External reviews
573
in total
published by Polygon
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Vane
A review for Polygon2019-01-15
Vane begins with me joyfully soaring above sun-bleached sand drifts. But it gently dissolves into me slowly pushing a giant rock from one tiresome puzzle to another. This feels like an apposite visual juxtaposition for my entire experience, which slides from admiration to mild boredom.Read entire review on Polygon -
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
A review for Polygon2019-01-09
Iteration at its best isn’t merely refinement or polish; it’s a game in conversation with all of its predecessors, and through these games, a dialogue between the creators and players. It is the culmination and collaboration all at once. New Super Mario Bros. U may not be everyone’s No. 1 Mario game of all time, but I have no doubt it will remind every fan of what makes their favorite special. [Polygon Recommends]Read entire review on Polygon -
Below
A review for Polygon2018-12-18
It’s a brute of a game. I think I like it. But I’m not sure. Ask me in another 30 hours.Read entire review on Polygon -
GRIS
A review for Polygon2018-12-13
Gris will only take you a handful of hours to play from start to finish, but I can’t recommend it strongly enough. I only wish the experience lasted longer. [Polygon Recommends]Read entire review on Polygon -
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
A review for Polygon2018-12-06
Because I can fine-tune the options I want, and pick the characters and stages I love from the franchise’s whole history, I’m almost guaranteed to be able to craft a fun match with whomever I’m playing with. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s gameplay is so snappy and fluid, its characters so rewarding in their variety, that it feels destined to dominate living rooms once again.Read entire review on Polygon -
Just Cause 4
A review for Polygon2018-12-03
The campaign never manages to escape its own mediocrity, it threatens to open out into a more liberating game of exploration and experimentation, but doesn’t quite make the jump. Yes, doing the Just Cause thing of mixing up modes of destruction is still fun. But this series needs more than a few storms to stay relevant and vital. It should take a cue from its own example: Destroy the established order, and find something fresh in the ensuing wreckage.Read entire review on Polygon -
Darksiders III
A review for Polygon2018-11-26
Darksiders 3 is a nostalgic trip, reminding me of games I loved when I was younger. It never does anything spectacular, nor does it offer many new ideas. Instead, it exists as an earnest reminder of how games played eight years ago, and that’s enough for me.Read entire review on Polygon -
Spyro Reignited Trilogy
A review for Polygon2018-11-19
Spyro Reignited Trilogy retains the magic of what made the franchise such a hit in the late 90s and early 2000s. There’s a timelessness that lives in the core of the Spyro games, proving that the franchise can easily contend with other big names in the nostalgia wave. 20 years later, I’m delighted I can still experience the same feeling of wonder and awe in the games that defined my childhood.Read entire review on Polygon -
Fallout 76
A review for Polygon2018-11-18
The unimaginative, chorelike events it foists, unwanted on its players, and a storyline in which it is literally impossible to empathize with any other character because they’re all either dead or brainless, means its makers stopped — only for now, one hopes — well short of what could have been done. [Impressions]Read entire review on Polygon -
Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu!
A review for Polygon2018-11-13
Co-op play or one-button wild battles may not be what I’m used to, but reiteration seems against the point here. This is Pokémon’s console debut, and with that comes reinvention for all kinds of players, not just the ones who came of age with Pokémon a long time ago.Read entire review on Polygon -
Battlefield V
A review for Polygon2018-11-12
It is one of the fastest military shooters to be released in years. The experience left me breathless at times. After a full weekend of play, all I want is more. But to buy into Battlefield 5 in 2018 is to accept a number of flaws and compromises. With multiple game modes still in development, including a battle royale mode that is still months from being available, Battlefield 5 is a work in progress.Read entire review on Polygon -
Tetris Effect
A review for Polygon2018-11-09
Above all, what I love about Tetris Effect is that it is unabashedly earnest. It is a captivating, beautiful thing to experience in a bleak time. It speaks Tetris, the common tongue of video game design, as poetry.Read entire review on Polygon -
Red Dead Redemption 2
A review for Polygon2018-10-25
At its best, the story breaks away from the Western genre and plays like a cross between a heist movie, a domestic drama and a political thriller. At its worst, it’s a buddy action comedy. Mercifully, it manages to be more of the former than the latter. [Polygon Recommends]Read entire review on Polygon -
LEGO DC Super-Villains
A review for Polygon2018-10-19
But Lego DC Super-Villains does little with the DC canon, its story never reaching beyond, “these baddies aren’t so bad after all.”Read entire review on Polygon -
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales
A review for Polygon2018-10-18
When I first encountered Gwent, both in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Gwent: The Witcher Card Game, learning to play the game felt like work. But Thronebreaker fully breaks its systems down into bite-sized portions and succeeds at making each one interesting in its own right. So far just about every puzzle, every challenge has been a delight. Thronebreaker feels playful, and succeeds at making learning Gwent an enjoyable experience.[Impressions]Read entire review on Polygon -
Starlink: Battle for Atlas
A review for Polygon2018-10-15
The game is kid friendly and feels well-tuned for that eight-to-12-year-old range. But if you’re a parent eyeing up new experiences for the holiday season, get ready to drop a lot of money on Starlink or run the risk of your budding little starfighter pilots losing interest fairly quickly. [Impressions]Read entire review on Polygon -
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
A review for Polygon2018-10-13
For now, even at the base, $59.99 level, there is a lot of game packaged into this vaguely Call of Duty-shaped casing.Read entire review on Polygon -
The Gardens Between
A review for Polygon2018-09-19
The Gardens Between successfully weaves its theme of memory with its mechanic of stopping time, presenting a satisfying story that offers challenge, escapism and magic.Read entire review on Polygon -
Marvel's Spider-Man
A review for Polygon2018-09-04
There aren’t many surprises to the game; despite being an open-world experience, it plays upon a linear story, and the twists that happen feel familiar. The action sequences are breathless and memorable, but after the game’s final act I was left wanting more. Just like a summer blockbuster, Spider-Man leaves too much waiting in the wings for its obviously upcoming sequel. [Polygon Recommends]Read entire review on Polygon -
Donut County
A review for Polygon2018-08-27
The world is your playground in Donut County, and yet it’s the most wholesome way to see everything come crashing down. Despite some serious setbacks, the characters remain optimistic and retain a healthy sense of resolve. Listening to each of them tell their stories feels like hanging with a big group of friends. If a hole destroyed my town today, I think I’d be okay with it. It’s not the hole’s fault.Read entire review on Polygon
