It delivers on everything it promises, and I'm still not having fun.
[T]here's so much to do, and so much of it is great fun, that I don't miss those elements like I might in a game with art and writing that doesn't climb as high as Dragon Age: Inquisition does.
The Evil Within is by no means a perfect game. The give-and-take of this love affair with the olden days is sacrificing Resident Evil 4's perfect level design, weapon choices, and tension for The Evil Within's better graphics, a better story, and more streamlined, modern controls. It's a balancing act that still sees Resident Evil 4 coming out way on top. There's no shame in coming up short on one of the greatest games ever made though. Mikami does his inspiration justice with this game, and any fan of his from the peak of his career can't go wrong with The Evil Within.
I think what works against the game more than anything is a simple matter of time. Alien is a sparse movie, carefully crafted to show us as little of the alien as possible, both to hide the alien costume and as a way to keep us in suspense. By the end of the game, you've spent more time looking at the alien than every character in the movies (I'm including Aliens 3, Resurrection, and Prometheus here) combined and somehow come away intact.
Platinum Games is the master of a dying art of Japanese action games, and Bayonetta 2 is a celebration of all it has achieved in its short life.
Shadow of Mordor is a conventional open-world action game with very cliched mechanics, but if you approach it conventionally, it might bore you to tears. Break away from its path, experiment, and find your own fun. Tackle story missions only when you want some new abilities or a new map to toy with, and you will definitely get your $60 worth.
Misses one too many marks
Everything Shovel Knight does, it does incredibly well. It's balanced enough so that both old-timers and newcomers can find something to enjoy, and never once does it falter in its mission of paying tribute to classics.
Yoshi’s New Island is amazing from beginning to charming end. Don’t hesitate for a second to buy it folks, unless you hate smiling.
Does Strider really do anything new? Not really.
Bravely Default is a wonderful little game if you understand where it’s coming from.
A Link Between Worlds does do just enough to stand on its own merits.