Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain is a phenomenal game. It is a credit to its quality that some rather substantial flaws do little to drag down the game, and even with them, it's destined to be remembered as one of the best titles this year. The variety and quality of gameplay make it a delight, and there's a lot of fun to be had. Metal Gear fans and newcomers alike should find a lot to like here. If it is the end of Kojima's Metal Gear career, then it's a high note to go out on.
Disney Infinity 3.0 is a solid update to last year's edition, and fans will have a lot to like. It seems more focused on addressing complaints and shoring up weak points than it does in reinventing the wheel. It largely feels like an excuse to introduce the Star Wars juggernaut to the franchise, and it's certainly a good move. The Star Wars characters and play sets alone make it a worthy purchase for young fans of the franchise. Having Tony Stark and Han Solo team up to beat up Syndrome is just icing on the cake.
The humor doesn't always hit, but it's amusing enough to carry the game through its 12-hour running time. Perhaps the only real flaw is that the game swapping so constantly between genres means it can never quite settle into a groove, and certain fun elements go underutilized. Fans of old-school JRPGs should find a lot to like in this loving homage to the classics of the genre.
Until Dawn does what it is aiming to do well. It's a near-perfect adaptation of an average slasher/monster film. It's a fun romp through a horror movie, and the tension of all characters being able to live and die contributes well to the overall feel. At the end of the day, though, it's not exceptional and lacks replay value.
The Adventures of Pip is an example of a perfectly fun platformer. It doesn't do anything exceptionally well, but it's a solid and well-made game. The only things really holding it back are the short length and the unavoidable feeling of repetitiveness that sinks in toward the end. Anyone who is a fan of platformers will find a lot to like here, and the core gameplay stands well enough on its own that I enjoyed the game from almost beginning to end. A little game with a lot of heart, The Adventures of Pip is easily worth a playthrough.
Deception IV: The Nightmare Princess is a surprisingly sadistic guilty pleasure. It's tough to match the satisfaction of seeing a well-planned trap chain go off. Unfortunately, the fun lasts about as long as that satisfaction does. If you can spend hours setting up deathtraps for helpless humans, then you'll have tons of fun with The Nightmare Princess. However, longtime fans may not find enough extra content in this version for it to be worth the money. This is a solid entry point to the franchise, but only the most hardcore should double-dip with the last-gen version.
J-Stars Victory Versus+ has a lot of heart, but that heart doesn't guarantee good gameplay. Players who are looking to see a slam-bam mashup of their favorite fighters will have some fun with it, but the unbalanced and repetitive core gameplay and lackluster story mode don't do the game any favors. The title is boosted somewhat by the obvious love for the properties, but at the end of the day, the gameplay needs to be better to keep up. There's still fun to be had, but J-Stars Victory Versus+ is for die-hard fans only.
Onechanbara Z2: Chaos promises two things: fan service and zombie killing. It delivers on that but not much else. XSEED's lively translation and the sheer fun of zombie killing make it an enjoyable enough romp, but low production values and repetitive gameplay really drag it down. It's difficult to fault a game for wearing its heart on its sleeve, but it feels like more time was spent on skimpy costumes than level design. It's slightly cheaper than most games but not cheap enough to be an impulse buy. You'll get plenty of what Onechanbara offers, but don't expect much else.
At the end of the day, God of War III: Remastered is God of War III again. It's still a solid game with breathtaking visuals and fantastic production values. Any strengths or weaknesses of the original game are still present. The only thing that really holds back God of War III: Remastered from being a must-buy is the $40 price tag, which is too much for a single game with minor touch-ups. Fans of the series might be willing to jump on it, but anyone else would be better off waiting. If you decide to pick it up, you'll find a fun and fully featured game with some of the best visuals on the market.
Batman: Arkham Knight is an awesome game that's held back by some forced design decisions. It's brimming with detail, polished to a fault, and has some of the best gaming moments of the year. The improved combat and predator systems are worth the cost of entry, and a lot of the core combat mechanics are still the best in the genre. Unfortunately, it's held back by a somewhat weak Batmobile mechanic and a lackluster plot. There is still tons to like here, and fans of the previous Arkham games will find a lot to love. It's a fitting end to the trilogy, and it's a great sendoff to the Rocksteady Batman games.
Shovel Knight is a modern classic that takes the 2-D platforming genre and modernizes it. There are minor complaints here and there, but they're easily overlooked when you're having so much fun playing the game. The PlayStation 4 version runs perfectly, and since it's a cross-buy with the Vita version, it helps to make it feel well worth the $14.99 price tag. If you're a fan of Mega Man-style platformers or are looking for something that's both challenging and fair, Shovel Knight is a worthy purchase.
