological horror thriller by Pedro Almodóvar centers around a plastic surgeon gone mad, the woman trapped as his guinea pig, and the secrets behind their relationship. Image: Sony Pictures Classics
Audition (1999)
No list of sick and twisted horror movies would be complete without something from Takashi Miike, and this one's a doozy. Probably the worst dating experience ever conjured in the history of mankind, the movie features middle-aged widower Shigeharu, who learns that love the second time around can be a killer. Literally. Image: Lionsgate Home Entertainment
You're Next (2011)
Ax-wielding murderers crash a family reunion in this slasher flick, where only those brought up in a survivalist compound survive. Does anything make sense? No. Does bloody gore abound? Yep. Image: Lionsgate
Guinea Pig: Flower of Flesh and Blood (1985)
The second in a series of Japanese horror movies, Guinea Pig includes scenes so graphic -- including dismemberment -- that the FBI launched an investigation in 1991 to determine whether anyone was actually killed during production. Image: Unearthed Films
I Spit On Your Grave (1978)
Considered one of the most controversial films of all time, I Spit on Your Grave is the story about a woman who, after being gang raped, plots her violent revenge against those who assaulted her. It was initially banned in many European countries and still cannot be sold in Ireland. Image: The Jerry Gross Organization
Braindead (1992)
From rabid animal attacks to skin being torn off of faces, this Peter Jackson-directed movie is filled with imagery that you simply won't forget. Image: TriMark Pictures
Cabin Fever (2003)
With a flesh-eating virus at the center of the story, this film -- noted horror director Eli Roth's first -- is filled with disturbing visuals. Image: Lionsgate
ABCs of Death (2013)
The ABCs of Death is a series of 26 short films, each one based on a letter of the alphabet. Each is disturbing in its own way, from a man fighting a dog for money to a young boy being killed by a toilet. Image: Lionsgate Films
Inside (2007)
Between the bloody violence involving a pregnant woman and the impromptu Caesarean section it leads to, everything about this French horror film feels very, very wrong. Image: La Fabrique de Films
Ichi the Killer (2001)
This manga adaptation, which includes a scene where a man is skewered and suspended by hooks, gets incredibly creative with its twisted visuals. Image: Media Blasters
Excision (2012)
The most disturbing moment in this movie is an amateur surgery carried out by a disturbed teenager. Image: Anchor Bay Films
The Green Inferno (2013)
With scenes depicting cannibalism and suicide (among other acts of violence), Eli Roth's homage to Cannibal Holocaust was not well-received by critics. Image: Universal Pictures
By Chris E. Hayner on Jun 27, 2018 09:36 pm
When it comes to figuring out how successful a movie was with audiences, the box office returns are normally a pretty good thing to research. However, once upon a time, there was another way to figure out how big of an impact your film had. During the 1980s and 1990s, a slew of movies were adapted into cartoons to further appeal to kids. After all, if your movie becomes a cartoon, you can make more toys to sell, and more toys equals more money. And while most of the animated series made perfect sense--of course Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures made a great cartoon--others were a bit questionable. The very idea of a Rambo cartoon is puzzling. GameSpot dug back through cartoon history to dig up the best and craziest cartoons based on old movies for your viewing pleasure. How many of these did you watch? And what did we miss when it comes to your favorites? Sound off in the comments below!
1. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1995-2000)
You might not remember it, but Ace Ventura: Pet Detective ran for three seasons over five years. After two years on CBS, it took a nearly two-year break before jumping to Nickelodeon for its final 15 episodes. Surprisingly, there was also a computer game based on the cartoon--but not on the movie. Image: Warner Bros. TV
2. The Real Ghostbusters (1986-1991)
This is the gold standard of cartoons adapted from movies. The Real Ghostbusters--which also became Slimer and the Real Ghostbusters for a time--ran for seven seasons and turned the movies into an even more kid-friendly adventure. It also led to a massive toy line. Image: Sony Pictures Television
3. Extreme Ghostbusters (1997)
This sequel to The Real Ghostbusters introduces a new crop of heroes, with Egon returning as the lone original. Taking advantage of the late-'90s obsession with the word "extreme," this new Ghostbusters was anything but. However, it was a fun, short-lived way to expand the Ghostbusters animated universe. Image: Sony Pictures Television
4. Back to the Future (1991-1992)
While Back to the Future Part III was a pretty definitive end for the franchise, that didn't stop them from making a cartoon, following Marty, Doc, Doc's Family, and Einstein the dog. Naturally, Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox did not return to voice their characters, though the former did appear in live-action segments at the beginning and end of each episode. What may surprise you, though, is both Mary Steenburgen (Clara Clayton Brown) and Thomas F. Wilson (Biff Tannen) did reprise their roles for the animated series. Image: NBCUniversal Television Distribution
5. Clerks: The Animated Series (2000)
This one is weird for a number of reasons. Based on the Kevin Smith movie, this was not a cartoon for children. It saw the return of practically the entire Clerks cast, plus the addition of Alec Baldwin as rich weirdo Leonardo Leonardo. It was also canceled after two episodes by ABC. However, six episodes were produced and eventually released on DVD. Image: Buena Vista Television
6. Beetlejuice (1989-1991)
If you watch Tim Burton's Beetlejuice movie, which can be pretty graphic, it may be surprising that they turned it into a children's cartoon. That said, the animated Beetlejuice series ran for four seasons and even got its own line of toys. As you can probably guess, Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder did not return to voice their characters. Image: Warner Bros. TV
7. The Karate Kid (1989)
Instead of a fighting tournament, The Karate Kid sends Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi on an adventure around the world to find a magical shrine, with a new sidekick joining their quest. The cartoon is such an insane departure from the movies, that it should come as no surprise it only lasted a single season. Thank goodness for Cobra Kai. Image: Sony Pictures Television
8. The Mummy: The Animated Series (2001-2003)
While based on Brendan Fraser's The Mummy movie, this cartoon centers on the 14-year-old son of the main characters, as their family is chased around the world by Imhotep. Image: NBCUniversal Television Distribution
9. Dumb & Dumber (1995-1996)
Yet another Jim Carrey movie adapted into an animated series. It follows the film, continuing the adventures of Harry Dunne and Lloyd Christmas as they continued to be incredibly stupid. Now, though, they have the purple beaver as a sidekick. Why not? Image: Warner Bros. TV
10. Jumanji (1996-1999)
Though based on the original movie, the Jumanji animated series has a lot in common with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. In this cartoon, two kids are sucked into the game's jungle on each turn and have to solve clues to go back home. While there, they befriend Alan Parrish--played by Robin Williams in the movie--and explore the wild with him. Image: Sony Pictures Television
11. Police Academy: The Animated Series (1988-1989)
This is another bizarre example. The original Police Academy film was rated R by the MPAA. The sequels that followed ranged from PG-13 to PG, but basing a cartoon for children on a Rated-R movie is a risky bet--though it's one that happened a few times in the '80s. It worked well enough to earn the series 65 episodes and an extensive line of toys, though. It should be noted that the Zed action figure dropped his pants, if you were wondering how classy these toys were. Image: LBS Communications
12. RoboCop: The Animated Series (1988)
RoboCop is an incredibly graphic and vulgar film, filled with violence. Yet, somehow, it got two cartoons. The first only ran for 12 episodes, but its very existence is remarkable. Naturally, it wasn't as violent as the movie. Image: MGM Television
13. RoboCop: Alpha Command (1998-1999)
The second RoboCop cartoon was far more successful, with a higher-quality animation style earning it 40 episodes before it was canceled. Image: MGM Television
14. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures (1990-1991)
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure lends itself perfectly to an animated series and this cartoon is a lot of fun. However, what's most notable about it is the cast. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter voiced their characters in the first season. The second season saw the duo replaced by two actors that were also going to star in a live-action adaptation that was canceled after seven episodes. The animated series was then dropped. Image: MGM Television
15. The Mask Animated Series (1995-1997)
The last cartoon based on a Jim Carrey movie on this list but perhaps the craziest. This series crossed over with the Ace Ventura cartoon, creating some kind of shared Carrey universe. In the crossover, the green mask gets attached to Ace Ventura's butt. That is not a joke. Warner Bros. TV
16. Men in Black
Though based on the Men in Black film, the animated series takes place in an alternate timeline where Agent K doesn't retire and have his memory wiped. He and Agent J are joined by Agent L, who was introduced at the end of the first movie, as they fought aliens invading the planet. Image: Sony Pictures Television
17. Rambo: The Force of Freedom (1986)
As you've seen thus far, making cartoons out of adult movies was commonplace in the 1980s. However, even this is taking things to the extreme. First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II are intense and unsettling action movies about a Vietnam War veteran that goes on killing sprees. Yet somehow, they were adapted into an animated series that saw Rambo lead a team of heroes around the world to fight an evil organization known as S.A.V.A.G.E. And in case you're wondering what that's short for, it's Specialist-Administrators of Vengeance, Anarchy, and Global Extortion. Image: StudioCanal
18. Godzilla: The Series (1998-2000)
If the world needed anything, it's a cartoon based on the 1998 Godzilla movie starring Matthew Broderick, right? In this animated series, the giant lizard teams with Broderick's character and a group of environmental crusaders (and a robot, of course) in a fight against other mutant monsters. Somehow it lasted two seasons. Image: Sony Pictures Television
19. The Oz Kids (1996-1997)
What happens when The Wizard of Oz and Muppet Babies gets mashed up? The Oz Kids! In the series, Dorothy is a mom, and it's her two kids, along with Toto Jr., that go on adventures to Oz. Once there, they meet up with the kids of the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and more. If you're wondering how the Scarecrow and Tin Man managed to have kids, you are not alone. Image: Walt Disney Television
20. The Robonic Stooges (1977-1978)
Imagine a world where the Three Stooges are so popular that they get a cartoon set in the future, where they are bionic superheroes. It exists, and it's as crazy as it sounds. Unfortunately, by the time the show was in production, the original Stooges had died, leading to them being voiced by other actors. Image: Warner Bros. TV
21. Street Fighter (1995-1997)
This peculiar adaptation is based on a mix of the arcade game and the live-action movie. In it, Col. William F. Guile leads his team of Street Fighters around the world as they work undercover to defeat M. Bison and his criminal empire the only way they know how--through martial arts. Image: Discotek Media
22. Alienators: Evolution Continues (2001-2002)
Evolution, starring David Duchovny, Seann William Scott, and Julianne Moore, was not a box office hit or a critical darling. And yet, somehow, it was turned into a cartoon. Of course, with a name like, Alienators: Evolution Continues, the animated series wasn't very obvious about its status as a sequel to the film. However, in the United Kingdom, it was known as Evolution: The Animated Series. Image: NBCUniversal Television Distribution
By Array on Jun 27, 2018 07:36 pm
Quality Games On A Budget
There continues to be no shortage of high-quality games to own and play on Nintendo Switch. There are Nintendo's flagship titles, like Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Mario Tennis Aces, and a variety of other Switch games you may have missed. And if you're interested in revisiting fantastic games from the recent past, the game has ports for big-name games like Bayonetta 2, Skyrim, L.A. Noire, and Doom. However, there's also a burgeoning selection of games that cost no more than $20 on the console's Eshop. These low priced games are not a concept exclusive to Switch, nor is this system the only place to play them. But given the system's only a little over a year in, it's remarkable how the platform is bursting at the seams with fantastic games to play. Nintendo has seemingly opened the floodgates on the Eshop, and there's no shortage of games to browse through. The problem is, there's no promise of quality--while the early days of the system saw a fairly strong lineup of games overall, the Switch Eshop now has plenty that you can pass on. That makes it harder to find the worthwhile games. To make it easier for you to dive into something fun without breaking the bank, we're highlighting Switch games that are available right now for no more than $20 on the Eshop. This is not meant to be a completely comprehensive list, but if you're looking for a cheap Switch game to pick up, you can't go wrong with any of these options. Many are not Switch exclusives, but it's often the best platform to play them on, thanks to newly added features or the sheer convenience of having a version you can play both on a TV and on the go. These games are presented in no particular order; they're simply titles that are worth a look. Be sure to check back often as we update this gallery with more awesome budget games--we've introduced a number of new games as of June 2018, including the new Lumines port, Lumines Remastered; West of Loathing; N++, and Ikaruga. And while you're here, check out our features detailing all the Wii U games we want ported to Switch, 13 things we want to see from the console, and the best games on the console as of 2018.
