Stone Tales is a good proof of concept with a unique art style, but its gameplay feels undercooked. The imprecise nature of spear throwing, combined with several cheap moments, undermine the experience. But above all else, the game just doesn't have anything particularly interesting to show off besides the visuals. Short games are one thing and some great experiences come in small packages. If only Stone Tales had a hint of something interesting.
It's simple to just say that Starpoint Gemini 2 isn't for everyone, but there are fundamental issues that really make this game utterly impenetrable. The presentation is generally of a good standard, and though the performance falters at inconvenient moments, it's how the game deals with teaching players how things work that's most disappointing. We've seen space simulations that work on consoles, but this particular trade isn't worth what they're offering.
While I wasn't completely sold on the limited inventory space available, the penalties for death, and the initial ease of the game, Steamworld Heist made for a great time. Tactical combat on a 2D plane is hard to make engaging and the occasional urgency of the short levels made for some badass moments where a sharp shot sealed the deal. A competent, if completely different second outing in the SteamWorld universe.
Typoman's appeal boils down to whether or not you're willing to invest in shorter games that are content light, yet have genuinely interesting ideas that are beyond what's come before. By using words as an aesthetic and gameplay device, it writes its own reasons for why it is unique. My only wishes were that the platforming was tighter and that it had a few more levels. Typoman is over far too quickly for my liking, but this is high praise for what it did in its short time.
Fallout 4 is hugely ambitious and without a doubt one of the best games this year. It's not without its flaws, but very few games made me care more about what I was picking up, how to use it, what choices I made, and even the communities I'd founded. By streamlining some mechanics, Bethesda has made room for other more complex ideas. If you can forgive a few technical imperfections, of which there aren't as many as prior instalments, Fallout 4 exceeds all expectations.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is an action-packed tour-de-force that, while derivative at times, is a fantastic romp from beginning to end. This sequel learns some of the lessons of its predecessor by making the game more like a recognisable Tomb Raider game, while at the same time implementing some new features and impressive visual design. While not quite the globetrotting adventure some were hoping for, Rise of the Tomb Raider is well worth playing.
As such, it's tougher to recommend BlazBlue: Chronophantasma Extend to those wishing to get more out of it than a solid fighting game experience. However, the two new characters that join the growing cast are great additions and the conversion to the next-gen consoles is almost completely successful. If you're not intimidated by the competitive scene or if the massively convoluted plot doesn't faze you; BlazBlue: Chronophantasma Extend is a good choice for scratching that pugilistic itch.
Sadly, The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes doesn't quite wow the catwalk. It may have the character, control and theme down to a tee, but the dungeon design is nowhere near as tight as those from the main franchise. If you have the right minded people playing locally or using some kind of voice chat, you will have a blast if you can get past some of the flawed dungeon design. While far from a fashion disaster, The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes does need some touching up.
Those looking for a spooky adventure for Halloween can certainly find one in Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water. Taking photos of ghosts while trying to keep dry is enthralling, while Mount Hikami's forests and shrines are among some of the spookiest locales in the franchise. Once you have gotten used to the mechanics though, it's far too easy to just plough through the game and the characters themselves are almost as vacant as… well ghosts! An enjoyable treat at least, but not enough tricks.
Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash is one of those rare examples where the previous games were more interesting in concept. There's possibly something there for someone younger to sink their teeth into and it is adorable throughout, but this is a standard platformer with a great deal of padding and not all that much innovation. Overall, a competent platformer that plays it safe, but one that is also painfully drawn out.
By making some smart efficiency decisions, it's easy to recommend Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance to newcomers and veterans of the franchise, with some excellent new mechanics and tweaks to old favourites. You can literally sink hundreds of hours into this should you feel the urge. While I didn't really engage with the characters and narrative as much this time around, the action and sheer wealth of content more than made up for it, dood!
It's difficult to overlook a lot of the flaws with Blood Bowl 2, but at the same time if you have a group of likeminded people willing to create a league, then this is a great if somewhat limited option. It's everything you'd expect in a Blood Bowl game, with a great tutorial for newcomers and a coat of paint, looking as good as the Citadel Minatures you'd see in the window of a Games Workshop.
Cast of the Seven Godsends will find its audience among those wanting that Ghouls n' Ghosts experience, but in its current state it is largely unplayable thanks to the frame-rate working against you all the time. But its biggest sin is that it has two extremes: hard as a rock, or a piece of cake. There's no middle ground that would have made my time with it more enjoyable. I admire the art style to a point and the game had some great ideas, but it's no Ghouls n' Ghosts.
There are plenty of challenges in Pumped BMX+ for the price point, but at the end of the day it boils down to whether you'd like a mobile game on your PC or console. Sadly, it just doesn't offer anything beyond the capabilities of the mobile version and it's a tough sell as a result. While it's technically a good port of an iOS title, it just isn't enhanced enough for my tastes.
At its heart, Runbow is a game to break out during a big gathering, rather than play on your own. Nothing is more fun than hooking up controllers and playing with a whole bunch of your friends for a night, and Runbow offers that in spades, provided you have all the Wii Remotes and attachments at your disposal. It's the perfect fit for the design philosophy of Nintendo's consoles lately and a great debut from 13AM Games.
The only major things that hold Armello back are things that either can be fixed or are purely subjective. Personally I feel the random element is a little too on the nose, but like all good board games, there are going to be those who really dig that particular feature. Armello's a fantastic example of a gateway board game and also a great way to spend an hour or two with friends who may not be able to get around a table.
As such, Mega Man Legacy Collection feels incomplete. It doesn't feature any of the games that launched after the heyday of the NES era and even then brings them to modern systems with performance warts and all. Yet somehow with the six games it does bring to the table, it provides enough for fans to indulge in with challenges and archive artwork, while also bringing in new players with conveniences such as the save system.
Games like this live or die by their multiplayer community and while it's sad to see no such community thrive for a competitive platforming racing game, maybe this isn't the best game to mourn for. Its dated looks, slippery controls, and occasional bugs don't exactly help, but the lack of originality compared to both Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams and Speedrunners just highlight the problems with this copy and paste effort. Go play Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams instead of this.
As an educational tool, Beyond Eyes did a great job of teaching me of the struggles people face when their vision is impaired. Rae's way of seeing the world through memories and senses creates some fascinating insights, together with some genuinely appealing watercolour visuals and brilliant sound direction. As a game though, Beyond Eyes is about plodding through a maze with barely any meaningful plot until right at the end.
As light on gameplay as it is, Everbody's Gone to the Rapture is as beautiful as it is thought provoking. It's hard to find fault with its technical prowess, showcasing just how detailed interactive media can be, but on top of this we have a narrative that is disjointed yet somehow works wonderfully as it increases curiosity, and music that is poignant in all the right ways. If Dear Esther was pretentious, in my eyes, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture can only be described as enrapturing.