Homefront: The Revolution is a reboot of a mostly acceptable game. A reboot that brings about nauseating visuals, lackluster combat, and a dull narrative. An impressive customization feature is far from enough to save this sad installment.
While a lot of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 fails to impress, there is a decent amount of potential to be had in this Beenox product. It is clear that Beenox is a talented developer, but being forced into developing a movie-game that has a predetermined release date is a near impossible situation for anyone. Here's to hoping that brighter futures are in front of Beenox. If not, there will most certainly be a new Amazing Spider-Man heading our way in a few years.
The WWE 2K series has experienced a very rough transition to the "next generation" of consoles. After two straight years of solid releases in WWE 13 and 2K14, Yukes has hit a wall. As it is in wrestling, when you hit a wall, you have to figure out what to do next. One thing is clear, this series has taken a large step in the wrong direction. A character change may be required in order to get this series back on track.
Shooting Stars can provide some thrills due to its solid bullet-hell focused gameplay systems. The mechanics are tight and the special pick-ups diversify the combat a bit. But at the end of the day, its comedy feels more painful than enjoyable. The fact that it is thrown your way constantly only makes it more unenjoyable. It simply feels forced.
The world of Mad Max is a wonderful and interesting one. It features a host of characters that can be very enjoyable to follow. They have great designs, and, in the case of some, even better character narratives. But the meat surrounding Mad Max feels derivative and tired. The mission structure constantly disappoints, and the hand-to-hand combat provides no thrills. If it were released five years ago, Mad Max could have been revolutionary. But it was released in 2015, so Mad Max will be just another open-world adventure lost in the dust.
Agents of Mayhem is a very interesting game with some wild concepts, many of which didn't seem like they would work out. While the combat is enthralling, the mission design surrounding it is consistently disappointing. The city of Seoul is wonderful and begging to be explored, but that's not something Agents of Mayhem encourages through its design. Agents of Mayhem is hit or miss, but has more misses than hits.
To this day, I call Assassin's Creed II my favorite video game of the past generation. It was truly a masterpiece. Unfortunately, the Assassin's Creed series has become a shell of its former self. Syndicate tries hard to recreate some of the magic, and even creates some smart new features, but it ultimately falls short. If Assassin's Creed Syndicate had been in development for another year, it could have been a thrilling mid-1800's adventure. Instead, it sinks into comfortable mediocrity.
The WWE video games were a bad installment away from becoming a laughing stock. Thankfully, WWE 2K16 introduced a strong new feature, as well as one of the best Showcase modes the franchise has ever seen. The MyCareer mode still needs a lot of work, but the basic premise is still one that can succeed. With the largest cast of wrestlers the franchise has ever seen, 2K and Yukes have done a solid job righting the WWE 2K ship. That being said, there is still a lot of work to be done.
Ultimately, Grow Home ends up feeling like a product you really want to love, but is unable to produce the content required to hook your attention. It presents a lovable character, but that character lacks a meaningful world to participate in. If there were better visuals or a stronger story, the strong main character would have been able to develop more and become an integral part of the game. As it is, the game is focused on sprouting vines, which is, no doubt, fun as hell. But that fun begins to fade away when you are forced to slowly make your way up a large tree, in what seems like the slowest way possible. As previously stated, Grow Home feels like a piece of a very enjoyable video game, but by itself it lacks the power to stand on its own two feet.
Prey's sound design and soundtrack are some of the best to come from a game this year. Unfortunately, a lot of the aspects surrounding that hamper the potential set up from the game's impressive opening hour. The combat is a source of frustration, and the load times neuter exploration. But if you're able to look past that, Prey can provide some thrills.
Believe it or not, dating simulators are not the highest forms of entertainment. Despite this, they do have their place as those weird ass games that some people get way too invested in. They are similar to sports games, in that respect. Those sorts of people will find some enjoyment in Kitty Powers’ Matchmaker, as it is a perfectly acceptable one of those games. That being said, if you want a dating sim to get a lot of traction, you need to go full on with the silly features. More ridiculous farting mini-games, less “trendy” dialogue… these are the recipes for success. While you get glimpses of the intentional stupidity this kind of game needs in order to succeed, you do not see it often enough for it to work.
