Ken McKown's Reviews
Fans waiting on that next great adventure would do wise to check out this under-the-radar gem. It may borrow a lot of its aesthetic and mechanics from a certain pointy-eared hero, but it has a charm all its own. I can't recommend it enough to fans of the adventure genre. The small price is more than worth the hefty adventure that lies ahead.
Livelock is a game that sounds pretty standard on paper, but I simply could not stop playing. It takes about 15 hours to max every character, and I am still trying to figure out how to finish my master data cards, but again without a progress tracker, it makes it incredibly difficult. If you enjoy co-op games with friends I can’t recommend it enough. It is a great game to throw on and BS with friends while mowing down countless hordes of robot enemies.
Solar Shifter EX has some cool ideas and poor execution. I wanted to love it, I tried to love it, but in the end I simply left every session disappointed that it never really delivered on any of its ambitions. There are better shooters out there, heck, there are better shooters everywhere. Regardless of any love for the genre, I simply cannot recommend this game to anyone.
There is a sense of completionism involved in the way the game tracks progress, and let’s face it, B.U.D. is an extremely lovable character.
Attack on Titan was a shock for me. It isn't going to revolutionize any genre, but there truly is little else like it out there. Fans of the anime are sure to enjoy the attention to detail in almost everything, and like most Warriors games there is enough of an RPG element to keep battles from becoming too much of the same thing over and over.
Worms W.M.D. is great re-entry point for people like me who have sort of fallen off the wagon with the series over time. It keeps what I remember, and refines what I had issues with. The hilarity is still there, the solid game play shines above the rest, and it feels good to be back.
Madden NFL 17 feels like the largest jump in the franchise since Madden NFL 10. A lot of the issues I had with past games has been addressed, and I can easily see myself sinking another 60 hours into franchise mode as I take my Raiders to their back-to-back Super Bowls. Fans that may have fallen off in recent years will find plenty to come back to with this iteration. There is so much improvement it is impossible to list it all here without sounding like a press release. It is indeed Madden season, and football fans have a lot to be excited about with this year’s game.
The King of Fighters XIV is everything I wanted it to be going in. There is enough content to keep me testing out the teams of fighters. With 50 playable characters to experiment with, it is fun to learn match-ups and play with friends. I found myself coming back constantly to this game, and always finding new characters I really enjoyed playing as.
Hello Games achieved what they set out to do. They have crafted a massive galaxy of planets for players to explore. That feat is nothing short of extraordinary, and I think everyone who enjoys games should experience that. Whether you come out of it with a smile or a frown, it is entirely dependent on how much you are willing to put up with to explore a nearly endless galaxy.
#Killallzombies is a nice pick up and play experience that works thanks to its design. The developers have promised more content is coming, but right now there is really only one thing to do. It sticks to its namesake for better or worse. Still, I couldn't help but enjoy every session I logged and I will definitely revisit it once new content arrives.
The first entry in Bruce Wayne’s tale is not a bad one. I enjoyed the setup, and hope the rest of the series delivers on that payoff. I just wonder how long between episodes I will have to wait to figure out if this Batman story is worth the price of admission.
I really wish there was more to say about Blade Arcus. The art design is outstanding, and the fighting is solid, but it really just doesn’t do anything to stand out from the pack. The lack of features and paltry online community mean this game is likely already forgotten about.
Riptide GP Renegade is a solid follow-up. I really wish they would tweak the difficulty though, as it stands it gets far too difficult, far too quickly in career mode. This stunts progression, and makes continuing on a real grind. However, if you are like me and simply love the wave racing genre, this is yet another solid entry in a category we get far too few games in.
While the name may be confusing, this could easily be a blueprint for the successor to Ghosts ‘n Goblins, which is what it seems they set out to do, and they nailed it.
Abzu is something that was never even on my radar. Then I booted it up, and never let go. Every area was an experience, and it made an impact on me. I don't spend my time trying to figure out what it means, I just enjoyed the ride, and it is easy to recommend. Especially to those that enjoy the idea of swimming in the depths of the ocean, and exploring the alien life found below the waves.
Dangerous Golf is a weird game. On paper it sounds perfect, exactly what I would want from the guys that made t-boning cars so much fun. However, in practice it feels empty. Nothing about it screams “one more hole.” Even with the changes they have made this is an empty game that lacks anything to keep me coming back for more.
Daydreamer had the potential to be a sleeper hit in the Summer of lacking game releases, sadly it falls short on the most important of game fundamentals. I wanted to love this game a lot more than I do, but it just misses all the important notes in its execution.
Full Mojo Rampage is a solid game with bullet points I usually find off putting. The game play loop is solid, and the controls are tight. Playing with friends is also a blast, whether we were working together or against one another. There are a lot of titles that boast what Rampage does, but few have done it with the execution found here. Even if these words scare you, like they scare me, this game is still worth checking out.
For those that may stumble upon it on sale somewhere, feel good in knowing that you are picking up a solid, and unique title, that is finally worthy of sitting on a retail shelf.
Carmageddon: Max Damage is fun when it accomplishes what it sets out to do, but the disappointing online and limited modes really drag it down. If it had launched a little cheaper it would be an easy recommendation for fans of the original games. As it stands though, it needs a little more polish to be worth checking out.