Celeste ($20 / £18)
Celeste is a magical game that will challenge you in a multitude of ways. Its platforming is really, really hard, and you'll likely get frustrated at your fumbling fingers for failing a jump or at your slow brain for not figuring out how to get to the next safe zone. But when you get to that checkpoint, it's satisfying to know your fingers and brain aren't, in fact, useless. More than its platforming, though, Celeste's story is challenging. The main protagonist, Madeline, is faced with a horrible journey--both climbing a mountain and battling her own mind--and at times it's not easy to watch her suffer. The game's writing is such that it's easy to project that suffering onto yourself, and that can make it tough to face playing the next level. But you should absolutely do so, because it's a story with an ending worth the struggle and a cast of characters so endearing you'll be rooting for them to succeed. Just expect to fail a few leaps of faith along the way.
The Sexy Brutale ($20 / £18)
The Sexy Brutale is a quirky little puzzle game co-developed by Tequila Works, the studio behind beautiful adventure game Rime. Its essentially Groundhog Day: The Game--you play through the same day over and over, but with each runthrough you learn more about the creepy mansion you find yourself in. After seeing one character shoot another, you might go and find the gun and prevent the bloody murder by replacing real bullets with blanks. A number of these murders are interconnected--solving one puzzle might prevent one murder, but that could change another branch of time elsewhere in the house. There's no way of preventing every murder in one go, but discovering and tinkering with the different timelines is where the fun lies. And with it being playable on Switch, you can live the same day countless times anywhere you want. Suffice to say, we've played it over and over again--groundhog day indeed.
Crypt of the NecroDancer ($20 / £18)
Roguelikes (or at least roguelike elements) have been one of the most popular trends in gaming over the past handful of years, but few have taken as interesting of an approach to the genre as Crypt of the NecroDancer. Originally released on PC and other platforms before making its way to Switch in 2018, NecroDancer tasks players with navigating a dungeon to the beat of the music. Rather than simply move in the direction you wish or attack the enemy that's in your path, you and your enemies' actions are tied directly to the (always excellent) soundtrack. It's essential that you always be doing something--not taking an action at the next beat resets your combo, meaning you'll earn less gold or deal less damage, depending on the items you've acquired. Particularly as the music becomes more fast-paced, this lends a real sense of tension and excitement to every moment: you need to constantly be considering your next action while accounting for how nearby enemies will react to your movements. It's an experience with few points of comparison, but it's nonetheless one that you'll certainly want to try.
Battle Chef Brigade ($20 / £18)
Battle Chef Brigade puts you in control of an aspiring young chef named Mina as she fights to become the best cook in the land. But this isn't your typical cooking game; rather than choose from pre-set ingredients in front of you to make a simple dish, you actually have to hunt and gather them yourself, making use of Devil May Cry-like battle system to eliminate them in the wild. You then have to take what you gather back to your kitchen, throw it in a pot, and cook it in a match three mini-game. Frame this within an Iron Chef-like cook off where the clock is ticking against you and you'll have an idea of what you're getting into. The juxtaposition between the two core mechanics of hunting and cooking make for a tense, fast-paced experience that's both memorable and fulfilling.
Enter the Gungeon ($15 / £11)
Being a roguelike-style shooter, Enter the Gungeon naturally draws comparisons to games like The Binding of Isaac and Nuclear Throne. And while that does offer a decent starting point for understanding what to expect, Enter the Gungeon manages to rise above being a pale imitator. It feels fantastic, with a dodge-roll ability that allows you to satisfyingly evade damage with a well-timed use. There are ridiculous weapons, such as those that fire bees or a gun that shoots guns which themselves fire bullets. The well-crafted procedurally generated environments help to keep each run feeling fresh, as do the wide variety of items and secrets to uncover along the way. And co-op support makes for an especially fun, chaotic experience (although it's unfortunate that the second player isn't able to play as the different characters that the main player has access to). The entire game is also overflowing with personality and color, making for an experience that is as fun to look at as is to play.
Furi ($20 / £18)
Fans of Japanese action games will instantly love Furi, as it utilizes a twitch-based combat similar to fan-favorite games in the genre, like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta. Its premise is simple: you play as a nameless silver-haired swordsman who must fight his way out of imprisonment, facing off against a gauntlet of deadly bosses. Aside from its striking presentation, Furi's most memorable quality is its fast and frenetic combat, which is punchy, nuanced, and elegantly simple. It combines mechanics from both hack-and-slash games and shoot 'em ups, challenging you to handle switching between gameplay styles at a moment's notice in the midst of a fight. If you're a sucker for challenging action games, Furi should be at the top of your list for $20 Switch games to buy.
SteamWorld Dig 2 ($20 / £15)
SteamWorld Dig 2 expands on its predecessor in a number of welcome ways. It looks much nicer, with a better soundtrack and more interesting story, but it also expands on progression. A new mod system allows you to tailor your character to your particular style, and the varied environments provide an incentive to keep digging and new challenges to contend with. Digging your way through blocks remains an enjoyable gameplay mechanic, and particularly with optional waypoints disabled, exploring the depths of this world is a real treat. Read our SteamWorld Dig 2 review
Picross S ($8 / £7.19)
Switch's entry in the Picross series, Picross S, doesn't do anything radically new, and it doesn't have to. It offers the straightforward, streamlined pleasure of its sudoku/nonogram-style gameplay on the go. It's the kind of game that's perfect to have loaded up on Switch--you can easily jump in for a quick puzzle (or eight) while you're on the go or in between sessions of other games. There's plenty to do with 300 puzzles, and simultaneous two-player multiplayer support gives you a way to ease newcomers into the series.
