Levi van Tine's Reviews
'Never Alone' is a beautiful experience. Its somber story is masterfully expressed, but not by its gameplay. As a platformer it is subpar, and yet I am still telling people to play it. Despite its tiny length and substantial flaws, it has a soul, something that is sorely lacking in many of the games we play.
'Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris' is radically different from 'Tomb Raider', but this is not necessarily a bad thing. It is also not radically different from its predecessor, and I wish it would have had a bit more ambition with its loot system and platforming. The puzzles are more fun than annoying, and in this regard co-op is implemented well. A few other relatively minor issues chip away at it, but overall it is not a bad little arcade game.
'The Crew' is a strained lovechild of 'The Fast & the Furious', a pay-to-win MMO, and the "always on and never alone" character of social media. Under the grimey physics, abusive AI, and lame story, there is almost a decent casual racer here. The distinction between city environments makes it somewhat fun to drive around the country, even if the tedious missioning and lack of a real reason to play in co-op undermine its charm. If you are a fan of racers, there are far better places to spend your money.
Even after three months of back-and-forth with the community, Bungie is still 'Destiny's' worst enemy.
In the limited field of shoot-em-ups, 'Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions' couldn't be more welcome, especially as the franchise's future was in doubt after the end of both its publisher and developer. It is a great, inexpensive twin-stick shooter that has a few mild design issues, but nothing that would dissuade me from recommending it to anyone.
Telltale improves their formula with every release they produce and I am very optimistic about 'Game of Thrones'. 'Iron From Ice' is an excellent first episode and skillfully channels its source material while preserving the charm and personality of an adventure game. The lore is very complicated and perhaps intimidating to newcomers, but this is among the best opening episodes of an adventure game in recent years.
'Escape Dead Island' is more or less playable from a technical standpoint. I wish I could praise it more than that. It has almost no redeeming qualities, no personality to speak of, and really isn't fun at all. Many of the design decisions are inscrutable. The 'Dead Island' series is not the best zombie gaming experience out there, but the previous two titles are at least worth playing. This one is not.
Platforming on the Xbox One is a neglected niche, but even with sparse competition, 'Funk of Titans' doesn't have much going for it. It's value priced, and a first time console effort, and the transition from mobile to console has not been smooth. It's a mostly drab, joyless grind fraught with control issues and beset on all sides by a low production value. It had opportunities for humor and more compelling gameplay, but doesn't capitalize on them, instead opting for shallow level design and an emphasis on quick-time events.
It's fun enough to avoid being labeled a cheap cash-in or filler content for a season pass, but only just. 'Mooil Rig' has a great level design and setup that could have been used for a lot more. If developers want us to keep opening our wallets for games after they've released, they're going to have to pack in the content and make DLC that offers something genuinely novel or substantial, not just add some polishing before slapping a price tag on it.
'Citizens of Earth' is a strange, unique combination of the Western RPG and old-school JRPG. Between its recruitment mechanics, solid combat, script, and exploration, it is an extremely fun and nostalgic title. It has some irritating flaws and a mild assortment of bugs, but not enough to spoil its charm. I recommend this for any RPG fan, especially devotees of 90s JRPGs who'd like a walk down memory lane.
'This War of Mine' is one of the best PC releases I've played from 2014. It is not empowering like other games. It's very difficult, and the first couple of playthroughs especially can be frustrating. It's also poignant and lets players tell their own stories without a heavy script or distracting voice acting. It might make you sad, but it's worth experiencing.
'Saints Row IV: Re-Elected' comes at a discount when compared to the release prices of its components, but that doesn't change what it is. It is a conversion, plain and simple, with a few hours of added gameplay that doesn't change much from the 'Saints Row IV' formula. There are some missed opportunities on the technical side that could have made for a smoother, prettier title. It is a good game and I can recommend it for newcomers, but returning players will find little of value unless they have dearly missed Johnny Gat.
While 'Grim Fandango Remastered' is very tame in its remastering, it is still an improved (and playable) version of one of the best adventure games of all time. It easily represents the "gaming as art" concept while remaining funny and entertaining throughout. If you have never experienced 'Grim Fandango', now is your chance. If you have experienced it, it is worth picking up the remaster, if only just.
Telltale has a practiced ability to weave a strong story from a licensed work. 'Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series - The Lost Lords' is just as dramatic and engrossing as 'Iron From Ice.' I can begin to see where some of the plot threads are going, but whenever I feel smug about the season's directions, the rug is pulled out from under me and something shocking happens. Only some technical issues mar an otherwise lovely episode.
'Sunless Sea' is the perfect game for someone who's been waiting for a subterranean, steampunk, nautical, difficult, heavily text-based adventure. I highly recommend it for everyone else as well, especially those who appreciate deliciously whimsical, macabre prose and don't mind a bit of backtracking and dying.
The previous limited releases of 'Evolve' have allowed Turtle Rock and 2K to fine-tune the server performance and gameplay. Everything hums along nicely now except for the occasional matchmaking drop, and the 4v1 cat-and-mouse formula works very well. Playing as a hunter is fun and playing as the monster is fun. There are some issues with repetitiveness, but this is one of the best asymmetrical multiplayer shooters in recent memory.
KING Art has outdone themselves with 'Book of Unwritten Tales 2' and firmly established their craft as premiere adventure developers. With the backing of Nordic Games, it seems that the traditional adventure genre is alive and well. This is a long game for the genre, over 20 hours, with a reasonable price point. It is also laugh-out-loud funny in many places and has an acerbic wit as well as excellent pacing and puzzles, and manages to accomplish all of this without taking itself too seriously. It is one of the best adventure games in recent memory.
The prison theme is under-represented in games, and a welcome change from the more oversaturated motifs we're often subject to (war, I'm looking at you). 'The Escapists' does have a lot of good ideas. It can't quite deliver on many of them due to a slow interface, weird AI and other design choices. It's a charming indie game that is welcome on the Xbox One but falls short overall.
Gearbox has taken great care with their treatment of these RTS classics, going so far as to hire on some of the original developers to assist with their work. The visuals are a clear stand-out, but the classic gameplay still shines through in 'Homeworld Remastered Collection.' For enthusiasts who have been struggling to find a suitable medium on which to play 'Homeworld', this is the perfect gift of nostalgia and modern gaming sensibilities. For those who are inexperienced with the series and have any interest in the RTS genre, this compilation will keep you entertained for quite some time.
'Hand of Fate' is the kind of deviously addictive game that doesn't come along very often. It is innovative, easy to learn, and rewarding. It is also complex and punishing, but keep in mind that you'll never lose any of your cards permanently - if the dealer defeats you, you only lose progress against the current boss, and can restart anytime. The deck-building is fiendish fun, and all those hours spent fighting in the 'Arkham' games pays real dividends here. The real-time combat lets the player make their own luck in many situations. At launch, 'Hand of Fate' has some noticeable problems on the technical side, but is still a great play, especially for card fans disappointed by this year's Magic.