Chandler Wood's Reviews
Knack is technically impressive with its utilization of extreme particle physics and bringing to life what could have easily been a Dreamworks animated film, but the gameplay does little to really satisfy. Players who seek a challenge may find enjoyment in tackling the tougher difficulties, but most won't find enough satisfying game or story behind the technical demonstration to warrant classifying this as a great PS4 experience. If you simply can't wait for more PS4 releases, Knack isn't a terrible game, but it will be forgotten very quickly as more titles beyond the launch period are released.
Having not ever played that other Just Dance titles, I can't compare this one to those, but I can say that Just Dance 2014 is a fun game. Having this in time for the holidays has made entertaining family and friends extremely easy to do, and anything to keep Uncle Herb from telling his horrible jokes for the hundredth time is a win, right? Most people who play aren't even focused so much on scoring as they are on dancing and having a good time, so on the off chance that the camera screws up, no one ever seemed to care.
There were also a few minor gameplay glitches in which I would get kicked out of shadow mode for what appeared to be no reason or stuck to objects in the world. I would find myself setting down boxes and then unable to move afterwards or stuck on invisible objects in the environment. This didn't happen throughout the whole game, but it occurred enough that it warranted mention. For the most part the shadow mode works pretty well. It is a fun and unique twist to your standard fare puzzle-platformer, but really only adds underutilized potential when the curtains prematurely fall.
Red Barrels seems to have crafted a character and a scenario that feels as real as the player wants to make it. Knowing that you have no way to fight, and a limited ability to see in the dark, affects your thinking within all situations. In addition, Outlast does not rely on jump scares. While there are some of those to be had, Outlast is truly shaped by the ambiance that it creates; by creating believable circumstances and enveloping you in them at a psychological level. Jump scares may have your heart racing for a few seconds, however, creeping across that darkened courtyard with your batteries running out while something out there wants you tortured and dead will have you on edge until the experience ends.
I wanted so much for Thief to be fun, and in the beginning I did have a lot of fun with it. But, due to no sense of impact in the story and its unrewarding gameplay, it degraded into a chore well before the final act. While playing Thief I couldn't help but feel like I'd done this all before, and often in a better setting. Thief may be a throwback to the early days of stealth games, but this reboot really feels aged and dated. While there is some fun to be had, you will have to sift through a mess of problems to find it. Now, this is the part where I insert the obligatory "Thief didn't manage to steal my heart" line, right?
If it were a more robust experience, Basement Crawl could be a little gem. It's a simplistic sort of time-killing fun that I would expect out of a cheap mobile game, but as a full featured PS4 title, it feels like there is content missing and a lack of polish. Add to that the confusing nature of what Basement Crawl is really trying to be, the lack of anything to capture interest past playing a few matches, and the multiplayer-only focus which will create limitations when few people are online playing, and you have a game that probably isn't worth the space on your hard drive. You could wait for a sale, but even then, you'll probably have something better to play.
inFAMOUS Second Son isn't a perfect game. The overarching story is a bit stunted and combat can feel somewhat repetitive. What holds Second Son together is how solidly all aspects of the game were made. You can feel the passion that each person at Sucker Punch has for their individual role as each element solidifies and interfaces into an extremely well made game overall. While it may not be remembered for bringing anything new to the table in terms of overall mechanics, Sucker Punch have certainly set a benchmark for how games should incorporate the power of the PS4 to fuse all elements of a game and make one strikingly solid experience.
On the one hand, it may not seem fair to judge a game based upon its price. Prices can change, price drops and sales can occur, so a final score shouldn't be affected but what the retail value is. On the other, the value obtained by the purchaser is important, and if a game isn't delivering enough value for the player, they have a right to know. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is a piece of something great but it always felt short of something whole. Kojima released this to tease and whet the appetites of the Metal Gear fans that were begging for more. If you fall into that camp, then you have probably already have your mind made up. For anyone who has never played a Metal Gear game however, I can't recommend that this be your first foray down the nanomachine-filled rabbit hole.
For free on PlayStation Plus, Mercenary Kings is an unbeatable deal. A great cooperative retro action title with plenty of challenge and reward. With the huge variety of customization, you can truly make the experience your own, while experiencing it with others. Even when this game leaves the Instant Game Collection, it will be well worth paying for. The few gaping flaws of not mixing the online and couch co-ops, and the lack of enemy variety throwing any real curve balls later in the game can be mostly overlooked by the sheer amount of fun you will have teaming up with a group of friends with independent builds and play styles to take on a particularly challenging mission. Whether you fail or not, Mercenary Kings succeeds at being a great experience on the PS4.
