Levi van Tine's Reviews
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.
'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.
'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.
'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.
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.
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.
'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.
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.
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.
Even after three months of back-and-forth with the community, Bungie is still 'Destiny's' worst enemy.
'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.
'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.
'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.
Telltale has demonstrated that their knack for writing and developing characters is as solid as ever, even with the wacky 'Borderlands' license. With 'Zer0 Sum,' the first episode of 'Tales from the Borderlands,' Telltale got the story heavy take on the colorful world humming. The characters and script are smart and snappy, and elicited a chuckle from me more than a few times through the brief playthrough. If they can lock down the bugs cropping up in the technical performance, this would be about as good as it gets for an adventure game.
The next-gen variety of 'Grand Theft Auto V' is unequivocally a rerelease, increasingly common for the gaming industry. However, a notable amount of work and care has been put into its development, specifically with the first-person mode, and this makes for an even better 'GTA V.' As much as I appreciate the first-person mode, enhanced graphics, and other little things, this version is best for those gamers who missed last year's release. It's still one of the best games to be found on the Xbox One.
'Far Cry 4' is not a revolutionary game in the series (no pun intended), but it continues to build on the addictive open world gameplay of its predecessors. Kyrat is the best character and has enough content to keep players busy for countless hours. The campaign co-op is a welcome addition. A weak storyline, last-gen visuals, and unfinished multiplayer keep it from the upper echelons of greatness.
'Dragon Age: Inquisition' vies with 'Diablo' for the spot of best RPG currently available on the Xbox One. It avoids the grind endemic to games of its kind and has a good story on top of an even better open world. It is not without its problems, many of which BioWare has been criticized for in the past, but is nevertheless an important RPG that is both superior to its predecessor and certainly gives players their money's worth.
'Rollers of the Realm' nearly does for pinball what 'Puzzle Quest' did for the match-three genre. It competently takes an existing medium and merges it with roleplaying elements to create something that hasn't been done before, which is unusual in gaming. A few design problems keep it from greatness, like a very cold, withholding system of progression. That doesn't stop it from being an enjoyable experience and something worth trying for any pinball or RPG fan.
'Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham' is a good Lego experience, but it adds to the franchise only incrementally. The series has been around for nearly a decade and has made great improvements since it began, but needs more innovation to avoid going down the path of burnt-out IPs. Besides the new characters, there is little difference between this game and last year's 'Lego Marvel.' The storyline is also rather short, and can be finished in six or seven hours. Despite that, it is a good time for kids of all ages with co-op and free play continuing as a base for the series' signature charm.
'Assassin's Creed: Rogue' is an adequate, if familiar, conclusion of the latest chapter of 'Assassin's Creed'. It adds enough to qualify as a full-fledged release and features a decent storyline. The bugs are tolerable and certainly not as distracting as its big brother 'Unity'. Gameplay wise it's perfect for anyone enthralled by the seafaring focus of 'Black Flag.' For anyone who hasn't tossed out their last-gen consoles quite yet, it's among the best 'Assassin's Creeds' to be found in that generation.