Levi van Tine's Reviews
Digital Eclipse considers 'Mega Man Legacy Collection' to be just as much a time capsule or museum exhibit as it is a video game, a sentiment I do not disagree with. A great deal of work has been put into curating the games and adding new, optional content while retaining their retro aesthetic. A few video issues crop up here and there, and perhaps the gameplay can be stubbornly vintage, but this is still a great compilation.
'Shadowrun: Hong Kong' is an old-school style strategy experience with one of the most interesting settings in contemporary tabletop gaming. Instead of expecting the license to do all of the heavy lifting, Harebrained has instead created a good game and then set it into the mythos of 'Shadowrun'. With the inclusion of the Unity editor, this platform will only get better as time goes on.
'Gears of War: Ultimate Edition' is not a mere port, but a labor of love a long time in the making. The price tag is a bit steep with much of the new content geared towards multiplayer aficionados, but this is a lovely showing of Delta Squad on the One.
'Satellite Reign' truly embodies the phrase "spiritual successor". It is very much a modern adaptation of an older title. That is not to say that it is without innovation or not a good game - far from it. 'Satellite Reign' takes the best parts of its source material and expands upon them with modern tech, creating an intoxicating, thickly cyberpunk strategy experience. The degree of freedom available invokes that special kind of PC game that is all-too infrequent these days.
'Escape Plan Bravo' makes a very strong showing as 'Tales from the Borderlands' moves steadily towards its conclusion. The characters are developing well, the plotline mostly makes sense, and the script is rife with signature 'Borderlands' humor, even if the plot as a whole shows more of the darkness of Telltale's other series.
They don't make them like they used to, and in the case of 'Toy Soldiers: War Chest', the result is a bland, paid freemium game that falls short of the series' own benchmarks. It is an action/strategy title that doesn't have much of either and can be safely passed over by all but the most forgiving tower defense fans.
'The Swindle' can be very satisfying, if you don't mind its cruel difficulty and regularly mystifying level design. It is not a AAA stealth game with all of its fancy checkpoints and low difficulty levels and no death penalty. It's not that those things are bad necessarily, it's just that roguelikes are intended to be a very different experience, one in which success is distant, pain is frequent, and every reward is a joyous occasion.
'Submerged' is a special kind of game. I won't go so far as to say that it is fun for all of its tiny runtime, nor will I say that it's a half-baked mess of pretentious ideas. I did like that it offers a break from the zeitgeist of contemporary gaming in which bombastic, explosive shooters, faux-edgy action titles, and painfully difficult roguelikes seem to be all the rage. It's not for everyone, but go in with an open mind and you may find something interesting underneath the surface.
It feels like we get a remake, compilation, or some other form of do-over once a week or so in the gaming community. Many of them are not worth buying unless it's a great game and you've missed the previous version. With 'Rare Replay,' Rare has managed to put together not only a set of some of their best games, but added in some colorful bonuses and replayability. It is missing some of their brightest stars, but it still has a lot to offer.
Every version of 'Duels' over the years has been fun, but has been missing something - a deck builder, an ergonomic interface, etc. This year's iteration, 'Magic Duels: Origins,' is missing several of them and is a skeleton of 'Magic' draped in the fool's gold of the free-to-play model. Perhaps Stainless can use it to build something really cool in a few years' time, with lots of modes and cards and avenues of play. As it is, it's hardly worth playing even with its asking price of free.
The first entry in the new 'King's Quest' has puzzles, a fun visual style, and a lot of laughs. This is a very carefully crafted game - The Odd Gentlemen have managed to carry forward the essence of the 'King's Quest' series into the modern age without sacrificing any of its charm. 'A Knight to Remember' is a solid first entry in what will hopefully become an excellent series.
'Darkroom' is not quite as substantial as the last episode, but 'Life Is Strange' has real potential for a strong, surprising finish. This episode sags in the middle but the choices that are offered to the player are still difficult, and it's a good thing when an episodic game torments its players with self-doubt after tough decisions. The series has been a capable story thus far and I'm very curious to see how Dontnod finishes everything.
I do so love a good roguelike, and that's exactly what 'The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth' brings to the table. Lots of scary enemies, treasure chests, unlockable characters, challenges, and plain old-fashioned dungeon crawling await those brave enough to accompany Isaac into the basement.
'A Nest of Vipers' is the best episode I have played in a Telltale game, passing even the amazing final episode of season two of 'The Walking Dead'. Despite its modest running time, it manages to set a new bar for the studio's storytelling. I always wait with anticipation for the next 'Game of Thrones', but now it's more serious than ever. If for some reason you have been putting off playing this series, now is as good a time as any to get involved.
'So Many Me' is a lovely addition to the growing stable of adept platformers on the Xbox One. It competently serves up many of the tropes of the genre while gently poking fun at them, and has its own crafty mechanics to keep things fresh. It's not overly difficult, but the puzzles grow more challenging as the game progresses. I'm glad it was able to get over its financial troubles and find a home on the One.
'No Time to Explain' has promising gameplay, and perhaps tinyBuild will be able to work it into something more manageable with future releases. As a precision platformer it struggles greatly on the Xbox One. It's not a bad game, and that just about sums it up.
'The Fall' is a great story and interesting discussion of synthetic morality, but ironically has some problems with its own mechanical side. It is possible that these issues were caused by the port to the Xbox One, but things like checkpoint saving are fundamental and cannot be overlooked. Regardless, I am happy that Over The Moon is continuing with the series, and hopefully we can expect the second episode before too long.
Warner Brothers has promised three pieces of story content for the 'Arkham Knight' season pass. If this little fragment of a game is what players can expect, then the pricey $40 season pass is going to be a disappointment. 'A Matter of Family' releases on July 21st for non-season pass holders at $7, but I wouldn't recommend it.
'Tachyon Project' does stand out on its own from 'Geometry Wars', but its inspiration borders on the derivative. The cadence of the campaign poses a problem, what with the first three-quarters being a bit too easy and the last quarter being much too hard. The challenge mode also seems like a missed opportunity. 'Tachyon Project' is a competent shmup, but isn't much more than that.
'Tales from the Borderlands: Catch a Ride' is one of the stronger episodes in the series in terms of writing and especially characterization. I find myself actually kind of liking these people, which is more than can be said for the often mute Vault Hunters of previous games (with the exception of Claptrap, who is rarely tongue-tied). I wish we could tone down the quick time events a bit, as they turn out to be more frustrating than fun, but Telltale is still doing a good job growing an interesting world with 'Tales from the Borderlands'.