If you can look past the sadomasochism theme (and I won’t blame anyone who can’t as it constantly irked me the wrong way) then you’ll find a redeeming RPG. The star of Criminal Girls 2: Party Favors is its battle system, which is a fun twist on turn-based gaming. While I wish it was in a different game, for now I’ll have to stoop to spanking girls that clearly don’t enjoy it in order to experience it.
Forza Horizon 3 doesn't bring much new to the table, and it feels like I've now played the same game three times over. It's still good, and fun for newcomers, but it's definitely at the point of diminishing returns. Throw in a myriad of technical issues, and it's ultimately a disappointing sequel.
'Dear Esther' helped spark a trend of narrative-focused indie games, and it's great to see it celebrated in such a nice package. The 'Landmark Edition' is the best way to experience The Chinese Room's gorgeous adventure, and the developer commentary is a fantastic addition. It's well worth the price of admission, whether one has played the original or are just experiencing it for the very first time.
The 'Dead Rising Triple Pack' is a trip through memory lane that is helped tremendously by the games still being a blast to play. While the package falls short as both an update (none of the games have been mechanically improved in any significant way) and a historical package (the standalone expansions 'Case Zero' and 'Case West' are missing), it's still enjoyable getting to see how the series has evolved over time. It's a great appetizer before 'Dead Rising 4' releases later this year, and a reminder why Frank West is a great character.
NASCAR Heat Evolution is a thoroughly disappointing release. It’s pretty bad when PlayStation 2 games were more fully featured and fun to play than a new release in 2016. Monster Games have proven in the past that they are a talented developer, and NASCAR fans deserve a better video game than this. I’m just left wondering where everything went wrong. Dig up an old Electronic Arts NASCAR game instead, you’ll have more fun.
Konami might not be involved in video games for much longer, but they can still put out one heck of a football sim. Pro Evolution Soccer 2017‘s Master League is one of the best career modes I’ve ever played in a sports game, and it’s backed up by incredibly solid gameplay. Once you look at the disappointing lack of team licenses, players will find one of the most rewarding sports games available.
Oceanhorn's gameplay isn't as polished as the SNES title it attempts to emulate, and the level design never evokes the brilliant dungeons that the developer was inspired by. Every aspect of the game feels like a poor imitation even down to the Wind Waker art style that falls apart when seen up-close. There may have been some novelty of playing "Zelda" on an iPhone, but all of that is lost once Monster of Uncharted Seas made its way to consoles.
NHL 17 is only held back by a few issues, but they rear their ugly head during every single match. Both player selection and poor teammate AI could be improved by patches, but right now they make every match become frustrating in spots. It’s incredibly disappointing to see a game that gets so much right also proceed to get a few important things dead wrong. There is still fun to be had, especially in the Be A Pro mode, but the action on the ice isn’t nearly as satisfying as it should be.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice manages to reinvigorate a series in its sixth main entry by introducing several smart new features while also bringing back mechanics that had been cast aside.
I wasn’t able to find many full matches in Verdun, but when I did I actually had a pretty good time. It’s too bad that most of my play time was spent in matches with three or four people, not 32. Nobody is playing this game because it’s a technical mess, and I can’t recommend it to anyone due to that. If you want to play Verdun, then pick it up on PC. Sadly, the PlayStation 4 version is an inferior version that launched dead on arrival.
One Way Trip may not be a great game, but I definitely feel like everyone should meet Boobs Cowboy and use the term "word" more often.
Besides the core concept being interesting, I really don’t have any other compliments to give Touhou Genso Rondo: Bullet Ballet. It’s a disappointment for a number of reasons, and it really sucks that a lot of North American gamers’ first experience with the Touhou series will be this bad spin-off. Hopefully one of the entries in the main series, or at least the PS4 fighting game, will come stateside and get this bad taste out of my mouth.
While the narrative falls a bit flat, 'Hue' succeeds at being both a puzzle game and a platformer. Most puzzle platformers only test my brain, but my reflexes also received a workout here. It impressively walks a tight line between being difficult, yet never left me feeling frustrated. Fiddlesticks have masterfully designed a game that dangled a carrot in front of me until its story ended.
'The Final Station' is a fascinating journey that ends a few stops too soon. Its ending ultimately raises more questions than answers, and I was left largely unfulfilled. This disappointment bleeds into the gameplay as well, as each facet of gameplay from the citizen management to the gunplay could've been fleshed out more. Despite these shortcomings, it's still an enjoyable five hour ride — just one that ends before it hits its stride.
'Worms W.M.D' offers up some of the best multiplayer fun available on PlayStation 4. It's dumb in all of the best ways, from its ridiculous voice acting to the farting grandmother that I often used (unsuccessfully) as a weapon. There are a few rough edges, such as the platforming, but whenever I would die due to an unfortunately timed jump I always ended up laughing. If Team17 have accomplished anything, it's that they have made a game that always leaves me chuckling with a grin on my face even when I was dealt a raw hand.
Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA X may start off too simple for returning players, but it opens up into a fun, yet familiar, rhythm game. The action is highly enjoyable, even if I was just frantically pressing butons, and I even found myself getting into some of the periphery features. It may not reinvent the series, but it’s yet another solid entry.
Assetto Corsa may succeed as a simulation, but it fails as a game. Clearly a ton of work has gone into making sure the cars handle correctly and that the tracks are as realistic as possible, which just makes the end result even more heartrending. It has a terrible user interface, isn't fun to play and doesn't feature any of the helpful tools that make Forza such an appealing game.
'Metrico+' removes all of the gimmicks that made the original a burden to play, and replaces them with fantastic level design. This isn't a port, it's a complete overhaul that demonstrates what Digital Dreams has learned from their Vita exclusive. This update is well worth playing for puzzle platforming fans, regardless of whether or not one has played the 2014 game.
Alone With You provides an interesting ride for players, but doesn't manage to fulfill its potential. The romantic side of the game feels underdeveloped, and I ran into bugs often enough to hamper my enjoyment. That said, it has an interesting enough story that is worth checking out and its shortcomings can't undo a solid story that is told well.
The King of Fighters XIV is a fully featured fighting game. It still feels like its classic predecessors, but it has been updated in some important areas to feel like a modern take. Its roster is both a celebration of the series that also signifies that this is a new step forward. I’m excited to see KoF back in the spotlight, and I hope to see SNK continue building on this great installment.