Enlarge (credit: Wide Right Games) At Ars Technica, we’re fans of the Jackbox Party Pack series, which gathers friends around a TV to play social, joke-filled minigames that revolve around cracking jokes and voting on the group’s favorite gags. Really, any game that turns the trading of jokes into a group contest is up our […]
Enlarge / Welcome back to the world of Wii S—er, ahem, I mean, Nintendo Switch Sports. (credit: Nintendo) Wii Sports is dead; long live Nintendo Switch Sports. This many years into the Switch’s life span, Nintendo has finally decided that its casual, cartoony take on sports should live on, even if its original home on […]
Enlarge / Tunic looks and feels a lot like 8-bit Legend of Zelda. But I assure you, more is going on here. (credit: Andrew Shouldice / Finji) When I reviewed The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening on Switch in 2019, I lamented its stubborn adherence to the past. I don’t necessarily blame Nintendo for reproducing […]
Enlarge / In 1997, Gran Turismo was one of the standout hits for the original Playstation. Now, GT7 is ready for Sony’s current consoles. (credit: Sony) Can you believe more than eight years have passed since the last full Gran Turismo game? Actually, who am I kidding—fans of the series have become accustomed to lengthy […]
Enlarge / So begins Aloy’s journey into the forbidden west. (All images in this review were captured by Ars Technica on PS5 hardware, unless otherwise noted. ) (credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment) This review of Horizon: Forbidden West includes as few spoilers as possible—and leaves most of the series’ first game unspoiled, as well. Any review […]
Enlarge / Chief and “The Weapon” bond through adversity in Halo Infinite —and not just in the game’s plot or firefights. (credit: Xbox Game Studios / 343 Industries) Halo Unlimited is the best campaign-driven entry since 343 Industries took over the particular series in 2011 . It is also the messiest Halo game yet. To […]
When you show up to Forza Horizon 5, do so in style. [credit: Xbox Game Studios ] Nearly a decade before this week’s launch of Forza Horizon 5, the Forza Horizon series began life as a plucky, goofy offshoot of the “serious” Forza Motorsport racing games. Instead of confining you to just race tracks, Horizon‘s […]
The new EMMI droid can kill longtime space bounty hunter Samus Aran in one blow. Your job in Metroid Dread is to make sure that doesn’t happen. [credit: Nintendo ] Thanks to one of Nintendo’s slowest game-release eras in its modern history, this week’s Metroid Dread stands out as arguably the company’s biggest new first-party […]
Take your favorite shout of “yeeeee-haw! ” and then miniaturize it. Welcome to Very hot Wheels Unleashed . [credit: Milestone S.r.l / Mattel ] This week’s Hot Wheels Unleashed is one of the best video games ever made using licensed toy cars. To be fair, that specific concept isn’t necessarily common in gaming, but Codemasters’ […]
Fantastical effects and jaw-dropping art direction can be found at every turn in Kena: Bridge of Spirits. [credit: Ember Lab ] What would a legitimate “dark” Legend of Zelda game look like? I don’t mean a game made by another studio that copies Zelda concepts while adding violence, cursing, or gothic architecture—we’ve seen plenty of […]