Overall, the Aliens vs. Pinball package is another worthy addition to the Pinball FX 2 library. All of the tables are balanced nicely for loads of scoring opportunities, and there are lots of distinct elements in each one to bring you back for one more round. Most will gravitate toward the Aliens table, but there's enough quality in the other two to make them worthwhile. Even if Alien day is never repeated again, at least players have this nice set of pinballs tables to commemorate it.
Unfortunately, Coffin Dodgers is a mess. It squanders its interesting premise, and races are plagued with poor track design, ineffective weaponry, and a lack of meaningful content. The multiplayer fares about as badly as the solo game, making it a blessing that this isn't online, and the constant frame rate issues sap any potential fun from the title. Unless you're willing to pay for a quick boost to your Trophy count, there's no reason to touch this title.
If you can forgive the controls, Azkend 2: The World Beneath can be a fun puzzle game. The fidgety nature of the analog stick and the imprecise movements of the directional pad make it very easy to commit mistakes, something that didn't occur in either the PC or mobile iterations. If you can live with that, then you've got a puzzle game that provides a decent amount of challenge and replayability without feeling like it goes on far longer than it should.
In the end, the genre change doesn't hurt Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart. The story may be straightforward, but the characters and their personalities make things enjoyable. The gameplay may not bog you down with too many systems and minutiae, but it remains fun. The simple nature of the strategy and some slow elements, like enemy movement, may irk genre veterans, but for fans of the series and those who are starting to get interested in strategy RPGs, Hyperdevotion Noire is worth a shot, especially if the developer patches up that crash.
Much like the internal woes that befell titles such as Duke Nukem Forever, it is unknown if Homefront: The Revolution would have benefitted from some stability behind the scenes. What is known is that the result is a title with some potential that was never fully realized for one reason or another. The idea of running guerrilla-style missions and liberating areas in an open Philadelphia may not be new, but it remains appealing. The missions, however, are rather monotonous, and the game drags on due to the lack of a solid story and characters backing it up. The multiplayer meets the same fate, since the co-op experience is dulled by a lack of level variety. Coupled with a number of bugs and other technical issues, it's difficult to enjoy The Revolution since the beginning of the year was unusually crowded with quality titles.
Invisible, Inc.: Console Edition is tough. Porting quirks aside, the missions can be quite difficult if you're careless in your strategy, and the randomization means that using brute force to make your way through the title isn't feasible even at the lowest difficulty level. That difficulty is also what makes the game fun, and a more defensive approach to turn-based strategy makes things interesting. The title has a very solid presentation and promises longevity due to randomization, so strategy fans will undoubtedly enjoy Invisible Inc.
Abraca: Imagic Games is a good party game for those who don't want another minigame collection. The cooperative and competitive aspects seem oddly put together at first, but the experience ends up being fun after just one round with the main concept. The presentation fits in rather well with the theme, and although the other modes are not as fresh as the main one, they're fun in their own right once you accept the limitations. While it would've been nice to see the multiplayer branch out into online modes, Abraca is a good choice for those who constantly have friends over.
Your enjoyment of Doom is going to depend greatly on the mode you're playing and your acceptance of the tweaks to the classic formula. In multiplayer, you'll have fun as long as you keep in mind that this is a blend of every other multiplayer first-person shooter instead of simply being Doom with prettier graphics. If you're playing the campaign, it feels like a welcome evolution of the series, since the classic elements meld rather well with the modern touches. If your attention is on Snapmap, then you'll find that the game has some long legs thanks to an easy-to-learn system that has already produced loads of content for solo and multiplayer situations. Either way, you're getting a complete package that celebrates the pure adrenaline-pumping action that brought so many to the genre in the first place. Doom is absolutely a worthy entry to any genre fan's library.
Stranger of Sword City can be a little archaic as far as mechanics go, and it certainly isn't very welcoming for those not already accustomed to the slow first-person, dungeon-crawling style. It is, however, very deep in the gameplay department and showcases new mechanics to complement a rather long campaign. A very different experience for those who aren't into the portable systems, JRPG fans who want something more distinct should check out Stranger of Sword City.
With a basic but solid presentation, it's a good alternative racing title for those who want something other than the direct competition offered by almost every other entry in the genre.
