This year’s edition of the NFL’s carefully controlled videogame product focuses on QB1, a thin story concerning a college player pushed into a starting spot in his senior year – one game before the National Championship. Then, into the NFL, of course. It’s sports fantasy drivel, thinly formed but allowing people to live vicariously through… Continue reading Madden NFL 20 (Xbox One)
Religion interferes when the industrial revolution begins, Bloodstained’s catalyst, causing extremists to raise a Gothic castle, filled with demons. Anything to stop smokestacks from replacing churches – or, keeping things great, as conservatives see it. A religious tome is at the center of this conflict, a war between progressives who wish to stop evil from… Continue reading Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (PS4)
Released as the first Marvel film universe story comes to close, Ultimate Alliance 3 retools that same story. Infinity Stones go missing, mega-big bad Thanos wants them, superheroes must stop him. The videogame edition tells this with no real style. It’s crowded. Most of the action is noise, with four Marvel characters slicing or punching… Continue reading Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 (Switch)
Although the title of the series refers to the series’ military, there’s no alien invasion underway as the game begins. Yet, they have walking mechs, an armada of tanks, futuristic stealth bombers, and a mass of hand-carried weapons, enough to arm multiple countries. It begs the question – who does the EDF defend against before… Continue reading Earth Defense Force 5 (PS4)
It’s hard to gauge Samurai Shodown’s tone. One moment, there’s a snappy, sarcastic ronin roaming Asian lands on the hunt for a fight. Maybe that ronin squares up to a beefy, tattooed fat man who farts on his enemies. Or Genjuro who fights shirtless to expose a scar representing his hatred. Then there’s Ukyo, somber… Continue reading Samurai Shodown (PS4)
Crash Bandicoot’s mix of island themes and sci-fi kookiness works to the advantage of this lushly animated kart racer. Three key players fill this genre now – Mario Kart, Sonic Racing, and now a rebooted CTR. Each finds a distinctive rhythm and pace. CTR is the wild child of the trio. It’s a bit old.… Continue reading Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled (PS4)
There’s no other Godzilla videogame that understands the futility of fighting radioactive beasts better than Godzilla Defense Force. Every run is hopeless; that’s by design. The game exists to suck money and time, but this is a smart, appropriate application of the idle clicker. Tapping the screen sends troops to the shoreline, defending against various… Continue reading Godzilla Defense Force (Android)