Stardew Valley ($15 / £11)
Like many other games on this list, Stardew Valley feels particularly well-suited to the portable nature of Switch. The system makes it easy to boot up the game for a quick day on the farm no matter where you are, and the controls work surprisingly well--though they could still use some refinement (possibly through the addition of touch controls, which are absent). The game remains a charming take on the Harvest Moon formula and provides a nice, peaceful complement to many of the more action-oriented games on Switch--particularly in lieu of a new Animal Crossing. Read our Stardew Valley review
Golf Story ($15 / £13.49)
Even if you're not a fan of the real-world sport, there's an undeniable appeal to golf games. Golf Story goes beyond simply letting you hit the links, though, taking the form of a traditional RPG that just happens to revolve around golfing. It features a charming story and a delightful, reactive world to explore, along with some trademark Australian humor. Read our Golf Story review
Sonic Mania ($20 / £16)
Sonic Mania marks the latest attempt to recapture the 2D glory days of the Sonic franchise, and it more than succeeds. Fantastic level design and a real sense of speed help to scratch that nostalgic itch, but it also stands as a solid game among its contemporaries. Our review goes so far as to even say it might very well be the best Sonic game ever. In light of Sonic Forces' deficiencies, at least Sonic fans have good Sonic game to play on the system. Read our Sonic Mania review
Overcooked ($20 / £18)
Multiplayer games that can be played with a single Joy-Con are a real treat--wherever you go with the system, you're able to easily play together with another person. And that's good news for Overcooked, a game that becomes exponentially better when played with at least one other person. What starts out as a relatively tame game where you help each other chop some vegetables and get them served on a plate becomes a frantic rush to put out fires, get ingredients distributed between two moving vehicles, and other ridiculous scenarios. Read our Overcooked review
Thimbleweed Park ($20 / £15)
Point-and-click adventure games have experienced something of a renaissance in recent years, and Thimbleweed Park--from adventure game legends Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick--is a prime example. The X-Files-inspired journey puts you in the role of two FBI agents that bear more than a passing resemblance to the classic TV show as you relive the glory days of adventure games. Playing on any console means dealing with a gamepad-based control scheme (as opposed to the more natural mouse controls on PC), but Switch makes up for this with touchscreen support when played in handheld mode. Read our Thimbleweed Park review
Retro City Rampage DX ($15 / £13)
A throwback GTA Online mode aside, Grand Theft Auto has long since moved on from the classic top-down perspective of its earliest games. Retro City Rampage carries on that legacy, offering an open-world crime game in 8-bit style. What could have easily been a mere GTA clone, however, is distinguished with copious pop culture references and a distinctly arcade-style feel to its gameplay. This DX edition offers additional content not seen in the original version of the game. Read our Retro City Rampage review
Fast RMX ($20 / £17)
The likelihood of a new F-Zero game doesn't seem terribly high, but Fast RMX is the next best thing. It offers a similar style of high-speed, futuristic racing, with support for local and online multiplayer (including single Joy-Con play) and wide variety of levels. It's also a good-looking game, running at 1080p and 60 FPS. Read our Fast RMX review
World of Goo ($10 / £9)
It's been around for years, and the Switch version doesn't bring any new content to the table, but now is as good a time as any to play World of Goo if you haven't already. Its construction-based puzzles that task you with creating structures and other objects to fulfill a variety of objectives are still as well designed as ever, making this a worthwhile addition to your Switch library. The one noteworthy distinction with this edition is the addition of local co-op multiplayer (absent from most other platforms); it's also one of the few games to put the Joy-Con's IR pointer to use. Read our World of Goo review
Little Inferno ($10 / £9)
Another of Tomorrow Corporation's game, Little Inferno also doesn't bring anything new to the table for Switch if you're playing by yourself. But if you have a friend, it introduces a new local co-op multiplayer mode not seen on other platforms. For the uninitiated, Little Inferno involves throwing stuff into a furnace and watching it burn for cash (which is then used to buy more stuff to burn). Despite that simple premise, there is a deeper puzzle system at work here where you have to burn different combinations of objects together to fulfill certain requirement. It's relatively short but features a surprisingly intriguing story and has a cat plushie that poops when burned, so it really checks all the boxes. Read our Little Inferno review
Gonner ($10 / £9)
Switch's portable nature lends itself well to quick, pick-up-and-play roguelike games. Gonner is an ideal example, blending procedural generation with action-platforming as you blast your way through countless enemies. With a distinct visual style and seemingly endless replayability, it's another great match with the platform.
Graceful Explosion Machine ($13 / £10)
Shoot-em-ups are not well-represented on Switch, but Graceful Explosion Machine nicely fills that void. Rather than presenting you with an endless stream of foes, it presents confined, handcrafted levels and a variety of distinct weapons with which to dispatch your enemies. Dealing with weapon cooldowns and figuring out the ideal order in which to deal with enemies becomes a game unto itself, and this all takes place within the confines of a cute, colorful world.
Severed ($15 / £12)
Severed is one of the few games on Switch that can only be played in handheld mode, due to its mandatory touchscreen controls. It's a dungeon crawler with a twist, as you're tasked with slicing your way through enemies you encounter by swiping on the screen. But beyond the enjoyable gameplay and slick visual style, Severed's story is the real highlight, as you experience the tale of a one-armed warrior named Sasha. Read our Severed review
Shovel Knight ($10-$25 / £9-£22.49)
This is admittedly a bit of a cheat, as you're best off buying Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, which includes all three of the campaigns released so far (and more content to come) for $25. But just $10 will get you a single campaign which is more than worth the price of entry. Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment puts you in the shoes of one of the main game's antagonists, Specter Knight, as he takes his own unique journey through the same levels featured in the original game. As with Plague Knight's campaign, the unique mechanics at play here (like the dash attack) make for a much different experience. You would be best-served by starting with the base Shovel Knight campaign, but whichever version you play, you'll be treated to a modern take on retro platformers that bests many of the classics it draws inspiration from. Read our Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment review
Snipperclips: Cut It Out, Together ($20 / £18)
Snipperclips was overshadowed at launch by the hype around The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but it remains one of--if not the--best multiplayer games on Switch. Although it can be played solo, cooperative play is where Snipperclips truly shines. You work together to solve relatively simple challenges--get this ball into the basket; pop some balloons--by overlapping your characters and cutting chunks out of one another. This allows you to shape your partner into a tool that can be used for the task at hand. There's little else like it, on Switch or elsewhere. One thing to note is the new Snipperclips Plus version, which offers additional content; owners of the base game will be able to purchase its additions as DLC. Read our Snipperclips review
Thumper ($20/£16)
Although it's a game arguably best-suited for VR, Thumper is an incredible experience however you play it. It provides a unique blend of rhythm-based gameplay and action--what the developer calls "rhythm violence"--that provides a far more intense version of the basic mechanics you see in other rhythm games. With an incredible soundtrack and levels well-suited to chasing high scores, Thumper is a game with the potential to stick around on your Switch's home screen for a long time. Read our Thumper review
Axiom Verge ($20 / £15)
Axiom Verge is another take on the Metroidvania style, but it distinguishes itself through its wide variety of weapons and tools--most notably, the Address Disruptor, which affects the environment and each enemy type in different ways. It's also a game with an impressive sense of scale and no shortage of secrets to uncover, encouraging multiple playthroughs. Add in an excellent soundtrack and tantalizing story, and there's a lot to like here. Read our Axiom Verge review
West of Loathing ($11 / £9)
"West of Loathing's focus on maintaining a flexible, open-ended nature and lighthearted, humorous feel keeps you engaged in what feels like an imaginative pen-and-paper Dungeons and Dragons campaign, led by a game master whose only goal is to make sure you're laughing and having a fun time. West of Loathing's visuals are monochromatic, but there's enjoyable comedy painted between every line, a pitch-perfect Spaghetti Western soundtrack, and a full spectrum of role-playing possibilities to choose from that make it a consistently enjoyable madcap cowboy jaunt." -- Edmond Tran Read our West of Loathing review
Ikaruga ($15 / £13.49)
"Fans of space shooters owe themselves the opportunity to play Ikaruga, a game that was designed both to impress their sensibilities and to challenge every ounce of their being. Yet anyone who appreciates what makes a truly great game should be able to recognize Ikaruga for its elegant design and aesthetic beauty. Make no mistake, it's not some wistful nostalgia for a bygone era of gaming that makes Ikaruga so appealing. Rather, it's the knowledge that Ikaruga takes 20 years of great ideas in game design and somehow manages to put an entirely new spin on them, not for novelty's sake, but only for the sake of making a game that's both familiar and utterly unique." -- Greg Kasavin (2002 review) Read our Ikaruga (2002) review Ikaruga on Switch remains as stellar of a shooter as it was back in its original release. This re-release doesn't add new content, but it does feature an intact version of the game with online leaderboards and support for playing the game with the screen oriented vertically.
Lumines Remastered ($15 / £13.49)
"You wouldn't think a game about arranging colored blocks into rectangles could be this interesting and this engrossing. At the heart of Lumines is an ingenious design, which someone theoretically could have dreamed up years ago, but no one did until now. And at the soul of Lumines is something that you might call completely pure. You wouldn't expect a game like this to incorporate most all of what's good about gaming--the sights, the sounds, the trancelike experience, the option of competition--but Lumines does all that." -- Greg Kasavin (2005 review) Read our Lumines (2005) review Lumines Remastered, as the name suggests, is an HD remaster of the classic puzzle game for modern platforms. It also features some small adjustments, such as the addition of HD Rumble support on Switch, as well as a Trance Vibration option that lets you sync Joy-Con controllers to the music to "feel the bass across your body," as developer Enhance puts it.
N++ ($15 / £13.49)
"[T]he purity of N++ is still its greatest appeal, a stripped-down representation of the skills that many gamers have come to know as innate, given free reign in some of the best level design ideas in the industry. N++ may represent an 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' sort of expansion, but the exhilaration that it continues to offer speaks to the idea that it may have been perfect to begin with." -- Justin Clark Read our N++ review N++ represents the latest and greatest version of the stellar platforming series, packing together a positively massive number of levels--there are more than 4,000 in all, none of them procedurally generated. With local co-op support using single Joy-Cons, online leaderboards, and a stellar soundtrack, N++ has a case as one of the platform's best platformers, and it comes in at a budget price.
Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2 Plus ($20 / £17)
"Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2 creates an exciting dynamic where ghosts are still dangerous, but the overall game is more forgiving than the original--and it's more entertaining as a result. Arcade ports tend to be games we play in short bursts--mostly for the nostalgia factor. Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2 certainly relies on that nostalgia to a point, but it handles the classic game in a way that plays with expectations to surprise you. It's the same game enhanced in the right directions to be make an old concept fun, innovative, and challenging all over again." -- Jason D'Aprile On Switch, you can get the "Plus" edition of the game, which adds a new two-player mode on top of the benefits of playing on a portable system. Read our Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2 review
By Matt Espineli on Jun 27, 2018 06:52 am
After a week of big announcements, reveals, and trailers, E3 2018 has finally come to a close. Every big press conference is over, every announcement has been made, and we've finally seen everything we possibly can across the weeklong event. There was more than enough to get excited about, but at the same time, there were some moments that were lacking. In this feature we go over our favorite parts of E3 2018, a few of the things we wish some of the companies could've done differently, and a handful of the biggest games. This is the spot for an analysis of the major things from the show, where we discuss what went well and what went wrong. Some of the biggest moments stemmed from high-profile game reveals; others came from the companies pushing for better representation. But where there were amazing highs, there were some debilitating lows. A selection of well-known upcoming games were missing, and some poor logistical decisions lead to stilted press conferences. Despite all this, there was plenty of exciting news from many of the biggest companies at this year's E3. To get more information about all of announcements, check out all of the news from the press conference, all of the best trailers, and a list of all the new games announced. Otherwise, be sure to keep checking back for all of GameSpot's remaining E3 coverage. What were some of your favorite moments at E3? What do you think could've gone better? And what about your most anticipated games? Let us know in the comments below.
