Luke Brown's Reviews
For the opening few episodes, A New Frontier was as captivating as Telltale's The Walking Dead had ever been. Down the home stretch however, A New Frontier faltered, with the impact and resonance of the finale, From the Gallows, suffering most of all.
The Evil Within feels like a the worst kind of throwback--one that feels stale, uninspired and most disappointingly, boring.
While her story is quite different from previous DLC protagonist Adam Kane's, it's still just more of the same.
As strong as this season has been, the latest episode, "Thicker Than Water," did little to change the stakes or present new angles to its cast. Were it not for the final minutes, this episode may as well have been called "Treading Water."
As a way to show off all these new controls and concepts, Ground Zeroes is a success. As a full game experience, Ground Zeroes doesn't quite stand up. For everything Ground Zeroes does new and exciting, it's just a glimpse into the future of the franchise, and isn't a full-fledged game. Does it have us even more excited for The Phantom Pain? Absolutely. Did Ground Zeroes warrant a full retail release across multiple platforms? That's a bit more debatable. There are just too many empty calories here, and despite all the new facets presented, Ground Zeroes left us wanting.
Resident Evil: Revelations 2's first episode is a welcome return for the franchise, but it's a little lacking in the depth department. The mystery is interesting, but we hope there's a bit more explanation and story to explore in the next installment.
Thanks to a number of issues with the PC port, Batman's adventure is off to one of the roughest starts we've seen from the developer.
Even the strongest of stories can't save Mafia III from falling prey to genre conventions, and too many at that.
While it was definitely interesting to see all the pieces fit together in regards to Dead Rising 3's story, Operation Broken Eagle just doesn't offer enough new content. The experience is over all too quick, and even though there are some extra missions, it all seems like filler rather than a necessary addition. The new weapons are appreciated, but we hope the next add-on has a bit more depth and purpose
Strider wears its influences on its sleeve, but ultimately, this reboot doesn't bring much to the table beyond its stellar presentation.
Knack II calls back to the action platformers of Sony's early days, and though it doesn't do anything remarkable or new, it's a simple and enjoyable escape.
Dead Rising 4 sees the franchise's original hero forced back into action in a sequel that's bigger than any entry in the series before, yet feels more empty and bereft of excitement than its predecessors.
Though some new ground is tread, the first episode of The Walking Dead: Michonne doesn't bring much we didn't already know to the front.
Bioware brought a lot more planets, combat, exploration and mechanics to the table this time around, but more isn't always better. There may be no stronger case for keeping things simple than Mass Effect Andromeda.
While Just Cause 3 offers more of the same action blockbuster excitement of its predecessors, it also doesn't do enough new to make it stand out from its contemporaries.
Powerstar Golf doesn't quite match up with its contemporaries, but it's a solid first effort from Zoe Mode longtime golf gamers will appreciate.
Madden NFL 25 doesn't quite herald in the next generation of football, but it is a much more competent debut.
For the first time in years, a Call of Duty game actually feels like it's more of the same. Infinity Ward's additions to the formula don't always hit the desired mark, and the single-player is a spectacular disaster. The franchise has been derided in the past for its repetitiveness and lack of innovation, but Ghosts is the first entry that lives down to that reputation. Where once Infinity Ward forged ahead with new ideas and bold narrative execution, Ghosts walks down a path we've been down countless times before.
There's actually some fun in traversing the asylum with friends around, or by streaming it online via the PlayStation 4's many sharing options. Plus, there's a decent enough mystery at the core of Outlast, and uncovering it bit by bit can be enjoyable if you're able to get invested. There's just not enough engaging material to keep you from getting bored after a few hours. There's plenty of room in the survival horror market for someone to come along and really revitalize the genre. Outlast just isn't that game.
While not as impressive as its predecessor, Trials Fusion still offered a good sense of achievement, even if it was missing a lot of the fun.