So back to the original posit that this newest generation of consoles is filling up with HD remakes. At a cost of $1.99 per track times ten tracks, you are essentially getting the game for free and the tracks at half price. This update to the Xbox One costs less than two cups of coffee and is far more than just a new coat of paint. Come for the new and improved features, stay for the far better soundtrack.
With only a single nitpick, and so many fantastic upgrades, Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Edition truly is the best version of the game, PC and Mac included. Couch co-op with up to four players, online co-op with up to four players, an upgraded system beyond Loot 2.0, better round-robin gear distribution, and all of the social elements added to this version of Diablo III are icing on the cake of the additional chapter and Crusader class delivered here. So yes…it's worth the double dip. If this is your first foray into the world of Diablo, this is the absolute best version you can play.
I'm glad that I played Sniper Elite V2 as it gave me a deep appreciation for all of the things Rebellion has brought to the table for the sequel. With expanded set pieces, better sniping mechanics, and an even more visceral look into what happens when bullet impacts blood and bone, they really have nailed that aspect of their product. While the AI may be dumb as a post, scoring a long distance headshot without the aim assist reticule and slow motion feels like you've accomplished the impossible time and time again. For the few things that aren't quite up to snuff, Sniper Elite III gets a whole lot right.
In the end, EA Sports UFC is still a winner, but by split decision. Some of the omissions like cut and leg stoppages, and the odd bug here and there, make for a debut that is certainly better than EA Sports MMA. Here's the hitch though – somehow despite itself the game is ridiculously fun. Although very ambitious, this title still could have used a little more time in the gym. I look forward to the sequel though – the second fight is almost always better than the first.
As a general rule – when your game's release date is just a year after the first, but you've more than doubled the amount of content, you might want to rethink that timeframe. The team has been hard at work on these issues, and there have been frequent updates since release, each nailing down small portions of bugs and balance issues, but it's hard to make a second first impression. Despite the technical issues, NeocoreGames ultimately delivers more of what we fell in love with in the first Van Helsing title. Hopefully they take a little more time to iron things out to conclude this very compelling trilogy.
Watch Dogs represents a step into a scary real-world future. It raises social and governmental questions around a person's right to privacy. It delivers combat, stealth, story, and an incredible amount of side content to bring the whole world to life. I'm amazed at what the team at Ubisoft has delivered here, and I'm glad that they treated the hacker world with more respect and attention to detail than any other game or movie to date. I'm hopeful that Watch Dogs becomes a franchise because it is the best sandbox title I've ever played.
I'm surprised at just how much MachineGames has done to bring the Wolfenstein franchise into a new generation. Balanced gameplay, a memorable story, characters with depth, and more than two dozen hours of content scratch a shooter itch that has been long dormant. Wolfenstein: The New Order delivers an experience well beyond my expectations, elevating this venerable series not only into a new generation, but raising the bar for story-driven shooters as a whole. Well done, MachineGames, well done indeed.
Ultimately Spider's follow up to Mars: War Logs is a far better effort than its predecessor. You can't help but appreciate the effort put forth, as well as the fantastic concepts and new approach to storytelling. Bound by Flame provides engaging mechanics and choices that actually matter, if you can stomach the horrible voice work.
So here we are at the end of a very long review for a very big game, and the question of whether or not The Elder Scrolls Online has captured the magic of its single single contemporaries still remains to be answered. I think the framework is there, but there are some painful missteps that are holding it back. MMOs are a constantly evolving ecospace, so it's possible we'll get there, but for now I'll cautiously say…maybe.
NES Remix 2 reminds us of the challenges of our youth. With bite size nibbles of the most challenging or salient aspects of what made these games great, NES Remix 2 also delivers more iconic and well-recognized games from the library that made Nintendo famous. Ice Climbers takes a back seat to the far superior Metroid, and Kid Icarus replaces Balloon Fight, and Zelda II: The Adventures of Link makes Wrecking Crew look silly. A far superior installment in this series, NES Remix 2 improves on it's predecessor in every way.
