To comprehensively list all of the gameplay tweaks and graphical upgrades would take up far too much of this review; suffice it to say, I regard Modern Warfare Remastered to occupy the realm of complete remake more than being a simple remaster.
Bolstered by a surprisingly effective story mode that incorporates slight RPG elements, the quality of which was surely boosted by Bioware stepping in to lend EA a hand throughout development, FIFA 17 also benefits from a rock solid gameplay foundation and the transition to the Frostibite engine, making this an easy recommend to fans of the series and football aficionados in general.
A more than viable alternative to Street Fighter V, King of Fighters XIV offers up a refined combat system, an incredibly deep and responsive mechanical experience and a huge roster of characters, each with their own subtle martial arts discipline and varied approaches to fighting.
By narrowing their focus, Double Fine have crafted probably their most cohesive and mechanically sound game to date, one that takes its gimmicky concept and executes it to perfection.
After I had completed a majority of the content I thought that I was done with The Division but the Underground DLC has managed to rope me back into spending a few hours a day levelling up and accruing loot in a far more enjoyable manner than that offered by the Dark Zone.
Mighty No. 9 is a game hamstrung by its own hubris. By choosing to rely upon archaic design decisions and outdated level design it fails to achieve the level of success so clearly desired by the developers. The passion behind the project is clear to see, even if one can't shake the feeling that a few too many shortcuts were taken in order to release on multiple platforms, but the legacy of the Mega Man series looms over the game and it's unable to pull itself out of its shadow. If Comcept hadn't so stubbornly adhered to the source of its inspiration and were willing to take more risks with the title then maybe it could have been something really special but at the moment it's let down by some baffling creative decisions.
Despite my initial impressions from the trailers I genuinely wanted to like this game. Sure, the price was a bit steep and it seemed to be taking cues from what I and many other fans considered the lesser of last generation’s Ghostbusters games but I was willing to overlook all of this if, put simply, the bustin’ made me feel good.
Capitalising upon nostalgia can be a tricky task. If you don’t innovate enough to distinguish yourself from your contemporaries then your game can suffer as a result and come off as too derivative and this is a pitfall that I Am Setsuna doesn’t entirely manage to avoid.
Despite some of the puzzles becoming a major pain in the last few hours of the game, it’s pretty easy to recommend Song of the Deep. It’s a relaxing undersea adventure with a compelling storyline and an earnest and endearing protagonist that you genuinely want to help with completing the task of locating her father.
Certain technical elements could use some more polish and I personally would have welcomed greater enemy variation, although the bosses are each terrific encounters in their own way, but for the most part Heart & Slash succeeds what it sets out to do and offers up a satisfyingly intense combat experience where every death is an opportunity to dive back in and do a little bit better rather than being a barrier for progression.
Despite the writing falling flat for the most part, Trials of the Blood Dragon has an aesthetic charm that is undeniable for anyone who revels in Eighties nostalgia. It’s just a shame then that roughly a third of the gameplay experience fails to be fun in any way. The biking sections are incredibly entertaining and offer up a suitable challenge to series veterans and the R/C sections show the potential for using different vehicles in the Trials context.
I really, really wanted to like Mirror's Edge: Catalyst, and when the game lets me run wild and focus on building momentum and stringing together parkour moves, I genuinely do. Then I'll be forced into some mandatory combat section or forced to sit through a monotonous cutscene and the entire game just grinds to a halt.
Despite the negative press around it, I came to Homefront- The Revolution with an open mind and fully prepared to not let review bias affect my impressions. Unfortunately, it appears that the complaints were valid; the game is spectacularly broken in a way that very few games can get away with and offers very little redeeming features to justify playing through it.
In case it wasn’t obvious, I really didn’t warm to Neon Chrome at all. The eighties inspired aesthetic of the opening cinematic promised big things that the mediocre shoot-em-up that the game ended up being failed to capitalise upon. The controls aren’t as responsive or intuitive as a game like this demands and the lack of refinement in almost every area leaves players with a hollow gaming experience that quickly outwears it welcome. Co-op can make the whole affair slightly more entertaining but only offering local multiplayer and completely disregarding the almost prerequisite online component seems to me to be a massive misstep on the part of developer 10Tons.
At the end of the day, Shadwen is merely a passable effort, which is quite surprising considering Frozenbyte are the minds behind the immensely enjoyable Trine games. Although the central gameplay conceit is interesting enough, it’s unfortunately never fully realised and the myriad of glitches and AI issues hamper what, with a little more polish, could have been an enjoyable stealth/action romp.
An esoteric mishmash of genres and with an art style that belies the more sombre elements of the storyline, Valkyria Chronicles isn’t exactly an easy recommend. For me, personally, it all comes together to form a cohesive whole and has reignited my long dormant passion for strategising and turn based combat scenarios but some may come to the game thinking that the RPG elements are much more prevalent rather than simply informing the non-interactive cutscenes.
Fiendishly difficult at times, Life Goes On – Done to Death will no doubt infuriate gamers who aren’t the biggest fan of the puzzle/platform genre, but for those of us who enjoy having our melons twisted a bit, it’s an accomplished little indie that offers up a tangible challenge that manages to engage the brain cells and thumb dexterity from beginning to end. The difficulty does kind of plateau out by the last world but this is more due to a greater understanding of the mechanics by the player and previously insurmountable obstacles becoming almost trivial.
Although certainly not without its flaws, Battleborn is a solid foundation for Gearbox to build upon in the upcoming months. There's the feeling of a distinct lack of modes and variation in the mission structure. Adding enhancements to your character is a fun exercise and allows for a lot of experimentation, even if it can be a little hard to focus on during the heat of battle and the mixture of genres works surprisingly well, for the most part.
With a terrific cast of characters, a compelling storyline and some genuinely laugh out loud moments, Tales from the Borderlands easily maintains Telltale Games' upward trajectory. The few minor audio and graphical glitches are easily forgiven due to the strength of the gameplay experience and the pace rarely slows down, although the fourth episode did seem a tad meandering.
If you’re a fan of 2D retro platformers that test both your mental acuity and your thumb dexterity, then Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse should be right up your alley.