Doom is a game that I did not ever expect to be remade, but it feels great. The combat is fierce, and the game's focus on combat is right on target. The guns feel solid, and the monsters feel vicious. The game looks great and plays smoothly with music and sound that is responsive and as intense as the action in front of you. The glory kills and arenas keep the blood pumping from beginning to end and you definitely earn those upgrade points. Although the load times can be a little annoying, the levels themselves play without any issues after the initial load. Overall, the game is an excellent package, bringing Doom back into modern gaming with the spirit of the old gameplay intact for long time fans and adding features that enhance the experience. If you have a PS4 and you have a passing interest in shooters, do not miss this excellent game.
South Park The Fractured But Whole builds on the previous game to provide better mechanics with a greatly improved UI to power its superhero-inspired story. Outside a few individuals, your favorite South Park residents are well represented in a crazy, fully explorable world that only South Park could create.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is a solid entry in a series that manages to perfectly balance between its goofy, intense, and sometimes sad scenes. The battle system is revamped, and punching someone's face has never felt better. The visual and sound improvements are fantastic, and the game is stuffed with fun things to do at every turn. If you are a fan of the series, this is an incredible experience. This is also the last journey of one of the gaming's toughest characters, and he could not ask for a better farewell.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider has some of the best visuals and sound of any game this year. This last entry in the trilogy has improved every aspect of the previous two games while adding some new ideas. Exploration is both thrilling and satisfying, and the excellent tombs are enormous puzzles waiting to be discovered and conquered. Other than a few minor audio and video flaws, the story and characters fall just a little short of greatness, but that won't keep you from enjoying an amazing game. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Lara finally realizes her full potential, and it is quite the ride.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is the perfect sequel to The New Order. Everything has been improved from the enemies and weapons to the visuals and sound. The game has a great story too. If these are the last days of single player, we could not ask to go out with a better bang.
Episode 2 is the great tasting, less filling sequel to episode 1. It throws more action at you and digs a little deeper into the characters that episode 1 was only able to introduce. I am still digging the Bruce Wayne part of the story, and Selina Kyle’s character is very engaging. There are some minor technical issues, but they do not prevent you from enjoying the total experience. If you like Batman or enjoy the way Telltale Games creates a world, I have no reservations recommending this game.
Batman: The Enemy Within - Episode 1 has more action and character building with better writing than previous entries. The Riddler is a terrifying, yet oddly sympathetic villain, and he is a great contrast to Batman. These are the perfect ingredients in an episode that felt very contained and complete by the end while still leaving you hungry for more. Please do not make us wait too long, Telltale.
The Bug Butcher is a fun arcade game that has you chasing and killing alien bugs to clear out a laboratory. Along with the clever writing, the music and art style work together to create a great presentation. Even though it is short, it adds a lot of value by encouraging you to play for a higher score, giving you a separate Panic mode, and providing a local co-op mode. If you are looking for your next obsession, try The Bug Butcher.
The first episode of Batman: The Telltale Series sets a foundation that gives Bruce Wayne the same narrative importance as Batman. The game allows the player a lot of choice throughout the episode to determine how both characters will respond to the world and shape it through those responses.The new engine, the voice acting, music, and sound breathe life into a two dimensional Gotham. The graphics are definitely the best Telltale has ever produced, but there was a slight, but noticeable, judder in a couple areas. The story and dialogue are very good. This is only the first episode, but it promises great potential for future episodes.
With a beautiful art style, Last Day of June tells a heartbreaking story about Carl as he tries to reverse the events of the day that took his love, June, away from him. Although the puzzles are on the easier side, the story told without any dialogue and the powerful soundtrack make this a great game for anyone who loves a good story and wants games that can make them feel something.
Episode 4 brought back what I enjoyed about the series. The plot and characters were more interesting, and the choices were tougher with bigger ramifications. The villains are actually evil in this episode, and the pressure for everyone is pushing to an explosive conclusion. No one walks away from this unscathed, and that is how I like it. If episode 3 let you down, episode 4 will pick you back up.
Wulverblade can be finished in a few hours, but this retro beat ‘em up packs a punch. The presentation uses solid visuals and engaging sound as you push the ancient Roman army out of Britain. With multiple modes and difficulties, there is plenty of value here for anyone looking to swing a sword and cut your way to freedom. You might even learn a historical tidbit or two along the way.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided gives the player a lot of choice in how to solve problems, and is arguably its most interesting and powerful feature. You can really tailor the game to your preferred play style of stealth, action, or a mix of the two. This choice extends to the story, and, considering Adam Jensen is never Mr. Enthusiasm, that is a good thing. Outside some minor issues, the visuals are good, and the music is solid. The story and world are why you should play this game, and they deliver. The ending could have been a little more gradual, but it sets up the sequel perfectly. We can all hope to not have to wait five more years to get the answers this game leaves waiting to be explored.
Aaero is an on-rails shooter mixed with a rhythm game, and the combination works very well. It offers multiple levels of difficulty and a no-fail mode to ensure everyone can play. With a stylized neon world, boss fights, and some good replayability, I would recommend this to anyone looking for their next rhythm game fix.
Elite Dangerous is a simulation with a steep learning curve, but the freedom to explore the Milky Way Galaxy and its 400 billion star systems is unlike anything else on the PS4. Whether playing solo or with friends, you have multiple ways to earn credits to buy and fine-tune your newest space chariot with better parts. You can also just be a tourist on a sightseeing trip. Even though it does not have PSVR support, if you have wanted to go to infinity and beyond in your own ship, this may be the closest we get to the real thing. Despite any other issues, that sense of realism makes Elite Dangerous easy to recommend for anyone who has ever dreamed of voyaging across the cosmos.
Strategy games are still rare on consoles, and Reus is a good example of the how to make a game easy to play but difficult to master. It does not offer the amount of choices or depth that a 4X strategy title would offer, but if you are willing to put the time into it learning how the game needs to be played, you will find an enjoyable strategy game unlike any other on the PS4.
Despite being a very good episode, I thought it was still a step down in character interaction, and it fell a little flat in some places. Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle are fine, but they do not seem to have the same pizzazz, either separately or together. I love villains more than heroes, but I never felt like the episode gave me enough reason to actually fear Oswald Cobblepot as The Penguin, instead of a petulant figurehead. Harvey Dent was really the one to watch as he begins his slow, downward descent from bureaucrat to beast, and I hope the next episode will be back to the usual, lofty standard.
Blasters of the Universe brings something new to the PSVR with its VR bullet hell concept, and the game works well. The guns have plenty of customization options, enabling you to adapt your weapon to your personal style. Grand Master Alwyn and his forces are challenging in casual and hell difficulties, and the extra modes give a shorter game a little replayability. If you are looking for something a little different and have some extra room to move, give Blasters of the Universe a try.
Cities: Skylines – PS4 Edition is a great game for your inner city planner. With a simple interface and an excellent menu system, you can build anything from an ideal small town to a smog-filled metropolis. Although I had to wait sometimes to make my next move in the game, it is still an easy game to recommend to anyone looking for a dynamic, city-building sim without a lot of other unnecessary parts.
Abzu is a beautiful experience, and the visuals are some of the best I have seen all year. The soundtrack for the game is something that needs to be heard and seen in context to truly be appreciated, but it is good enough to give it a listen separately. The game is relaxing and peaceful to play. If there are others in the room, they will be entranced. Unfortunately, the game is extremely short and does not offer much variety. If this type of game appeals to you, buy it immediately. If not, you may want to wait for a sale. Either way, I look forward to visiting the world again soon.