Combining gorgeous if deceptively simple graphics with an innovative approach to combat, Absolver is a welcome breath of fresh air to the sometimes predictable fighting game genre.
Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire delivers exactly what anyone could hope for from it: more environments to explore, more things to do, and more ways to do it. For established players, this is must-have purchase already.
Warhammer 40K: Eternal Crusade shows a whole lot of promise as an exciting team-based multiplayer shooter. But 'promise' is less than what's demanded when we're talking about a game which is released, rather buggy, and not always as intuitive as an action-heavy game should be. At $49.99, it's hard to justify the investment until the price drops or the game is patched up respectably, but the potential and the fun it offers is real all the same.
Bringing a whole lot of lore and content to a well-established favorite, Legion injects some new life and new fun into the World of Warcraft universe. A huge addition of content and a new take on advancement promises to give current players a lot of bang for their buck, while the included level-boost lets new players catch up with their friends quickly.
While offering a set of promises that would make any trigger-happy PVP addict excited, Shattered Skies fails to deliver a reason to keep coming back. While the concept sounds fun, the execution thus far has yielded a relatively lifeless world with a by-now stagnating population. Time will tell if the developers can shape their game into something more engaging post-launch.
Bursting with sophomoric charm and absurd sexiness, Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus will provoke either cringing or laughter depending on who’s playing it. What it lacks in maturity it makes up for with a refreshing lack of seriousness, and it presents it all in a content-laden game filled with easy, straightforward 3D ass-kicking.
Offworld Trading Company combines economic strategy with innovation and polish, resulting in a game which feels exciting, deep and fun all at once. Not an easy combination to pull off – the developers should be proud, and gamers should be delighted.
Into the Stars is a creative and unique game which nevertheless manages to disappoint. The combination of complicated gameplay with a distinct lack of direction means that only the truly determined will likely get far with the title – but it just isn’t interesting enough to warrant the investment from most.
Leap of Fate mixes dynamic, level-based action with a unique cyberpunk/Shadowrun-esque setting, resulting in a solid title that stands out in both gameplay and environment. It’s a fun, well-balanced game limited largely by a lack of variety in enemies and challenge types – which most players will be guaranteed to notice, because it’s still entertaining enough to play again and again.
A gorgeous world that feels truly alive, Black Desert Online is a solid entry into the sandbox subgenre of MMOs. Benefiting from having been launched in a major market for a year before coming to the West, it offers an open world to explore, and an especially deep tradeskill and trading system mixed with an action-oriented combat scheme.