Andrei Dobra
The Wolf Among Us Episode 2: Smoke and Mirrors is a good follow-up to the impressive first part in Telltale's adventure series. There aren't that many changes in terms of the gameplay, for better or worse, but the new story elements certainly make up for that, introducing new characters and keeping things going into intriguing directions. Unfortunately, it's a bit short and there aren't enough big moments in this second part.
Shadowrun: Hong Kong is a solid experience both for veteran "chummers" but also for newcomers. Harebrained Schemes has managed to once again impress by adding a few, but only a few, good improvements to the recipe, while delivering a very interesting setting and some imaginative missions. However, it might not feel like a whole new experience, just "more of the same."
Ninja Pizza Girl is a great experience due in equal parts to its great story and its good gameplay mechanics that encourage replayability and offer enough incentives to explore the pretty big levels. Some moments might not be up to par, but for the most part, you'll have a blast blazing across the rooftops and delivering pizza to others.
Dungelot: Shattered Lands features an interesting mix of gameplay mechanics and pulls them off, offering a fun experience. The RPG mechanics are surprisingly complex, and you can sink a lot of time into its myriad of dungeons.
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China is a refreshing entry in the series. Shao Jun's story is interesting but the chance to see the Templar vs. Assassins conflict in a new historical setting is even better. Unfortunately, the emphasis on stealth and some of the tough stages in terms of enemy patterns and behavior force players into a trial and error approach.
Game of Thrones Episode 4 starts putting the series on the final straight in terms of action and packs quite a few interesting situations. There are a few of glitches and some choices end up with a game over screen but it's still a pretty enjoyable experience.
Battlefield Hardline is a fresh experience in the series that manages to pull off its novel concept of cops vs. criminals. It still has technical issues and the story may not be for everyone, but its multiplayer mode is a blast and, so far, isn't suffering from the many technical problems that affected past titles.
Dead or Alive 5: Last Round is a good re-release of the original experience on the PS4. It manages to keep the trademark low barrier of entry and complexity, but it still offers plenty of depth for fighting game fans. Even if it advertises its DLC a lot, and the titillating physics aren't to everyone's taste, you can have a lot of fun with the new title.
Minutes is an innovative experience that manages to capture your heart through the clever premise. However, it's way too challenging for its own good and becomes downright punishing as you progress through the levels. Still, if you're interested in something refreshing and aren't afraid of constantly retrying levels, you'll have a great time with this title on the PS4 or on the PS Vita, as it's cross-buy enabled.
Saints Row: Gat out of Hell is a welcome entry in the series. It takes things to new heights in terms of story, while adding a few impressive gameplay mechanics, such as the flight one. There aren't that many different missions and the environment is a bit small, but don't forget that the game costs just 20 USD/EUR, so don't expect a full-fledged experience.
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is a fun experience that shines when played alone but also with a few friends. Bear in mind that cooperation is key and you might need some time before you get accustomed to the problematic controls.
Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham is a fun experience but it would've benefited more if it had embraced the whole Justice League theme. What's more, its puzzles need a bit of tuning, as some are really tricky to figure out, which can grow frustrating even for experienced Lego fans. Still, you'll find quite a lot of amusing moments and a pretty fun story, once you get past the opening stages.
Defense Grid 2 is a stellar tower defense game that manages to bring back the great recipe of its predecessor, while adding plenty of elements to make it more complex. The co-op and competitive modes are pretty fun but take some time getting used to, while the story campaign is as feature-filled as ever. Bear in mind that the difficulty increases dramatically towards the mid-point of the campaign, so constant improvement is necessary.
Destiny is a great-handling first-person shooter that manages to seamlessly weave multiplayer elements into its campaign. Bungie has managed to craft plenty of great mechanics for the new game, as well as allow for player expression through the RPG skills and customization system.
Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty is great remake in terms of quality, remastering the original experience in a fantastic way. The original story still holds up, and while the gameplay may be a bit too hard for some newcomers, it's still rewarding, despite a few not-so-great aspects, like the sound effects.
Lego The Hobbit is a good entry in the franchise made by Traveller's Tales. It manages to cherry-pick the best moments from the first two films and put a great Lego twist on the whole series. While it still has some glitches and the new crafting system will sometimes force you to grind areas for loot, it's still pretty fun.
Mercenary Kings is a good side-scrolling shooter, but when you play it alone, you're bound to get annoyed by quite a few things. When experienced with at least one more friend, things are much better and you can focus on the fun factor of the whole game.
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing III is a good game but it might not exactly delight all of its players. Yes, it's a pity that players can't import their characters and classes but the new ones are quite varied, even if they can only reach level 30. For such a low price, Neocore's RPG is a great investment.
The Sims 4 is a fun experience that certainly takes great steps in improving the core mechanics of the series. The Create-A-Sim and Build Mode systems are much more accessible yet offer a lot of depth for those that desire it. Sims are smart, can multitask, and interact in lots of nifty ways. However, there are still plenty of missing core items while the existing set of options are limited, to say the least, no doubt to ensure that the upcoming expansions bring lots of highly desirable things.
Ascendance brings plenty of good new elements to Advanced Warfare. While most maps are fun, Chop Shop is by far the least interesting and most generic. Fortunately, the Exo Grapple ability and playlist make up for it. On the other hand, the new Exo Zombies scenario takes a long time to get used to, due to its convoluted layout, and you might not have so much fun with it.