Slime Tactics falls into the category of a game that is cool on paper but only decent at its execution. Tactical placement with a neat story twist is interesting but fails to provide the level of engagement I want. The continual upgrades kept me moving ahead but I was still ultimately frustrated by the entire package given the grind that was seemingly required to compensate for poor AI.
I loved my time with Pitfall Planet, but felt that the experience was a tad short as I neared the 100% completion mark after only 6 hours. The difficulty of levels climbed slowly but steadily over that time period and I felt a few more hours with the ever increasingly complex levels would have been nice. However, that shouldn't detract from what is presented in the package as it is a tightly designed cooperative puzzler that can compete with the best in the genre.
Functionally, Silence works as a basic point and click adventure game, but I feel as though it shows growth beyond the well-trod genre expectations. A blend of traditional old-school mechanics mixed with advances in storytelling and gameplay variation allows Silence to stand above what I have seen served up over the last few years. Some lackluster audio and a missed opportunity with the bevy of characters detract slightly, but not overly so from this generally decent package.
Ninja Village isn’t great, but it’s not totally bad either. While it is filled to the brim with the mobile game formula, there is a decent amount to do that can keep a player engaged throughout its 5-6 hour main campaign.
Stealth Inc. 2 delivers a full product that will leave any puzzle fan wanting more, and they can get it thanks to the long game and the downloadable created puzzles.
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag boasts tons of content, an exciting story, and plenty of fun gameplay. Some of the series tropes are running thin as the series is now going on its sixth entry, but it is still a quality experience. Black Flag is currently my favorite game in the series, not only because of its heavy use of piracy, but because of the constant swapping between land and sea gameplay. Black Flag is a must have for fans of Assassin's Creed, and newcomers with a love for pirates will surely find something to love.