Daniel Perez
Grim Fandango is a game that should be experienced, plain and simple. The combination of story, presentation, and atmosphere come together in perfect harmony to offer arguably one of the best point-and-click adventure games ever created.
Nintendo has released an all-new Mario vs. Donkey Kong title for both the 3DS and Wii U that not only offers more of the same, addictive puzzle gameplay, but new features that will improve its replayability a great deal.
While God of War 3: Remastered may scratch the nostalgia itch we all have for Kratos-related mayhem, it doesn't offer anything more than a good-looking trip down memory lane. If you have yet to play the original God of War 3, this would be a great opportunity to do so, but those who don't want to have their memories tarnished due to a lack of bonus material may want to steer clear of God of War 3: Remastered.
Unravel strengths lie more in its heart-warming story than offering compelling gameplay. Even though there are some thought-provoking puzzles, they're few and far between. There's no doubt Yarny is quite the adorable little mascot who has good intentions, but a video game can't succeed on good intentions alone.
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth is the first time a Persona title has made the jump to the Nintendo 3DS platform, though Shin Megami Tensei IV offered a similar experience last year. While it offers much of the Persona experience fans will enjoy, such as the deep and challenging combat system, ability to fuse Personas, and unpredictable story, there are still some things fans of the series will certainly miss. The inability to randomly explore your surroundings or to take one of your friends out for a bowl of ramen in order to improve your bond with them is one I missed greatly while playing Persona Q. The social aspect plays a major role for the Persona series, and to see such a vital part of the equation missing is disappointing.
I feel Project Cars won't receive the mass appeal games like Forza Horizon 2 or DriveClub have received. Instead, only those who are really into realistic driving simulators may flock towards Project Cars, although they might get bored easily considering there really aren't any unique game modes either. It carries a sense of realism in spades, but there isn't much under the hood.
The Crew is quite the ambitious undertaking by a brand-new development studio that offers some fresh ideas for racing games, but it hits a few bumps and roadblocks along the way.
Resident Evil fans will have a serious case of déjà vu when playing The Evil Within. It offers much of the thrills and creepy environments that make the series so enticing, along with some of its frustrations.
Microsoft and Universal Pictures teamed up for a special version of Forza Horizon 2 set in the Fast & Furious world. The result is a racing game that feels more like a demo than a legitimate expansion pack.
If you're a long-time fan of the series, you'll find something to enjoy here, but if this is your first time behind the wheel, you're going to want sit this one out and check out some of previously-released Need for Speed titles.
Headlander proves to be a nice distraction in the midst of the Summer drought season as I enjoyed its humor from start to finish. While its humor helped carry me to the end, the literal disconnect of the character's head from his body turned into a figurative disconnect as its story wasn’t engaging enough. It has some nice Metroidvania moments, although it sputters towards the end to only rely on its color-coded components to keep me out of certain areas, which felt like a cheap way to finish the game.
Whisper Willows is a good effort by an indie studio as the art style drew me in from the moment I first saw it, but it lacks any sort of depth as its puzzles aren't difficult to figure out and it's story, as horrific as it turns out to be, didn't really entice me.
As Capcom continues to churn out remakes, each seem to get better than the last based on consumer feedback. Resident Evil 0 HD has the amount of visual and auditory polish I'd expect from a Capcom remake, with the same frustrations I've had with early entries in the iconic series. With that said, Resident Evil 0 HD should easily cater to fans of the series, but without the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia, I came away more frustrated than impressed.
Hatred is a game that basks in controversy for the sake of controversy, while doing nothing to keep the curious interested in seeing it through.
A golf game developed by some of the people who brought us Burnout seemed like a great idea on paper, but it was poorly executed as globetrotting means nothing in this game, it isn’t very well optimized on PC, and its repetitive gameplay can get old real fast. The only saving grace Dangerous Golf has is its multiplayer modes, especially it’s party mode. Although I’m sure you can find something else to play with friends that has both a good single- and multi-player experience.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 is not only the worst game in the franchise's history, but it may very well be the worst game to be released this year. Yes, worse than Hatred.