I wanted to like Octodad more than I did. The concept and craziness of the idea intrigued me and the humor was great. If Octodad were a more robust adventure, I would have very few complaints. While it started out as a great experience, sadly, much like the floppy tentacles of Octodad, Dadliest Catch couldn't hold itself up and began to flail wildly all over the place. The hilarity and novelty wear thin quickly and there was too often that my tentacles became glitched inside of random objects or the environment itself. Octodad is worth experiencing just for how different it is from most other games out there, not to mention the trying multi-limb mode that is the co-op, but don't expect to be enthralled by it for longer than it takes to watch a couple of ocean life documentaries.
There's a small shimmer of something fun and interesting under the 13 years of rust that coats Cel Damage HD. While certain areas show potential, others show the age of the game. If you're itching for local multiplayer car combat, Cel Damage HD may whet your appetite. This isn't a game that I absolutely don't want to play at all, but it's not going to be anywhere close to the top of the list of things I decide to pull out and play, especially given the massive selection out there. Cel Damage HD is like re releasing a mediocre car from a decade ago and only giving it a fresh coat of paint. Without any significantly new content added to this year's model, consider this a 13 year late mixed review of the original.
My biggest disappointment in Spider-Man 2 is not inherently within its flaws or even that it is a licensed game. The problem is that a great game can be seen swimming just beneath the surface of the game that we ultimately got, but a severe lack of polish with the need to rush this out to match the film's release left what could have been a good game buried under mounds of flaws, issues, and sheer drudgery. While there were aspects of this game that really could have been something special or even passable, I would have to say that the overall package of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 isn't really all that amazing.
Nothing short of great and fun.
Correction: We incorrectly stated that the secret code and options in J. S. Joust don't save and reset to defaults each time you restart the game. This was an error that occurred when we ended up on D'yani's account instead of mine without realizing it. We've gone back and verified that options do actually save which makes hopping back in and playing with your favorite settings a breeze! Our apologies for the mix-up and thanks to Die Gute Fabrik for pointing out our mistake.
Limited graphical and audio faults aside, altogether, Wolfenstein; The New Order is a very good game — a true gem among shooters in a sickening sea of shooters. A story that captures interest and characters that hold it until the end, gameplay that falls somewhere between Killzone, Call of Duty, and Duke Nukem, and a complete focus on the single player experience create a roughly 10 hour campaign full of Nazi slaying goodness. And let's be honest, that's what we all really want to do in first-person shooters, right?
Crimsonland is a fun game to sit down with two or more players while trying to compete for a spot on the leaderboards, but it ultimately feels more like a distraction itself, than a twin-stick murderfest without distractions. Even destroying hoards of spiders, zombies, lizard people, and aliens can get a little bit old when there's not much more to the fight than cookie-cutter enemies, random weapon spawns, and a blood spattered field. Perhaps this will all be better suited when it releases on the Vita.
Not everyone may find the same humbling or existential experience that I did, but for me, the game left me with questions beyond the game itself as credits rolled. It successfully made me take a step back, look at my own being, and asked tough psychological, moral, and ethical questions that don't necessarily have a right or a wrong answer. All the while I was embroiled in some of the most well thought out puzzle mechanics in years. The Swapper will fly under many people's radar, which is unfortunate because with its unique take on graphics, puzzles, and narrative, they will be missing out on what I would say is the best puzzle platformer experience since Portal.
Rogue Legacy is a gem among indies. As a wash of indie titles comes to the console market, many with nothing inherently fresh or new to offer, Rogue Legacy breaks through and offers a breath of fresh air with a strong variation on familiarity. I couldn't ever put it down, and when I did, I was only thinking about the next time I would get to attempt to make my way through the mysterious castle. Though Rogue Legacy has been in the hands of PC owners for a year now, it is a welcome addition to the console market. Each unique element of the game blends together perfectly to create a game that every owner of a PlayStation system ought to own.
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare is a game that should not go unappreciated. There's a little something for everyone here and even if you don't particularly enjoy online shooters, you ought to give this one a shot. While the lack of a more robust split-screen and internet requirements may turn some people away, but I urge these small factors not to impact your decision to check this game out. It is an amazingly fast, fun, and deep title, and with persistent support going forward, I can only see Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare continuing to get better for the community.
Fetch's story is a great tale of family bonds, hard times, and gives a much deeper look at a character that didn't get nearly enough exposition in Second Son. The focus on neon powers alone doesn't limit Fetch at all and a hefty set of challenges make First Light plenty to hold inFAMOUS fans over until we get the inevitable next game in the series. There isn't enough different here to convince anyone who didn't like Second Son, but for gamers who enjoyed Delsin's story, First Light feels like a more focused title, and adds greatly to what was already an awesome open world superhero series.