Highlight: CD Projekt Red Proves Cyberpunk 2077 Has Been Worth The Wait
CD Projekt teased Cyberpunk 2077 six years ago, and for six years we have waited for the Witcher studio to share any info on the game. It wouldn't budge, and for many of us Cyperpunk began to feel more like an idea than a project that's made significant progress. Witcher 3 arrived in the meantime and blew the industry and consumers away with its gorgeous and occasionally haunting world--success that actually made Cyberpunk followers even more anxious to find out more about the talented studio's next project. So it was that this would be the year that our questions get answered. The public still hasn't had a chance to see what Cyperpunk really is, but the press who saw the demo at E3 are all in agreement: Cyberpunk is shaping up to be a phenomenal game that may set a new benchmark for AAA game design. It's rare that a game can live up to the wildest imaginations of the most excited minds, and yet it surpasses them in many ways through incredible depth and attention to detail. Its world is raw and thoroughly advanced. It is dangerous and beautiful, and you can't help but wonder about every little detail that pops up. There's no looking back for CD Projekt Red, and we cannot wait until everyone gets a chance to see why this has been the most talked about game of the show. -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Highlight: Queer Characters Took Center Stage
While queer game characters are nothing new, they're still rare--and it's even more rare to see them featured front and center in a game's marketing. But this year, several of the E3 press conferences included explicitly queer characters in gameplay and trailers for big games. For many people, this is a hugely important gesture that makes gaming seem like a more welcoming and inclusive place. Perhaps the biggest was the gameplay reveal for The Last of Us Part II. We learned that Ellie is queer in The Last of Us: Left Behind DLC, but it was another thing entirely to see her kiss a woman on Sony's E3 stage. The moment is tender, intimate, and most importantly, sincere--it's a perfect transition into the brutality of the combat that comes after, rounding out our first real look at who Ellie has become. On Ubisoft's stage, we saw Assassin's Creed Odyssey's female playable character, Kassandra, able to flirt and romance another female character (and maybe flirting a bit with her). And at the beginning of the week, EA showed a trailer for Battlefield V that might includes two women embracing and saying "I love you"--not necessarily queer, but a reasonable enough guess given that they look nothing alike. These are more subtle examples than The Last of Us, but it points to a trend of more AAA games expanding their target demographics and the kinds of people their characters represent. Seeing that at an event as big as E3 just makes it even better. -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
Highlight: Death Stranding Still Makes No Sense
Kojima Productions finally provided a better look of the gameplay of Death Stranding but, importantly, did so without revealing too much. Thus far, very little is clear about Death Stranding. Between the babies giving thumbs up, floating ghost-like entities, and dead whales, it's been difficult to actually get a grasp on what the story is about. The gameplay reveal creates a similar air of mystery, with Norman Reedus's character hauling around a corpse. There's strange footsteps appearing on the floor, and ghostly apparitions floating in air. All the while, Reedus carefully sneaks around, with his overactive shoulder-mounted robotic arm incessantly yapping like a dog sensing danger. In typical Kojima Productions fashion, the Death Stranding gameplay trailer created as many questions as it provided answers for, which, if you're a fan of the studio, is very exciting. -- Tamoor Hussain, Editor
Needs Improvement: Square Enix's Press Conference Fell Short
Square Enix has plenty of interesting games in the works, and Microsoft featured four of them during its showcase just prior to the official start of E3. We got looks at Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Kingdom Hearts 3, Just Cause 4, and The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, Surely, I thought, Square Enix would use its own E3 presentation to share new information on those games as well as the hotly anticipated Final Fantasy VII Remake or the intriguing Front Mission reboot teased at last year's Tokyo Game Show, Left Alive. What Square Enix went with was about 30 minutes of trailers, including the same four mentioned above. There were a couple of interesting new announcements, to be fair, including a new Platinum Games project titled Babylon's Fall, but for such a short press conference to be dominated by repeat content was a huge letdown. Square Enix could have easily distributed the meager bits of news that appeared during its presentation to Microsoft or Sony's shows and not even bothered with its own. Rather than use E3 as a platform to excite its fanbase, Square Enix potentially dinged its reputation by posturing and building up anticipation that it never stood a chance of satisfying in the first place. -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Needs Improvement: The Break During Sony's Press Conference Was Too Long
Sony surprised people when it announced that its E3 2018 press conference was going to primarily focus on four of its latest games. The show started off great with an incredibly tense gameplay demonstration of Naughty Dog's highly-anticipated The Last of Us: Part II in a Church theater. While you think Sony would build off the momentum of this reveal, it instead brought the show to a complete stop, taking nearly 15 minutes to transport people from the church theater to a completely different theater nearby. All the while Sid Shuman and Shawn Layden attempted to fill in the void with insubstantial discussion and banter. Luckily, the rest of the show turned out better with a solid string of trailers and gameplay reveals, but the damage had already been done. It's a small gripe, but I can't help but be curious as to why Sony decided to use two theater venues instead of one. -- Matt Espineli, Associate Editor
Needs Improvement: No Metroid Prime 4 Or Pokemon Switch
I didn't expect Nintendo to drop release dates for Metroid Prime 4 or Switch's Pokemon RPG, but how could the company not even acknowledge either game? We got no trailers or screenshots. We didn't even get name drops. It's like both games don't even exist. Not hearing anything about Metroid Prime 4 is especially disappointing after Nintendo's tease at last year's E3. You'd think that would be the company's way of letting players know that the title is currently being worked on and almost ready to talk about. And yet you'd be wrong. Now I'm worried Metroid Prime 4 is still early in development, and my dream of a 2019 release date is a far-fetched fantasy. I also really wanted to know what Prime 4's official name was going to be, and whether the game would connect the events of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Metroid II: Return of Samus or finally continue Samus's story after Metroid Fusion's cliffhanger. Hearing nothing in regards to Nintendo's new Pokemon RPG is slightly understandable, if for no other reason that doing so would probably have stolen some of Pokemon: Let's Go Eevee and Let's Go Pikachu's thunder. -- Jordan Ramee, Associate Editor
Biggest Games: Anthem
"While playing Anthem, I had to repeatedly remind myself that I was playing a BioWare game. It's the first new IP from the veteran RPG developer in a decade, and although it falls into that particular style of role-playing and third-person shooter hybrid the studio honed with the Mass Effect franchise, this is the hardest it has leaned into that concept. With Anthem, we're seeing a major shift in what BioWare is capable of. Although it still exhibits some of the studio's role-playing pedigree, it's the vast online open-world that sets Anthem apart. In the vein of Bungie's Destiny and Ubisoft's The Division, Anthem is a shared-world online shooter focusing on groups of players taking on new challenges and chasing new loot. But in familiar BioWare fashion, your particular Freelancer will make important narrative choices throughout the game's main campaign, altering their relationships with allies and other factions. While this sounds pretty standard, this is all housed within an online world where other players are making similar or conflicting choices in their own story. As of now, we only know what the story is about in the broad sense: humans on a hostile alien planet, a powerful ancient presence of some form, and major world-altering events. While BioWare wasn't ready to share just how those choices will be reflected in the game for others to see, it did say they'll be surfaced in some form. With that said, the general narrative feels much more of a nebulous concept right now, and I am intrigued to see how the developer will be able to inject that familiar BioWare-style storytelling into Anthem." -- Alessandro Fillari, Editor For the rest of our impressions, check out our in-depth preview of Anthem.
Biggest Games: Assassin's Creed Odyssey
"Assassin's Creed Odyssey is three years in the making; Ubisoft Quebec conceived this entry into the long-running franchise as the team wrapped up development for Assassin's Creed Syndicate back in 2015. Ubisoft Montreal was in the process of transforming the series with Origins (that released in 2017) which gave the Quebec studio a foundation to further evolve Assassin's Creed into a full-fledged RPG the team envisioned. It's not just about the inclusion of branching dialogue or seemingly arbitrary choices during quests, though. Consequence is at the heart of making the journey through Ancient Greece something more than just another historical fiction. During a visit to Ubisoft Quebec's studio, I had the opportunity to spend around five hours with Assassin's Creed Odyssey, starting at a point deep into the story. Many of its features jumped out immediately, like choosing to play as the female protagonist Kassandra through the entire game--regardless, I'm a mercenary on the search for lost family members in the midst of the Peloponnesian War in 431 BC. Docked ashore the Delos Islands following a storm, I'm immediately posed with conversation options with my shipmate Barnabas. At first, it's striking to see this in an Assassin's Creed game, but considering Odyssey's full RPG approach, having agency in what I say to others is to be expected. While I could tease out more information or evoke different responses, words can have a much larger impact in certain situations." -- Michael Higham, Associate Editor For the rest of our impressions, check out our in-depth preview of Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
Biggest Games: Control
"Remedy's reputation as a developer of great action games with compelling stories has never quite faded; even Quantum Break, despite some complications, had many redeeming qualities that its biggest detractors (like me) couldn't ignore. Chief among them was the combat system, which gave you control over time itself, allowing you to slickly thwart swarms of enemies in unusual and flashy ways. These same qualities are echoed in the announcement trailer for Remedy's next game, Control, but what you won't find in that video is the mind-bending series of events I saw during a private gameplay demo at E3. I'm looking forward to games like Cyberpunk and Death Stranding as much as most people, but Control has quickly become my most anticipated game at the show. Circling back to combat, Control gives off similar vibes to Quantum Break, but a key difference lies in the sort of powers at your fingertips. The two abilities we saw allowed the main character, Jesse Faden, to grab objects strewn around the environment and hurl them at enemies, or bring them close to create a temporary shield. Performing these moves results in chaos as other objects get caught in the crossfire, making each encounter look messy (in a good way.) An eye-catching flurry of special effects helps complete the chaotic spectacle. These are just two of many powers Jesse will acquire throughout her harrowing journey." -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor For our full impressions, check out our in-depth preview of Control.
