An excellent and challenging update to a familiar formula, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is one of those games that makes you cheer at your well-planned success when everything goes off without a hitch, and groan at your own poor planning when it doesn't. It gets so much right, that the relentless difficulty, and slightly less gorgeous console port can't mar its beauty. This one snuck up on me, and I couldn't be more glad that it did.
Sudden Strike 4 is a great example of a challenging real time strategy game without all of the 'dirt farming' aspects of other titles. It requires real thought instead of simply pouring all units into the path of the enemy. There are a few hiccups in terms of pathing and AI, as well as a baffling choice for voicework, but the game has more high points than low. It would also be nice if there was just a little more handholding to bring in new players, but overall Sudden Strike 4 is a welcome addition to the genre.
While there are still some areas to be polished, and online multiplayer is unfortunately missing, Solstice manages to translate the souls of games like Alien Breed and Helldivers into a challenging two-player or solo adventure.
Gunball is developer REDSpace's freshman VR effort, and it's not too shabby. REDSpace has worked on kid-focused titles like website for The Powerpuff Girls, The Nick App for Nickelodeon, and The Cartoon Network's micro-game "Anything" app, so this is a step in a new direction for them. While Gunball is simple in execution, it's elegant in its simplicity, and fun for the whole family at a fairly reasonable price.
If watching the trailer for Pacific Rim: Uprising makes your palms sweaty with excitement, you need Archangel in your life.
While the VR component ends up a little "pin high", the overall package is well worth it. The powerful editor and community component extend the game's longevity dramatically, and are a welcome feature amidst a solid title. Whether you are a kid, or just a kid at heart, Infinite Minigolf's charm is sure to lure you in.
Front Defense is good arcade fun, raising the action to flat-out frantic with a more active reloading system than most VR shooters. Lobbing grenades, calling in airstrikes, and using the mounted weapons are the real highlights – I just wish my fellow Army members were a bit more present. Here's to hoping that a little arcade action will spur deeper experiences from HTC's internal teams.
With a few new zones and bounties, there's more to tackle beyond the new class and Challenge Rift. With luck, and the upcoming Season 11, there's plenty of reasons to come back to Diablo III. The Necromancer is a bit of a work in progress currently, but it's a fantastic addition that fits nicely into the pantheon of fighters and casters.
Stunning graphical overhaul aside, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age delivers several gameplay-improving mechanics never seen in North America. While balance is still occasionally wobbly, there's no doubt that Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is a masterclass in the light but deliberate touch necessary to take something great and make it even better.
The magic of Star Trek isn't the ship, but in the crew, and Star Trek: Bridge Crew nails that mechanic perfectly. What might otherwise appear as a cold and stationary experience becomes amazing when played with friends. While the campaign isn't as long as we were hoping, the ongoing voyages provide enough randomization to keep us busy. As I push the wobbly AI out of the airlock, allow me to heartily recommend Star Trek: Bridge Crew — it's downright “fascinating”.
Superhot VR makes you feel like a badass. While it does have a short runtime, every second of it is challenging and, when you succeed, rewarding. It's easily one of the best and unique experiences in VR.
Endless Space 2 brings 4X to life with a gorgeous presentation and a host of new approaches to a well-established genre. While a few bugs remain, Amplitude has patched the game twice in the last week. By all accounts, Endless Space 2 is easily one of the best examples of the genre.
Viking Rage takes the simple concept of tower defense and brings it to VR. Enemy variety, traps and secrets, and a few boss fights make it more than the sum of its parts. Minigames are icing on that cake. There are some technical hurdles, but at its core Viking Rage is a fun take on an established genre.
There's an absolute wealth of fantastic new features in Crusade, every one of which turns the 4X genre on its head. Few companies would rip apart a shipped product and inject so many improvements, but the risk paid off big time. There are still a few balance issues to clean up, but Crusade manages to take something conservative and turn it into something revolutionary.
Syberia was a series built around amazing puzzles and unique storytelling. Syberia 3 was an opportunity to bring all of that to a new generation. Unfortunately, it has remained mired in the pixel-hunting past, riddled with bugs, obtuse controls, and an uninspired storyline coupled with head-scratching voice work. I wanted to enjoy Syberia 3, but too many issues may leave this series stuck in the frozen snow.
There's absolutely nothing new to push Virtual Reality and roomspace VR forward in Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-Ality, and it is painfully short with little replay value. Those indictments aside, it's a must-have for anyone who enjoys the dark humor of the show. Perhaps we can Get Schwifty with another run at VR with a longer run time and harder puzzles in the future.
LEGO City Undercover, like many games exclusive to the Wii U, is an undiscovered gem. I’m happy Warner Bros. and TT Fusion decided to update it for a new audience. The story is laugh-out-loud funny, full of witty one-liners and fantastic movie references for kids and adults (“Compupers!”). While the co-op feels very tacked-on, and the loading requires a bit of patience, it’s a worthy addition to the LEGO universe.
Planescape: Torment Enhanced Edition brings an incredible list of improvements to one of the most enduring and unique RPGs ever written. Simply put, Planescape: Torment is not like anything that came before it or since, and this Enhanced Edition has updated it nicely.
A Criminal Past puts Adam in jail for a great self-contained storyline pushing a solid narrative and a far greater emphasis on stealth in the final DLC for Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. While the voice acting can be a bit of a mixed bag, there’s no doubt that Eidos Montreal is ending this one on a high note.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands is equal parts new approach to a storied franchise and familiar and well-trod open world systems. While it doesn’t break a great deal of new ground for the genre, when played with friends this cooperative open-world game can be an amazing amount of fun. Those moments are tempered by technical mishaps and inconsistencies that can be patched, but as a result, this launch ride is going to have some technical potholes that put a damper on an otherwise excellent experience.