Trials of the Blood Dragon continues the storyline from where Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon ended. If you’re driven to find out what happens next to Rex Power Colt and his two kids, Roxanne and Slayter, it looks like you’re buying this game. You won’t hate it, and the charm of the presentation is enough to keep you moving forward, just don’t expect it to be the thrill that other Trials games have been able to deliver.
Clapfoot has created a tower defense game unique to the Xbox One console. With a strong sense of style, AI companions and a moderate amount of shooter control, this might just scratch your strategy itch. It's too bad then that it isn't as accessible, and relies on repetitive gameplay with a steep difficulty to add gameplay hours to its otherwise short campaign and limited maps.
Call of Duty: Black Ops III deserves your time – take a day off work to play. With two campaigns, world-class online combat and a deep and passionate step forward with Zombies (not to mention the fantastic Dead Ops Arcade 2), there is something here for everyone.
If you are at all on the fence on finding a game which can deliver a rich experience and dozens of hours of gameplay with a great mix of resource management, city building and RTS combat, this just might fit the bill.
Frontier Developments have done a magnificent job of creating an affordable universe that is fun to play. With tons of game styles and the entirety of the Milky Way to explore, this one is truly for space sim buffs with one caveat – if you're feeling lost, we recommend you check out video tutorials online.
I'm not a big free-to-play fan; the games that come from this model are severely hampered. In this case, the game itself and the customer focus that Gazillion has put into their redesign makes really good sense. Listening to customers and updating their product keeps it fun, fresh and relevant. Since there is no initial cost, and even other characters and costumes can be unlocked for free, we highly recommend you give it a spin. Even if you ignore all the crafting, and extras, the games' storyline and artwork are worth experiencing.
Kinect Sports Rivals answers the question "What has Rare been up to?". Sadly, the game falls short of the mark on almost every category, with the biggest hit being on fun. With three of the six included events ranging from unpleasant to unplayable, you get dragged through dialogue I'd never, ever want to hear again.
Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut may not be for everyone, and if you suit up expecting a AAA budget game you might be disappointed. Looking past the surface, the combat is surprisingly deep and satisfying once you get the hang of the controls. With unlockables and 18 missions that range from 15-30 minutes each, there is a lot of game for $20 in a genre that has not yet found a foothold in the console market. Reminiscent of Wing Commander: Prophecy, Born Ready scratches an itch for those who love dog-fighting in space, regardless of realism.
If you're looking to invest in the game and have a choice, leave your older generation system behind – this is the right way to enjoy the entire line of Skylanders Toys you or your kids have amassed. The added improvements in graphics and audio will certainly outweigh any minor annoyances the Xbox One version brings. Be warned: if you already own it on any other console besides the Nintendo 3DS, it might not be worth the duplicate toys that come along with the minor bump in audio and video fidelity. This is where Activision should be looking at releasing a next-gen version with previously unreleased characters to bolster their brand in the next-gen world.
Sadly, LEGO The Movie Videogame fails to live up to the expectations set by both it's source material and its video gaming forebears. A few inspired moments of gameplay give way to a bland and tired retread, while lacking any real substance to provide reason to revisit. Long loading times, last-gen caliber graphics and moments where bugs stop gameplay underline the lack of attention. At a sticker price of $60 I recommend you buy a movie ticket instead, and spend the rest on a LEGO set or two. At least if you tire of those, you can build something new and entirely different.
Necrophone Games has a fantastic premise, a decent execution and a brave narration in Jazzpunk. Had I not had the pressure of trying to get through this for the purpose of review, I would have had far more laugh-out-loud moments, rather than a quick acknowledgements and the occasional laugh. At $15, there is some quality time you can get with this indie Steam title. Watch the trailer – if you're even the least bit curious, I say go for it.
All in all, is this DLC worth $10? That depends on how much you want to revisit Los Perditos. The additional content is more than worth it to those who loved it, but for those lukewarm to the game, I'd wait a bit and see whether the next episode is compelling and then consider looking at getting this episode in the $30 four-episode season pass instead. The action is the same, the perspective is interesting, but the new content is over so quickly that it really doesn't have the pull that it needs to make Operation: Broken Eagle a must-have.
Forza Motorsport 5 is a technical triumph, offering up incredible achievement in both precision and realistic graphics good enough to show off your new Xbox One. Unfortunately a few baffling design decisions ultimately hold it back from feeling truly next-gen, making Forza Motorsport 5 a good racer, but certainly not built for everyone.
For a forgiving and approachable puzzle-platformer, Max lands on his feet and brings us a fantastic gaming experience. Even at a price of $15 it is easy to recommend. Great for all ages, the plot is light and the puzzles are fun from an otherwise innocuous re-imagining of a touchscreen game. Well done, Press Play – we want more!
This darker romp through a zombie outbreak is one that I will be replaying as soon as time permits, and hopefully with a friend. While Dead Rising 3 doesn't showcase the next gen visuals like that of Forza Motorsport 5 or the far more realistic presentation of Ryse: Son of Rome, it gives us more and pushes us further in an otherwise samey sandbox genre. Entertainingly enough, the game also remembers where you've ditched every item, vehicle, or parts forever – something no sandbox game can boast. Given its tight release schedule, it is one of the must-have launch titles of the new generation. The online co-op mayhem is a blast, and I heartily recommend this to any new Xbox One owner looking for an M-rated way to kill time (and reams of the undead).