Levi van Tine's Reviews
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.
'Rise of the Tomb Raider' is a slightly larger, slightly better version of the last game. The devs have played it safe in terms of adding new mechanics and content, opting for what has worked in the past. It still works, of that there is no doubt - 'Rise of the Tomb Raider' is a great game and should be played by any action fan. It could have been more, but is far better than most games of its ilk.
'Quantum Break', like any expensive exclusive, developed a great deal of expectations over time. By and large, the game lives up to those expectations. It has a few stumbles in its pacing and action, but it combines historic shooter conventions with a set of flashy, delightful superpowers and a live-action component that's easy on the eyes. If you have an Xbox One, this is undoubtedly a game you should play.
'Tom Clancy's The Division' has the fingerprints of many other Ubisoft properties: 'Ghost Recon', 'Rainbow Six', and even non-Clancy stuff like 'Watch Dogs'. It combines some of the best features of those games into a highly enjoyable MMO slash shooter. I would not say it's the best shooter I've played on the Xbox One, nor is it a huge leap forward in video gaming as a whole, but I'll be damned if I'm not having fun with it.
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.
'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'.
'Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2' is less of a sequel and more of a big expansion, but that's not a bad thing. PopCap has made some big steps forward in cementing the 'Garden Warfare' series as a real contender in the multiplayer arena, if not competitively then at least for sheer enjoyment. 'Garden Warfare 2' is big, fun, and mostly worth the price of admission.
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.
'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.
'The Following' is the kind of expansion that by today's publishing standards could have easily been labeled as a sequel and given a higher price tag. It doesn't get everything right, but still has a lot to offer.
'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.
'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.
In some ways it is very dramatic how far the roller coaster tycoon genre has come, and yet the core rulebook has changed little. Frontier has made an abundant and pretty simulation bound to captivate tycoon fans, although in essence it is much like 'RollerCoaster Tycoon 3'. I admit I would have liked just a little bit more hand-holding at the beginning of the game, but that didn't stop me from having a lot of fun with 'Planet Coaster'.
11 bit has made an even more compelling war drama with 'This War of Mine: The Little Ones'. The controller is a bit rusty, but don't let that stop you from experiencing one of the most compelling stories in this generation. Coming to the Xbox One 'This War of Mine' is more accessible than ever, and the addition of kids makes it even more bittersweet.
'Starcraft II' remains a household name in the RTS genre, and 'Legacy of the Void' joins an already great pair of games to make a compelling trilogy. The replay value is high and strategy gamers can enjoy many hours of play after finishing the decent campaign, especially those interested in the robust multiplayer options.
'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.
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.
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.
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.
'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.