In the end, I ended up having a blast revisiting the franchise that originally got me interested in the first person shooter genre of games. While the gameplay has a few bumps, 'Wolfenstein: The New Order' is a fresh spin on the game, especially the focus on the Nazi's technological advancement rather than obscure references to the occult. It's significantly better than Activision's attempt to revitalize the series during 2009. If you are a fan of the original games or simply are looking for a solid shooter to jump into, you certainly can't go wrong with 'Wolfenstein: The New Order.'
Depending on your perspective, the biggest strength or flaw of 'Infamous: Second Son' is that Sucker Punch doesn't evolve the series significantly. If you simply want more of the same, 'Infamous: Second Son' is definitely on par with the first two games in the series and is a solid adventure. If you were hoping that Sucker Punch built significantly on the sandbox world and offered up a bevy of new options like an advanced morality system or a number of branching story paths, you are going to be sorely disappointed. But overall, it's a fun ride and definitely a welcome addition for anyone transitioning from the PlayStation 3 to the PlayStation 4.
The biggest issue with the execution of Thief is that the stealth genre has evolved much farther along and left behind the series that started it all. For instance, 2012's 'Dishonored' is vastly more capable at melding stealth and action than 'Thief,' a game that was released 18 month later. Of course, the tedious supernatural narrative, Garrett's dismal fighting abilities, numerous graphical issues and audio glitches aren't doing the game any favors either. Reviving an old franchise while targeting five platforms with "a heavily modified Unreal 3 engine" may have been more than the team could reasonably be expected to contend with. I can't recommend 'Thief' to anyone beyond those who have invested lots of time in the series more than ten years ago and simply want to take Garrett for one more spin in the shadows. For everyone else, revisit 'Dishonored' with all the DLC packs during the next Steam sale.
Simply put, this game is a total disaster. It's incredibly frustrating to play, the narrative is horrific, gesture control is broken and the menu system will make you pull your hair out within 5 minutes. If there's any glimmer of positive praise for the game, it's that you will probably lose weight while attempting to play the game. Flailing my arms and legs around during each match just to register a single movement on the screen has been more intense than any Xbox Fitness workout. If you have any love for fighting games, you should avoid the 'Fighter Within' at all costs.
When it comes down to it, 'Dead Rising 3' is less difficult than the original two games, but significantly more entertaining. While it takes a while for the story to get moving due to the blandness of the main character, the twists and turns that await players in the third act of the game are extremely gratifying for any fans of the other 'Dead Rising' titles. Similar to the first two games, there are multiple endings as well, although the S rating (best ending) is much easier to achieve compared to previous games. If you are a fan of the zombie genre and picked up an Xbox One recently, don't hesitate to buy 'Dead Rising 3' as it should provide many hours of pure zombie entertainment.
There's hours upon hours of entertainment to be found within the campaign mode of 'CastleStorm' making the game easily worth the $10 purchase price. In addition, the multiplayer modes are a welcome addition, particularly the co-op mode. While you will need to give the game a couple hours to adapt to the control scheme, it's really difficult to stop playing once you've got the hang of it. Also, for anyone into 'Game of Thrones' or 'Skyrim', you are going to find some tongue-in-cheek references that may make you chuckle. It doesn't really matter if you are on the PlayStation 3 or the PlayStation Vita; 'CastleStorm' is a fantastic title on both platforms. If you are into tower defense titles or 'Angry Birds,' don't hesitate to pick up 'CastleStorm' immediately.