Elite: Dangerous has core mechanics that work well within the online multiplayer universe, but has many single-player components built-in. Missions tend to get repetitive, but I have yet to exhaust myself exploring a new system or planet. The universe can feel quite empty, even if you are playing with the open-world options. Frontier promises to expand the game with content updates, and if you were looking for a new paint job, they are available for purchase. You'll be sure to experience a new "wow" factor every time you play.
Citizens of Earth is an enjoyable charming retro-inspired RPG with clear inspiration from the SNES classic EarthBound. There are occasional pacing issues, as certain areas seem to be padded with additional areas and enemies. The writing hits the mark throughout, making jokes about the political system and the occasional pop culture reference.
Although the similarities are easy to see, Dying Light is set in a darker, grittier, and more realistic world than the bright and colorful island from Dead Island. Combat lacks limb interaction, but still allows you swipe legs with baseball bats or cave skulls in with heavy items. The game peaks when you are playing with a few friends, either completing missions, challenges or just roaming to uncover all the secrets of Harran. The mission structure leaves a lot to be desired, but throwing additional players into the mix keeps the game from feeling like a chore.
The sheer amount of things that can be done in Harold is astounding. I never thought an endless runner game could become as complex as the game Mood Spider has created, and yet I've found myself drawn to the challenge. Even after acing the practice segments, adding in the additional racers creates a new dynamic. Less hand holding and full on old-school experience, Harold's gameplay is only surpassed by the top-notch animation and vibrant visuals.
You're enjoyment while planning the big escape in The Escapists depends on how much you enjoy building out your own fun in a sandbox prison environment. Watching a plan unfold is undoubtedly satisfying, but putting the plan in motion can be tedious. According to the developers, the game will eventually allow gamers to create and share their own prisons, given you a reason to keep the game installed long after you've escaped the included eight prisons.
The Order: 1886 will embrace you in a unmatched cinematic experience and the shooting mechanics are solid. The overall short time you are actually "playing" the game is a major disappointment. There are no advancement options for weapons and the only collectibles in the game are audio logs, photographs and newspapers. There are trophies for finding them all, but no indicator of which items you may have missed. Let me be clear: I did enjoy my time spent with the title, but with no clear reason to trek through the adventure multiple times, combined with the fact it can be beaten in a single afternoon, The Order: 1886 is a rental at best.
As challenging and frustrating I found some of the stages in Aaru's Awakening, I felt a sense of accomplishment seeing my name listed on the top ten. Bosses slow down the relatively fast-paced stages, too slow for my likening, but still provide a unique take on platforming encounters.
Being available across all three of the PlayStation platforms, Helldivers allows anyone to play together regardless of platform. The content of the game is the same regardless if you are playing the console or Vita version, with the visuals being the key difference. The Vita version features lower resolution environmental and character model textures, horrendous aliasing, and is missing many of the small details that are in the console versions.
It has been over 15 years since the original Homeworld was released, and within that time many games have attempted to build upon the success without much aplomb. Homeworld Remastered Collection stands the testament of time allowing a new audience to experience what began over 15 years ago, and had every gamer looking into the night sky.
Hand of Fate is an entertaining adventure that will impress tabletop fans and action RPG fans alike. The combat is solid, although a bit on the simple side, but the game provides a deeper challenge about halfway through the game. Earning tokens even when you lose helps with progression and every new card you gain can mean the difference.
Switch Galaxy Ultra is an evolution of the previous titles from Atomicom, with 60 FPS, impressive visual improvements, and an intriguing comic book-style narrative sequences. The lack of online presence is disappointing, but with over 50 levels there is plenty of game to play through. However, if you hit the progression wall thanks to Tantalum, you may lose your drive to finish all of the levels.
Without a doubt, Axiom Verge is one of the most complete games I have played in a long time. Not only was it created entirely by Tom Happ, but the passion he has for the game clearly has shined through the final product. Surprisingly the game has an intriguing narrative, complete with plenty of hidden notes and messages; some will even require translating. The game even contains a Speedrun option on the main menu, eliminating the dialogue and cutscenes, and standardizing some of the randomized elements in the game. Tom has even added a checkpoint hud, allowing you to keep track of your pace through each boss. I may have only found 66% of the items, and uncovered 87% of the map, but that hasn't stopped me from instantly hopping back into the game for a second run. As far as "Metroidvania" games go, Axiom Verge sits at the top of my personal favorite list.
Although the focus in Shiftlings is on cooperative multiplayer, the game can be enjoyed solo if you want to experience it that way. The first set of puzzles don't pose that much of a challenge, but you'll benefit from a partner for the majority of the puzzles in the game. That is of course if you are in constant communication and have someone willing to work as a team.
White Night is a valiant attempt at moving the adventure horror genre in a different direction, setting the mood with an atmospheric playground. Repeatedly replaying sections of the game due to ghost placement and a poor camera angle can grow tiresome. While a automated checkpoint system may have solved this issue, it could have produced it's own issues of players blazing through the game without the worry for consequence. The visuals and the tension are the key factors of the game, but I would like to see a more refined effort.
The action can be fierce in Paperbound, but the game should be played in short bursts. The small amount of game modes, and the lack of online multiplayer restricts the longevity of the title. If you are able to gather a few friends, Paperbound will provide an enjoyable old-school arena multiplayer experience for a quick hour or so.
With everything being said I am Bread is still an entertaining romp. Although I've had to restart levels a couple of times, I enjoyed taking a slice of bread on a journey of fulfilling its life goal of being toast (and destroying the man's house in the process).
Toren is the first release from Swordtales, and I feel the game could have used a little bit more time to iron out any of the technical issues. There are optional important story sequences that are easy to miss, so you may want to fully explore regions. Randomly falling through the floor randomly, and being able to see through the character models at times is inexcusable, but the narrative of rebirth and completing one's destiny no matter the adversity is well put together.
Since the initial reveal trailer back in 2013 CD Projekt RED promised to deliver a truly next-generation open-world experience with The Witcher 3, and CDR has succeeded in creating one of the best games I've played in recent memory. The writing is top-notch and isn't limited to the main story quests, as I found that the side stories in the game to be some of my favorite moments, feeling like short stories that stand on their own merit. Even after 120 hours, I still have hundreds of points of interests to discover, and plenty of quests to complete. Even at the tail end of the game, I was discovering brand new towns, waiting for a savior.
The Masterplan offers a completely open-ended approach to all of the game's heists, allowing you to return to the locations to test out different tactics. Heists may feel repetitious if you happen to replay them without changing your tactics. I've completed each of the heists multiple times however, using different tactics each time helped kept everything feeling fresh.
The console (and Vita) release of The Bridge doesn't bring anything new to the table from the original 2013 PC release (considering it already had controller support). Those who skipped the PC release (like myself) will be treated to one of the most surreal puzzle games released in recent memory. Depending on your aptitude for logic-based puzzles, you may breeze through the game, or spend ample time rewinding and resetting puzzles. The simplistic control scheme and slow-pacing helps to make the game casual friendly.