Levi van Tine's Reviews
It has probably been a decade or more since I played a real board game. It's just not a medium that appeals to me. However, the unique brand of magic that League of Geeks has distilled in 'Armello' is intoxicating, and the Xbox One version has lost very little in the transition. What a wonderful and fun experience.
Firaxis has outdone themselves with 'XCOM 2'. It is a tactical experience without peer, better even than its predecessors. It is draining and agonizing, but in a good way. The high difficulty may turn off some gamers, but it's worth every second.
'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.
'Afterbirth' is an expensive addition when compared to its base game, but it is truly an expansion. To the right player it will provide far more entertainment than a AAA season pass typically would, and at a fraction of the price. If I thought I had a problem quitting Isaac before, I might as well stop trying now.
Telltale's 'Game of Thrones' does far more than just trade on the good name of the accompanying TV show. In fact, it has nearly surpassed it in storytelling on several occasions over the last year. Even its low points have been entertaining, and I have relished the chance to have my own little story within Martin's sweeping fantasy epic. Like most of Telltale's recent work, the season is worth every penny.
After finishing 'Firewatch', I sat in a kind of stunned silence for awhile, the same way I do after watching a particularly powerful movie. It's the rare game that makes you feel something human, something ethereal and difficult to describe. It's not a long game but I finished it in one sitting, completely spellbound. If you are at all a fan of gaming as a method of storytelling, you should probably play 'Firewatch'.
'Crashlands' has heart and soul in spades. It is capricious, engrossing, and highly addictive. It has such a pleasant mix of genres that it can be appealing to a wide variety of gamers, not just the ones who enjoy a good craft. Its flaws, like the slow start and smudgy menus, are small and easily overlooked.
'Layers of Fear' is an imaginative and exquisite horror gem, wrapped up in Victorian madness and medieval art. Traits that might normally be denounced in other games, like the length and low interactivity, only serve to accentuate its dread. Bloober has crafted a delightful nightmare.
'Stardew Valley' takes its inspirations and runs away with them into not just an amazing game, but undoubtedly one of the best of the year. There is no shortage of engrossing gameplay, and it has an adorable personality. The Xbox One version has been ported over with very few issues and I see myself emerging only grudgingly from my farm work over the holiday season.
'Don't Starve Together' is hands-down the best way to play 'Don’t Starve'. There’s nothing quite like taking down a deerclops with your bros and basking in the warm glow of victory before being interrupted by a vicious werepig attack or a bout of troublesome frog rain. It’s still hard as hell in its default mode, but Klei has handed over the keys to get under the hood and fine-tune their survival experience like never before. If your gaming circle is looking for something new, why don’t you try a bit of starvation?
In terms of design, art, and just plain content, 'Far Harbor' is some of the best DLC in Bethesda’s stable. The island and its marine inhabitants gobbled up many hours, and even now I still have much left to explore. I wish the engine could struggle along a bit better, but the Commonwealth is now firmly in my rearview mirror as I investigate every nook and cranny on this godforsaken island.
Like before, 'Dishonored 2' isn't just a great story. It's actually the same story, but hasn't lost any luster in the retelling. It has some of the best stealth we've seen this generation, buffeted by empowering, extraordinary powers, peerless level design, and intriguing characters. Arkane did the same thing this time around, only better.
'BioShock' is one of the few series that justifies a remaster. It was a watershed moment in gaming in 2007 and the gameplay still holds up after all this time. 'BioShock Infinite' is nearly as good and even the stepchild 'BioShock 2' is a blast to play. There's very little in the way of new content, but these titles are so enjoyable that I still enthusiastically recommend 'BioShock Collection' to old fans and newcomers alike.
'Chaos Theory' is the best episode so far in the 'Life is Strange' series, easily outpacing 'Out of Time' in narrative quality. The cliffhanger at the end makes me very excited for the next episode. So long as it continues to take risks, there is a lot of potential for the remaining episodes.
'Tropico 5' is less of a sequel and more of an update for the franchise, as could be said of its immediate predecessor. It is more accessible to a grizzled 'Tropico' fan, but the gameplay is still as addictive as ever. The limited multiplayer and lovely sandbox mode give the game legs, even if it's hampered by some visual and tutorial issues. Deep city building mechanics and a sardonic sense of humor make it stand out in the sparse field of simulation titles on the 360.
MachineGames hasn't taken a huge step forward with 'Wolfenstein: The Old Blood,' but nor have they taken any steps backwards. It is a solid expansion, adding more to the new 'Wolfenstein' formula without drastically changing it. Fans of last year's game will find a lot to like, as will FPS players who somehow missed it.
'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'.
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'.
'Sons of Winter' is another strong showing from Telltale and their take on the morbid, morally ambiguous 'Game of Thrones'. The writing, pacing, and production value are all top notch, it's just the engine holding them back now. This, in terms of the story, is probably the best so far in the season.
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.