Is there space in the gaming world for a first-person platformer? Absolutely, but I feel like the design decisions behind Mirror's Edge Catalyst limit the number of people it will ultimately appeal to. If it is "for you," you'll probably love it. If you're not sure about the first-person viewpoint or limited navigational tools, though, I recommend giving it a rental or a try-out with a friend's copy. It's a good game, but I can't guarantee it's one you'll enjoy playing.
If you enjoyed the original Dying Light, The Following keeps its base gameplay but adds a fresh perspective with the wide-open rural setting, mysterious story, and the dune buggy. There's plenty to see and do here, though you'll have to look off the beaten path to find the most interesting bits. If I had some good fun as a dyed-in-the-wool zombie game naysayer, I'm sure you z-fans will appreciate it quite a bit. Techland definitely put in a ton of time and effort to give the popular Dying Light the kind of expansion it deserves.
Story of Seasons is a strong entry in this venerable series of sim games. It includes a ton of activities, some nice system upgrades like streamlined farming and complex manufacturing huts, and a much-improved localization over previous titles. It's a bit lacking in the story department and has a few questionable design decisions like the spread-out rental fields and a lack of farming help, but farming fans should be quite pleased with the overall experience. In a world where most simulation games have moved to the mobile marketplace and include obnoxious timers and microtransactions, it's wonderful to see this good old series keep evolving and improving. Farm on, my friends, farm on.
Super Smash Bros. for 3DS is absolutely a great game. It retains all the action, polish, and fun factor that makes the series wildly popular with a wide range of gamers. However, the game gains little and loses much on the small screen. As much fun as it is to play, it's going to be more fun, more attractive, easier to control, and hopefully more online-capable on the Wii U. I won't say that you shouldn't buy the game on the 3DS, but I will suggest that the Wii U version is probably the game that you really want to play. The excellent roster and various other improvements found on the 3DS only make me more excited for the big-screen version of the game that is to come.
Paper Mario: Color Splash has a lot going for it. Most of the time, it's the kind of game that simply brings a smile to your face as you enjoy the fresh world and amusing dialogue. If it weren't for the tedious side effects of the card system and the disappointingly unoriginal cast, it could be a genuine Game of the Year award contender. As it is, it's still thoroughly worthwhile for its enchanting paper world (and the attendant tunes) alone.
CounterSpy is an excellent addition to the PlayStation Network with enough style and unique gameplay mechanics to make it stand out from the pack of side-scrolling platforming/action titles. Those of us who are old enough to remember the Cold War will particularly appreciate the game's style and humor, but it's an entertaining title for anybody who likes some good old-fashioned stealth action. Its later levels can be a bit frustrating, but its espionage challenges are enough fun that you'll want to keep trying until you reach the final mission.
There are wonders indeed to be found in the No Man's Sky universe, but not everybody will be willing to put in the time and effort needed to discover them. This game is a technical marvel that patient, detail-oriented gamers will love.
Destiny has been a fascinating experiment, but at this point it could use a reboot from scratch in order to truly fulfill its promising premise. Rise of Iron makes the best out of what's been done, but what we really want is a new Destiny with a bold, cohesive story and a rock-solid expansion plan. Go forth, Bungie, and deliver.
Despite its open-world growing pains, Gravity Rush 2 is a charming game that's well worth playing, both for its story and its quality action moments. I just feel that it would have been a stronger overall title if it were more streamlined and leaned more on its best qualities rather than shoehorning in activities that don't match with its action-packed, gravity-shifting theme. Still, with a bit of patience for its foibles, I think you'll find that Kat's adventures in this weird world are quite worthwhile.
Final Fantasy Type-0 may have started life as a PSP game, but its mysterious world and fast-paced combat are still an exciting mix. Shame about the voice acting and interface, though.
Despite its oddball shortcomings, Risen 3 is a solid open-world RPG packed with entertaining characters and challenging combat scenarios.
Vibrant and full of personality, but has also tightened up the series gameplay so you'll actually need to pay attention, strategize, and conserve your resources to defeat its challenges.
Entwined is one of the better digital games to be released on the PlayStation 4, although a lack of strong competition weighs into that estimation. It's lovely and challenges gamers in an unusual way, but it is also hampered by an awkward (and possibly painful) control scheme and dropped frames. Still, if you're one of those head-patters and belly-rubbers, it's only $10, so why not give it a try?
Overall, Dr. Luigi certainly scratches that virus-busting itch, and is especially fun with two players. Fans of the series and Tetris addicts shouldn't hesitate to pick it up from the Wii U eShop. It's the kind of game that doesn't need to change a great deal between versions, and its designers have wisely stuck to the basics while adding some entertaining twists to the gameplay with Operation L.
I'd definitely recommend Disney Infinity 3.0 for families with kids who adore Star Wars, as well as for gamers of all ages who love Disney and enjoy creating their own games and levels. If you don't fit into either of those categories, I'm not sure that the game holds its appeal past a few hours of play set fun, and that's a shame considering how much money you need to sink into the game's starter set and any additional characters and play sets you might want to buy. Though I enjoyed my time with the game, I couldn't entirely get past its bugs and quirks. Disney Infinity 3.0 is still leaning on the many possibilities of community-generated content and endless opportunities for customers to empty their wallets for plastic doodads, and not everybody is going to be willing to prop it up.
Personally, I found this remaster to have improved things just enough to cement me as a fan of Twilight Princess. The world is far more vibrant than before, and turning off motion controls removes almost all the frustration I experienced with the Wii version. I have an enduring affection for Twilight Princess' idiosyncrasies, creepy Malo Mart and all, and I'm glad we've had the chance to see the title refreshed for the HD generation.
On one hand, Tales of Hearts R is a paint-by-numbers game that does little to stray outside of the usual series boundaries. On the other hand, the strong character dialogue, dungeon puzzles, and Chase Link combat system inject a lot of energy and entertainment into the title. It's not a video gaming masterpiece, but its fun to play. As long as you're tolerant of the lack of English dub and don't mind the anime style and plot, it's an RPG that's very much worth picking up.
The open-world/sandbox RPG genre that Bethesda helped create has moved on and done some amazing things. It's even spread into and influenced other genres like action-adventure and MMORPG-shooter. My hype to see how Bethesda would interpret all these innovations and incorporate them into the Fallout setting turned to disappointment when I stumbled through a game that features the same poorly-implemented combat and all the same old Gamebryo engine annoyances and glitches we've been dealing with for years. Fallout 4 will provide some good old-fashioned fun for players who are looking for a prettier Fallout 3 (now with Minecraft!), but it could have and should have been much, much better than that.
The Elder Scrolls Online features entertaining quests, dynamic combat, and a whole lot of other people. Sadly, those other people largely feel like an unnecessary addition to the game.
There is artistry behind The Last Guardian's concept, but in stumbles in execution, creating a journey that is far less fascinating than the relationship that lies at its story's core.