Jonathan Barnes's Reviews
At this juncture, fans who've bought into this game series owe it to themselves to see it through, but I can't help but feel that Telltale is imitating the tantalizing and oft-parodied abuse of GRRM all too well. With the constant second guessing, heart-breaking choices, and general feeling of dread and terribleness, it's hard to see a positive outcome around the corner for the series... but that's to be expected. This is Game of Thrones, and when you play the game you either win or you die. With one episode left, I'd say that proposition is about a 50-50 bet.
Experienced Telltale fans and achievement hunters probably know exactly what to expect here; an easy completion. All of the achievements are automatically unlocked through natural progression, so players can sit back, "relax", and "enjoy" the story. And what a story it is. While my ending left my jaw on the floor and a burning desire to "set things right", it held me captivated for just over two hours.
After such lofty beginnings and ambitiously cutthroat turns, "Episode 2 - The Lost Lords" can only be seen as a letdown.
If "Episode 2" felt like "a letdown" that was setting up the next episode, "Episode 3" feels like a rush of despair and anger (in a good way) that makes the desire for retribution and justice all the more burning. Fans of the franchise know that such satisfaction is rare (and possibly non-existent), but it doesn't make the yearning for it any less fun.
While we have two episodes left in the season/series, fans of the franchise know that there are going to be a few more downs and downs coming, but "Episode 4" grants a brief respite of optimism in a jaded, borderline nihilistic world. It stands as the high point of the series thus far and goes a long way to cement the experience as a "must play" for fans of Game of Thrones.
While combining the innovative nature of the Kinect with the use of a controller is a noble goal that more developers should strive for, Commander Cherry's Puzzle Quest is an unmitigated disaster that takes the worst parts of Kinect games and platforming and mashes them together. If the terrible Kinect scanning doesn't get you, the horrible platforming controls will. While some may find fun in the challenge, the game should be passed on by all but the most ardent of Kinect fans.
Dear Esther is a boring slog with little narrative payoff. Although it does encourage an ideal of "interpret as you will", it lacks the foundation and support to drive discussions of death, life, and grief to the point to which it strives. Fortunately, the experience is short, cheap, and a good boost to an achievement score, but beyond that, is worth a pass.
Slain ticks off the boxes as a serviceable homage to old school action-platformers. It has relatively tight controls and gameplay and has that 80's/90's difficulty that will make elder millennials jaunt down memory lane. The lack of depth and unreliable technical aspects limit Slain's fun factor, while the writing aims to be both cheesy and Gothic, but cannot serve both masters and ultimately fails. Finally, the achievements... ugh... just don't go there. If you're aching for a throwback to Belmont's heyday and don't care about your achievement ratio, give Slain a shot, but otherwise, give it a pass and catch some z's.
Terraria's open-ended open world may provide a fun distraction for the highly-creative, patient, and motivated, but gamers looking for a fun, engrossing escape should keep on digging.
Lovely Planet is a throwback to the 80s/90s when games were a test of skill, patience, and determination. That being said, its bare bones design and technical and design hiccups make it all the more frustrating. If you're in search of a game to play "pass the controller" with in a group of shooter-loving friends, Lovely Planet may be worth checking out, but is otherwise easily worth a pass.
It needs to be said; WE ARE DOOMED is a perfectly playable game. It works well, completionist achievement gripes aside, and gives fans of twin-stick shooters another option for their library, but aside from that is completely disposable. It presents no new ideas, no new takes on the formula, and simply iterates where others have sought to innovate. Unless you're one of the most ravenous twin-stick fans on the planet, this is easily worth a pass.
Use Your Words is the latest in Xbox One party games, but it is by no means the best. Its lack of variety makes the experience repetitive and boring after only a few games. Furthermore, while Use Your Words is priced cheaper than other party games on Xbox Live, its competitors have greater variety, depth, and replay value.
