Truly, I believe that we'll be seeing a lot more of Overwatch in the years to come. Blizzard has a great track record when it comes to long-term support, and given how good it is out of the gate, it can only get better from here. Blizzard has truly snatched victory from the draws of defeat.
Outside of Shogun 2, Total War: Warhammer is my favorite Total game to date. Developing this project must have been a massive undertaking, because it somehow manages to not sacrifice the core tenets of the series while staying true to the ever-expanding source material of the Warhammer universe. After nearly two decades of historical battles, having the chance to command a magical undead army is a breath of fresh air.
Yet with all that baggage, Minority Media has created something unique that's rarely seen in the industry today. Time Machine VR succeeds, without a doubt, in becoming a weaponized therapy session, allowing people to potentially overcome their fears. Whether that's aquaphobia or what have you, the intimate nature of the presentation isn't something I've experienced quite yet in other VR titles. Virtual reality truly is a new way to engage with games, and an experiment that I look forward to seeing bloom in the years to come.
Beneath Battle Worlds: Kronos' archaic veneer is a strangely satisfying strategy game. Just make sure you’re the right candidate for the job before buying in.
At 10 hours, Hearts of Stone is rather brief given the sprawling scale of Wild Hunt, but with that brevity, it never overstays its welcome. It melds well with the overall themes of the core adventure even if it feels wholly detached from it, but sometimes all you need is more Witcher-based antics.
I'm not sold on Battleborn's commitment to the MOBA genre but there's something fun there underneath all of it. I'll probably hop on occasionally to play Capture throughout its lifetime while the bulk of my efforts are spent on more polished shooters.
With each season they have iterated on the already strong foundation, creating more content and characters, all of which gel together in spite of the fact that it went through a developer change.
Only for the most hardcore VR enthusiast, Bazaar gets the job done if you're looking for cheap thrills for an afternoon. Like most tech demos, it could stand to have most of its facets expanded upon (full-on flight would be cool), as developer Temple Gates Games is definitely onto something.
Forget Crysis, The Climb is Crytek's best achievement in a long while. Is it worth $50? That depends entirely on how sold you are on VR.
King’s Quest: Once Upon a Climb isn't the most enthralling tale I've played, but I'm still very much all-in on the series and was grinning throughout. It's a nice slice of life with a likable cast, and with the goodwill this reboot has gained so far, that's all I need.
What We Deserve is an action-packed conclusion, but I wouldn't necessarily call it satisfying. It's interesting, because this Michonne series in general hasn't been the best side project, but it's far more satisfying than say, Jurassic Park, which was a failure all around. Grab it all on a sale if you really like the first two seasons.
Sega 3D Classics Collection is an uneven package, but nothing outside of Altered Beast is what I would consider a "bad game." With several useful features and 3D effects that actually have effort put into them, it was a joy to play some of these for the first time, while reliving some great memories from others. Since the games that are available on 3DS already are generally priced at $6 each, nabbing 10 titles for $30 with a physical box and some extras isn't a raw deal.
Trackmania Turbo is an amalgamation of arcade racers from over the years, and the attention to detail really shines through.
Hearing about how different Star Fox Zero was compared to its inception, it's almost like Miyamoto jettisoned most of the new ideas in favor of playing it safe due to complaints from testers. Even with Platinum's involvement, it's a confusing project that isn't quite sure of itself, wanting to try new things while simultaneously reigning it in. Despite these blemishes, I enjoyed my time with it.
Enter the Gungeon is a fun action game that is sure to satisfy bullet hell enthusiasts and those of you who love twitch shooters.
It's not as impressive as Der Eisendrache or the aforementioned Shadows of Evil though. This is mostly due to fatigue from the same cast that has been around since World at War, as there's only so many times you can hear Steve Blum call a zombie a "freakbag" before your eyes start to roll in the back of your head. I really liked seeing Heather Graham kick Lovecraftian ass in the base Black Ops III map.
Bravely Second is a missed opportunity in many ways. It's too similar to the original to woo a new crowd, and any risks it takes are narrative-centric and mostly fall flat. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to still be playing JRPGs in 2016, but it's more important than ever for studios to avoid resting on their laurels.
Initially, I wasn't all that excited to hear about a Ratchet & Clank reboot, but having actually played it, I don't mind seeing a resurgence at all. This feels like a last-ditch effort for Sony to bring this series into the spotlight again, and honestly, I hope it works out.
Where We are the Dwarves fails to deliver is mission balance, plain and simple.
Esper 2 constantly reminded me of a bygone era and the future of VR at the same time. It borrows a lot of inspiration from classic PC adventure games, but also manages to inject some of its own signature humor in and usher us into the new dawn of virtual reality without feeling like a tech demo -- even if the experience itself is fleeting.