Scott Ellison II's Reviews
Colorado is a tourist attraction for a reason, there’s so much to do here. And SCS Software has made Colorado, the DLC the same. If you rarely spend your time in free mode, this is the DLC that’ll change that. There’s lots of places that American Truck Simulator – Colorado doesn’t go, but what’s here is important for the trucking industry. This DLC captures the essence of Colorado beautifully, and is not disappointing. American Truck Simulator‘s Colorado is an essential purchase.
In all honesty, XIII from 2003 wasn’t that great of a game to begin with. PlayMagic clearly wanted to modernize and improve what that game did, while keeping the integrity of the game in-tact. But for some reason or another, just couldn’t come through on that. The game’s best feature is its cel-shaded graphical fidelity, being a remake that looks better than it plays. If you manage to pick this up, though I’d recommend you wait for patches and updates, you’ll either appreciate what’s been done or be convinced to pick up XIII – Classic instead.
Performance issues and bugs plague what would otherwise be a tremendous game on PC. This is a beautiful game, worts and all, presenting a complex use of particle effects, ultra high textures, and active scenery to tantalize. DIRT 5 is a combination of many styles and disciplines in all things off-road, offering something for everyone. It’s an incredibly social game, too, begging to be played with friends near or far. This is very easily the best parts of DiRT 2 and DiRT 3, which adds up to DIRT 5 — that’s just math. Codemasters puts fun first, an intrinsic element of all racers, with DIRT 5 excelling at that amid its accessible gameplay and gorgeous graphics.
There’s so much to like about Pumpkin Jack. What issues I do have are minor, and don’t impact the overall enjoyment. It’s a game that’s easy on the eyes, has satisfying combat, and rewarding puzzles. Pumpkin Jack will have kids and adults both wanting to play it, and having a blast working towards 100% completion. The soundtrack features a theramin and other spooky instruments that easily set the mood. Pumpkin Jack is a real Halloween treat.
WHAT THE GOLF? is both a delight and a consistently entertaining game as you work to solve its puzzles. It’s never frustrating, never overstaying its welcome, and always making you laugh. It’s full of fresh ideas with every hole, and the new modes make a great game even better. If you’ve been holding off on this, now’s the perfect time to jump in, and there’s multiple ways to get it now. WHAT THE GOLF? reminds you why you love gaming.
The future of Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is brimming with possibilities in its scenario editor, mod support, and upcoming updates thanks to Tantalus Media and Forgotten Empires. This is a game that stands tall next to Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. The trilogy is now complete, containing hundreds of hours for new and old players to enjoy, with the original trilogy ending on a high note in this release. Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition re-establishes its rightful place in the series, completing the remastered trilogy of RTS excellence.
While WWE 2K21 was canceled for this year, I found WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS to be a solid replacement. While they are not facsimiles to one another, it fills the gap nicely. I think there’s valid concerns with the microtransactions, but for the most part isn’t egregious or tacky. The game’s biggest modes are chock full of content for hours of entertainment, and even the remainder of the modes are fun to play with its stylized visuals. The longevity will lie in its multiplayer modes, and crossplay deepens the player pool. WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS is an ultracompetent brawler that doesn’t try to be more than it is, which is a really entertaining take on wrestling.
If you haven’t tried the Serious Sam games, now’s the time. This entry truly starts at the beginning, serving as a great jumping off point for anyone to get acquainted. It’s a return of the classic run’n’gun first-person shooter with some damn funny punchlines, and Croteam gives it new life with a story and improvements all around. Serious Sam 4 is resplendent, with astronomical hordes of enemies to dispatch by devastating and varied weaponry – this is Croteam’s best shooter yet.
Crysis was a technical marvel thirteen years ago, and in some respects still is. It was the game to beat in terms of graphics and benchmarks for so many years. Crysis Remastered tries to insert itself into that conversation again, but it’s just not there yet. It’s clear that Crytek and Saber Interactive have made some mistakes here, with removing features deemed essential to the experience, cutting a level inexplicably, and making visual changes that affect the mood. It’s not a mediocre remaster, just disappointing and hamstrung in places you wouldn’t expect. Crysis Remastered is still a solid science-fiction shooter sandbox, lacking things that are supposed to be the barometer of PC gaming excellence in favor for what seems to be console compromises.
I want more from Level 91 Entertainment, and soon. In the meantime, there’s so much more work for me to do to improve my times, beat that Grand Prix that’s been eating away at me, and complete 100% of each character’s story. This is a game with heart, soul, and fantastic controls. It’s not kind to you in its first few hours, and can put many off from it, but you’ll eventually get the hang of it. It’s incredibly gorgeous to look at, but it won’t let you squeak by without working hard for your wins. Inertial Drift is revolutionary with its twin-stick drifting, full-stop.
