Toby: The Secret Mine is inspired, to say the least. Its not its imitation of previous games that kills it, but its execution of those elements. It had potential, but you've seen this game before.
Although inspired in its kingdom management system, Pathfinder: Kingmaker ultimately fails to innovate in any of its presented gameplay functions. Lacking in writing,combat, and even fun, a game that had potential to change things up just becomes a disappointment.
With a terribly below mediocre campaign, an average zombies mode, and an excellent multiplayer option, Call of Duty: WWII manages to hit all the marks. But not in the way that it should. I had high hopes, and was surprised that the real gem I found was not the one I was originally hoping to. It's not great, it's not good, it's okay.
Tank Troopers is neither a great game, nor a horrible game. It's a niche game aimed at a wide audience, and has its upswings and downturns. Mission dynamics are diverse, with enemies both larger and smaller than you, or faster and slower. Weather plays a role, and your tank troopers are a pretty interesting bunch. The game is frustrating at times, and greatly rewarding at others. My tip: have patience with it.
The ideas of power, giving in to hegemonic cycles just to feel safe, and other gameplay systems are unfortunately overshadowed by the technical hiccups found in the game's software. It's a shame, because this game could have been good.
The Blackout Club is ambitious, but it doesn't have enough variety to make me care for that ambition. Thankfully, there are ways that players can make the game better on their own, filling in what the game lacks, but the game needs to back it up a little more.
Assassin's Creed III Remastered is a mixed bag. It's repetitive combat and lackluster visuals, strung through with a few bright spots of naval combat and exploration, and unique displays of combat. Narratively, the game is as weak as they come. There's no mystery. Just an obligatory plot to finish the fight between the Assassins and Templars. Not to mention the mumbo jumbo with the First Civilization. The game is frustrating and not worth another look.
Anthem is a competent looter-shooter. It is not an overwhelming, hallelujah-inducing entry into BioWare's storied history, but it's fine. I doubt I'll engage with the game past unlocking the final javelin, even though there is that tease at the end of further content.
Combing rooms for items and gadgets can only get you so far when it comes to actual engagement with both the story and gameplay of Lucid Dream, rather than evolving the genre, like the now-defunct Telltale Games did with its one-off hit The Walking Dead, all this title has done is highlight the so-called Adventure Genre's repetitive flaws in an effort to bask in the imagined fun of the past.
The atmosphere is what makes this game. The emotion of the plot succeeds in some places and stumbles in others. The puzzles can be frustrating at times, but not because they're impossible to complete, more so because they seem like filler to extend gameplay time. Overall, the experiences are memorable for the feeling they create in the player, but not much else.
American Fugitive is good in spots. And those spots are fun. But on the whole, the game just barely keeps up with its own scope of ambition.
Red Faction Guerilla: Re-Mars-Tered is, in the end, a terrific, if seriously flawed, open-world game. I do admit that I'm a bit biased against this thing called colonialism, but the writers should have examined the wider ramifications when trying to inject even a semblance of emotional connection into the game. Overall, it's a fun jaunt through the past, and although I'm sure I'll get tired by the eventual repetitiveness, just like all open-world games, it's a great experience for what the gameplay provides.
Embers of Mirrim is an ambitious game. It combines visual storytelling with mechanics that make the player think about how to get through obstacles, and also has a touch of fast-paced escape fights that, while aiming to fill the moment with tension, ultimately falls flat
I've never played this type of game before, and although I didn't necessarily enjoy every single minute of gameplay, it's memorable for the ideas it presents, and the different ways in which it plays out.
Catherine is certainly a fun and challenging game, both in its gameplay and story and character elements. In some of these moments it succeeds, in others, it fumbles, and falls flat on its face. But that doesn't mean it's unimportant, as it is good to learn from mistakes made previously in order to improve at a later point in time.
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden packs interesting combat, open world exploration and lore, and numerous systems that have the player invested in what their characters, but it ends on too early a note to really have any impact.
I want to like this game, I really do. But it's holding me back from doing so. Reading into it, I find a lot of near-depth, but nothing that the game actually employs has much depth to it. There are a ton of amazing aspects that boost the game, but its larger ambitions lies just outside the reach of its execution. But it is worth a try, and an admirable achievement. In truth, I think this game is more a 7.8, but I feel the current rating it has adequately describes its qualities, while acknowledging its flaws.
I have no skill when it comes to playing this game, yet I enjoyed my time with it. The two most important aspects of the game could have used a lot more support, but I choose to view that as a sign of greater things to come from the developers, whether in the form of a sequel or another product.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie Game doesn't try to be anything but fun. There will always be another LEGO game coming out very few months. But this one is pretty good.
A solid remake that shows the highs and lows of the Crash franchise.