Levi van Tine's Reviews
The high expectations that I developed after playing through the first three episodes of 'République' have been diminished by 'Terminus'. This is not the denouement I had expected, in terms of gameplay or story. Even so, I think the series as a whole is worth playing. The player just needs to keep in mind that, not unlike many great film series or TV shows, the best entries are in the beginning.
Deep Silver was happy to jump on the definitive edition bandwagon, but there are games far more deserving for this treatment. Real strides have been made in the video department. Otherwise, there’s not much else from the 'Dead Island: Definitive Collection' to recommend here - two ho-hum games that are aging quickly despite their youth, and a new retro title that adds very little to the equation.
'Burning Blood' is pure fan service through and through, and there's nothing wrong with that. People who don't watch/read the source material are going to remain thoroughly confused, but there's still some enjoyment to be had in its wacky fighting and over-the-top style. If you're not a manga fan and are looking for a fighter with tight mechanics, accurate hitboxes and a deep bench of combos, best keep looking.
'God's Acre' continues to provide a great story for the overall 'Republique' title, but has some major flaws with its technical presentation. They are not game-breaking but definitely drag down what otherwise would have been a very sharp episode. I still heartily recommend the series, but players should expect to notice some touche engine level changes in the fourth episode.
I'm keeping my expectations in check for 'Minecraft: Story Mode', but I can't shake this nagging suspicion that we've seen the best the series has to offer, in 'Order of the Stone'. The characters and their motivations just can't seem to keep me invested. At any rate, we'll be sticking with the season until the bitter end, hoping for redemption.
'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.
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.
'ReCore' can be very fun at times, and it can also be very tedious. It has good video game conventions, like the awesome jumping-dashing-grappling bits, but also has some bad ones, like bosses that are made difficult only by virtue of having massive health bars. It isn't helped by the weak technical presentation. It's probably best for only the most ardent of platforming fans, the players who can put up with all of its hangups.
The 'Lego' games have always been a known quantity, but perhaps familiarity is beginning to breed contempt. 'Lego Marvel's Avengers' wasn't able to hold my attention as well as its forebears, even though it's not a markedly different experience. Perhaps it's time for the series to get a shot in the arm.
Video games are unequivocally a form of art. But like all art, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. With 'The Witness' I feel like I'm in an art gallery watching a gaggle of admirers who are looking at a piece together, commenting on its style and how it makes them feel. I'm the guy standing off to the side, not with them but looking at the same painting. I can admit that it's pretty, but it doesn't really evoke a significant response, and so I shrug and move on to the next.
'Mafia III' put a high priority on its backstory, immersion, and presentation. That work shows in the quality of the narrative and the tragic characters, but unfortunately left little to flesh out the city of New Bordeaux. It's worth playing for the campaign, but perhaps there isn't a need to rush.
I could see myself enjoying 'Homefront: Revolution' briefly in a few years when I've managed to get through everything else in my backlog, itself a tall order. It has an adequate but not quite good campaign, easily skippable co-op, and some serious engine problems. It's your thoroughly average shooter, in a nutshell.
'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.
'Sid Meier's Starships' is not a quick cash-in completely devoid of creative merit, but nor is it a fitting companion for one of the best strategy titles of last year. At best it is good for a few hours of moderate strategy, although it's probably better played on a mobile device. Still, there are far better strategy games available for mobile, and cheaper than $15 as well.
While 'There Came an Echo' has its problems, some of which seriously detract from its merits, I did enjoy my time with it. I can't recommend it wholeheartedly, as it is quite thin on content and most players will probably put it away after less than a half-dozen hours. It is more than a tech demo with pretty window dressing (although the tech is great). I sincerely hope it is successful and Iridium takes it to the next level, as there is a lot of fun to be had with its mechanics.
'War for the Overworld' is a game made by people who dearly love 'Dungeon Keeper', but love alone does not a good game make. The current form of the game is basically a beta, and has a lot of cleaning up to do. Despite its issues, which range from nagging to serious, I am having a blast playing it. Don't come here expecting a polished product, but don't let that stop you from enjoying it.
'Boston Lockdown' is an online Shadowrun game that manages to admirably translate the popular setting's quirky sci-fi/fantasy romance, but struggles with the online bit. The narrative is less of a strong glue holding everything together - it's more of a thin balm that can be more pervasive than entertaining. If you want to do some shadowrunning with some friends and don't mind the price point, it's not a bad entry in the franchise. If you're not into co-op, there are better options in the turn-based strategy genre.
It is not a frame-for-frame clone of 'Dark Souls', but neither is 'Lords of the Fallen' a worthy competitor. Imitation is certainly the sincerest form of flattery, but this game gets more wrong than it does right. Difficult gameplay is its own reward if the player has the proper tools, and while I had some of those tools in 'Lords of the Fallen', I never quite got on board with what it offers. A stronger tutorial or even a minimap goes a long way. Even so, the time I spent with it was not without enjoyment. For those with the patience and conviction, who don't mind taking a beating and putting up with some visual issues, 'Lords of the Fallen' may just scratch an itch not met by anything else currently on the Xbox One.
'Assassin's Creed Unity' is a conundrum. Some of its components have been put together well, like the visual quality of Paris and the co-op. Other parts are a bit uglier and have still made it into the final product, the glaring dearth of proper bug testing foremost among them. Ultimately, the latter outweigh the former, and this game can safely be passed over by all but the most loyal fans. The Assassins have seen better days.
'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.