Jake Valentine
Dota 2 isn’t for the faint of heart. It isn’t for everyone. But if you play MOBAs, then it is for you. This is the game in the genre you need to play. If you don’t believe me, then consider this: There’s a reason why the community has crowd-funded a total of $900,000-plus to the prize pool for The International 3.
Dead Rising 3 is a schizophrenic game. The story is absolutely mess and the difficulty has a tendency to spike every now and then, yet the gameplay is beyond enjoyable and it's a blast to explore the game's sandbox.
Forza Motorsport 5 isn't the next big full-featured game in the franchise. Instead, think of it as both a prologue and an enjoyable launch game that's gorgeous to look at and incredibly fun to play. We can only hope that Forza Motorsport 6 is just as fun. Only, you know, with more tracks and cars. And fewer micro transactions.
Some of these issues could be excused with enticing gameplay and exciting action, but things never come full circle. Halo: Spartan Assault is a soulless, boring, chore of a game. The small glimpses of fun arcade like gameplay are drowned away by frustration and money grabbing.
While frustrations will arise, they're quickly subsided by accomplishment, joy, and amazement that you were really able to live for that long against seemingly insurmountable odds.
South Park: The Stick of Truth is at its best when it's acting more like an episode of South Park and less like a video game.
When the decks are all shuffled and the cards are dealt, Hearthstone shines as a fantastic casual free-to-play digital card game. If you're looking for a bit more substance, though, you might want to go elsewhere.
I could talk more and more about how enjoyable Luftrausers is, how exciting the gameplay is, how easy re-starting the game after death can be, how addicting and exhilarating the experience is, but at the end of the day, you can kill a battleship by flying your plane through it.
There are moments of pure bliss, encounters that will require nimble rolls and quick trigger fingers, and plenty of looting and crafting to be done. But I can't help but wonder what could have been.
They found a way to fix Diablo III.
Look, folks: Resident Evil 4 was a fantastic game when it first launch. It's still a fantastic game today, not only by 2005 standards but also 2014 standards.
Entwined is at its best when used as a chance to relax and unwind from a busy day. It's the warm-up band, if you will, before you dive into the headliner you've been waiting to play with your friends all night.
Wolfenstein: The New Order is enjoyable experience that I wish lasted a bit longer.
I enjoyed mindlessly killing zombies more in the base game than I did in the arcade style DLC. I guess that's all I have to say about that.
What started out as an enjoyable experience has slowly but surely turned into a tiring and cumbersome adventure. Maybe someone else, another bore with more patience and determination, could succeed where I have failed. Instead, I will resign to curling up in this corner and getting some sleep.
If you're itching for a digital card game, Hearthstone is ready and waiting. If you're interested in Magic: the Gathering, head on over to your local game store and inquire about learning the game.
The entire time I spent playing Driveclub was time I wish I spent elsewhere.
Far Cry 4 doesn't do much to differentiate itself from its predecessor, but it doesn't necessarily have to.
Star Wars Battlefront may not be perfect, but it's still better than trade negotiations.
DOOM has no business being a good game, yet it may end of being one of 2016's best.