The shoddy UI, lack of a "stash" feature, and general lack of polish hold it back from being a resounding recommendation, but those who look back fondly on the realms of Alefgard and Corneria should definitely check it out.
Much like "The Taken King" before it, avid fans of Destiny are already playing "Rise of Iron" and enjoying the new content. If you're one of the few shooter fans who hasn't tried Destiny yet, the value added by "Rise of Iron" makes the new Destiny - The Collection an easy recommendation as well. Those things being said, "Rise of Iron" feels thin in content and quality, especially when compared to last year's "The Taken King".
Let's get down to brass tacks, if you like Kinect games, you'll probably enjoy Fruit Ninja Kinect 2. It's simple, somewhat addictive, and contains some easy gamerscore that is sure to hold a decent ratio. On the opposite side, if you treat your Kinect like some sort of wizard boy to be kept under the stairs, there's nothing here to convince you otherwise. The addition of Festival Modes injects a little bit of variety to the gameplay, but are largely unremarkable. With a price point of $14.99 (or your regional equivalent) the game is a nice spot of family-friendly fun and a solid (if unspectacular) Kinect game.
Bulletstorm is still as good as it ever was. It's fast, fluid, highly vulgar, and incredibly addictive. In a world of hyper-serious shooters, Bulletstorm stands out as an oasis of non-serious fun and is head-and-shoulders above its competition... Duke included. Fans of shooters who missed out in 2011 are highly encouraged to pick up this remaster as it is going to be the best way to play through the exploits of Grayson, Ishi, and Trishka. That being said, if you've already played the original and aren't aching to be knee deep in viscera and vulgarity, there's not a lot here to encourage a second go, especially at the current price point.
At this juncture, we know what to expect out of a Telltale experience: less-than-solid gameplay that is balanced out by an amazing story. That being said, Game of Thrones, while a solid Telltale experience, has limited appeal. The Venn diagram of interest is flatly composed of people who love Game of Thrones with people who like/tolerate Telltale's experiences. If you love Game of Thrones and enjoy Telltale's previous offerings, you shouldn't hesitate to pick up the game. If you're someone who loves Westeros but dislikes Telltale's style, you might want to give the game a shot, if only to get another hit of Thrones before you find out what really happened to Jon Snow. On the other hand, if you don't know a Crow from a raven, you should probably give it a pass.
Crystal Dynamics had great success in rebooting Tomb Raider back in 2013. Rise of the Tomb Raider takes another positive step forward and continues the development of Lara Croft while providing another solid adventure. Unfortunately, the combat controls feel clunky and the story stretches an homage to Indiana Jones almost to the breaking point. That being said, there is a good bit of fun to be had in climbing, swinging, and exploring, but in a fall populated by heavy hitters, Rise of the Tomb Raider can probably wait for a more fallow time in your gaming calendar.
With throwback games being all the rage in independent development, many developers have chosen to go the 8/16-bit, pixelated, "ain't this cute?" route to tap into nostalgia while bringing along more modern systems and mechanics. Chime Sharp goes the opposite route; it may look like a modern game, but it feels like an older game in the best ways possible. With its highly accessible gameplay style and a difficult-to-master level of play, Chime Sharp is an easy endorsement for virtually all gamers.
My niece was right, it is easier to go through a game mercilessly slaughtering anyone that gets in your way. It's even fun. The true magic of Dishonored, however, is that you don't need to. The process of teleporting to a high ledge, sneaking up behind an enemy, choking them out, finding a place to stash the body, and then repeating is so highly addictive that it should be illegal. Each level and mission is constructed like a perfect puzzle with a dozen perfect solutions and each player can dabble to find which one works best for them. Dishonored may be the perfect stealth game in that it doesn't penalize you for not being stealthy, but rewards you greater for delicate care and skill. While the Definitive Edition may not have the greatest degree of new shine on new consoles, it still is the edition of the game to own if you didn't get in on the last-gen version.