It may not be the second coming of the isometric racer, but BlazeRush is fun nonetheless. The core combat and racing systems are pretty easy to pick up and master, and the physics system is a nice addition. The weapons and power-ups are quite good, and the length of the campaign means that the game has a good bit of life to it, which is essential since the online multiplayer is dead. If you don't mind going solo or have a bunch of friends who want to play locally and don't mind the quirky camera, then this is worth a shot.
The aloof nature of Beyond Dimensions may make it intriguing at first, but it doesn't hold together in the end. The adherence to many roguelike conventions is good, and the choice of a randomized spell system keeps things fresh until you unlock the spells you want for the big run. The variations in theme are also good, but the static order in which those themes appear can be disappointing when randomization governs every other aspect of the game. Though combat can be good due to the possible spell variations, the simple enemy AI can bring that down while the presentation feels too simple when scrutinized. In the end, Beyond Dimensions isn't a bad roguelike twin-stick shooter, but it could definitely stand to be better.
For those who love the obstacle style of racing and platforming, Action Henk is a treat. The level designs are great, and the simple controls and mechanics make it easy for anyone to pick up. The presence of ghosts and leaderboards gives it a little bit extra to make the whole thing addictive – enough that you may concentrate on getting the best time for one track despite others being available. While it would've been nice to have some of the PC features here, there's still enough gameplay to keep one occupied. Action Henk is a very good title that should be in your platforming library.
In the end, Acorn Assault: Rodent Revolution isn't anything truly special. The basic mechanics don't tax the player as far as strategy goes, and while the match-three mechanic is a nice touch, the inability to correct your infantry and item placement as well as the randomized draw of what you have at your disposal can be an annoyance. Still, the simple mechanics are easy to understand and pretty solid if you can deal with the inherent limitation. For those looking for the simplest possible strategy game that's also easy to understand, give this one a shot. Veterans might want to take a peek, but don't expect to stay with it for very long.
Since it's lacking options that PC players have come to expect, Nordenfelt is a hard sell for fans unless they see it at a tremendous discount or grab it as part of a bundle.
Dark Souls III leaves the PC space the same way the original came in. The gameplay remains challenging but much more refined, with a faster combat system and a bevy of options. It comes in with a very beautiful presentation on both visual and aural fronts, besting the consoles in frame rate and other effects due to the platform's scalability options. However, the various crashes can be bothersome, and the temporary fixes rob the game of either player choice or graphical fidelity - depending on which fix is chosen - something that is made more annoying due to the lack of forthcoming patch news. Still, the game remains a great example of how to accomplish a finale, and once the issues are ironed out, Dark Souls III is another near-masterpiece in the genre.
Though it is by no means the definitive version of the title, Skullgirls: 2nd Encore is a great fighting game for the Vita. The fighting and presentation are excellent, and there are plenty of modes to sink your teeth into if you're tired of getting pummeled by the online community. Though it has some excellent teaching tools for those who want to understand the nuances of the system and characters, the blurred text makes that a more daunting task when compared to the home consoles and PC. Sitting at the upper echelon of fighting games on the portable, this title belongs on your Vita's memory card.
In the end, Dungelot: Shattered Lands is a surprise. It seems simple on the surface, but the numerous game mechanics make for quite a deep game. The difficulty level means you'll spend a good deal of time grinding to get stronger, but conquering the dungeons is satisfying since you'll open up a few other scenarios prior to making another dungeon run. Those looking for a casual but challenging roguelike should try out Dungelot.
The Witch and the Hundred Knight: Revival Edition is a difficult game to like. It has a battle system that is challenging but boring to use since it fails to take advantage of the gameplay mechanics. It has a decent story that is bogged down by uninteresting and unlikeable characters. It also doesn't have much for older players who want to find an excuse to return to the game. If you don't mind the quirks and rough attempts at humor, then you may enjoy The Witch and the Hundred Knight.
In the end, Slain! is very much a game that employs style over substance. It gets the look down, and the music fits in nicely. While the platforming is passable, the combat feels half-baked. Combine that with a myriad of bugs both big and small, and the game disappoints all around. While the hope is that the developers get some patches in soon to improve things, it's very difficult to recommend Slain! in its current state to anyone when there are plenty of better alternatives.