Travis Northup's Reviews
The Surge is the most badass game I've played all year, and a must-play title for any masochistic gamer who enjoys getting their ass handed to them regularly. Although the presentation and enemy variety are somewhat lacking, and technical issues occur occasionally, none of these issues come even close to putting a hamper on this thoroughly enjoyable experience. Play. This. Game.
Mass Effect Andromeda is a return to the original Mass Effect game in ways both good and bad. Interesting characters, solid gameplay and RPG mechanics, and the revival of the open-world elements of the series will immerse and delight longtime fans. However, wooden characters, a light story, and plenty of glitches hold this title back from fulfilling its full potential.
Horizon Zero Dawn is an excellent open-world experience that puts fighting towering robots at the center of the action. It’s held back somewhat by its weak narrative, and occasional glitches, but that doesn’t stop it from being the most badass game I’ve played this year.
Dead Rising 4 is bloody, chaotic, and downright hilarious. If you’re looking to turn your brain off this holiday season, and destress with gratuitous violence, this is the game for you.
Gears of War 4 is the Gears revival that fans have been waiting for, and proof that the franchise is in the right hands.
Lichtspeer is nonsensical, bloody, and a joy to behold. It suffers from repetition, and stages that drag on a little too long, but is a worthy experience for those possessing the willpower to tackle this challenging title.
Destiny: Rise of Iron is an excellent addition to Bungie’s open-world shooter, but is held back by a weak story, and a leveling meta that requires a bit of grinding. Overall, Destiny looks, sounds, and feels better than it ever has, and there has been no better time to be a Destiny player.
The Bioshock series is awesome, and The Bioshock Collection modernizes that experience. Although there are a few technical shortcomings, and Bioshock 2 lacks its excellent multiplayer mode, The Bioshock Collection is a worthy investment for fans of the series, or newcomers who want to see what all the fuss is about.
ReCore is the framework of an incredible game with some truly unforgivable technical issues, which greatly deter from the overall experience. You'll enjoy the challenging platforming, and awesome robotic action…in between aggravatingly long loading screens, and deaths via falling through solid surfaces.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice is yet another fantastic game in the Ace Attorney series. The gameplay is better than ever, and the stakes have never been higher, all of which only helps to make one of the best stories in gaming even better. Play this game — you won’t regret it.
The first few minutes of Valley show a lot of potential, but it quickly falls short, and gives way to repetition, a bad narrative, and some downright disappointing game design. Lasting only 3-4 hours, $20 is a steep price for an experience that leaves you bored and frustrated as often as it proves to be an enjoyable experience.
Strike Vector EX is a whole lot of fun to play with friends, but is held back by a few multiplayer issues and an entirely fruitless campaign. If you're interested in immediately diving into multiplayer and murdering a bunch of people in cold blood using a giant robot, then this game is for you…just be prepared for the occasional headache when your buddies accidentally blow you into tiny pieces for the fourteenth time.
Furi kicked my ass, and I loved it. There was laughter, there were tears, but most of all, there was a goddamned great game. The combat is extremely taxing, but fair, and the narrative is surprisingly rewarding. If you’re a masochist, Furi is the game you’ve been waiting for.
The Banner Saga 2 is a worthy sequel to a great franchise. Combat is vastly improved, and the narrative is deep and rewarding, even as the game punishes the player every step of the way. The game suffers from a unwieldy UI, and some poorly placed setpieces that obscure the player's vision in combat, but these drawbacks are minor. I'm already looking forward to the conclusion to this planned-trilogy.
The Technomancer is an enormous open-world RPG with 40+ hours of content that has an expertly-crafted world at its center. Unfortunately, it’s held back by technical issues that are hard to overlook, poor narrative, and unoriginal design.
The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine is a nearly flawless sendoff for Geralt of Rivia, and the world of The Witcher.
Mirror's Edge Catalyst is a gorgeous game that nails the free-running experience that fans want, but lacks an interesting narrative, compelling combat, and a fast travel system that will likely leave many fans disappointed.
Tropico 5 Penultimate Edition is a masterclass city builder with a unique twist that drew me in unlike any other game of the genre. Some of the UI shortcomings are confusing or frustrating, but are not nearly enough of an issue to pass the game up.
Dark Souls 3 improves upon the beloved franchise in almost every way, and, if it is indeed the final entry in the series, is a worthy sendoff.
Automatron’s campaign isn’t very long or particularly interesting, but the longterm effects to the Fallout 4 sandbox are sure to be very interesting, especially as players get to carry their Frankenstein creations to upcoming DLC campaigns.