Thomas McDermott
This is not a game, it's a black hole where no fun can exist, and any hope the Tony Hawk franchise had to reboot itself died a slow suffocating death within. No one should buy this.
It may not be a masterpiece, almost solely relying on jump scares to shock, but it is fun to play, and that's what matters most. Once it gets going, it is a non-stop rollercoaster of visceral excitement. Letting players have control as they take a selection of disparate characters through the nastiness awaiting them is a fantastic idea that is also well executed. The fact these characters quickly go from looking fine and dandy to resembling someone that's been dragged through a hedge backwards only adds to the fun!
I enjoyed my time with Cradle, but I dare say many will not. Its detailed, although imprecise storytelling gives many of its suitors reasons to dislike it, to not understand it, and at worst give up on it. Regardless, I believe there is something quite special at work here. The developers have built a fascinating world filled with possibilities, and for that they should be applauded. However, there is no getting away from the fact they could have done a better job presenting players its unique offerings. Simply put, sometimes it can be a little bit too vague for its own good.
I'm with you to the end Life is Strange.
Ultimately, above all else, the game comes across as feeling wholly authentic – and that is a word you can attribute to only a small handful of games released in this day and age.
"If only I could go back and fix my mistakes," is a phrase often casually uttered when people face hardships the world throws at them. Life is Strange is a game that turns that fantasy into a reality, but by the time Episode Three comes to an end that question itself will have changed. As fans collectively wait for Episode Four, the question on the tip of everyone's tongue will be is one person choosing to incite such change always the right thing to do?
On to Wednesday we go, otherwise known as Episode Three. If the quality of the series remains at this level, Life is Strange could grow into something truly great. I just hope I can keep that damn plant alive until Friday.
There is a certain air of quality about the current product, but it is not enough. However, as more episodes come, I feel (and I hope) it will evolve and get better. Lets hope Max does not have to grow a beard for that to happen though,
Regardless of quantity concerns (which is a valid complaint), where The Order more crucially falls apart is in regards to quality. It does not matter if a game is one or one hundred hours long, you need to enjoy playing it, and The Order fails at that most crucial of tasks. This is unforgivable, and instantly makes it impossible to recommend.
When the great void of the map greeted me for that final time, I just shrugged my shoulders and mouthed "why," before turning the console off. I've never been so happy to be able to move onto something else in my life.
Ultimately this is a game that should cheer most up, even from the dullest of moods, and possibly make them feel a bit tingly in the process – due to the near saccharin levels of sheer cuteness on screen at all times. You could almost call it the video game equivalent of an ASMR video – but a lot less creepy and weird.
Life with Destiny continues to be a vast range of meaningless numbers set up in a small but complex maze that breaks players will to fight before a way out is found. The core gunplay mechanic may be genre leading, but the wrapper that surrounds it continues to be irreparably broken.
It will not be the most compelling thing you play all year, but it does what it set out to do very well. It is a clever game, with a simple idea at it's core, that consistently brings enough clever ideas to the table as it goes to remain captivating throughout.
Even though there are a few moments where the game is quite satisfactory, you're always wishing for more than it ever truly delivers.
But this industry loves its numbers, and is never, ever that honest, so we get Peggle 2, which really is just shorthand for more of the same. It is still quality entertainment though, and should be enough to warm your heart on even the coldest winter days. I can't help but want it to be more though – even if I still cannot fathom what that "more" should be.
The end result is, that not through lack of effort, Forza 5 turns out to be the first true regression the series has seen since its inception.