Star Fox Zero is, simply put, a great Wii U game. While the control scheme is unconventional, it's fitting for a game that goes out of its way to surprise you with additional modes, trophy rewards, hidden locations, and a spin-off with gameplay never before attempted within the series. Which, in a way makes sense. Star Fox 64 was incredible, after all. Of course a game inspired by it would be amazing in its own right. And Star Fox Zero is. Once you find your footing, you'll be proud to be part of Team Star Fox.
Mighty No. 9 is a disappointment. As I went through the game, I saw all the things going wrong and began going through possible corrections in my head. It should have looked like the original prototype. The character designs and lighting were better there. The dialogue and story segments should have been more engaging and dynamic. The special abilities needed more heft. Some last minute polish could have fixed these framerate issues. That made me mad, because if I could see all of these issues that needed to be addressed, why couldn't the developers? With all of the delays this game has seen, why do these problems still exist? Mighty No. 9 isn't a terrible game, but it isn't a good one either. With an end result like this, I feel pity for every person who backed it.
Monster Hunter Generations is about coming into your own. We’ve always been hunters, but now we’re hunting our way. The Hunting Styles are an incredible means of being true to yourself. Even better, we can spend more time enjoying our newfound individuality and actually savoring the game, because we can spend less time grinding for specific materials. The improved gathering means we have an option when it comes to creating our equipment. We can spend hours on it or make do with what we have to move forward. We can even be Palicos! It’s a wonderful time to be a hunter.
Metroid Prime: Federation Force isn’t what you expect when you think of a game carrying the Metroid name. It’s a more freeform experience that encourages you to gather together friends, either locally or online, and cooperatively carry out missions of varying degrees of complexity and difficulty. In the right conditions, it can be wonderful. Find at least one friendly face and you’ll make the galaxy a better place. But, space is cruel to those who choose to go it alone. If you know at least one other person who’ll join the force with you, say “Oorah” and head into battle.
While the promos, commentary, and female wrestler treatment could use more fine-tuning, the rest of the game does a wonderful job of delivering an experience that’s just a bit more impressive than last year’s entry. For now, all we can keep hoping for in each new game is increased accuracy, larger rosters, better treatment of female wrestlers, and fresher color commentary.
You have the freedom to explore San Francisco and see the sights, get involved with side quests, or keep going after Blume. It’s this wonderfully open and freeing experience and, while I can’t speak much to the multiplayer endeavors due to extenuating circumstances, Watch Dogs 2 feels like a stronger, more solid, and more enjoyable game.
Clearly, Dead Rising 4 is rebooting the series. It’s an entertaining beat’em up, albeit one where I haven’t had a chance to play online ahead of launch. I still think it’s a great way to spend the holidays, but people who appreciated the earlier games may want to watch some gameplay videos or try a demo first.
The campaign offers an interesting enough solo experience that lets people gradually face greater challenges. The multiplayer is extraordinary, when it's working properly. It's just that Ubisoft has once again not anticipated the needs of a game such as this. I feel like peer-to-peer wasn't the right system for such a game, and that it would have been better for everyone if this had been a client-server game.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild could very well gone down in history as the best The Legend of Zelda game ever made. I genuinely feel it is the best entry in the series I have ever played.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a game that rekindles a fire you may not have even realized was fading. This racing game is absolutely incredible. It takes Mario Kart 8, an absolutely fantastic game, then improves upon it by offering the sort of Battle arenas and experiences we adored in previous games, the ability to play it anywhere in any way, and various quality of life adjustments. Everything has been tightened, fine tuned and is firing on all cylinders. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe isn't just here to help you coast through the launch window, it is a game that will offer comfortable cruising for years to come.
It's difficult to describe just how good ARMS is. The best analogy I can come up with is that it is to fighting games what Splatoon is to third-person shooters. ARMS is a bright, colorful, and welcoming game. Newcomers can easily hop in and enjoy most of the matches and modes available. Meanwhile, the more dedicated will find themselves developing complex strategies based on characters and ARMS loadouts and captivated by the opportunities to challenge others online. I would not be surprised to see it spawn multiple successful successors.
Everyone will find something to love about the hedgehog's latest outing.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is a game that will surprise people. The level of quality and depth here is absolutely extraordinary. There are some very well thought out levels that involve doing more than just fighting one or two foes. The character movesets mean you'll have favorites you rely on often and others you find yourself needing for specialized situations. The campaign and hub are structured in a way that encourages you to return to retry levels or access new areas with recently acquired Beep-0 skills. It is one of the most charming and detailed games I have played in 2017 and I suspect it will go on to become one of the Switch's most memorable titles.
There are plenty of areas where Destiny 2 is doing well.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a definite improvement over Shadow of Mordor. People who played the first game and wanted to see serious growth will be pleased. There are times when it can feel a bit repetitive. I feel like I would have enjoyed it more if I could have spread the experience out over weeks, picking away at segments and really building up to those major sieges. But the Nemesis system does feel stronger this time around, with orcs that can be rather delightful as you continually fight them or prepare them to serve your own purposes in your army. If you don't take the story too seriously, you should have a good enough time.
Gran Turismo Sport feels like a game people shouldn't be buying now. Rather, it is something that should be revisited in three or six months. There is too much that needs to be done here. While it handles and looks well, with an Arcade mode and online elements that are rather solid, the Campaign isn't fulfilling and too much gets locked away the second online connectivity has been taken away. There are too few cars and tracks here, something that will hopefully be remedied with both free and paid updates. If it gets the proper support, it could end up being a respectable entry in the series. At the moment, Gran Turismo Sport feels like a precursor to greater things.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a game that takes time to grow. People who are patient and invest in the characters, their growth, and the world will be rewarded with a story that eventually goes to some interesting places, people who will be ready to handle any challenge, and a place with lots of areas to uncover. It can take some time to adjust to the speed of the battle system, but even its pace offers opportunities to develop tactics that take advantage of multiple Blades and various character builds. It is a good starting place for the Switch's RPG library, one which will please existing Xenoblade Chronicles fans and give those new to the series a substantial game to enjoy.
Iconoclasts is quite an enjoyable game. It has a strong foundation, with characters brimming with personality and a colorful world. Each location in the world has its own distinct look and mechanics that make you perfect your skills, learn how to use the abilities Robin has, and find new skills that will help you find your way into new spots. It's a game that flows well, where each area might take a second or two to find out what needs to be done, but should rather quickly pick up what needs to happen to help Robin continue her journey and save her world from One Concern.
There are lots of great Warriors games out there. Hell, Omega Force and Koei Tecmo gave us the fantastic Dragon Quest Warriors II and Fire Emblem Warriors in 2017! You can never go wrong with Samurai Warriors 4. Hyrule Warriors is so good, it is coming up on its third port! And there are times when I still swear Dynasty Warriors 4 is the best entry in this series. Dynasty Warriors 9 is not a good Warriors. It is not a good open world game. It is a broken, tedious mess. Fortunately, fans of the genre have plenty of older entries to enjoy. Maybe in a year or two, after Omega Force has more experience with open world installments, we will see the Warriors formula work with this genre.
Kirby: Star Allies is an all-together pleasant game.