This next-generation launch has been described as a little anemic, but I'd have to disagree. There are some incredible games hitting the market this holiday season, and this is one of them. The PlayStation 4 version of the game is mechanically the same as the PlayStation 3 version, but the new engine is eye-poppingly awesome. The new visual tech has gameplay implications, which is rare and highly appreciated. In the end you really can't go wrong with either version, but the PlayStation 4 version has entirely too many bells and whistles to not recommend. The fact that I've had a bout of OCD and needed to find each and every thing in the game speaks volumes.
It doesn't take but a glance upwards at the last near-1500 words to see that Reaper of Souls is far more than a single character and a new chapter expansion. So much has changed, and literally all for the better. By taking the chains off of the game mechanics, removing the disruptive Auction House, and refining the game mechanics that serve as the base of Diablo III, Reaper of Souls is finally the loot-grabbing adventure we all wanted.
Answering the question of whether Titanfall lives up to the incredible amount of hype and anticipation is something that'll take a little bit more time. It's fun, damned fun, but the lack of single-player campaign, customization, and matchmaking options come as a bit of a surprise. What amazed me most though is what is layered throughout – accessibility. Titanfall makes every player feel like they have a role to play. Even if you are just crushing bots underfoot, you feel like a badass in a giant walking tank every second of play – I just wish there was more of it.
If you've not gathered it thus far, the house that brought you Fallout: New Vegas, Dungeon Siege III, Alpha Protocol, Neverwinter Nights 2, and Knights of the Old Republic 2 have struck gold once again. An epic RPG, a licensed game that somehow transcends its source material, and the culmination of everything South Park has come together to create the funniest game I've played in a decade. Stuffed with fan service, South Park: The Stick of Truth is better than any episode of the show, and it's so much better than any of us could have anticipated.
Despite my deep reservations regarding the reboot of my favorite character and the world he inhabits, Thief manages to deliver a compelling experience. Sure it's a bit grimy in areas, but the team at Eidos Montreal have done well with the reboot of this title, just as they did for Deus Ex. The main missions are immersive, and the team has clearly catered to both new audiences and us old taffers with the bevy of options and mods. While it may not convey the same style as its forerunners, it delivers what I would call a mostly-authentic Thief experience. Now, let's talk about getting those cutscenes back…
If you are getting a Wario Ware 9-Volt games vibe, you are on the right track. If you like your old-school gaming challenging, and you don't mind a few minor hiccups, NES Remix is worth a trip down memory lane. Even if it's only to watch a real hero like Link rescue Princess Peach for once, though with his track record with Zelda I bet she won't stay rescued. I bet Samus would have gotten the job done…
In the end, the DLC is $9.99, or double that for a season pass. While the story is compelling, it's also fairly light on a meaningful denouement. I enjoyed my time with it, but I can't help but feel like it could have waited a little longer to polish off some of the bugs, integrate the companion app (it's unsupported for the entire adventure – no map, no fleet things, etc.) and give us maybe one more mission to add at least some level of closure. I enjoyed my time with Freedom Cry, and I suppose the fact that I want more of it says something.
World of Warplanes is flying in familiar skies as World of Tanks launched in a similar state – a solid foundation on which Wargaming built the most successful MMOs in existence. From beautiful airplane models and solid sound work, to a very accessible flight model that works for any skill level, World of Warplanes is a worthy successor for Wargaming's stable of titles. It does need a bit more time in the hangar, but you can't beat the price of entry.
It's with a heavy heart that I write this review of Fighter Within. When I saw the announcement, I was excited, knowing what the Xbox One Kinect could do for a genre like this. Daoka bit off far more than they could chew, and this time it wasn't the hardware. The Kinect was purpose built for exactly this sort of game, but Daoka simply wasn't up to the task. As a fighter and a gamer, I'm deeply insulted by Fighter Within.
The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One launch has been pretty successful, but the PlayStation 4 suffers from a gap in the initial lineup – a solid fighting game. Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition fills that gap nicely, delivering all of the previously available DLC and a staggering number of challenges to tackle for this new generation. While it doesn't knock your socks off graphically like you might expect for a 'next-gen' title, the extremely-accessible fighting mechanics make this title a must-have.