It's hard not recommending episode two for anyone that remotely cares about Bioshock. While we won't spoil the surprises here, the sheer scope of the episode and what it accomplishes with the story makes it feel essential. Even more importantly, episode two is the best kind of DLC by being both distinct and deeply connected with its associated game. If you're willing to invest in the struggling first episode, episode two considerably strengthens this interesting extension of Bioshock's world.
Yet Dragon Age: Inquisition is one of those rare games where its flaws sound severe on paper, but often melt away when you're actually playing. We can't remember the last time we've been so thoroughly absorbed by a virtual place or so attached to a cast of characters. In that sense, Dragon Age: Inquisition is a flawed journey, but it's one that we eagerly want to return to.
Yet it's hard to get hung up on slight missteps when The Master Chief Collection is already so generous. It's a grand celebration and a potent reminder why the green Spartan rose to a level of prominence that few can match. Many HD collections or remasters are often pleasant trips down memory lane, but this feels like more than that. It's a gripping reintroduction into all things Halo and something that will likely be enjoyed for years to come.
There's a lot of greatness within Sunset Overdrive, but it's obfuscated by a lack of difficulty and an aggravating tone. Ultimately, it's worth dealing with the game's worst moments to enjoy the many things it does get right. When you're darting around the world like a ninja in a denim jacket, there's nothing quite like it. If there is a next time for Sunset City, and hopefully there is, maybe things will come together more smoothly than they have here.
It's easy to look at Beyond Earth and see it as nothing more than an elaborate reskin of Civilization V. In many ways, it shares a similar interface and borrows many components. Yet as soon as you get to the end of your first game, you're acutely aware of how different it feels. At this point, it's cliche to say how time consuming Civilization can be, but Beyond Earth only lends further credence to the phrase "one more turn."
From its peerless combat to its outlandishly entertaining world, Bayonetta 2 is a triumph. Platinum Games has created a classic so thoroughly excellent that it can't be ignored. Action games don't get better than this.
Crown of the Ivory King is exhausting, but at the end of it all, the predominant emotion swelling inside of us was sadness. We wanted more: one more boss fight, one more tucked-away room – not because the DLC is lacking, but because we didn't want to leave. This may be the last we hear of Dark Souls II, but it went out with a bang.
Alien: Isolation is worth experiencing, but at the same time feels like lost potential. There's nothing quite like playing elaborate hide-and-seek with the alien, it's just a shame that so much baggage comes along with it. Fans may have finally gotten a good alien game, but they may have to wait longer for a great one.
Yet these gripes feel minor in a game that offers so much. After all the time we've spent traveling the wastes, there's still more we have yet see. Wasteland 2 may not be the best looking game nor does it play in any sort of revelatory fashion, but it can still pull you in and refuse to let go.
Outside of the repetitious boss, there's very little to complain about with Crown of the Old Iron King. As you descend deeper in Brume Tower, there's much to uncover and you're often given multiple paths to explore. Regardless of how you progress, that familiar sense of dread will plague every step. Crown of the Old Iron King only gets more insidious as it goes on and we wouldn't have it any other way.
It's one culminating scene in an episode that should have been filled with a lot more of them. There's a part in the episode when Clementine is dreaming that she's with Lee as her younger self. She's wondering why things have to be the way they are and you can clearly see he's just as confused as she is. Within a few minutes, it's obvious that they need each other. The most condemning thing we can say is the dream reminded us of everything missing in the episode; if only we cared as much as Lee and Clementine used to care about each other.
For such a large RPG, it's the small moments where Risen 3 works best. The game just needs more of them; times when you get swept up in a random quest, stumble upon hidden treasure, or chuckle at a random quip from Bones. It's a game with its heart in the right place and when everything clicks, you won't want to leave.
Gods Will Be Watching strives to be meaningful. The story ruminates on how hard it is to find purpose in a world where things are often outside of our control. Many may never get a chance to appreciate that message, since the game ruins its own potential. At no point does Gods Will Be Watching make the struggle worth the effort.
Yet what New 'n' Tasty does right overwhelmingly outweighs its few annoyances. The level of care that went into this remake will make you fall in love with Oddworld all over again and if you've never taken part, now is the perfect time to do so. Just Add Water has proven that we definitely need more Abe.
Regardless, "Amid the Ruins" clearly demonstrates what Telltale is capable of. There's a level of purpose and confidence here that the studio has rarely matched. If you've been keeping up with the season, you have one hell of an episode to look forward to.
Abyss Odyssey is the kind of game that initially seems fantastic, but its many issues become increasingly apparent the more time you spend with it. The thought that went into combat prevents the game from falling into mediocrity, but it also never lives up to the potential that's so obviously there.
Even so, "Cry Wolf" is the end to a story worth experiencing. While not every episode has lived up to its potential, the season as a whole has left us with a world that we're hesitant to leave behind. As the first project after Telltale's The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us has been subject to plenty of comparisons and expectations. Yet it stands on its own as one of the finest things the studio has done to date.
These problems don't dilute Valiant Hearts' message, however. Rarely has war been examined with so much honesty and earnestness in a videogame. It only makes us yearn for more games that were less about guns and more about the people behind them.
Shovel Knight works well because it knows exactly what it wants to be. The people behind it have a clear love of retro games, and that collective passion has created something great. So often we play games that try to prey on nostalgia in the cheapest ways possible, whether it's half-hearted HD remakes or blatant ripoffs. Shovel Knight is one of the few games that not only honors the past, but something we may be reminiscing about for years to come.
The few moments where Murderd: Soul Suspect actually makes good on its supernatural potential aren't worth slogging through the rest of the game for. It's trying to be a gripping murder mystery, but never really knows how to get there. This is one you should probably just leave for dead.