If you enjoyed the original title, then Project X Zone 2 should appeal because it does everything the first title did but better. If you are new to the series but a fan of some of the various franchises represented here, it is also worth a look.
Being completely new to the series, I have to say that Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth was a surprising treat for me. I love the JRPG genre, and while the turn-based and slightly grindy nature of the combat likely will not bring new fans to the series, I found it comfortable and accessible to play. On top of that, the cute nature of the critters was not the deterrent to my interest I had always sort of expected, because I enjoyed the virtual world of EDEN and the core story around the game's events.
There is an almost unbridled energy to the Naruto show and manga that translates over to the video game medium very effectively. The combat is not the deepest, but there is nuance to learn and master and the story and set pieces help to deliver on that frantic energy the show is known for.
A few new wrinkles such as the team-up attacks and the really cool audio part of the presentation are quite welcome, and I think these superhero games lend themselves to the TT Games better than most genres due to the large number of unique skills. It's reliable fun, but we keep saying this - TT Games needs to start bringing some genuinely original new ways of looking at LEGO, or the scores will start to fall as people get very tired of doing the same thing over and over again.
Unfortunately Attractio fails to deliver on some of its potential. The theme could have been better explored and the rough edges on the control detract from the inherent fun of the puzzles. More than anything else, however, is that Attractio doesn't do anything to progress its genre. Portal-style first-person puzzle/ exploration games are everywhere these days. Where this might have stood out half a decade ago, now it's just one of an awful many, delivering not much more than unfulfilled potential.
It makes a good transition from PC to console, but Rebel Galaxy was far too vapid and uninspired to be a really stand out game in the first place. While that means it's not terrible, it's also a complete waste of what the far reaches of outer space offers for creative narrative, and this is deeply disappointing.
There is plenty of fun to be had here with friends, but just make sure your expectations are in line with what you will be getting here. It is fun for a while, and well made for what it is, but for a game that relies so intensely on the multiplayer action, it's just not quite up there with the best in the genre.
While trying to think of adjectives for Starwhal, I came up with a handful. Weird. Colourful. Quirky. Entertaining. Funny. These are some of the better ones I could offer. However, it is worth noting some of the others that sprang to mind as I continued to play. Shallow, Simple. Repetitive. Thankfully the former descriptions outweigh the latter, but it would be unfair to dismiss those latter items completely. If you have some friends or kids to play Starwhal with, pick up some controllers and lose yourself in its ridiculous antics.
Starpoint Gemini 2 is difficult to get into, and I wish the narrative had been more interesting as well. However, the ability to play the game several different ways while reaching out and exploring a beautiful, expansive space helps to make the investment of time worth it. It is great to see a game like this coming to console, as the genre is far better represented on PC.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is a very attractive game that clearly had some effort put into the visuals. Beyond that, the title offers more tactical gameplay than most shooters on the market. The biggest sin that the game commits is that it just offers so little overall content. Whether the game sustains a minimum community to continue being playable while Ubisoft gets the content up to scratch through that promised free DLC remains very much up for debate.
There have been a lot of retro games over the last few years, but I have found the ones that tend to be the most successful are the ones that blend in some sort of modern convention. In this case, the resource system that allows for ship improvement is easily the best part of what is otherwise a solid if unspectacular shooting game. If you enjoy a good retro shooter, Zotrix should be pretty appealing.
The base gameplay in Mayan Death Robots is quite entertaining. I certainly enjoyed the pacing, and could appreciate some of the tactical depth lurking beneath its humorous, brightly coloured surface. But lacking online multiplayer as it does, this is going to come across as a severely limited game to too many people for its own good.
I highly recommend playing Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair with a friend or three. And then, only if you're all fans of incredibly cheesy science fiction films. If you can get the right group together, the fact there are over 100 levels to play through means this will be a lot of long-lasting fun. The team behind this game knows exactly what it is trying to deliver, and in terms of the pacing and explosive combat, Earth Defense Force usually delivers nicely.
Typoman deserves plenty of credit for creating a visually interesting world and one that requires players to figure out a way to proceed through it by literally spelling things out. This makes for a great initial impression due to the uniqueness of the game mechanic. However, the goodwill that it builds at the start does starts to suffer as you realise just how limited the spelling mechanic can be, and start to run into the rough edges around he platforming.
This is a simulation experience that drills into far greater detail than and typical sports games do, offering a more strategic line of thinking and slower pacing. This makes the title slow to get into, but the end result is a rewarding experience that football fans should enjoy.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is bigger than ever, and certainly more beautiful as well. This is the best iteration of the game so far, but your mileage may vary depending on what system you are playing it on.
At the end of the day, Amazing Princess Sarah does a better job of emulating the Castlevania formula than a lot of bigger publishers in the past when they've tried to. The combat could really use more variety - things do get a bit repetitive from that standpoint, but the level system and well-designed levels do provide additional hooks to keep the player interested.