Anthony Taormina's Reviews
Rock Band 4 offers the same party-focused, addictive experience as its predecessors, but potential song limitations and price point will hold it back for some.
Galak-Z: The Dimensional is a challenging omnidirectional space shooter with a vivid art style that takes pages from 8-bit classics and popular anime.
With a greater focus on receivers/cornerbacks and a fantastic new Draft Champions mode, Madden NFL 16 represents a vast improvement over last year's game in nearly every way.
Until Dawn puts player choice above everything else, and for a horror game that's rather unique. But be warned that the game is more interactive movie than game.
Days Gone offers a lot of excitement when facing off against its Freaker hordes as Deacon St. John, but some generic open world elements and gameplay hold it back.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game Complete Edition offers modern consoles a retro beat 'em up with a top notch soundtrack.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is easily the best compilation that TT Games has put together. Visually stunning, mechanically evolved, and endlessly entertaining, the game puts its foot on the gas and never lets off. Pacing issues and simplicity aside, the fact that the devs could revisit games they literally already made and make this package feel fresh is an accomplishment all its own. No matter how players might feel about the stories of the three trilogies, it’s hard to argue this is the best video game representation of them that just so happens to be LEGO.
Disney Illusion Island is a great introduction to the world of Metroidvanias that will put a smile on anyone’s face. It might be simple in some ways but the design, writing, and fluid gameplay are solid enough that the experience rarely feels repetitive or uninteresting. Mickey and his friends have been mainstays of gaming culture for decades now, and Disney Illusion Island brings those characters to a new generation in a way that feels modern and approachable.
'Wolfenstein: The Old Blood' succeeds at delivering more of 'The New Order's excellent gunplay, but derivative enemy encounters and the lack of compelling narrative weight it down.
'Borderlands: The Handsome Collection' packages the best and worst entry of the franchise together, making it a difficult proposition for casual fans.
'Battlefield: Hardline' puts a clever spin on the 'Battlefield' formula, but a serious identity crisis keeps it from being a solid step forward for the franchise.
'The Order: 1886' is bursting with creativity when it comes to design, narrative, and setting, but its gameplay is far too linear and derivative to be worth a full price purchase.
When 'Evolve' hits all the right notes it succeeds at delivering a tense and dynamic boss battles, but if just one thing goes wrong it loses its appeal rather quickly.
'Dying Light' hides all of its best gameplay behind a frustratingly steep learning curve and boring fetch quests, but shows potential once players dig a little deeper.
'Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris' is a suitable successor to Crystal Dynamics' isometric adventure game, but does little to impress.
'LittleBigPlanet 3' shows flashes of potential to current-gen gamers but comes across as a proof of concept more than anything else.
After nearly a dozen releases, the LEGO franchise has found a concept and a set-up that work well, even if it doesn't stretch the limits of gameplay ingenuity. It is for that reason that LEGO Batman 3 serves as a solid entry in the library, but not an exceptional one.
It runs with minimal loads, has a wondrously vibrant color palette, and the sound is exceptional on home theater systems. But ultimately, players' need for more Peggle will dictate whether they pick this game up now for $12, or wait for the inevitable, and likely cheaper, mobile release.
Valiant Hearts is confident in its direction and thoughtful in its design. As a puzzle-focused, story-driven experience it isn't going to be for everyone, but those who relish the days of LucasArts' point-and-click adventures will certainly find a lot to enjoy here — doubly so if you are a history buff.
[T]hose who can get three or more friends together for a lengthy Sportsfriends play session will come away feeling like they did back when local multiplayer was an endless addiction fueled by caffeine and heated arguments. Some of the games are more successful in delivering that feeling, or in generating excitement, than others, but as a whole the collection works more often than not. Get a group of friends together – even those who might not be particularly adept at video games – and you'll likely have a good time.