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.
Everyone will find something to love about the hedgehog's latest outing.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Overall, Five: Guardians of David is an entertaining Diablo-like. It's a loot-heavy adventure with unique characters that each have their own specialties and skills. It isn't perfect, as the save system could have used a little work and there are some minor battle issues, but it's enjoyable enough and constantly rewards you for playing. Plus, it never feels like the items you're getting are going to waste, since you can donate them for additional perks. It's an interesting and substantial action RPG for people who want a religion-based historical experience that isn't too preachy.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam has personality. There's a little bit of extraneous filler here, in the form of papercraft battles and optional amiibo cards, but people who chose to focus on the delightful story, fantastic battle system, and assortment of mini-games will be more than happy to join Mario, Luigi, and Paper Mario on their adventure.
Think of Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon as a title where the endgame is the reward for enduring a plot where the dialogue is repetitive and lackluster, characters take way too long walking you through every little thing, and you have to spend about 20 hours earning your right to do whatever you want. Once you do get over that hurdle, Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon can be one of the best entries in this series, but you really have to earn your freedom.
WWE 2K16 does so many things right that a little forgiveness is in order. Everyone involved seems to recognize that mistakes were made with WWE 2K15 and went out of their way to send the series in the complete opposite direction. The disconnect between character's appearances and occasional stiffness speaks more to a lack of polish than effort, and the result is a generally positive experience that helps renew faith in yearly WWE installments. In fact, WWE 2K16 is so comprehensive, I imagine people will have trouble finding reasons to upgrade to WWE 2K17 next year.
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is a game that leaves you wanting more, for better or worse. You want more loot, or at least confirmation that when you go through the same tedious level again, you'll find exactly the item you need waiting at the end. You want more of a balanced challenge, with a single player that feels like it could be handled alone or a multiplayer that performs perfectly under any condition and is worth replaying. Most importantly, you want a real reason to keep returning to the game and not just a prospect of a pretty new look for the Link-alike. As is, The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes feels like something you play, beat, then only return to if you're certain two people you know genuinely need aid to acquire necessary materials.
A copy of this game was provided by the publisher.
The accommodations made to ensure the inputs are perfect for your setup, the ability to customize everything right down to the vocal parts, and crisp presentation make for a game that people will want to keep in their living rooms and enjoy for weeks, rather than play once then pop into storage.