When you figure out what your style of play and preferred level of challenge is, art of rally is a beautiful marriage of sim and arcade. This is a game that continually showcases its name through its visuals and easy-to-grasp controls. It’s simple, yet elegant. It’s complex, but intuitive. It’s satisfying, and rewarding. art of rally is transcendent.
Is a dungeon still a dungeon if the majority of the levels are above ground? Well, the game doesn’t seem to need or want to answer this. When The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos isn’t crashing or displaying incorrect text, it’s actually a challenging game that provides some well-earned laughs. The combat can be lengthy, and even sometimes frustrating, but very rewarding when you scrape by with a victory. When you divorce the conflicting ideas being humorous and a hardcore tactical RPG, while ignoring the graphical faults, there is an enjoyable game in The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos. You just have to dig a bit deeper to find it.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is back in a tremendous way. Where every move, every level, every detail matches or exceeds the first two games, and doesn’t miss a step in its recreation. Movement in the game feels just right as the memories come flooding in. It’s so fresh and exciting thanks to the challenge system, as well as numerous other improvements and enhancements. Vicarious Visions have redefined what it is to be a remake, and have done so spectacularly. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is The Second Coming of Christ Air.
Hotshot Racing has these early 90s SEGA vibes like SEGA Rally and Virtua Racing, but the performance issues hurt the sense of speed and feeling that it’s going for. The modern-retro look and feel works well with the low-polygon environments and cars, yet crisp textures and no aliased edges. The racing itself offers different styles for all kinds of players, and the boost mechanic is really clever. Hotshot Racing lacks the overall staying power of more modern racers, but it’s sure to occupy your time online and off.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is a weird release. It doesn’t have any substantial improvements compared to the original, and maybe on PC there’s going to be less of difference than for consoles. So if you have the original on PC, there’s basically little reason to upgrade except to play the upcoming Fatesworn expansion next year. That said, if you’ve never experienced this game, now’s a great time. Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning really holds up as a great RPG filled to the brim with content, and its build-your-own class system remains a highlight, backed with some really fun combat. Don’t miss out on one of 2012’s best games now.
Iron Harvest is an incredibly solid RTS with a fantastic setting that will keep you enamored during the entire 20+ hour campaign. KING Art games have crafted a beautiful game with destruction backed by solid and balanced gameplay. It’s missing a few nuts and bolts to hold the rest of it together, but what’s here is sturdy to stand tall for now. I look forward to seeing the game expand and grow beyond its current state to fulfill its promises. For what you get, Iron Harvest is unique, rewarding, and full of depth; it’s absolutely worth playing.
Crusader Kings III is all about the dynasty you’ve built, and the legacy you leave behind for a future of fame, fortune, and family in an ever-unfolding drama that’s brought unto you, or what you create for yourself. There’s a chasm-wide cast of characters to play as from real royal families from hundreds of countries, many of which you’ll want to see them through. Whether a new or returning player, hours will pass like minutes, and you’ll realize the game has a hook on you that you won’t want to remove. This is grand strategy at its finest, and Crusader Kings III is an immensely replayable, unscripted narrative masterpiece.
WRC 9 is the fully realized game that KT Racing has been building towards all these years. And it being so good sets up both the already announced WRC 10 and WRC 11 with incredible foundations to work from and build upon. It has some persistent and pesky bugs, but they should be ironed out. Future updates will include new cars and multiplayer where you can be the co-driver giving pacenotes, all for free. This is a richer and fuller experience over WRC 8 in every way. WRC 9 is not only the best WRC game to-date, but one of the best rally simulations to exist.
CONTROL‘s second and final expansion raises more questions than it answers. AWE is a great on its own, I just wish there was more to it. It feels like it’s going to do bigger things with this crossover, then doesn’t. So I feel like Remedy set expectations a bit too high with this one. AWE is still incredibly well written, has great main and side stories, and the unique gameplay changes things up in clever ways. With the Remedy Connected Universe in motion, things are now falling into place, and AWE gives a glimpse into the future of Remedy’s games and universe at-play that we’ve never seen done before. After all, it’s not a lake… it’s an ocean.
It took me a while to realize how much these interactions, whether it be the interpersonal conversation or combat encounters themselves, stuck with me. Wasteland 3 has rules, but they only exist for you to bend them. With limitless character creation combinations, branching dialogue choices that affect what quests you do or don’t experience, and multiple endings, Wasteland 3 is an expanse of content and opportunity. The change in locale does wonders, no longer relying on a tired post-apocalyptic biome. Wasteland 3 has a wonderful backdrop in Colorado’s frozen wastes, making it the perfect place to spend a nuclear winter.