Levi van Tine's Reviews
'Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide ' includes a lot of great new content that fleshes out the existing mechanics of 'Beyond Earth.' While this expansion doesn't take any big risks, and some new research or victory conditions would not have been remiss, it is a shot in the arm for the already excellent 'Beyond Earth'.
Ubisoft took considerable flak from last year's release of 'Assassin's Creed: Unity', which had some good ideas but suffered from a collection of design and testing problems. To their credit, they appear to have taken it as a learning experience, as 'Syndicate' emerges as one of the strongest 'Assassin's Creeds' in recent memory.
If for some reason you have any interest in adventure games and have not yet experienced 'Tales from the Borderlands,' now there is no excuse. 'Vault of the Traveler' is by far the best episode, even with its crippling stagger issues. In between the laugh-out-loud moments and the almost tearful, poignant moments of the underlying theme of friendship are a collection of witty jokes and awkward banter that any gamer can enjoy, not just longtime 'Borderlands' fans.
'Polarized' is a fitting end to a strange game that has been reliably decent, with the occasional wondrous high and disappointing low. It uses a mix of storytelling techniques that have not been seen previously in the 'Life is Strange' series, but gets its message across to the audience. What precisely that message is, is up for the viewer to decide.
Not all of the games in 'The Jackbox Party Pack 2' are clear winners, but the stronger titles make up for their weaker brethren. The system of player interaction is genius and makes it very palatable for console owners, not to mention the relatively cheap price. If you have a family that loves gaming together, or are looking for ideas or an intense laugh for when you have friends over, 'The Jackbox Party Pack 2' might just be what you're looking for.
While I have come to love Telltale's more grown-up titles, 'The Order of the Stone' is fun, wholesome entertainment in its own right. There are plenty of jokes for all ages, along with a healthy dose of slapstick comedy and a few puzzles and quick-time events to spice things up. Perhaps the best thing I can say about it, other than I'm looking forward to the next episode, is that it dearly made me want to fire up my own 'Minecraft' world and get to building.
'Rebel Galaxy' comes out of left field - an adept and fun space sim from two developers who have spent decades working on RPGs. If you have ever wanted to fly a capital ship of your very own and blow up pirates (or become one), your opportunity has arrived at last.
'Warhammer 40,000 Deathwatch' was an excellent mobile title, and its 'Enhanced Edition' remains competitive with other strategy titles on the PC. It doesn't have the visual or narrative heft of some of its high-budget contemporaries, but its gameplay punches far above its weight.
'Rock Band 4' feels more like digital-only game instead of a full release. I fully agree with Harmonix' decision to make it a singular platform going forward, one that will be constantly updated with features and songs, instead of dumping a fully-priced release on consumers every fall. It is nostalgic and enjoyable, but not the great leap forward in rhythm gaming that we were hoping for.
The content and gameplay of 'Elite' is much as it was during the Preview program, which is to say excellent. The technical issues are much improved, and the addition of CQC is a net positive. It can be a cold, uninviting experience for the new player, but it is a great spaceship game that should not be missed.
'Assault Android Cactus' is a great little shooter that delivers lots of chibi, shooty fun in each level. It has a lighthearted arcade feel and doesn't take itself very seriously, going so far as to crack jokes about gaming itself. Even for those who aren't typically fans of the genre, you'll probably have a good time with Cactus and friends.
'SOMA' is scary, but that aspect pales in comparison with the great script and characterization. It is a bit brief at 10-12 hours, but does not over stay its welcome and should not be missed for anyone who appreciates a deep sci-fi tale with a healthy dose of accompanying fear.
'Laserlife' may have been successful as a tech demo of some kind, perhaps showcasing a new style of music game or abstract take on exposition in gaming. As a final product, it is woefully incomplete. It could have been more, perhaps with clearer writing, a stronger soundtrack, and precise gameplay. Even if it had those traits, it would still struggle, as the gameplay never really shines, despite its hypnotic qualities.
Perhaps the constant stream of remakes has jaded me, but 'Castle Crashers' didn't seem to be screaming for an update, especially with backwards compatibility right around the corner. The new mode is wishy washy and the jury is still out on the matchmaking. Still, the $5 price for previous owners of the game, there are far worse old-timey arcade brawlers out there than 'Caste Crashers Remastered'.
For newcomers to the series, 'Destiny: The Taken King' presents a much larger and more user-friendly 'Destiny' experience, and that's after a year of crazy highs, and RNG lows. For veterans, it feels as though we have to take two steps back before we can go forward, but the way is paved with fun things to do. If you've been putting off playing 'Destiny' until it got better, now's the time.
'Mad Max' is a decent open world experience. It checks all the boxes for what is expected with a game in this genre, but doesn't bring much new to the table. Max's ride and sidekick are important high points, and a love for the film series helps. The game does have heart and some great vehicular combat; it's just missing some body work.
'Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain' isn't just great a stealth experience by 'Metal Gear' standards, it's a great stealth tour for this generation of gaming. The devs have built on the great prequel series and made an extremely sympathetic character of Big Boss. If this is Kojima's swan song, he has done it grandly.
Like its forebears, 'Don't Starve: Giant Edition' on the Xbox One is a delectable survival experience, and the included 'Reign of Giants' content does a great job of growing the experience. The game is tough, and the permadeath can be discouraging if you have spent several in-game weeks or months on an epic crafting bender, but it is worth the pain.
'Dishonored' has received a minimal amount of dress-up for this re-release. In 'Dishonored Definitive Edition,' the main game is all here with its DLC and a light visual touch-up, and that's about it. The price is also high when compared against the last-gen (or PC) GOTY versions. Still, it was one of the most captivating games of last gen, and a must-own for any Xbox One owners who have not experienced it. For those who have, you'll find little of interest here.
We are firmly entrenched in era of gaming where seemingly every single video game ever is being repackaged, rebooted, remade, or just plain ripped off. 'Zombi' on the Xbox One isn't a rip-off, but nor did it really call out for a port. It could have been quite content to remain a halfway decent Wii U exclusive forever, but instead we have a flawed zombie game with a few novel mechanics lurking under the surface. It'll be interesting to see if Ubisoft elects to follow up with another 'Zombi' at some point this gen.