Mike Splechta
It's no show stopper, but I appreciate the game's commitment of sticking to the genre's old-school roots.
Bound by Flame by all accounts ends up being a rather mediocre experience. There are various systems and mechanics that work brilliantly, but are sadly overshadowed by a largely forgettable story and a flawed combat system that ends up testing your patience rather than testing your mettle.
It's not that Kinect Sports Rivals is a terrible game, but it certainly doesn't utilize the Kinect in any new meaningful ways. After Microsoft's claims of improving the Kinect, I just wanted RARE to be a little more experimental with the tech, and sadly, that doesn't happen here.
Super Time Force is an absolutely phenomenal game that's packed to the brim with action, humor, and easily one of the best time-manipulation mechanics I've ever seen in a game. I can't say that I've ever played a game that let me co-op with myself, with myself, with myself and also with myself, until now.
It's not surprising that Mario Kart 8 is phenomenal. And while it's still not nearly as experimental as Double Dash, the new anti-gravity segments add enough skill-based gameplay to make even seasoned veterans rethink their kart racing strategies. In the realm of mascot kart racing games, there is no doubt that Mario Kart is still king.
Watch Dogs might not be the defining next-gen experience that Ubisoft has claimed it would be, however, being able to hack your way through Chicago might be one of the must fun open-world experience I've had to date, save for Saints Row 4 of course.
With a ton of levels, a bunch of unlockable characters, a few multiplayer modes and tough yet immensely satisfying gameplay, it's very easy to recommend 1001 Spikes to anyone that enjoys a good challenge that harks back to the good old days of the NES.
[F]ans have a reason to rejoice.
If you have a high tolerance of extremely inappropriate dialogue, racist comments, and other demeaning lines, then maybe you might have a slightly better time appreciating the sorry excuse for a narrative. For the rest, even though Blue Estate does deliver some satisfying rail-shooter lightgun combat, sans the lightgun, it's bogged down by stupid swipe controls that completely break up the action.
If you've waited to pick this title up or perhaps didn't have a Vita to play it on, then the Steam version, given that it's priced the same, is the way to go.
I'd like to say that the co-op more than makes up for the terrible controls with the DualShock 4, but that might be stretching it. However, if you do have a few buddies who wouldn't mind splitting the cost of the game with you, only to dive into the co-op and let the hilarity and chaos ensue, that wouldn't be a bad idea at all.
Even if you've already played through Guacamelee! when it first made its rounds on the PS3 and Vita, the Super Turbo Championship Edition is packed with enough new content and tweaks, that it more than begs you to dive right back in and bust some skulls.
Dance Central Spotlight seems like a logical next step for Harmonix. It's a safe release that's not tied down to an expensive physical copy, but rather a small serving that looks to be the appetizer to a build-your-own dinner combo comprised of only the delectable songs that fit your musical taste.
Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate, as the name suggest, is the definitive version of the third Orochi title. Brimming with content, it's a game that will consume you with the amount of things to see if you let it. However, it's still a Warriors title, so if you've been turned off by the series before, this one won't do much to change your mind.
Two years ago, Final Fantasy fans were treated to a musical celebration with Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy. A rhythm game first and foremost, it tasked players to relive past Final Fantasy moments through key songs found in core titles, ranging from Final Fantasy I, all the way to Final Fantasy XIII. Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy Curtain Call is a more updated version of the first game, rebalancing the gameplay, adding new modes, and most importantly, giving players over 200 songs to play. Let's just say, if you've enjoyed the first, you're in for quite a treat with Curtain Call.
The actual gameplay, despite its insane difficulty spike once you play on anything but easy, is actually really fun.
Hyrule Warriors is a wonderful surprise. A surprise since not only does the Warriors formula work so well, it actually manages to surpass past Warriors titles in many ways. And while the character roster is a bit on the modest side, there is enough variety in each character and their subsequent alternate weapons to make that issue seem pretty minor.
Forza Horizon 2 is just the first of many racing games to release this Holiday season, and it sure started it off with a huge bang. It's gorgeous, it's huge, it's exciting and most of all, it's just downright fun. It certainly deserves a standing ovation.
It's been an agonizing wait, but it was worth it. When Nintendo announced a new Super Smash Bros. for not only the Wii U, but also the 3DS, it was almost inconceivable that the handheld version would be anything but a mere gap filler until its older and prettier sibling would release later that year. Rest easy knowing that's not the case at all. Super Smash Bros. for the 3DS packs a punch with the full character roster, diverse stages and various modes to keep you smashing all day.
Too casual for the hardcore, too hard for the casual. Driveclub might have a hard time finding its right audience, but its undeniably a gorgeous racer with expertly integrated social options.