Levi van Tine's Reviews
'Resident Evil Revelations 2 Penal Colony' is a promising, but ultimately flawed first episode for Capcom's new series. Aside from its visual issues, there are some questionable design and publishing decisions: why is the game episodic, seeing as how each episode is already completed? Why doesn't it have online co-op for the campaign? Why didn't they wait to release it until Raid's co-op was ready? Still, at $5, that 'Resident Evil' charm is there, and you could do worse for survival horror than 'Penal Colony'.
'Total War: Attila' plays well for the most part, as it lives up to the series' deep and enjoyable standards, but doesn't feel like a leap forward. It is a complex, demanding, and often difficult strategy title, and all of these are to its credit. Playing as the Huns does have its own nuance, while the accompanying historic scenarios help fill out the era. 'Attila' is not chock full of innovation and neither are technical achievements dazzling, but it does sport a reasonable price point at release, somewhere in between an expansion and full retail.
While 'There Came an Echo' has its problems, some of which seriously detract from its merits, I did enjoy my time with it. I can't recommend it wholeheartedly, as it is quite thin on content and most players will probably put it away after less than a half-dozen hours. It is more than a tech demo with pretty window dressing (although the tech is great). I sincerely hope it is successful and Iridium takes it to the next level, as there is a lot of fun to be had with its mechanics.
The dearth of narrative momentum or any characterization whatsoever is the most severe flaw of 'The Bright Lord'. I didn't mind returning to Mordor for a few hours, but the constant stream of timed missions and lack of real content or story means that I'll be forgetting what happened pretty quickly. This is season pass content so if you liked the original enough to commit to the pass, you might as well get your money's worth. If not, there's no need to pick it up.
The script has its moments, but I was more interested in 'Life Is Strange's approach to decisions than I was in its dialogue. The seed is there for many of the characters though, and I think with the right narrative they can grow into something much more complex. The second episode ought to be here soon, and I am looking forward to finding out. [OpenCritic note: Mild spoilers for the first episode are contained in this review.]
'Resident Evil Revelations 2' is making modest progress with 'Contemplation'. The ending in particular makes me feel like we're getting somewhere. A lot of the persistent 'Resident Evil' issues are still hanging around, but as more of the game becomes visible, more of its merits are surfacing at the same time. So far, so good.
I am generally not a fan of mobile games as they currently exist, fraught as they are with paywalls and repetitive gameplay. 'République' has established itself as not just an exception to that trend but a very strong and thought-provoking game in its own right, and is even better now on the PC with its facelift. It is bookish but not boring, influenced but not derivative. If you like games that make you think, not just with their puzzles but with their script, you probably won't regret 'République.'
I'm not convinced that 'Judgment' is a step forward for 'Resident Evil Revelations 2'. It does have a little bit of exploration, but the puzzles are slowing it down. I kind of wish we could cut out the Claire/Moira segments and just play as Barry/Natalia, but perhaps Claire will redeem herself in the next episode.
'Ori and the Blind Forest' isn't just a great platformer, it's a work of art. It oozes style and charm and has an accessible and touching story. Games like this don't come along every day. Despite its brevity, $20 is well worth the experience.
'Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number' is a love-it or hate-it kind of game. I guess that's not completely true, as in my case I both love it and hate it. The gameplay can be addictive, especially for those who stick with it. It can also be exasperating to the point of anger and despair. Its imperfections often threaten to destroy its delicate balance, but this one may appeal to lovers of the high difficulty.
'Sid Meier's Starships' is not a quick cash-in completely devoid of creative merit, but nor is it a fitting companion for one of the best strategy titles of last year. At best it is good for a few hours of moderate strategy, although it's probably better played on a mobile device. Still, there are far better strategy games available for mobile, and cheaper than $15 as well.
With 'A Sword in the Darkness,' 'Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series' is making great progress. Blasphemous though it may be, I'm beginning to like the series even more than their 'Walking Dead' project, and that is also an excellent franchise. Like any great episodic game, high quality episodes make me wait for the next one even more impatiently.
'Out of Time' is a step back for the burgeoning 'Life Is Strange'. I can't see the forest through the trees, so to speak, and this episode had some difficulty in keeping me interested. The first hour or so especially almost lost me. There are enough plot threads to warrant a mild interest for the next episode, but I hope we haven't already seen the best of what Dontnod has to offer.
'Atlas Mugged' is a strong episode for 'Tales from the Borderlands', if not a standout one quite yet. The series is still absolutely worth the cheap entry price.
Obsidian's 'Pillars of Eternity' is a worthy successor to its ancestors and, in some ways, manages to surpass them. In terms of story, this is a worthwhile experience. In terms of content, it is a bargain. It is a strategy RPG for the ages.
'Tower of Guns' is a decent game, but its price at launch is just a bit too ritzy for the amount of content it offers. There is fun to be had in its procedural levels, for those who enjoy the challenges of roguelikes and who like to be tested over and over.
'War for the Overworld' is a game made by people who dearly love 'Dungeon Keeper', but love alone does not a good game make. The current form of the game is basically a beta, and has a lot of cleaning up to do. Despite its issues, which range from nagging to serious, I am having a blast playing it. Don't come here expecting a polished product, but don't let that stop you from enjoying it.
The latest 'Mortal Kombat' is a solid entry in the franchise and a great fighting game in its own right. It has much more content than I expected, and the huge roster and addition of stances for each character give it long legs. The microtransactions are real, but manage to keep to the shadows enough to not spoil the hard work that NetherRealms has been doing. Fighter fans will find a lot to like about 'Mortal Kombat X'.
'State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition' is an example of a good remastering. The core game definitely needed some work, as its technical shortcomings often threatened to ruin an otherwise awesome experience. This upgrade still has some issues, but these are not severe. As an incentive to upgrade, 360 'State of Decay' owners get a discount until the end of June (which brings the price down to a more palatable level), and Xbox One owners can port over all of their saves from the 360 version. There hasn't been a better time to play 'State of Decay'.
'Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China' is a mixture of classic 'Assassin's Creed' gameplay, the stealthy 2D success of 'Mark of the Ninja', and sharp art design. It's rather short, but also rather cheap, and has more replayability than most games in this category. It's probably the most fun I've had playing an Assassin's Creed since 'Black Flag'.