The blame should definitely not go to Night Dive Studios. It has, once again, done what it is best at, which is publishing various greats from the past, and with as little alteration as possible. The thing is, though, that Turok: Dinosaur Hunter was never exactly one of those "greats," something that is far more obvious after all these years. Of course, when it comes to personal taste, everything is subjective, right? That's correct, but there's a second problem with this version, even for those who loved the Acclaim's original release, and that is its current £13.39 price tag, which should be forbidden for such an old product, enhanced or not.
Avalanche Studio's creation doesn't care about the "are videogames art?" dispute, it doesn't give a dirty rodent's behind about realism, and it doesn't takes itself too serious. It's an unapologetic tribute to the best adolescent boy fantasy of all time, besides a gaming session with a young, black stockings-wearing Dolly Parton, which is none other than being a flying, bullet-eating cocktail of comic book superheroes, and all this with the sex appeal of a Mediterranean Nathan Drake. Sure, all this destruction and mayhem lacks the required depth and motivation inherent in other sandbox titles, and yes, it can all become extremely boring, but while this ultimately more of a somewhat flawed toy and not a "true" videogame, it's an extremely addictive and enjoyable one at that, nonetheless.
While it's more disappointing than bad, Coast Guard's overall quality doesn't justify its current £14.00 price. It tries mixing the replication of real life scenarios dealing with maritime law enforcement, along with a lot of detective work, but it fails both ways in doing so. The simulation part is almost non-existent, and the detective one an uninteresting and slow-paced fetch quest - and if that wasn't enough, the various bugs, almost broken controls, and badly implemented game mechanics are more than enough reasons to throw this back to where it belongs: the digital ocean of shoddy video games.
Grab that nuclear-fuelled Power Armor, then, step into the acid rain, and get ready to enter a world that might not be perfect, but is certainly hard to avoid coming back to again, and again, and again.
Skyhill's concept of going down a monster-filled skyscraper, while searching for items to use and combine, is not original, but it's pretty awesome. Unfortunately, the actual implementation is not up to par. It's still a fun ride, but it could be tons better if it had focused on and tweaked its advantages. It should have more items that can be gathered, equipped, and mixed; more diverse monsters and quests; and a greater amount of randomisation. To put it otherwise, it should have more things to do, because repetition starts to kick in after 10 or so runs. Bad? Not at all, but certainly not a must-have, either.
Doom is Hollywood, and System Shock is the avant-garde cinema. The first is fast, loud and in-your-face; the second, subtle, and harder to enjoy and get into - and yet, the first remains fun even to this day. Is it due to its much simpler nature? No, it's just that some things just age better than others, and although the Enhanced Edition is a pretty decent update, it cannot erase the prototype's many flaws, especially its chore-like control scheme; a control scheme that can't be altered. To put it simply, this rightfully deserves its spot in the history of the industry, and fans of the original will surely appreciate Night Dive Studios' handling of their beloved classic, but the rest of the community are advised to reconsider spending any money on it.
Sure, the replay value is somewhat disappointing, and, as a whole, this won't really threat the elites, but it's definitely on the right path for doing so.
Unfortunately, a full release needs more than a promise of a good game; it needs to actually be one.
Despite the few flaws, long-time fans can safely try this out. Greenhorns, however, are advised to either wait for an update or a price drop.
Quite frequently in the industry, certain elements turn out to be far more important than all other ones combined. In the case of Nova-111, that certain aspect that more weight should definitely be given to is the level design, which is, unfortunately, downright disappointing for what is, otherwise, a fine piece of software, and that because it doesn't let the innovative turn-based-meets-real-time gameplay really shine.
Those who don't mind its simplicity, though, will certainly enjoy what is probably the best independently developed endless runner for the PC so far.
Is it worth a try? Actually, it's worth several, as long as those that will give it a shot can enjoy a video game that favours feelings over gameplay, and can stomach the fact that this is like a glimpse of something much grander. The rest can safely pass Toren by…
While far from being bad or broken, Etherium disappoints more that it bores or annoys. It does so because it initially shows promise, but then throws it out of the window, since the few good ideas that exist aren't adequately explored. Even worse, the major focus on micromanagement, along with the somewhat unfair enemy AI, tends to decrease the fun factor quite a lot. Hopefully, the developer is taking notes on the many, generally negative reviews that its product has received, in order to create a far better sequel, or at least a gargantuan patch that would change a lot of things.
Despite the low score, anyone who loves point-and-click adventures will probably enjoy Morningstar: Descent to Deadrock, even though it's puzzles are way too easy, the main characters slightly more lively than a pack of zombies, and the graphics, sound effects, and music somewhere between dull and average. Unfortunately, due to this quest's disappointingly short length and half-finished storyline, this feels more like the very first chapter of a game, rather than a completed product. It's a nice snack-sized videogame that can fill two hours of total boredom, but, other than that, it's not something special.
Dead or Alive 5 Last Round is a magnificent 3D fighter that anyone who loves this type of game should play, at least once. It's very accessible to newcomers, but it also has an insane amount of depth and content to satisfy even the most demanding player. Unfortunately, Team Ninja chose to disrespect its newest creation and mar its reputation by offering to the PC gaming community a port that is not only very problematic, but also inferior to the current-gen console versions - and while there is hope for it to get improved via future patches, it's impossible to not stop for a second and simply wonder, "What were they thinking?"
Assassin's Creed Rogue is a mediocre-to-decent, open-ended, third-person action game, which many times feels as if the typical Assassin's Creed gameplay has crossed paths with Sid Meier's Pirates! However, it's impossible to overlook an abundance of flaws that are the result of a rushed production, and the fact that this is, in many ways, a reselling of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.
The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 constantly runs back and forth between greatness and mediocrity, yet it manages to generally be a fine piece of software. Its most serious flaw is the chore-like style of many of its puzzles, which force players to solve lots of them in return for a measly amount of progress. Luckily, the beautiful graphics, good gameplay, great characters, and well-written and humorous dialogue sequences can severely outshine this problem. While it would be best for newcomers to the genre to try something else, fans of it are advised to not let it pass them by.
Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1's comedic narration isn't perfect, yet it's a nice change from all those RPGs that attempt being "serious" only to end up being generic. The visuals, which consist of extremely cute teenagers, half-naked goddesses, busty ninjas, gothic lolitas, and other anime-inspired stuff, will put off some people, but will please the rest with how good all these look. Finally, underneath this repetitive hunt for levels and crafting materials, lies something very entertaining that has a nice pick-and-play simplicity and fast pace. It's not the best of the genre, it's not for everyone, but it's also a unique and really fun game.
Be it the high level of entertainment, great replay value, varied, yet equally fun gameplay styles, flawless controls, vibrant graphics, lively audio, or immense attention to detail, Pix the Cat is simply one of the best Arcade experiences of this year. The only reason why this isn't a pure 10/10 - or even a 9/10 - is its lack of additional maps for the main mode, and the fact that it's not a title that will hook players for hours upon hours. It's more like a snack between full meals… a very tasty snack, that is.
While it looks like one, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is not a demo. It could - and should - be cheaper, but that can't erase the fact that this is a product of a very high-quality and depth.