Biggest Games: Cyberpunk 2077
"CD Projekt Red's next game, Cyberpunk 2077, is a massive departure from the developer's previous efforts on The Witcher series. Instead of lush forests, picturesque fields, and towering mountains, the devs are creating a world set in the concrete jungle of Northern California in the distant future. Unlike a lot of fiction focusing on a darker future, Cyberpunk 2077 aspires to move away from grimdark and towards a more exuberant but equally cynical vision for a future where capitalism and technology has run amok. Inspired and influenced by the original Cyberpunk 2020 pen and paper RPG, 2077 extrapolates many of the themes and iconography while capitalizing on the developer's skillset for crafting dense and visually rich environments. We saw a near hour-long gameplay demo behind closed doors at E3 2018, showcasing many of the game's systems and locales, and came out impressed by the scope of CD Projekt Red's ambitious project." -- Alessandro Fillari, Editor For our full impressions, check out our in-depth preview of Cyberpunk 2077.
Biggest Games: Dying Light 2
"Dying Light 2 really ups the stakes when it comes to traversing a lawless open-world where danger lurk around every corner. With the original Dying Light offering a clever blend of parkour exploration and brutal combat of a zombie-survival game, the follow up to Techland's stellar open-world game plans to focus more on offering its players more freedom in movement, while letting them decide the fate of one of humanity's last stable cities. Revealed at the Microsoft Press Conference, the sequel plans to maintain the momentum that the developers have had with the original's post-launch success, while offering a more reactive and living world to explore. During E3 2018, we had the chance to see an extended demo presentation of the game in action, showcasing its broader scope and focus on a more ambitious, adaptive narrative. Stick with many of the core features of the original game, such as freeform parkour traversal, melee combat, and other gradual characters growth--the sequel goes a bit further by making some tough choices in a far more dire and bleak circumstance." -- Alessandro Fillari, Editor For our full impressions, check out our in-depth preview of Dying Light 2.
Biggest Games: Fallout 76
Fallout 76 is the latest entry in the tenured post-apocalyptic RPG franchise. It's the earliest game in the Fallout timeline, and it features major online components. From its recent trailers alone, the game has already captured the attention of the series' most ravenous fans. We're already imagining what sort of fights and awkward encounters we'll get into with others during our post-apocalyptic jaunt through the American wasteland.
Biggest Games: Ghost Of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima is the latest game by developer Sucker Punch Productions, the studio responsible for Infamous and Sly Cooper. The game is set on the island of Tsushima during the Mongol invasions of Japan in 1294. You play as a lone samurai turned vengeful assassin--likely fighting to drive out the Mongol army from Japan. For the rest of our impressions, check out our in-depth preview of Ghost of Tsushima.
Biggest Games: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
"We've known that a new Super Smash Bros. game has been in development, and during the E3 2018 Nintendo Direct, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was revealed. It's an original Smash game built specifically for the Nintendo Switch, and it features every single character that has ever been included in a Smash game. We got hands on with the E3 2018 demo of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate shortly after viewing the Direct. It's a build that features a limited character and stage selection, but it gave us a good feel for how new game feels to play." -- Justin Haywald, Managing Editor & Edmond Tran, Editor/Video Producer For the rest of our impressions, check out our in-depth preview of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Biggest Games: The Last of Us: Part II
"Sony debuted gameplay for The Last of Us Part II during its E3 2018 press conference. What Sony and developer Naughty Dog showed is just as gruesome as the previous trailer for the sequel; on top of a man getting eviscerated, we see Ellie perform a number of brutal takedowns and kills. It's definitely a lot to take in all at once, and it's also cinematic--it can be hard to tell what's pure combat and what's a cutscene-like transition. While at E3 2018, we had a chance to speak to co-directors Anthony Newman and Kurt Margenau about the game. They gave us insight into what exactly we're seeing in the trailer in terms of combat, and as it turns out, much of what looks cinematic--Ellie's perfectly timed dodges and pulling an arrow out of her shoulder--is actually within your control. That looks to be a key component in framing and shaping the intense violence in The Last of Us Part II, as well as something that can add greatly to Ellie as a character." -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor For the rest of our impressions, check out our in-depth preview of The Last of Us Part II.
Biggest Games: Resident Evil 2 Remake
"Resident Evil 2's upcoming remake rides a fine line between new and old. When it triggers nostalgic memories with its familiar characters and locales, it instantly makes you uneasy with its new retelling of classic events. My time with the demo began in the main hall of the Raccoon City Police Department as Leon S. Kennedy--who's just as strong willed and naive as we remember. He's no longer the invincible superhero that latter entries transformed him into; he's desperate and vulnerable. These qualities should come as no surprise to fans of the original version, but the remake really leans into them, making your time spent as the rookie cop all the more tense and dire. And with higher-quality voice performances, Leon's circumstances feel grounded and believable. It helps that the Resident Evil 4-style, third-person over-the-shoulder camera provides a far more intimate view than the original's fixed camera angles. The remake faithfully recreates the original RPD's narrow halls and pathways; its floor layout is nearly identical. The third-person perspective plays well with the labyrinthian police department, making exploration feel unsettling and claustrophobic; gone are the door-opening loading screens." -- Matt Espineli, Associate Editor For the rest of our impressions, check out our in-depth preview of Resident Evil 2 Remake.
Biggest Games: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
"Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and many more of From Software's games contain incredibly detailed worlds, with incredibly deep combat and an incredible number of deaths. You see, as impressive as From's previous games have been, I'm not particularly good at playing them. I'm one of those people you tell to "git gud." I play each of From's games for eight or so hours, get sick of dying, and give up. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice might be the game to break that rule. Death is no longer a barrier which must be overcome. It's no longer simply a "learning experience." Death and immediate resurrection is now a mechanic. From Software says you can use death to your advantage--fooling your enemies into a false sense of security before coming back to life and sneaking up on them using the game's light stealth mechanics. Perfect for those who--like me--are fed up of dying. From is staying coy, however, on the exact mechanics of the resurrection ability. It says you'll only be able to use it a limited number of times, and that "in no way does [resurrection] make the game easy." Sekiro also speeds up the From formula, even moreso than Bloodborne did. Your main character--for now, simply named the Shinobi--is more agile than that of Soulsborne. He has a proper jump, which can be utilized in combat. He has a grappling hook, which can be used to gain a vantage point over the enemy. And his prosthetic limb can be customized to wield a shuriken, which you can use to propel yourself towards an enemy in a flash." -- Oscar Dayus, Staff Writer For the rest of our impressions, check out our in-depth preview of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Biggest Games: Tom Clancy's The Division 2
"When you're looking at Tom Clancy's The Division in the broader sense, the game has shown considerable growth since its launch. After several expansions adding in new events and areas to explore, along with many updates tweaking the power grind and endgame content, Ubisoft's shared world action-RPG title slowly evolved into the game that many fans wanted when it was first released. And with The Division 2, the same developers at Massive Entertainment and Red Storm are looking to maintain that momentum with the series' next outing. Set seven months after the initial outbreak of the Black Friday virus, The Division 2 will bring the online action-RPG to Washington D.C, which has also been decimated by mass panic, and opportunistic new factions looking to take advantage of the power vacuum. Unlike Manhattan's snow-covered wasteland from the original game, D.C. is far more lawless, made worse by an an immense heatwave driving more people to desperation. With the Division agency having gone silent, the remaining agents in the field have to reclaim control of the city. Prior to the official announcement at the Microsoft Press Conference, we got the play a short section of the game, while speaking with creative director Terry Spier about their continued sights on trying to keep things interesting for the long term. When looking at the CG trailer, it's clear that the sense of scale, along with the stakes, have dialed up significantly. The Division 2, like its predecessor, will focus on building up your unique agent's resources as they acquire new weapons while taking on the multiple enemy factions that have taken hold of the city. Washington D.C., is about 20 percent bigger than Manhattan, which is almost a 1-to-1 recreation of the city. The developers wanted to offer a greater level of variety in the locations you'll explore, which includes more residential areas and the nearby forests outside the capital." -- Alessandro Fillari, Editor For the rest of our impressions, check out our in-depth preview of The Division 2.
By Peter Brown on Jun 27, 2018 06:44 am
Only on PlayStation 4
Last year was an amazing year to be a PlayStation 4 owner. On top of an well-rounded selection of multi-platform games like Prey, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, and What Remains of Edith Finch, you also had access to fantastic exclusives like Persona 5, Gravity Rush 2, Nioh, and Horizon: Zero Dawn. And for those with any interest in virtual reality, the release of PlayStation VR was the icing on the cake. 2018 has been a pretty good follow-up so far. Iconoclasts and God of War are just two of a number of new exclusives. The PS4's library has some excellent new multi-platform games as well, such as Celeste and Monster Hunter: World. Looking ahead, there are still plenty of new PlayStation 4 exclusives on the way that are well worth getting excited about. Insomniac's Spider-Man is primed to close out the PS4's 2018 roster of console exclusives. There are tons of exciting exclusives for PS4 this year. Below is a full list of the biggest ones, and for more information on each game, click through to the slides ahead to find out what each game is and its release date. PS4 Console Exclusive Games In 2018We've compiled every one we know of so far here, and will continue to update this gallery with new games as they get announced. Be sure to check back often as we update this gallery with more exclusives. And if you're curious about other platforms, you can check out our features on Xbox One exclusives, PC exclusives, and Switch exclusives. In the meantime, which exclusives are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below.