Excitement was high for Techland's full Dead Island team to put a new game, and for good reason. They are clearly a group of very talented individuals that know how to create some enjoyable gameplay mechanics. In Dying Light's situation, their great mechanic, the free running movement, can be overshadowed at times by climbing frustrations. It feels as if they need to take the ideas from Dead Island and Dying Light and mesh them together into a wonderful product. Dying Light features some truly serene moments as you glide from building to building, but once that serenity halts, so does the player's enjoyment.
Wolfenstein: The New Order established a new life into the Wolfenstein series. While that life has not been squashed with The Old Blood's release, it has taken a slight hit. Many of the key aspects that made The New Order so enjoyable have not been carried over into The Old Blood. Of course, the enjoyable combat is still available to all, and is still a blast to partake in with the new weapons being absolutely brilliant additions. But, in the end, you cannot help but think, "this could and should have been so much more."
The Golf Club 2 follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, providing an unrivaled golf simulation that still lacks surrounding content to keep it relevant for months to come. The new career mode leaves a lot to be desired, but few sports games can compete with how solid the on-course gameplay is within The Golf Club 2. Societies is also a welcome addition that golf-loving friends will really appreciate. The Golf Club 2 is still a ton of fun to play, but it's clear that HB Studios needs to revamp some of the side activities heading into The Golf Club 3.
Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter continues to be one of the best adventure/puzzle games around. It has nearly perfected the deduction system, but the contrived action sequences forced into the new title can be very frustrating. While one is slightly disappointing, five of the six new cases are quite enjoyable and features all the twists and turns you could hope for. Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter is another solid entry into this long-running franchise.
There's a lot to like in Mafia III, the presentation is very impressive and the discussion of race is brought up appropriately. The story unfolds well and doesn't disappoint, but the mission structure brings about a host of disappointments. Missions rarely give the opportunity to let side characters develop, and the main story consists of doing the exact same objectives over and over until the credits roll. Unfortunately, Mafia III is as disappointing as it is impressive.
The Masterplan presents a very unique and welcoming vibe for all who have dreamed of robbing a building establishment. It has some solid visuals that help build a strategy as you navigate through door after door. Unfortunately, that strategy can quickly combust if the mouse-focused controls slip up on you and you find yourself frantically clicking on everything within sight. While a majority of The Masterplan is well done, the bad controls and UI dampen what could have been a true steal in the year of 2015.
It really is unfortunate that Tormentum's puzzles slide in short as the art and characters work together very well, which is only heightened by the solid soundtrack. While the story is mostly barren for a majority of the gameplay, the characters manage to carry your interest in the happenings around you. Ultimately, Tormentum comes close to forming a great point-and-click adventure in 2015, but the lack of variety in the puzzle design really drags down the whole experience.
I've never been one to buy into the concept that sports video games do not change enough from year to year. I have always felt that if you are dedicated to a series, you will notice the changes. Unfortunately for my positive mind, MLB 15: The Show broke that idea as the game I called the "king of sports franchises" last year, has put out a mostly underwhelming product. There are one or two minor additions that are enjoyable, but the Diamond Dynasty continues to bore despite its overhaul. The King's crown has fallen off with MLB 15: The Show, and only time will tell if Sony San Diego can pick it up come MLB 16: The Show's release.
Few games execute as well within their actual play as NHL, and that continues with in the newest installment. There’s a lack of girth around the main game, with Draft Champions and Franchise Mode feeling like copies from previous EA Sports games. But at the same time, the on-ice play has never been better, the on-ice trainer is improved further and adding in net battles was a smart move. While it disappoints slightly, NHL 17 is still a must-play for hockey fans.