Where it sets itself apart from actual ‘90s-era shooters is with its light sprinkling of procedurally generated elements.
CI Games's latest, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3, puts the player's courage and tolerance to the test.
Old Time Hockey's horrendous characters models will hurt your eyes, while its annoying sound effects—which get repeated ad nauseam—will make you want to mute your TV. Those willing to put the game's presentational issues aside and trudge forward with the experience will still more than likely concede after only a few matches based upon the fact that the game just feels poor in all regards.
Akin to cracking The Witness' hardest riddles or acing Super Meat Boy's toughest trials, toppling Flywrench's greatest hurdles provides a sense of satisfaction that is oh-so rare, and oh-so joyous. Tailor made for the masochists who enjoy nothing more than a strong challenge, Flywrench may only appeal to a limited group of gamers, but if you consider yourself within that faction, don't hesitate. Buy it. Now.
Many will argue that Halo Wars 2 can proudly attest to being the greatest RTS game to ever grace a console, and I wouldn’t necessarily argue against that sentiment, but at the same time I’d say that anyone who’s making that claim is clearly trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. Sure, Halo Wars 2 may trump its console-based competition, but when said competition is mostly comprised of disappointing and subpar titles, is that really an achievement worth bragging about? When comparing Halo Wars 2 to its PC exclusive brethren its lack of depth, overly simplistic systems, and shallow design philosophy quickly become apparent. Strip away its stunning cut scenes and its Halo setting and it’s exposed as not much more than a merely average RTS game that’s clearly being held back by the fact that it’s been tethered to a platform that has never, and will never be able to squeeze the full potential out of a Real Time Strategy title.
With each successive bullet they've released from the chamber, Rebellion continues to get closer and closer to the bullseye, but unfortunately Sniper Elite 4 is still a few inches off the mark. The game's maps set a new standard for the series, and the accuracy of the its Authentic difficulty bring the thrill of sniping to new heights, but the game's lackluster A.I., middling presentation, and poor central gameplay loop all scream "mediocre".
Aragami’s well designed levels and fast-paced stealth are a good core, but the game’s list of drawbacks hold it down. Fans of the stealth genre probably won’t regret the purchase, as the game is entertaining and offers rewards for both the pacifistic and merciless play styles as well as an ample amount of collectibles hidden throughout each stage, but players should come in expecting an average-at-best experience that may be marred by technical hiccups and annoying glitches.
Party Hard is excruciatingly repetitive, and it's not helped by the fact that nothing you do in the game is actually fun. Most of the time you're just waiting for targets to isolate themselves, or setting off traps, which may sound exhilarating, but it's really not.
Hyper Light Drifter undoubtedly stands tall amongst its competition, as not only one of the best retro-inspired indie games to date, but simply one of the better overall indie games I've had the pleasure of playing.