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth - Hacker's Memory
The latest game in the long-running Digimon series presents the mysterious backstory to the events that transpired in the first Cyber Sleuth game, and features 320 Digimon from the animated series. Watch some gameplay. Developer: Media.Vision | Release Date: January 19
Iconoclasts
Iconoclasts is a Metroidvania-inspired action puzzler where you play as Robin, an unlicensed mechanic in a world ruled by a corrupt theocracy that rules the world by controlling technology. When Robin's actions inevitably provoke the powers that be to hunt down everyone she loves, she becomes embroiled in a conflict that threatens not only the safety of her family but the entire world. We gave the game a 9/10. Read our Iconoclasts review. Developer: Joakim Sandberg | Release Date: January 23
The Inpatient
The Inpatient is an unlikely prequel to Supermassive Games' 2015 horror gem, Until Dawn. It's a PSVR experience set 60 years prior to the first game, inside the foreboding halls of Blackwood Sanatorium. We gave the game a 8/10. Read our The Inpatient review. Developer: Supermassive Games | Release Date: January 23
Dissidia: Final Fantasy NT
The Dissidia games found a lot of fans back during the PSP's heyday, and more recently in Japanese arcades. The latest in the series released on PlayStation 4, courtesy of Team Ninja, and promised wild mid-air battles between Final Fantasy's most beloved and infamous characters. We gave the game a 5/10. Check out our Dissidia: Final Fantasy NT review. Developer: Team Ninja | Release Date: January 30
Shadow of the Colossus
The magical PS2 game Shadow of the Colossus was given a new lease on life with a PS4 remake. Bluepoint Games completely rebuilt every aspect of the game's world while leaving the underlying structure and mechanics intact, making Shadow of the Colossus even better than before. We gave the game a 9/10. Check out our Shadow of the Colossus review. Developer: Bluepoint Games | Release Date: February 6
The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Britannia
The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Britannia lets you enjoy the destructive action and excitement from the anime. Battle your friends in memorable fights that feature the likes of Meliodas, Elizabeth, Ban, Hawk, and the other colorful assortment of characters that live in Britannia. Watch some gameplay. Developer: Bandai Namco Games | Release Date: February 9
Moss
Moss is a fetching adventure in a magical world starring a daring and capable mouse named Quill. This game has a lot of heart, but its storybook whims can only be experienced through a PSVR headset. We gave the game a 8/10. Read our Moss review. Developer: Polyarc | Release Date: February 27
Frantics
Frantics hopes to entertain you and a few of your closest friends with 15 oddball mini-games. Designed for PlayLink support, you use your smartphone, rather than a DualShock, to participate. Developer: NapNok Games | Release Date: March 6
Bravo Team
Supermassive's PSVR game, Bravo Team, is a tactical shooter designed for two-player co-op, either locally or online; teamwork and communication are key to your success. We gave the game a 4/10. Check our Bravo Team review. Developer: Supermassive Games | Release Date: March 6
Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom outdoes its predecessor. An ambitious title, it's a character-driven RPG that doubles as a kingdom simulator and even occasionally becomes a real-time strategy game. We gave the game a 8/10. Check out our Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom review. Developer: Leveil-5 | Release Date: March 23
MLB The Show 18
The most recent addition to Sony's annual baseball series features the formidable New York Yankee, Aaron Judge. MLB The Show 18 pushes the franchise's visuals, mechanics, and authenticity to new heights. We gave the game a 9/10. Read our MLB The Show 18 review. Developer: Sony San Diego Studio | Release Date: March 27
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
Sega's serious-meets-slapstick open-world series continues its onslaught on the West with Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. It's also the first game to take advantage of the new Dragon Engine, which helps the game's lifelike renditions of Tokyo and famous Japanese actors look more convincing than ever. We gave the game a 8/10. Check out our Yakuza 6: The Song of Life review. Developer: Ryu ga Gotoku Studios | Release Date: April 17
God of War
With the pantheon of Greek gods behind him, Kratos' latest adventure takes him to the frozen Norse wilds. Though the series' familiar action remains intact, Kratos must now also care for his son, Atreus, as the two work together to overcome brutal obstacles and new opponents. We gave the game a 9/10. Check out our God of War review. Developer: Sony Santa Monica Studio | Release Date: April 20
Dragon's Crown Pro
The sumptuously illustrated beat-em-up from Vanillaware is making a comeback, and the Pro version of the game will feature new support for 4K (on PS4 Pro) and a newly recorded orchestrated soundtrack. We gave the original game a 8/10. Check out our Dragon's Crown review. Watch some gameplay of the Pro version of the game. Developer: Vanillaware | Release Date: April 24
Megadimension Neptunia VIIR
Megadimension Neptunia VIIR is essentially a rerelease of Megadimension Neptunia VII, but the new version comes with special-made PSVR sections created in an entirely new engine for VIIR. Watch the trailer. Developer: Compile Heart | Release Date: May 8
Detroit: Become Human
Detroit: Become Human examines the potential complications that may arise if artificial lifeforms advance far enough to not just appear human, but convince us they feel human as well. Play through multiple outcomes based on the choices you make during calm and heated scenes alike. We gave the game a 7/10. Check out our Detroit: Become Human review. Developer: Quantic Dream | Release Date: May 25
Fighting EX Layer
Fighting EX Layer is a fighting game developed by Arika, a studio most known for its work on the cult-classic Street Fighter EX series. It includes many of the original characters from those games, as well as similar fighting mechanics. Watch the trailer. Developer: Arika | Release Date: June 28
Star Child
Star Child is a dreamy, narrative-driven platformer from a team of self-admitted sci-fi junkies for PSVR. Developer Playful Corp. is best known for the two Lucky's Tale games: Lucky's Tale for Oculus Rift and Super Lucky's Tale, an early Xbox One X title. Watch the trailer. Developer: Playful Corp. | Release Date: Summer 2018
Yakuza Kiwami 2
A remake of Yakuza 2, Yakuza Kiwami 2 continues the franchise's tradition of offering a staggering amount of different types of gameplay in a action-adventure open world. Watch the trailer. Developer: Sega | Release Date: August 28
Spider-Man
Developed by the folks behind the parkour-heavy and vibrant Sunset Overdrive, Spider-Man swings onto PS4 later this year. The game is both great looking and action packed, but we'll have to wait until September to see if the experience can truly do justice to our favorite wall-crawler. Watch some gameplay. Developer: Insomniac Games | Release Date: September 7
Blood & Truth
Blood & Truth is a PSVR game poised to build on The London Heist portion of Sony's PlayStation VR Worlds, with more immersive environments and massive shootouts. Watch the trailer. Developer: Sony London Studios | Release Date: TBA 2018
Golem
Golem is a PSVR game that gives you the power to create and control creatures made of stone. At first, you'll be limited to the confines of your virtual bedroom, but as you grow more familiar with your powers you'll eventually end up in the middle of an ancient abandoned city while controlling massive, 15-foot giants. Watch the trailer. Developer: Highwire Games | Release Date: TBA 2018
Dreams
Like Little Big Planet before it, Dreams aims to give you the power to create worlds with ease and share them with other players. Media Molecule claims that players, rather than the developers, will define what Dreams ultimately becomes. We discussed Dreams at E3 2018. Developer: Media Molecule | Release Date: TBA 2018
Concrete Genie
In Concrete Genie, players take on the role of Ash, a troubled teen who's bullied. Ash escapes his problems by painting beautiful landscapes and creatures, but when he finds some magical paint, his artwork begins to come to life. We sat down with the PixelOpus at E3 2018 to talk about Concrete Genie. Developer: PixelOpus | Release Date: TBA 2018
By Matt Espineli on Jun 27, 2018 06:40 am
Dream Fighters
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is set to launch on December 7. Naturally, this has us incredibly ecstatic. At this year's E3, Nintendo confirmed that the game is going to include every single character who has ever appeared in the series. While director Masahiro Sakurai mentioned during the Direct presentation that we shouldn't expect anymore characters being added into the game, it doesn't stop us from speculating which characters we want to debut to the game's roster via future updates or DLC. Despite Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's roster including every character from series' history, we're still holding out for the possibility of seeing characters from other Nintendo and third-party franchises. Can you imagine how awesome it would be if the latest Super Smash Bros. features characters, like Crash Bandicoot, Captain Toad, Shovel Knight, or King K. Rool? With so many possibilities, here are the 15 characters we want to see the most in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The upcoming Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will feature two new characters, not seen in a Smash game before. Inking Girl (or Boy) from the Splatoon series will show up and so will Ridley, the archenemy of Samus Aran from the Metroid series. Currently, Nintendo hasn't confirmed that it is against the possibility of adding more characters--though, given how big the roster is, the possibility of more characters being added to the launch roster seems unlikely. Which characters do you want to appear in Smash Bros. Ultimate? Let us know in the comments below.
