The thing to remember is that this will be Rocksteady Studios' last entry into the Batman Arkham universe, so if you have been playing the previous entries in the series, and enjoyed them, this is going to be a no-brainer, just go get it. Not only is this a testament to how far we have come as a medium in our ability to develop stories on existing IPs, it is one that shows that games are also able to deliver stories in a cinematic and logical way, without having to force a players hand to push the narrative in a straight line.
Project CARS is a great example of a game that is designed to get players to be better at what they love to do, without having to integrate designs that can hurts the game's potential for its hardcore audience. It does a good job with its visuals, a fantastic one with its audio, and a superb one with how it handles. For fans who love a sport that requires its athletes to work for every fraction of a second shaved off, this is a must have, but if you need a game that keeps giving you motivation and something to unlock, you may find yourself putting this one in park after a few laps.
So, if you're fan of Hotline Miami, and are looking for something that puts a few twists on its gameplay, even if it doesn't quite succeed, you may find LA Cops to be worth checking out on sale. But, if you are looking for a game that is polished, with a narrative to tie it together, than you should probably leave this one behind bars.
Players who have played Dark Souls II for an extended period, as well as all of the DLC may find that the rearranged enemy and item placement enough to get them fighting for their soul once again, but only if they are die-hard fans. If you haven't played the original or you were stopped a bit short the first time around, Scholar of the First Sin is the perfect excuse to come back and try your hand at the experience again. The new additions and visual upgrades make this the best version to play the game on.
The Handsome Collection is an easy recommendation for me to make to most gamers, especially if you haven't had a chance to play through either of the games available on it. Fans who have put in hundreds of hours into each title may find less new content to really keep them busy, but given that everything is in a neat little package, with upgraded visuals and a new four player split screen mode, it still makes this difficult to not recommend to any real fan of the series. While the remastering could have used a bit more work on some minor levels, The Handsome Collection is a fantastic time capsule with enough polish to let players revisit it again and again for years to come without it ever feeling completely dated.
Thankfully, while Hardline might be a more different than veterans may have hopped for, it does enough of its own to come off as a solid start to a new type of Battlefield. Although, it does need to be said that with it being such a departure, it's easy to see that it is still trying to figure itself out when put against its more militant and seasoned counterpart. Fans of the series will find many moments that harken back to the heart of franchise if they are willing to try something new and are are able to make a few gameplay adjustments. Anyone trying out a Battlefield title for the first time will find a game that's much more accessible than any of the other ones in the past, but much like the previous ones, if you're getting in the helicopter, please practice in an empty lobby before crash landing with your whole team on board.
So, while fans of the series will find a great deal of content to keep them entrenched into the world of Dragon Ball, anyone who hasn't had a history with the seasoned mechanics will undoubtedly find themselves button mashing their way through the confusion and hoping for the best until things make sense. While anyone who doesn't know anything about the history of the series, or just been away from it for some time, will be completely in the dark through most of the experience, as it does rely wholeheartedly on your understanding of who is who, but, also given that the story is far from the reason anyone is going to want to play this, I guess that doesn't matter all that much either way.
Overall, my time with Dying Light has been incredibly exhilarating and entertaining. The ability to play with friends, but still improve my character without having to worry about losing out on any progress I have earned keeps me coming back for more and more. Tying this into a wonderfully designed climbing system, combat system and crafting system, Dying Light is easily going to be one of my favorite games of 2015.
So, if Saints Row's meta humor can get you through collecting your hundredth orb or doing the same type of mission on repeat, you may want to check out GOH. But, if not, I'd recommend staying away from this one, as it burns itself out a bit too quick.
So, if you haven't had a chance to play through GTAV on the PS3, stop reading this and go pick it up, as it was one of the best experiences of the last generation, and continues to be one this generation. If you're like me and spent an exorbitant amount of time with the game already, you may find that the new content will keep you busy for a some time, but ultimately it will be a trip down memory lane more than a new lease on life.
Ultimately, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is one of the best iterations in the franchise, as it has found a way to reinvigorate its gameplay mechanics without deviating away from what has kept the series so strong over the years. Very little of the game feels lacking, as even though the story is standard fare for most military shooters, its presentation takes it quite far. Multiplayer is generally the heart and soul of FPS games like these, and even there Advanced Warfare keeps things fresh and with enough genuine content to keep players playing longer than ever before. Fans of the series will feel just at home with the new gameplay mechanics after a few rounds, and FPS fans who may be tired of the old formula will find about as drastic of a change as possible without the series losing its namesake.
Ultimately, DriveClub has been able to hold my attention for a lengthy period of time and will continue to do so as long as it is supported with new content and given that this PlayStation-exclusive is already lined up to come out with new cars, events and customization rewards, as well as free track updates, I should be good for some time to come. So racing fans who are not looking for a sim racer, but are wanting a robust driving game to compete with friends against, should give this one a spin.
Overall, there is simply too much to cover in Shadow of Mordor and this is one of its greatest assets. As you progress through the game things expand exponentially, giving more room to play around in, but on a learning curve that is paced out perfectly. Fantasy fans will probably owe it to themselves to give Shadow of Mordor a shot, especially if they are fans of Tolkien's work. If you are not overly familiar with the lore from the books and movies, you may find it difficult to appreciate most of the content available here, but you will still find a fantastically fun fantasy action title with a robust amount of content, with some familiar core gameplay.
Overall my time with Metro Redux was enjoyable. Metro 2033 does feel like it was the first attempt at creating something special, and it almost got there. Metro Last Light is easily the full realization of the story and is an overall more enjoyable experience. But, since both titles are included in this bundle, players will be able to get the full picture from beginning to end with enough content and replay value to be worth the asking price and then some.
Overall, Sniper Elite 3 does have a fun kill-cam feature, it does have online co-op and it does have an interesting multiplayer. But, almost everything about it feels like a rushed product that simply cannot be ignored. So, unless you are a huge fan of the series, or just want to see some intense kill-cams, this just isn't a game I can recommend at its current price point.
Overall, the Killzone: Shadow Fall Intercept DLC is a fantastic little package that does a great job of adding to the experience that the game already offers. But, the amount of value you can get out of it will greatly depend on your ability to rally friends or find quality players online to take on the game's four maps.
Ultimately, Call of Duty: Ghosts can be considered as the standard for what has become expected from the franchise, but even if it isn't a drastic departure from what some have grown to hate or love, it is still a product that is tremendously fun to play with your friends and has enough options to keep you playing for hundreds of hours.