It's a real pleasure to play Homeworld Remastered Collection, especially given the rarity of real-time space strategy games, and Gearbox Software has done a great job of upgrading the audio and video. The gameplay in particular holds up very nicely, and proves that the original was well ahead of its time. Unfortunately, it's held back a bit by its clumsy interface, and formations are currently quite broken, which will hurt its standing with long-time fans. But all that said, it's hard not to love Homeworld Remastered Collection's striking and memorable space battles, which have very much stood the test of time.
Episode 2 is effective in picking up where Episode 1 leaves off, but is content to mostly move the pieces around the board in an effort to setup the rest of the story. Though not nearly as shocking as the first episode, it nevertheless manages to raise the stakes at both Ironrath and King's Landing, setting the stage for a very interesting Episode 3. If the teaser is anything to go by, the next installment will prominently feature a wedding, and we all know how those go in Game of Thrones...
My general sense is that this is only the beginning for Elite: Dangerous. The foundation is strong, the community is dedicated, and the development team is committed to building out the world for what appears to be a long time to come. Give it a year or two, and I expect Elite: Dangerous will have a huge amount of new content. As it is, Elite: Dangerous is still a fascinating and entertaining space combat sim with nearly unmatched scope, which more than makes up for its gigantic learning curve and lack of structured content. If you've spent the past decade pining for a new space combat sim, then you'll find a happy home in Elite: Dangerous. I'll see you there.
Adapting a prestige cable drama like Game of Thrones is no easy feat and could have easily ended in embarrassment for Telltale Games. Thankfully, they've done a very good job of capturing the show's often depressing essence, setting the stage for an intriguing story to come. With the show's fifth season still four months out, Iron from Ice proves itself a very good appetizer for one of the most popular series on television despite the occasional technical hiccup.
Ardennes Assault represents an intriguing twist on the established Company of Heroes 2 formula, introducing a strategic element that adds to the scope of the combat and offers a more complete picture of the Battle of the Bulge than has typically been possible in a real-time strategy game. In that, Relic's latest standalone expansion represents the best elements of real-time and turn-based strategy, making it worth playing for anyone who appreciates the form and likes to see it taken in new directions.
As a tribute to all things Nintendo, Super Smash Bros. can hardly be topped. The attention to detail afforded to its characters is matched only by the comprehensive nature of its soundtrack and stage selection. On top of that, the Wii U brings with it a huge amount of single-player and multiplayer content, putting it a notch above its similarly strong handheld counterpart. Running through Classic Mode and the like to unlock characters can be the tiniest bit tedious, and the Amiibos don't stand out as a particularly worthy addition, but there's otherwise very little to complain about in this excellent high-definition update of Nintendo's much-loved mash-up.
Pokémon remains as unique as they come among RPGs—a monster collection game that effortlessly blends social gaming with deep battle mechanics. In returning to the series' third generation, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire bring back many of the elements that defined the originals while also being some of the most accessible entries to date. That said, they can be a little too easy at times, and the postgame content feels a bit lacking in light of what's come before. Regardless, they are enjoyable remakes that appropriately capture one of the more peculiar periods in the series' history.
Dragon Age: Inquisition is a graphical showcase for the next-generation consoles—a sprawling, beautiful open-world RPG with a deeply satisfying exploration loop and just enough in the way of mechanical depth to keep hardcore adventurers happy. At more than 50 hours for a single run through the story, it packs in a tremendous amount of content across a wide number of locations. After stumbling a bit of their past few releases, BioWare has recovered to deliver a truly excellent piece of epic fantasy.
Tasked with leading Call of Duty into the next generation, Sledgehammer Games is off to a cautious start. Advanced Warfare executes the formula competently while adding a handful of bells and whistles like mechs, laser cannons, and double jumps; but Sledgehammer Games seems reluctant to really cut loose and push the setting to its fullest potential, making Advanced Warfare a solid but ultimately unexciting entry in the series.
I was worried going in that Civilization: Beyond Earth would be little more than a re-skinned Civilization V with a few added bells and whistles; but thankfully, the flow, structure, and overall feel of the strategy makes for a very different game. At the same time though, it embraces its roots, while also playing its sci-fi inspirations to the hilt. Firaxis Games can still take the concept further, but ultimately, I like the foundation they've laid with their latest foray into science fiction strategy.
Lightweight but inventive, Costume Quest 2 feels like a Pixar adventure masquerading as an RPG. It goes out of its way to keep things simple... perhaps too simple at times. But its simplicity is redeemed by its terrific art and wry sense of humor, and most importantly, the sheer fun of its premise.
NBA 2K15's scope and ambition as a sports sim is admirable; and though its execution doesn't always match its vision, it's still an altogether polished and impressive package. Even if you don't care much about basketball, it's worth checking out for its highly entertaining MyPlayer mode alone. Once again, Visual Concepts has nailed what makes the NBA so appealing to a wide swath of people.
FIFA 15's improvements don't jump out right away, but they rapidly manifest themselves in smarter teammates, livelier stadiums, and more tactical gameplay. Beyond that, FIFA 15 is still a remarkably polished and complete experience, boasting excellent career modes and a variety of touches like Seasons mode and Match Day Live that remain unmatched by other sports sims. NBA 2K may yet challenge it for supremacy, but for now, FIFA remains the best all-around sports sim on the market.
Given the technical limitations of the Nintendo 3DS, Sora Ltd. and Bandai Namco have done an admirable job with this port. At its core, Super Smash Bros. is both a loving tribute to Nintendo and a surprisingly deep fighter, and though it hasn't changed much over the years, its appeal is strong as ever on the Nintendo 3DS. The solo experience is admittedly lacking, but as a multiplayer game, it remains a delight.
NHL 15 is right to focus on improvements to the gameplay and the presentation, but they aren't nearly good enough to justify the cuts made elsewhere. It dazzles out of the box, but it doesn't take long for the upgrades to feel shallow in comparison to what's missing. Ultimately, NHL 15 feels like a major misstep for a franchise that doesn't necessarily have a lot of room for error.
Madden NFL 15 is an enjoyable football game on the surface, but it's dragged down by a thousand little issues, including a poor interface, odd glitches, the inability to skip certain cutscenes, and more. As nice as it is to see it take a step forward in terms of accessibility, it still has a ways to go before catching up with the likes of FIFA and NBA 2K.
Wii Sports always felt more like a starting point than an endpoint, so it's kind of funny to be playing it again on the Wii U close to a decade later. It's an odd legacy for the motion control era, which once showed so much promise. But even if Wii Sports Club isn't apt to last solo players more than a weekend, it's a robust enough package in its own way, and its credentials as a party game are impeccable. If you're looking to play something with your parents, it's tough to go wrong with Wii Sports Club.
If the purpose of an expansion is to not only introduce new content, but also extend the life of its core game, Reaper of Souls delivers. Act V might seem a little light, but Reaper of Souls' new features and Adventure Mode make it an essential purchase for anyone with even a passing interest in Diablo III.
Ground Zeroes is definitely fun while it lasts, and it offers an interesting taste of what is to come in Phantom Pain. As appetizers go, it's terrific. Just don't expect a full meal.
Battlefield 4's below average campaign is once again disappoints, but the excellent Conquest mode and large-scale combat is enough to carry the series for another year. Pretty much status quo for EA's top multiplayer shooter.