Captain Toad
Super Smash Bros. rosters are generally dominated by the expected heroes and villains. What I want to see is another character like Animal Crossing's Villager who is a little more unconventional. Captain Toad may seem harmless, but the idea of him transforming into a fighter who can go toe-to-toe with Bowser, Ganon, or precious Mario (you know Captain Toad hates him and his proclivity for jumping and hogging the spotlight) would get me more interested in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate than anything else. While sure to be just one part of an expansive roster, making Captain Toad playable in Smash would help to provide Switch's Treasure Tracker re-release with some additional attention. He may not have the makings of a prototypical fighter, but to me that's what would make him more interesting. I'd be curious to see how Nintendo finds a workaround for his inability to jump--maybe he could throw his backpack into the air before leaping. He has a variety of tools and abilities at his disposal in Treasure Tracker (a pickaxe, an off-screen turnip gun, the ability to pull things out of the ground) that could be leveraged as weapons in Smash. And imagining a matching Treasure Tracker stage--one that messes with camera perspectives--is even more exciting. Captain Toad may not have the glitz and glamor of other names, but his unique nature would make him a worthwhile member of the roster. | Chris Pereira
Crash Bandicoot
Crash never made it into PlayStation All Stars, but he deserves a chance to throw down. With the N. Sane trilogy making its way to Switch, I think it's time for everyone's favorite marsupial to do the same. Crash's moveset is so easy to envision: spinning attacks, throwing wumpa fruit, and a Final Smash that slaps a golden Aku Aku mask on his face, charging him up like some kind of Australian Super Saiyan. If Crash were added to the roster, elements of his games could also be incorporated into the Smash universe. Maybe a standard mask could be picked up by anyone. Maybe the game's signature crates could be added to Smash's group of containers like barrels and party balls. One thing's for sure: making Crash a playable character should also mean Coco joining as an assist trophy. Let's talk stages. The Crash Bandicoot series has been all over the world, from the Great Wall of China to Ancient Egypt to a crazy techno-centric future. Why not take the "warped" mentality of Crash 3 and have fighters bounce between those crazy locations? I can already picture Neo Cortex floating around in the background of the outer space phase of the map. | Tony Wilson
Toon Zelda/Tetra
The Smash Bros. series has seen many Links: Young Link, Toon Link, regular Link, and now, what looks like Breath of the Wild Link. But there's only one Zelda. Zelda/Sheik is one of the standout characters, of course, but it's time for something new. Tetra is a badass pirate queen with a sword, and her Princess Zelda transformation has a bow with light arrows--among other possible weapons. (Her Hyrule Warriors incarnation has a pistol, for example.) She's scrappy, she's sassy, her pirate ship is already a Smash stage, and she already has an Amiibo. Even if she didn't transform like her standard counterpart, Tetra or Toon Zelda would both make sense among the ranks of the top Smash fighters. And it's about time. Plus, I just really want Wind Waker HD to come to Switch. | Kallie Plagge
Geno
Since his debut in Super Mario RPG, fans have been clamoring for ♡♪!? (also known as Geno for those who struggle to pronounce his true name). While a true Super Mario RPG sequel will likely never happen, there is hope for the badass Star Road warrior to appear in Smash. When Nintendo started to release character announcement trailers for the Wii U and 3DS versions, I'd sit on the edge of my seat hoping he'd be revealed every time. When it came to the final DLC character reveal, Nintendo found a way to get my hopes up, only to crush them instantly. They showed off Geno, but not the way anyone wanted. We were told Geno was available...but as a Mii Gunner costume. While I was happy to see they acknowledged his existence, it was still disappointing to see he was still not a playable fighter. If he were to be added, he'd make an excellent ranged fighter and a welcome roster addition compared to the influx of sword-based fighters in recent games. Geno Beam (or even Geno Flash) would be perfect as a charge attack and Geno Whirl could be used similar to Samus's missile with the side-B attack. For a Final Smash, Geno Blast would look gorgeous as rays of light come flashing down to devastate his opponents.While I know deep down that it's a long shot, I'm still hoping that somehow he'll find his way onto the roster. With the inclusion of Square Enix's Cloud in the roster, the door is now open for Geno. I, for one, am eagerly awaiting his arrival. | Gajan Kulasingham
Isaac
One of the most exciting aspects of every Super Smash Bros. release is seeing which forgotten Nintendo characters the developers have plucked from obscurity and added to the roster. Not only is it fun to see old mascots completely reimagined on a modern console, but in many cases, an appearance in Smash Bros. heralds a revival for their series--as was the case with Kid Icarus after Pit appeared in Brawl. While Golden Sun may not be as well-known as some of Nintendo's other franchises, I'd still love to see its main protagonist, Isaac, join the fray. Despite his brief tenure in the spotlight (only three Golden Sun games have been released thus far, the latest of which starred not Isaac but his son, Matthew), Isaac is perfectly suited for Smash Bros. thanks to his special abilities. As an Adept, he's capable of wielding Psynergy, magic-like abilities that would form the basis of his moveset. To further set him apart from other fighters, he could equip different Djinn during a match, which would alter the Psynergy spells at his disposal. And for his Final Smash, Isaac could call upon one of Golden Sun's many other over-the-top summons, such as Judgment, to deliver a devastating, screen-consuming attack. Moreover, Isaac isn't a complete stranger to Smash Bros.; he appeared as an Assist Trophy in Brawl, so it would hardly be a stretch for him to make the leap to playable character. The Smash series may already have a glut of swordsmen on its roster, but I think Isaac has enough unique skills in his repertoire to make a great addition--and if it would help pave the way for a new Golden Sun game on Switch, so much the better. | Kevin Knezevic
King K. Rool
For every great hero, there is a villain that helps define them. For Batman, there is the Joker. For Mario, there is Bowser. And for Donkey Kong, there is King K. Rool. The Kremlings leader has been around since Donkey Kong Country and has frequently opposed the Kongs. Being such an iconic foe to a popular Nintendo character makes his absence in Smash Bros quite perplexing. If King K. Rool were to be added, he'd easily be classified as a heavyweight character--of which there is a significant need in the Smash Bros. games. With so many smaller, faster characters in the game, adding more powerhouse fighters would definitely be a welcome addition. He'd even have a vast array of costume options based off his various appearances in the DK Country games, such as Kaptain K. Rool, Baron K. Roolenstein, and King Krusha K. Rool. As for attacks, he has a wide amount of gadgets at his disposal, which could be attached to his basic attacks. This could make him a fun powerhouse character capable of dealing significant melee damage up close but also have the option of utilizing ranged attacks. I'd be excited to see him added, but I'm honestly surprised he hasn't been in a Smash game already. | Gajan Kulasingham
Crono
The Chrono series, outside of the thoroughly excellent DS re-release and the not-so-good PC port, has been silent for a long time. But aside from the business and development reasons that the seminal RPG only received one semi-sequel in Chrono Cross, a character crossover with the next Smash Bros. actually makes some weird sense. The biggest argument for Crono is that Cloud was playable in Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS. The protagonist from Final Fantasy VII is a staunchly third-party character from a Final Fantasy game that never came to a Nintendo console, so there's at least a precedent for that level of crossover. The Final Fantasy VII Remake gives a reason to elevate Cloud's profile (so maybe Aeris or Tifa would be a more-likely candidate). But Crono is such an outstanding character from developer Square's past and its long-running relationship with Nintendo. The other reason that Cloud makes a good fit is that, despite being yet another character with a sword, his reliance on multi-character attacks mean that he'd have his own unique identity, moveset, and visual flair. Crono is a long shot character, especially since unlike Final Fantasy, there isn't an official high-definition 3D model of the character available. But who would've guessed that Cloud, Ryu, and Bayonetta would ever be in a Smash game? | Justin Haywald
Professor Layton
The austere professor with his oversized hat may sound like an odd fit for Smash, but as an iconic representative of puzzle gaming on the DS, Professor Layton is long overdue for a spot on the SSB roster. The best examples for how Layton would work in a fighter is Phoenix Wright, who made an appearance in various Vs. Capcom fighting games, or a character like the peaceful Animal Crossing Villager. Not having a ready-made assortment of combat abilities doesn't rule out their effectiveness in a wacky game like Smash. And as we've seen from several of Layton's adventures, he's an accomplished fencer, so he's ready to throw down with a weapon when the situation calls for it. And Layton could also introduce fun, interactive stages that play off his previous adventures. Hand-drawn village backgrounds that open up to unlock puzzles, and maybe the characters on the screen would have to try to solve some of the simpler ones in order to avoid hazards from hitting everyone one the screen. Layton has been a dream addition to Smash for me for a long time, and figuring out how he'd fit into the game doesn't feel like a terribly difficult puzzle. | Justin Haywald
Tharja
Super Smash Bros for Wii U and 3DS has no shortage of Fire Emblem characters. To be honest, by the time Corrin and Roy rolled around as DLC I was starting to get sick of them, however, Tharja could add something unique to the roster. Unlike Roy, Marth, Lucina, and Ike, Tharja is a Dark Mage and she could specialize in ranged-attack spells. Sure, Corrin and Robin had a fair amount of medium-range attacks, but in most cases, you'd still want to keep your foes close. Tharja could utilize a flashy set of dark spells to deliver powerful blows from afar, and quick on her feet to escape close range fighters. The likelihood of Tharja coming to Smash is slim, but I think she would add much more character and personality to the roster than Robin and Corrin did. | Jake Dekker
Kass
While Breath of the Wild was very much Link's show, there was one character who always knew how to make his presence known throughout the young(ish) champion's quest throughout Hyrule--and it always started off with the faint sound of an accordion in the distance. Kass, the traveling storyteller, could spin a memorable yarn about Hyrule's past, but I'd like to think he can also hold his own in a fight against other Nintendo characters. While we don't ever see Kass fight, that certainly hasn't stopped Nintendo from turning normally passive characters--like Wii Fit Trainer or R.O.B.--into powerhouses on the battlefield. As a member of the bird-like Rito tribe, Kass has the natural gift of flight, potentially making him an agile character in a fight. However, his true gifts lie with his accordion and oratory talents. Much like in Breath of the Wild, Kass can use the power of song to grab the attention of anyone nearby as they listen to him tell the tale of the surrounding environment. While this may seem a bit gimmicky, Super Smash Bros. tends to shine most when it comes to characters that has a specific purpose. And often times, those characters prove their worth and find an audience among fans. And I for one think that Kass has the potential to prove himself on the battlefield. | Alessandro Fillari
Waluigi
If Waluigi can't get his own game, he should at least be added to the Super Smash Bros. roster. Wario has been playable in two previous Smash games, but Luigi's rival, Waluigi, has never been included. Now is the time. Waluigi has already made appearances in Smash as a collectible trophy and assist trophy, and in Brawl, Luigi has a black and purple color swap to make him look similar to his arch-rival. If he's already a part of the Smash universe, then making him playable is an easy transition. Smash Bros. on the 3DS and Wii U had plenty of Nintendo heroes on their rosters and not enough villains. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's roster could only benefit from adding another fun, fan-favorite antagonist like Waluigi to liven things up with his personal brand of mischief. Throughout the years, his popularity has only been growing. He's sassy, cunning, relatably self-hating, skilled, and ridiculous. Just think about how campy and glorious his taunt would be. It's Waluigi time. | Chastity Vicencio
