Levi van Tine's Reviews
'Resident Evil Revelations 2 Penal Colony' is a promising, but ultimately flawed first episode for Capcom's new series. Aside from its visual issues, there are some questionable design and publishing decisions: why is the game episodic, seeing as how each episode is already completed? Why doesn't it have online co-op for the campaign? Why didn't they wait to release it until Raid's co-op was ready? Still, at $5, that 'Resident Evil' charm is there, and you could do worse for survival horror than 'Penal Colony'.
I'm not convinced that 'Judgment' is a step forward for 'Resident Evil Revelations 2'. It does have a little bit of exploration, but the puzzles are slowing it down. I kind of wish we could cut out the Claire/Moira segments and just play as Barry/Natalia, but perhaps Claire will redeem herself in the next episode.
'Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number' is a love-it or hate-it kind of game. I guess that's not completely true, as in my case I both love it and hate it. The gameplay can be addictive, especially for those who stick with it. It can also be exasperating to the point of anger and despair. Its imperfections often threaten to destroy its delicate balance, but this one may appeal to lovers of the high difficulty.
The prison theme is under-represented in games, and a welcome change from the more oversaturated motifs we're often subject to (war, I'm looking at you). 'The Escapists' does have a lot of good ideas. It can't quite deliver on many of them due to a slow interface, weird AI and other design choices. It's a charming indie game that is welcome on the Xbox One but falls short overall.
'House of Wolves' is a better attempt at post-release content than 'The Dark Below', although that particular achievement is of questionable difficulty. We get some fun new things that have the potential to hold our attention for awhile, at least. I wouldn't say it's worth $20, but if you've already purchased the season pass and have been neglecting 'Destiny', it might be worth your while to come back and take a peek.
Despite its low points, the tension that permeates 'Colorado' works tremendously in its favor, leading to a more consistently enjoyable 'Hitman' episode than 'Bangkok', which remains a low point for the game. While there isn't nearly as much personality or humor as there perhaps should have been, there's still plenty of fun and excitement to be found within the militia camp. It's also the biggest leap forward for the story thus far, and builds toward what should be a tremendous climax when the game's final episode hits next month.
I am happy to experience 'Event[0]' because what it contains is probably a harbinger of things to come in gaming. As a complete gameplay experience, however, it can be limited and flawed. It has evolved from its beginnings as a student project to become more than a mere tech demo, but it could have gone farther in its Turing test.
This is not your father's 'Pac-Man'. 'Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2' is faster and busier, and the purity of the original has been sacrificed for variety and a more forgiving difficulty level. That being said, it's still a great score attack game, one that I will be enjoying whenever I'm in need of an hour or so of sparkly, candied arcade goodness.
This homage to the seminal days of RPGs is quite successful at what it set out to do. The strong points include character advancement, the village, and enemy variety, while I was let down by a slow plot and inconvenient save system. The Xbox One isn't exactly a haven for this genre, but in nostalgia value alone it's a welcome treat.
'Nuka-World' is not the perfect swan song for 'Fallout 4', but it is a perfectly playable homage to our favorite post-apocalyptic soft drink and, to a lesser extent, the Commonwealth itself. If you have come looking for something new and fresh, you may be disappointed. If you want another reason to return to the wasteland for shooting, looting, and reading through Nuka-Cola corporate emails, 'Nuka-World' will scratch the itch for a time.
It's a bit thin on content for a full episode, but some of the set design and kills in 'Hitman's 'Summer Bonus Episode' are some of the best yet in the serial. It's not the kind of golden goose episode that people should be falling all over themselves to play, but it is a solid few hours of fun in previously visited locales. August and Thailand with it are fast approaching, and we have high hopes.
Despite stumbles in its gameplay, I am a sucker for sappy stories, and that is what 'Song of the Deep' should be played for. There are many other games that provide engrossing, replayable platforming and puzzles, but with less warmth or none at all. I enjoyed my time with Merryn and her submarine but we sure did bicker a lot.
'Destiny: Rise of Iron' is not a standout expansion but nor is it disappointing the way that 'The Dark Below' and 'House of Wolves' were. The production values remain high with the superb score, attractive Temple of Iron, new Crucible maps and so forth. On the other hand, the PvE content has mileage issues. It is still worth playing and even worth coming back to 'Destiny' for, if only for a short while.
'Dead Rising 4' has deviated too much from its own traditions for me to give it a wholehearted recommendation. It now resembles a typical modern day third-person sandbox game, for what that's worth. To be fair, I have a lot of fun with games like that, and I've been having a lot of fun with this game. But 'Dead Rising' has come and gone, and has been replaced with something a little tamer and more accessible.
In 'Realm of Shadows' we see the usual monolithic monument of Telltaleness, wrapped up in a cape and cowl. We also see the shadow of something different, something new. It's not ready yet, not fully formed, and could die by the end of the series or even by the second episode, but it could also bring their craft to a new level. Either way, I don't see a need to wash my hands of it just yet.
'Marrakesh' is a step back from the successes of previous episodes, but not dramatically so. IO seems to be experimenting with different playstyles that leave less room for debate, but the classic DNA of 'Hitman' permeates everything and I will have no problem coming back for the next round.
I found some problems with 'Civilization VI' but not enough to keep me from enjoying it for quite a few hours. Firaxis has improved some systems and stumbled on others, including things that should be in good shape by now, like diplomacy. I have a feeling that a year from now it will be a much better, bigger game, (not to mention cheaper) as is tradition with this series. I just wish that the inevitable DLC felt more like expansions and less like content filling in the gaps from the day one release.
This miniseries is moving forward very quickly, packing more action in two short episodes than a typical Telltale season gets in the same amount of time. It might seem as though that pace is too rapid for any chance at real characterization, but that isn’t the case. In 'Give No Shelter,' nearly all of the fat has been stripped away from the supporting cast to make way for Michonne, and the series is all the better for it.
This is not a bad start to a small season of Nova DLC. It has some fresh ideas and enjoyable missions within the framework of the successful 'Starcraft II' recipe. It’s a bit lighter on story than I would like, and stingy with Nova’s upgrades, but I’m quite happy to try the next one as soon as it’s here - especially considering that this is probably as close to 'Starcraft: Ghost' as we’ll ever get.
'Organic Panic' is a pastiche of several games and genre staples that have come before it. It is good fun for its nostalgia value for those players who have enjoyed its influences in years past and appreciate its time-tested mechanics, but it struggles to find its place amongst the many good platformers available.