Samurai Warrior 4 is yet another solid entry in the long-running beat-em-up franchise. It offers a few new gameplay tweaks and a different narrative structure, but is largely the same old brawler you've seen countless times. Thankfully, the game's Chronicle Mode helps set this installment apart, making this one of the most memorable Dynasty Warriors spin-off.
Although it may be the first installment made specifically for the brand new consoles, Unity remains a traditional Assassin's Creed game. The setting and atmosphere is cool, but some of the best ideas are marred by bad checkpointing and a story where the historical elements often feel like an afterthought. Assassin's Creed Unity is a solid action game, but a disappointing follow up to Black Flag.
Lords of the Fallen is both a shameless Dark Souls rip off and a solid action/adventure game. With an easier difficulty and smaller scale, this PlayStation 4 game is a good way to ease people into the challenging sub-genre. On the other hand, the story is underdeveloped and the levels designs are too linear. This new City Interactive release is a real mixed bag.
While not as polished as other racing simulators, MotoGP 14 does a good job recreating the exciting sport. With a dizzying amount of single-player modes and a worthwhile online component, this game will keep fans of motorcycle racing busy for months to come. Too bad the visuals look so outdated and the career mode lacks variety.
No matter if you're new to Grand Theft Auto V or a returning player, there's more than enough in this next-generation port to keep you satisfied. The first-person perspective manages to make a year-old game feel new again, and the changes made to the graphics, gameplay and online mode are substantial. One of 2013's best games is made even better on the PlayStation 4.
If you can get past the stupid name, you'll find that #killallzombies is an exciting dual-stick shooter with a number of fresh ideas. Sure, you've likely seen this type of zombie game before, but the perk system and constantly changing stage sets this apart from similar titles. It makes a terrible first impression, but #killallzombies ultimately proves to be worth your time.
What feels a lot like the spiritual successor to Haunting Starring Polterguy, Poltergeist: A Pixelated Horror is a clever puzzle game that puts players in the shoes of a ghost trying to scare away unwelcome guests. The gameplay may be simple, but the level design shines and the 16-bit visuals are charming. Glitchy Pixel's new game proves once and for all that it's more fun to be the ghost.
After six long years, Geometry Wars has finally returned. Now set on three-dimensional stages, this sequel delivers a host of fun game modes. Unfortunately, the level designs sometimes make seeing enemies difficult and the single-player campaign is more frustrating than it needs to be. Regardless of whether you like the three-dimensional shift or not, there's enough content in Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions to warrant a look.
After the success of MotoGP 14, MXGP: The Official Motocross Videogame left me cold. While the racing mechanics are fine, the boring progression is made worse by a number of questionable design decisions. Worse yet, none of the real world tracks stand out and the graphics aren't very good for a PlayStation 4 game. MXGP is a big disappointment.
While not as ambitious as recent Marvel or Star Wars tables, South Park: Super-Sweet Pinball is a solid collection with a great sense of humor. The two tables are radically different and the objectives are a lot of fun to complete. Fans of the long-running TV series will get a kick out of the cameos and inside jokes, but everybody else will be left scratching their heads.
Never Alone tells a deeply personal story of an Inupiaq girl on an adventure to survive the elements. This is a spellbinding experience that not only introduces players to the real stories and culture so important to the native Alaskan community, but goes one step further by creating two dozen informative videos featuring interviews with tribe elders, storytellers and artists. It's a dazzling adventure that is not to be missed.
After seventeen long years, Grim Fandango finally makes its console debut on the PlayStation 4 and PS Vita. This is a remastered port of one of the best point & click adventures of all time, and the Tim Schafer classic hasn't missed a beat. It's overflowing with fascinating characters and a story full of twists and turns. No matter if you're new to the Land of the Dead or a returning visitor, Grim Fandango Remastered is a must-play.
By combining elements from collectible card games and Plants vs. Zombies, Zachtronic Industries has created a game that feels weirdly familiar yet brand new. Ironclad Tactics mixes the American Civil War with robots, creating an addictive strategy game overflowing with charm.
While not the next-generation Final Fantasy game fans are anxiously waiting for, Type-0 is a fun action/adventure with a lot of compelling ideas. There's enough variety in the gameplay to keep the combat fresh for dozens of hours, and the story is surprisingly emotional for a political thriller. Sadly, Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is held back by its handheld roots, but don't let that keep you from discovering this oddity.
This is not your typical Dynasty Warriors sequel. Empire plays out like a game of Risk, where fast-paced action sequences replace rolling the dice. Unfortunately, the developer doesn't take the novel concept far enough. Fans may enjoy the fast-paced action and emphasis on character building, but everybody else will be left scratching their heads at the outdated graphics and repetitive gameplay.
Hand of Fate is a devastatingly addictive adventure game that mixes card collecting with fast-paced third-person action and board games. Although full of disparate ideas, the game is never confusing. It has a few technical issues and I would have preferred a way to continue, but none of that should keep you from experiencing Hand of Fate.
As a multiplayer-focused free-for-all, Starwhal is a lot of fun in short doses. Sadly, the game is too repetitive and the extra modes are bafflingly unbalanced. I can imagine this being a hit with large parties, but solo players need not apply.
Q*Bert Rebooted isn't without potential; it has a lot of content and some of the new ideas are solid. Unfortunately, any potential is squandered by an overlong campaign and a control scheme that often feels broken. Not being able to reliably move in diagonal directions makes certain levels near impossible. Q*Bert deserves better.
Final Form Games throws history out the window to create an action-packed shoot-em-up where 17th century colonists fight over Mars. This is a great looking game that will remind players of the genre's heyday in the 1990s. And with dozens of items to unlock and a wide variety of weapons to shoot, Jamestown+ will keep shoot-em-up fans happy for many hours to come.
Slender: The Arrival is more frustrating than scary. The atmospheric locations are wasted in this boring survival-horror game where players do little more than search around for numbered items. The game goes a long way to flesh out the story and mythology, but it never makes a convincing argument for why Slender deserves to be a franchise.