Shovel Knight
Shovel Knight hits things with a shovel. I want to hit Kirby with a shovel. Honestly, it's as simple as that. Shovel Knight has been one of the best 2D throwback platformers in recent years, a game that perfectly captures the spirit of the NES era while making smart tweaks to make it more palatable for modern sensibilities. That's an excellent fit for a fighting game that oozes Nintendo spirit if you ask me. The game features a wide variety of upgrades that Shovel Knight (who can be male or female) can utilize to take down foes, so there's more than enough options to make Shovel Knight a distinctly interesting Smash character if brute shovel force isn't enough. And look--he's already got an Amiibo, so that's basically his ticket to ride. It's Shovelling Time! | Edmond Tran
Rex
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was one of Nintendo's biggest games of 2017, so it would only be fitting to see it represented in the newly revealed Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Naturally, the most logical choice for a Smash fighter from the game would be its protagonist, Rex, but just as in his own adventure, he should come with a few Blades in tow to make him a truly unique addition to the roster. Whereas Shulk (Smash Bros.' other resident Xenoblade character) is able to use the Monado to grant himself different buffs, Rex could derive his abilities from the Blade he currently has equipped. Like Pokemon Trainer from Brawl, he could swap between the Blades during a match, with each granting him a different set of special attacks. Of course, Pyra would be his primary Blade, but he could also have two others--such as Roc and Nia--at his disposal, just as in Xenoblade Chronicles 2. And for his Final Smash, Pyra could transform into Mythra to rain down a powerful Sacred Arrow attack over the entire field. Not only would Rex be a fun addition to the roster, but Xenoblade Chronicles 2 would make a fitting basis for a new stage. The game is filled with beautiful vistas and fantastical fauna, which could make for some rather interesting stage hazards--imagine having a match interrupted by a powerful Named Monster that forces all players to temporarily team up with each other to take down. As the face of one of Nintendo's most ambitious Switch games to date, Rex certainly deserves a spot on the Smash roster. | Kevin Knezevic
Porky Minch
Technically, Porky has already made an appearance in Super Smash Bros.; in Brawl, he was one of the boss characters that Ness and Lucas face while fighting in the Subspace Emissary. But that only proves that he make an excellent addition to the fighting game roster. Although Giygas is the Big Bad in Earthbound, Porky is the malevolent being's willing accomplice. And as the Earthbound sequel, Mother 3, shows, Porky is a resourceful villain who's able to rise above his previous failures to become even more powerful and dangerous. And his appearance in Smash could also bridge the gap between his sniveling uselessness in Earthbound and his powerful but decaying form in Mother 3--a Porky that's just coming into his own powers but also relies on sophisticated gadgetry to pummel his foes. Most of all, I just want Porky in the game so that there's another direct Nintendo connection to the Earthbound/Mother series. I still haven't given up hope of a Western release of Mother 3...and the Switch would be the perfect console to get that long-awaited port. | Justin Haywald
The Champions Of Hyrule
I hope Nintendo will include more Breath of the Wild characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, like the Champions: Revali, Daruk, Urbosa, and Mipha. It would be awesome to see them all added into the game as four separate characters, but realistically, I could see Nintendo making them a single character slot--similar to Pokemon Trainer from Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Having the ability to play and freely switch between Revali, Daruk, Urbosa, and Mipha sounds complicated to implement. After all, having access to four separate movesets seems like it would be both a mechanical and balancing nightmare, but I'm holding out for the possibility of the Champions being playable. Imagine launching an opponent upwards into the air with Revali's Gale, and then switching to Daruk to smash them down with his Boulder Breaker. You could even have Mipha revive you if you happen to accidentally get launched out of a stage. There are a ton of cool possibilities available for the Champions, and given Breath of the Wild's financial and critical success, they ought to be put in the game in some form. At the very least, I hope Nintendo incorporates their moves into Breath of the Wild Link's moveset, or creates an entire stage devoted to them and their Divine Beasts. | Matt Espineli
By Peter Brown on Jun 27, 2018 06:37 am
We missed you at E3!
This year's E3 was exciting for many reasons: CD Projekt Red finally unveiled Cyperpunk 2077, a game we've waited years to see in action. Nintendo let Super Smash Bros. Ultimate loose, which comes out in just a few short months and will launch with every playable character from every previous Smash game. Not one to disappoint, Bethesda finally confirmed two games that have only existed as rumors until now: The Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield. Oh yeah, and they revealed a little game called Fallout 76. That's a lot to be excited about, but it's really just scratching the surface of this year's highlights. But wait, what about those other big games we know are coming that didn't appear at the show? I'm sure there's one or two you have in mind, but there were a surprising number of absentees, and by golly, we want to call them out. We're not mad, we're just disappointed. So rather than be too sad about what didn't make it to the show, give a shout out below to your favorite game that did make an appearance at E3. And if you missed out on all the great announcements, and sure, the weird ones too, head over to our E3 hub to catch up on everything you missed.
Red Dead Redemption 2
At the top of our list of the biggest games missing from E3 2018, we have to mention Red Dead Redemption 2. Now Rockstar Games isn't one to make a huge show of its wares at conventions outside of giving platform holders an exclusive trailer, but with the long-awaited Red Dead sequel on the horizon it was a bit surprising that it didn't appear in either Sony's or Microsoft's press conference. We already know a bit about the game's setting and characters, but assuming its scope is as massive as we all believe it to be, surely there's something new Rockstar could have shared to keep the hype train a-rollin'. Alas, we'll have to wait a bit longer it seems, perhaps until the game releases this October.
Metroid Prime 4
Next on our list is a big game from Nintendo that we know practically nothing about. Metroid Prime 4 was revealed at E3 2017 with a simple logo and nothing else. Nintendo has been pretty quiet about the game since then, only revealing the producer, Kensuke Tanabe, and that he is leading a new team on the project. That means the original Metroid Prime team at Retro Studios is out of the picture, but who has taken their place is anyone's guess. Nintendo likely didn't discuss Metroid Prime 4 as it tends to focus on games coming out within the current calendar year, which puts Samus' next adventure further down the line in 2019, or potentially 2020.
Bayonetta 3
Nintendo's not off the hook yet; no, not even close! The recent release of Bayonetta 1 and 2 on Switch proved that people are still hungry for the over-the-top off-beat series from Platinum Games. We know Bayonetta 3 is coming thanks to the teaser trailer Nintendo showed off at last year's Game Awards, but aside from small esoteric hints buried within that video, we're left with more questions than answers. When will it come out? Who knows! As with Metroid, Nintendo is likely staying quiet on the game because it's still a ways off.
Pokemon For Nintendo Switch
Before we give Nintendo a break, it's worth reflecting on all of the Pokemon news it announced just before E3. Pokemon: Let's Go! Pikachu and Let's Go! Eevee are two new Pokemon games coming to Switch. Their integration with the Pokemon Go mobile game sounds pretty nifty, too, as is the Poke Ball Plus controller that players can use to simulate catching Pokemon. People will no doubt eat up the Let's Go Switch games, but the series' biggest fans are only mildly satisfied by this news. Where is fresh info on the new, mainline, massive, world-shattering Switch Pokemon game that Nintendo announced last year? Why wasn't it at this year's E3? Well, that's a good question. All we learned in recent weeks is that the game is coming in the second half of 2019. There's no gameplay footage, no screenshots--heck, not even a title to rattle around our brains for now. Whether by accident or by design, Nintendo once again has our imaginations running wild.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
With Nintendo out of the way, I've got a bone to pick with Square Enix. That's right, you: the publisher who proudly announced the remake of Final Fantasy VII years ago. You, the gatekeeper to my nerdy hopes and dreams of one day ascending the ranks of the chocobo racing league in the Golden Saucer in glorious 4K. I know you've had some difficulties working with outside partners, and I know this is a hugely ambitious undertaking overshadowed by unreasonable demands from fans like me, but give me something to work with! A lot of people are beginning to doubt this game will ever come out, and after Final Fantasy XV's ten-year development cycle, can you blame them? Prove them wrong, and give me a reason to believe this will be great!
"The Avengers Project"
At the start of 2017, Square Enix and Marvel announced a multi-game project, and thanks to the eagle-eyed user Nirolak over at NeoGAF, it seems job listings suggest the first game will be an online, third-person Avengers game. Or at least, a third-person action game with an online component. It's hard to say too much with any certainty right now, but you'd think Square Enix would have had something to say at E3, 18 months after the initial announcement, but, you'd be wrong. Studio Crystal Dynamics is definitely working on the game, and given the team's incredible work reinventing Lara Croft in recent years, we can't wait to see what they do with the Avengers to make their game stand out from the influx of Marvel Studios films.
Shenmue 3
During the same Sony press conference where Square Enix announced the Final Fantasy VII remake, we also learned that the long-awaited Shenmue 3 was on the way from Sega legend Yu Suzuki. The bits and pieces of news that have surfaced over the years have been a bit underwhelming, but the team's regular Kickstarter updates have us feeling hopeful that the game is getting the attention it deserves. Regardless, it was yet another game missing from this year's E3, much to the disappointment of forklift fans everywhere.
Psychonauts 2
Tim Schafer has had a long and illustrious career in games, with the original Psychonauts being one of his most-lauded creations. It was no surprise then when Psychonauts 2 raised $3.8 million in funding back in 2015. It was, however, a bit disappointing when it was revealed in late 2017 that the game wouldn't make its proposed 2018 release window. That's OK, games are delayed so they can be improved, right? Still, I would be lying if I said I expected Psychonauts 2 to skip out on E3 this year. I still have faith in Tim and everyone else at Double Fine Productions, but their presence was notably missed.
Biomutant & Darksiders III
The last two games on our list, Biomutant and Darksiders III, are, let's say, partners in crime. Both games are being published by THQ Nordic, and both have earned a lot of excitement from the gaming audience since their announcements last year. It seemed only natural that we'd find out more during E3. That is, unless, you are a die-hard soccer...AHEM...football fan. In that case, THQ's reasoning for skipping out on the show is completely understandable: the World Cup. In its own words: "It is with great regret that we at THQ Nordic must report that we will be unable to miss a single moment of this great sporting event. Therefore, we will be forced to stay in our lovely Viennese beer gardens, blowing the froth off a couple, watching football and one or two cool press conferences on Twitch instead of rocking it ourselves." You know what? Bravo THQ. Why should us players be the only ones who have fun? Assuming everything is on the up and up for these various projects, we'll surely hear more about them in the months to come with Comic Con, Gamescom, and various PAX events on the horizon.
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