BUTCHER

While you're making your way through its main story on the default difficulty, Butcher is great. In addition to thoughtful, satisfying gameplay, the whole thing just gives off this impeccable sense of attitude. But when you try out the higher difficulties, its control layout becomes its Achilles' heel. If we look at the game as a whole, it's a combination of high quality and wasted potential. If we only include the stuff that's worth playing, there just isn't enough of it. Either way, Butcher is a middling experience bolstered somewhat by its sense of character.