Bastion was excellent in 2011, and it's excellent now. Everything in Bastion - the narrative, the audio and visual presentation, and the gameplay - works together to create a cohesive experience, a feat few games can manage. Those who have played the game before won't find anything new here, but this release is for the dedicated fans, and for those who haven't experienced the game 'till now. If you're in the later camp, I envy you. You get the opportunity to play Bastion for the first time. As for the rest of us, well, it's just another opportunity to experience an excellent game again. Celondia, we're coming home.
A fantastic fighting system, excellent production values, great story mode, exciting new characters, solid online play, and lots of single-player content make Mortal Kombat X one of the best fighters on the market. It isn't a flawless victory, not quite, but its damn close, and even after these years, it still has the power to bring a group of my friends together to watch Fatalities and swap controllers, waiting for just one more round. Now then, who's next?
Resident Evil: Revelations 2 suffers from a few too many little issues and the feeling of "I've been here before" to be a truly great game, but it is a very, very good one. Capcom's clearly still trying to iron out the kinks of what works and what doesn't in modern day Resident Evil, but they're on the right track. Resident Evil: Revelations 2, with all of its issues and budget visual design, is proof of that. Capcom's golden goose may not be completely back on track yet, but it's clearly got an idea of where it wants to go. And more importantly, it's got Barry Burton back to unlock any gates that get in the way.
: Final Fantasy Type-0 HD marries a strong story with compelling themes and a great cast with some excellent game systems, resulting in one of the most cohesive and best games in the series in recent memory. There's still some evidence of the game's portable origins, but Type-0 remains a strong and engaging game even with these problems. Fans of the Final Fantasy series owe it to themselves to check it out.
Battlefield Hardline is a semi-unique game in the Battlefield franchise that features an enjoyable, if forgettable, campaign and a great multiplayer mode. Those looking for the more traditional Battlefield experience will still find it here, as will those interested in Hardline's twist on the franchise.
Frustrating difficulty spikes in some modes. The sheer, blatant fanservice will no doubt turn some people off. The Xbox One version currently suffers from a number of technical issues.
A few minor issues persist, but a number of new additions, combined with enhance visuals, balance changes and repackaged DLC, make this the best version of DmC: Devil May Cry available. Fans of the original game will find a lot of new content to sink their teeth into here, but new players are the one who will benefit most from Ninja Theory's latest.
This is one of the best Kinect games out there. If you like music, movement, Fantasia, or Disney, you owe it to yourself to give Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved a shot. It serves as a respectful ode to a great movie, and a great moment, an encore performance to one of the finest animated films of all time. Well done, Mickey.
Forza Horizon 2 is a spectacular achievement for Playground Games, and a game that makes you feel like part of a community, even when you're not playing with anyone; a game that captures the joy of driving, and more importantly, sharing that joy with others. It feels like the kind of game Microsoft has been trying to make for years, one that finds success in its mechanics, but is defined by its community, one less a collection of random players, and more a club of enthusiasts.
Sunset Overdrive is one of the rare games that feels complete in an age where most games feel like a combination of elements from all over the place. Everything in Sunset Overdrive works, from the gameplay, to the art design, the humor, and the combat, and each feeds off the other to create a title that not only feels great, but cohesive as well. Fans of open world games that emphasize freedom of movement, customization, and style won't find much better on the current consoles.
It's not Mikami's best game, but The Evil Within's excellent gameplay, incredible atmosphere, and the sheer variety of enemies and environments on display make up for occasional frustrations, a overly grimdark plot, and pointless stealth sections. It's a great game, and a return to form for Mikami. It's not Resident Evil 4, but you know what? There's nothing wrong with that.
Crimes and Punishments is a game that is otherwise fantastic in nearly every aspect it devotes its time to. It's a game that reminds us of how great Sherlock Holmes is, and why the character has endured for so long. But it's also one that reminds us why Conan Doyle wanted to abandon the character. You can't escape him. He'll always decipher the clues, always find you, always see through the most perfectly planned murder. He marches ever onward, against the flow of time, holding on steadily. He'll always be there, Watson in tow, ready to take the next case. And God help us, there's still some appeal in that.
NHL 15 may be a step forward in terms of gameplay and presentation, but it's a step back in nearly every other way. New players and those dedicated to the franchise will probably find something to like here, but everyone else will be left with a huge sense of missed opportunity.
Dance Central Spotlight offers a good amount of content at a low price, and features more routines than ever before. It may be something of a safety dance, but if you just wanna dance, Harmonix's latest has you covered.
Ultimately, One Piece Unlimited World Red is a game for the fans. It's let down by repetitive combat and weird design decisions, but those looking to join Luffy and crew on a fun romp through some uncharted waters will find a lot to like here, even if it is a little stretched out.
EA Sports UFC will undoubtedly appeal to fans of MMA, but a convoluted control scheme, poor tutorials, few modes of play, bad acting, and an offensive use of DLC make this a game for hardcore fans only.
Murdered: Soul Suspect has an interesting plot, an intriguing game world, and a lot of cool game ideas, but a host of little problems drag the experience down. Still, fans of a good detective story might want to check it out, provided they can deal with the game's inconsistencies.
Wolfenstein: The New Order is a great shooter that balances old school design sensibilities with modern storytelling and excellent production values to produce a Nazi blastin' good time.
Transistor is a fantastic follow-up to Bastion that features incredible art design, wonderful music, deep, customizable, strong storytelling and one of the best plots in recent memory. It's a thoughtful, beautiful, and well-designed game that should be played by everyone with a passing interest in RPGs. Go buy it. Now.
MLB 14 The Show may not be a game changer, but it doesn't need to be. It is a great game with enough new features and ideas that it manages to stay fresh despite its problems, and fans of baseball sims will be hard-pressed to find better.