Justin Celani's Reviews
Xenoblade Chronicles on the NEW 3DS system is a marvel. It offers one of the most complete, fascinating, and downright huge RPGs experiences you can fit in your pocket. It's great to see a release on another console to give new players a chance to experience it, granted you still need to own the new handheld. I feel nothing major is lost in the port to the smaller screen and in doing so, you now have one of the best RPGS ever made literally at your fingertips on the go. It doesn't get much better than that.
Axiom Verge brings its own style here and offers a familiar yet totally different experience on an alien world, with an eerie soundtrack and a story that is interesting, if a bit light. Fans of heavy exploration, no hand holding and interesting weapons will have an absolute blast, and when they're finished can jump right back into the game with its speed runner mode. Axiom Verge is fantastic addition to any fan of the genre. Review copy of game provided by publisher.
This might not be a main entry in the Resident Evil series, but it doesn't mean it can't compare to the best. Revelations offers quite the punch when it comes to quality and content.
Once I started I couldn't stop playing. It had me by the throat with its mystery, its atmosphere and finally the ending. This is an instant classic in my eyes.
I could go on further about all the reasons why I love Dying Light, but I'll leave you on this note. I can say, without a doubt in my mind, Dying Light is one of the best zombie games ever made.
Citizens of Earth can be looked at as a love letter and an inspiration to roleplaying games of the past. It's unique enough in its core premise and gameplay additions that I can't see many long time RPG fans not highly enjoying this. If you're looking for a title with both style and substance and a hint of nostalgia, Citizens of Earth is your next RPG purchase. I had a smile on my face every time I played this.
Little Big Planet is a franchise that always makes me smile ear to ear. It's charming, fun, lighthearted and has a plethora of content to play and create. It's a shame that the experience of LBP 3 couldn't be a little more polished or the story mode just a little longer, because these are the only two blemishes on an otherwise excellent addition to the series.
There are a few performance issues here on console but that aside Talos Principal is an excellent puzzle based game that keeps players engaged and perplexed, a winning combination all around in my book.
Kirby offers a fantastic experience for the amount of content it provides and the price. The only caveat is that you will be forced to play the game strictly on the gamepad, which is a shame as the beauty shines through on your TV screen the most. You can attempt to play while looking at the TV and I'm sure some folks will be able to get some semblance of accuracy doing so, but for most, it's going to be a gamepad-only affair, and it's a shame. Anyone watching you play via the TV will be able to enjoy the colors and superb visual style the game throws at you the best. If you're ok with this, Rainbow Curse offers an extremely likable and fun stylus adventure for all ages.
Mad Max the game isn't only a fantastic time, it's a great addition to the franchise, and one of the few games that completely destroys the expectations that a movie based game has to be bad. Mad Max is bad to the bone… but in all the right ways.
You could say it's their destiny to be better, and so far that is proving so. I'll need more time to observe them in the future but for now there is only a good outlook for the future of the Division and its many agents.
Wasteland 2 is for players looking to get lost in world that seems perfectly comfortable in giving the players all the options at their fingertips. The wasteland is a host to deadly enemies, characters, and vile world, one in which I take my very own created desert rangers, with their own personal stories, my stories, and try to live… to see another day.
Guns, bullets, co-op, mayhem, action, humor, colorful, zany, challenging, death, and fun. These are the key words I'd use to describe my time with Enter the Gungeon and I can't wait to play more.
Sometimes funny, sometimes cheesy, sometimes downright scary and tense as hell, Until Dawn is one wild ride, and while not everyone will think it's worth the entry price, I couldn't be happier with the end results.
Otherwise, Quiplash provided tons of laughter and its ease of use makes it pick up and playable by almost anyone. The ability to stream and get people in the game is another great feature and really can liven up any party, online or off. Just like in real life though, who you bring to the party will determine just how crazy it ultimately gets.
[I]f you like point and click adventure games with mystery, good puzzles, humor, and a little bit of history, Broken Sword 5 is exactly what you're looking for. It stays consistent with the genre it helped invent and does so almost flawlessly, coming highly recommended to fans of the franchise.
From missions involving finding totems, to investigating why a river is causing sickness, investigating dark caverns, or climbing a great cliff for rare feathers, there is plenty of variation between all the killings. If the idea and theme don't resonate with players and pull them in, I'd probably rate this game a point or two lower then my personal score as I feel it's rather crucial to get the most enjoyment out of this title. That said, I absolutely loved my time with Primal though and to see a game set in this time period, with no guns, and with high production values just seems completely experimental and bold. I can't help but commend Ubisoft in attempting this.
While the game isn't super hard, there can be some tricky moments of knowing when to best save up your energy, heal, or attack. Nothing too troublesome for a RPG vet. The sticker system for bonus stat perks, trapper keeper live cover, and the various special attacks from a moon walk glove to a transformer semi, are fun to use and to see.
The Flame in the Flood was a fantastic experience for me.
Yo-Kai Watch is another game to add to 2015 that surprised the heck out of me. I've tried countless times to get into the Pokémon games before and they just never pulled me in, even though I appreciate what they offer players. Here, the idea of spirits, the charm, the writing, the battles, and the style just immediately sucked me in. I wanted to explore the world, find the spirits, and help people. It's a great start to a new franchise, one of the best looking 3DS games I've ever played, and if you're looking for a RPG with heart and spirit, Yo-Kai Watch is the right choice and a great start to a new franchise.