The low price point and episodic release of Resident Evil: Revelations 2 don't hide its status as a budget title. It has its strengths, including some pretty cool monster design and fun puzzles, but by and large, almost everything it does has been done better by another RE title. RE fans will enjoy themselves, but otherwise, there isn't a ton to boost Revelations 2 above its predecessor. It's not a bad game, but it lacks any real strengths. The Raid mode is the meat of the game, but it can only hold one's interest for so long.
It says a lot for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt that, warts and all, it's absolutely one of the most full-featured, fun and top-notch RPGs I've ever played. For every moment of frustration, there are 10 that make it all worthwhile. The story, characters and world are simply enjoyable, and it's a clear example of what an RPG should be. There's so much to do, and almost all of it is interesting. You could ignore the main plot, just do the monster-hunting side-quests, and still get your money's worth from the game, and that's one of the highest recommendations I can give. If you're an RPG fan, you owe it to yourself to give The Witcher 3 a shot. It rivals the best that Bethesda and Bioware have to offer, and you'll be hard-pressed to find a better RPG this year.
Story of Seasons is a solid entry into the Bokujou Monogatari franchise. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it's full of content, and almost all of it is fun. It has a few flaws, and poor optimization and a slow early-game progression curve drag down the experience. Once you past that, though, it's just plain fun. Whether you're wooing bachelors, raising parrots or planting crops, you have a near-infinite amount of stuff to do. It can get a bit grindy at times, but there's nothing more rewarding than selling your farmed tomatoes and watching the cash roll in. Story of Seasons is easily the best of the Harvest Moon games available on the 3DS, and it's a great entry for fans and newcomers alike. It isn't for everyone, but if you're looking to till soil instead of kill monsters, Story of Seasons is a great candidate.
With all of its content and features, Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker is the definitive version of the game. It's a well-made strategy-RPG that fans of the genre will enjoy. The Triangulum arc is a significant addition to any already lengthy game. In the long run, though, most of the new features are not worth buying the game on its own. If you're a fan of the original Devil Survivor 2 and want to re-experience the original or if you're a newcomer, it's a fantastic purchase. Those in it just for the new Triangulum arc may want to wait for a price drop, since the arc alone isn't meaty enough for a full $50 purchase.
DmC: Definitive Edition lives up to the name. Almost every change is for the better, and while there are a few things to quibble about, it's rare to think of a single port that has had such a significant impact on the core gameplay. It's clear that Ninja Theory worked out the best way to try to address user complaints. Add in the bundled DLC, and the title is even a good experience for those who played through the original. Definitive Edition doesn't quite live up to the heights of the earlier titles in the franchise or recent entries like Bayonetta, but it's a solid action game.
Etrian Mystery Dungeon is a solid game that conveys the strengths of both franchises involved. It has the tactical and brutal combat and exploration of Shiren the Wanderer and the character-building and style of Etrian Odyssey. Only a few things, like awkward AI design, hold back the game. The problems are annoying but can be reasonably worked past, especially once you understand the game mechanics. If you're a fan of both franchises, you'll find a lot to like here, and it's a great starting point for fans of one to get into the other. It doesn't break new ground for either franchise, but it's a simple, fun and addictive synthesis of both.
Bladestorm: Nightmare is a game with a limited audience. RTS fans will find it too simplistic, and Warriors fans will find the pace to be too slow. It doesn't hit the correct buttons to competently fill either role. The Nightmare-exclusive additions are almost all positive and well-implemented, but they're a thin coat of paint on an increasingly dated product. The game lacks any punch, and it has too many problems for its strengths to shine through. If you're desperate for a RTS on consoles or were a fan of the original, then give this a shot, but most fans will get more enjoyment out of playing as Joan of Arc in Warriors Orochi 3.
Bloodborne is easily an early contender for game of the year, and it's the best PS4 exclusive to date. It captures the immensely strong design of Dark Souls and mixes it with high-intensity combat. The new setting and mechanics keep the title feeling fresh even while it retains many familiar aspects from the Souls games. Some minor problems, such as an occasionally poor frame rate, lightly tarnish the experience. Bloodborne is a must-have for any gamer who isn't afraid to die. The intense, fast-paced gameplay and grim world combine to create an experience that's both familiar and distinctive. It's time to die all over again.
Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is a hard game to judge. As a PSP title, it's impressive and contains a bunch of content that clearly pushed the tiny system to its limits. However, released four years later as a full-priced $60 console title, it's lacking. It's still a solid game, but it demands that you remember its roots and overlook some of its foibles. A lackluster HD remastering doesn't make that any easier. The poor visuals and low-quality visual upgrade make this feel like a low-effort port. Despite that, it's a fun game with a fast-paced and exciting combat system and a boatload of things to do, although it's held back by a weak plot and some awkward design decisions. Despite the game's many rough edges, Final Fantasy fans will find much to like here, and it's a solid game for anyone who wants an action-RPG for the PS4.