I do find myself less engaged than the last episode had me feeling. I'm hoping for a better shake-up of action and exposition for the remaining two episodes because leaving a huge chunk of the latter to fill the middle feels contrary to the game's origins. It's a weird time to be had.
Regardless of my complaints, Toren still successfully brings home an intriguing experience, rife with beauty and intrigue. Its technical merits or lack thereof may frustrate some, but I feel no worse for wear. If you're looking for a short, colorful adventure to entertain you for a few hours, it's hard to go wrong here. Just watch your step.
The game represents social anxiety in all of us and the choices we make each day to mitigate that. But ATRAX Games put all that stuff there to tell you, "This is for you." And it is. Hopefully, this opens up new avenues of understanding regarding a condition that can be life or death for actual people, not just characters in a video game.
I don't regret contributing to this journey in the least, and frankly, I feel like the first half of Broken Age is very much worth experiencing. And that's how I'll rate it—as an excellent first half with a middling second half. What a shame.
I can sense the heart in the project, but heart alone doesn't make a great game unfortunately.
This episode held my attention much better than the previous one, because of better action sequences and more of getting on with the story. I hope Telltale makes me feel more emotionally invested, though.
Morningstar doesn't only appreciate your time, but it's easy on the senses too. There are only a few cut-scenes, but all animations and scenes are nicely done, even though clean, abandoned environments have been done to death.
As it stands, it's just neat, which is not a winning endorsement for spending your money.
[A]s one Iñupiat member put it, this isn't a story about a hero, just someone honoring her commitment to her community and way of life. Addressing that idea through a largely unfamiliar fiction is a refreshing way to remind us to be thankful for what we have.
Frankly, for all the artistic encounters I've had and valued as a gamer, this crosses a major threshold, delivering a valuable experience that doesn't seek to coddle a player's fragile conceptions of purpose and fun. If the lasting impression you receive is unquestionably bleak, you're doing it right. Nobody's going to reward you for even doing that.
The story, the full narrative, is relevant to a lot of children like Ethan Carter and is steeped in sobering realism. For that, I would encourage you to discover it and find him.
While I do believe some players may dismiss the game as a "walking simulator" (as they are wont to do nowadays), Neverending Nightmares falls into the must-play section of the horror genre. Whether or not you find it scary, you'll definitely be disturbed and intrigued as you seek resolution to the madness. There are also branching paths, something the game will point out, but the actions or lack thereof Thomas must take to find them are elusive and will keep players guessing. Get used to the blood.
There are more challenges to unlock in Fenix Rage than I should bother mentioning, including one that butts heads with my infinite-jumping utopia, so it's worth noting that on top of an already enjoyable and cookie-filled game, you'll find yourself revisiting earlier levels again just to maximize your investment. It could go on for a long time, in other words.
With a more engaging story that didn't solely rely on zaniness and/or idiocy to sell itself, Dead Rising 3 could have been more worthy of recommendation. Instead, accept my lukewarm approval of it as a purchase decision.
Ambivalence aside, this is definitely an engaging and challenging story worth imbibing.
Frankly, I'm not sure what the developers were thinking with Sacred 3. The gameplay, of course, screams Diablo III or Torchlight clone, but those games actually provided worlds you could really explore and discover. Also, people really enjoy them. I definitely had fonder memories playing each of them than Sacred 3, and they're not even in a genre I usually play. That should really say enough.
Sniper Elite III is like working from home for me. Although I enjoy the tasks and executing them, I feel like there are ways to make doing them more rewarding and engaging.
At most, I consider Monochroma serviceable, sometimes more than such. Its soundtrack definitely supersedes the other content even if it is not employed too often. Amidst all the other plateaued features the game has to offer, it's not enough to maintain sufficient buzz or convince jaded gamers not to wait for a seasonal sale.
If you're inclined to play a mature game with mature decision-making, I do highly recommend Always Sometimes Monsters. The game smartly tests how effectively you choices play out in the final act, something I don't wish to spoil but Vagabond Dogs deserves praise for.
While the game lacks some of the stronger story beats or super-refined combat, it remains strongly developed and interesting to play. I found myself surprised by the charm The Last Tinker oozes at every step, be it the breathtakingly colorful visuals or the varied and exciting soundtrack.