Andrei Dumitrescu's Reviews
Life Is Strange is an imperfect video game and the actual mechanics of playing it, including the time rewind, can become annoying of frustrating, especially when the development team tries to borrow from another genre. But the game makes it easy to create a connection with Max and to care about her choices and trials, a rare feat, and that means any fan of narrative-driven experiences should try it out to see how he deals with the feelings of the protagonist and the impact they have on Arcadia Bay.
Fear Equation is a hard game that can frustrate players but offers a unique mix of management and terror that fans of both strategy and survival genres should try out.
The Westport Independent might be set in the '40s, but its commentary feels very modern, seeing how we live in an age where newspapers, even if they do not wield the same influence that they did, still represent one of the main ways for the public to learn about political, social and economic events.
Knights of Pen and Paper 2: Here Be Dragons is a good expansion for those who loved the base game and wanted to see a new class in action while also finding ways to take out the powerful new dragon enemies.
Resident Evil Zero HD Remaster is a relatively unappealing game when evaluated from a modern point of view, but a good one for those who experienced it for the first time before 2005 and fell in love with its mechanics and story.
Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is a good mainstream real-time strategy title that offers a solid prequel story and shows that the core ideas of the series can easily be adapted for planet-based warfare.
Tharsis offers some interesting mechanics, a story with little innovation but plenty of space for the player to create his narrative, and a lot of replayability but all of that comes at a price: the difficulty level that can make players abandon the title before they see everything it has to offer.
Star Wars Pinball: The Force Awakens is a must-play for all those who have seen the new movie in the series and plan to continue following content associated with it.
Punch Club is yet another example of how small teams that focus on gameplay that's engaging can offer interesting long-term experiences even if they do not feature impressive graphics or stories.
Pony Island is a small game that will never manage to get the audience of an AAA release but in many ways, this game is more engaging than plenty of the big launches of last fall because it features some truly innovative moments and can deliver a narrative that it's disturbing and interesting to the end.
UnderRail shows that classic ideas and mechanics can deliver impressive gameplay results even in an age when even the RPG space tends to lose its identity under the assault of improved graphics and the need to make combat the best way to solve every situation.
Deep Space Reflections is a good, niche game that will certainly find plenty of fans among those gamers who spent time trying to find new ways to make their limited funds last for as long as possible in the arcades of old.
King's Quest – Chapter 2: Rubble Without a Cause shows both the strengths and the weaknesses associated with the episodic game series.
Dirt Rally is a good simulation that features a soli8d set of core mechanics and a lot of variety when it comes to both the tracks and the vehicles, clearly targeted at the kinds of players who already love the sport and its unique challenges.
Rainbow Six Siege is one of the year's full-priced video games that feature plenty of real-money transactions from the get-go while also pushing players to get a Season Pass that opens up access to lots of downloadable content that is coming starting early 2016.
Nuclear Throne manages to walk a fine line between challenging, with options for the player who wants to succeed in the post-apocalypse, and unfairly difficult, filled with obstacles that will induce frustration for even the most hardened fans of the rogue-like genre.
Zombie Vikings is a good game to play with a larger group, swapping controllers based on performance and trying to use wit and superior skill to get the best rewards for one's character.
Just Cause 3 delivers a series of systems that are solid on their own, from the ability to grapple around without any limits to the new options opened up by the wingsuit, and manages to mix them to deliver impressive results.
Valhalla Hills is a solid management strategy game in the vein of the classics of the genre and everyone who has ever enjoyed Settlers deserves to give it a chance and spend at least a few hours guiding Vikings in their quest to get into Valhalla.
Switch Galaxy Ultra is a very niche experience, but for those who loved Wipeout or the idea of moving fast across space lanes, it can deliver challenging moments and very fun levels.