It is impressive that, as a racing game, F1 2017 is a title that genuinely offers something for everyone. At its core though, Codemasters' title is obviously a simulation that has been pitched to F1 enthusiasts. Those players should find themselves more than satisfied with the variety of content, level of detail and complexity that's included.
There is an enjoyable game in here, but it currently lives down the road. For now, however, Starpoint Gemini Warlords is a product that doesn't do any one thing well enough to justify its price point and the accompanying time investment it requires of players.
Endless Space 2 has that special, addictive, one-more-turn quality about it. There is real style here, and a hell of a lot of substance to back it up.
Crusade does what all good expansions should do – it takes a base game and improves upon it in significant ways. There is a great amount of new content here that will give existing players a fresh experience when returning to Galactic Civilizations III. It's also competitively priced, which should entice newcomers as well. There are a few bugs and the rather large shadow of Stellaris that hang over this game, but all in all this is a really decent strategy title that should appeal to any fan of 4X gaming.
Dawn of War III certainly isn't the type of sequel that fans of the series may have anticipated, albeit it is still a title that is faithful to the Warhammer franchise. However, Relic's gamble of adapting their franchise in a way that more closely aligns with the popular MOBAs of the day has largely paid off, even if the game does suffer from a bit of an identity crisis in the process. It was a brave, risk/reward move – while it may disappoint some fans, it will certainly gain others and gives the series a fresh look rather than replicating more of the same.
While this isn't the most overwhelming amount of additional content ever seen in a shmup, Bullet Soul's overall package and price point is fair. It should entertain newcomers and enthusiasts alike.
All definitions of 'game' aside, Alone With You is an impressive affair that I recommend to anyone who has an affinity for science fiction narratives and/or interactive storytelling. Its tale is both haunting and human, incisively reflective and extremely well told.
Despite its early promise, The Descendant’s rushed, extremely short ending felt clumsily executed. While it contained a few surprises, the delivery of Episode 5’s conclusion felt arbitrary, contrived and slightly out-of-sync with the narrative that’s been told over the course of the season. Perhaps most disappointingly, the player has very little agency in Episode 5 – a real let down, given the game’s initial promise that the choices made by the player would be impactful as the story progressed.
Overall, this game is a complete pleasure to play. It's evocative of older generations of theme park management sims in all the right ways, whilst having plenty of style and appeal in its own right. It's a game that can be both a source of relaxation and a challenge, depending on the player's mood. Planet Coaster is also poised to offer some excellent longevity via integration with the Steam Workshop. The possibilities are endless, and this reviewer is definitely on-board for the ride.
I remain interested in how Gaming AB plan to conclude this story, and what the final episode holds in store for each of these characters. However, if the story-telling and dialogue is not an improvement on Episode 4, players may be in for a derivative ending that undermines the interesting ideas set up by earlier chapters.
This is an astounding game. Civilization has always been associated as the benchmark for strategy gaming, and Civilization VI is now at the peak. This is as good as it gets.
I’m not one hundred percent sure I buy the ‘standalone expansion’ label – which is the main reason I have awarded Rivals a slightly lower score than I gave Sorcerer King. For new players however, it’s well worth the price given the game’s well worked mix of RPG and 4X elements.
Much of the latter half of this episode follows Donnie, in the present day narrative. While this storyline culminates in some grisly discoveries and plot revelations that could potentially have some pretty significant ramifications for all involved, I did find the nature of his relationship with Randolph – and the mysterious, off-camera interrogator (from the beginning of Episode 2, the player may recall) – to grow slightly more confusing.
Caladrius Blaze has good core mechanics which offers some classic shmup gameplay. The shame breaks are a disappointing distraction at best and the game's campaign is a little short. However, in terms of action this is a pretty solid shmup and should please most fans of the genre.
Little King’s Story is not the worst port to have ever existed. However, the myriad problems that exist in the game mean the overall experience playing it on PC is badly tarnished. Essentially, it’s just really, really annoying. At the moment it is a bit of a broken mess and, until these issues are addressed anyone wishing to experience this title would do better to revisit the Wii original than waste time or money here.
The art direction astutely compliments the gameplay and the self-referential, retro-infused style of Zombie Night Terror. It is a title that feels a lot like a postmodern love letter to games of a bygone era.
Rather than investing in an immersive, intuitive, enjoyable gameplay experience, they have, unfortunately, created a generic and rather boring click fest of a game.
While the puzzles suffered a little here, the plot continues to thicken. As a story, I remain interested in where The Descendent is going.
There's a lot to love about this game but at times it really can feel like too much effort.
Ultimately Paradox has created a brilliant and lasting experience in Stellaris; one that allows players to cultivate an empire that spans entire galaxies. It is both wonderful and appropriately grand.