And unlike Ripley, you can always hit the power button if things get too scary.
For the time being, though, this is a smashing return to form for one of Nintendo's most popular franchises, endlessly energetic and electrifying. Not unlike Pikachu's farts.
Good games based on J. R. R. Tolkien's works are surprisingly rare, and Shadow of Mordor is certainly a sword-thrusting lunge in the right direction. It's slick and fun, with solid production values and some new takes on what's becoming an overly familiar formula. There's just not quite enough here to make it truly preciousss.
Of course, speculation is that Disney Infinity 3.0 will come out next year and introduce Star Wars characters and worlds. In which case, all bets are off. And I'll need more room in my real-world toy box.
Despite its flaws and despite its repetitiveness, I haven't been this invested in a shooter in a long while. Whether that lasts is up to fate.
For its vibrant visual design, wonderful music and sheer whimsical weirdness, Hohokum is well worth experiencing. But at times it seems to be meandering back and forth between a video game and a piece of interactive art, unsure of which world it belongs to.
It's tough to recommend for PS3 players who have already played the game, as the $55 price is a bit steep for some enhanced visuals and a bit of added content. But PlayStation 4 owners who haven't yet experienced The Last of Us absolutely owe it to themselves to pick up this modern classic, and take a journey with Joel and Ellie across the heartbreakingly beautiful ruins of our world.
Still, it's so very refreshing to find a true gem in the ever-expanding rockpile of retro-influenced games, and Shovel Knight is a wonderful love letter to some of the classics that many of us grew up with. You will dig it.
[I]t will fray your nerves and test your mind. But won't hack its way into your heart.
Where Mario Golf World Tour hits the sweet spot is in its online modes, which range from private match-ups with your friends to scheduled international tournaments. There's a lot of variety and flexibility here, it's just a shame that it comes at the cost of a more fully fleshed-out solo mode, lacking the kind of deep, addictive hooks that a golf game should have.
Fans of Lego games will find more to love with Lego The Hobbit, as long as they're not growing weary of this increasingly familiar formula. There's nothing unexpected about this journey, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable.
The game allows for user-created mods, and downloading new levels and tweaks might give this kid some extra legs. But I suspect most players will have a few hours of fun and then file this game away as an occasional novelty to pull out when they're especially bored, drunk or just need to give their goat a good thrashing. That's not a euphemism. Probably.
Ground Zeroes probably won't alienate fans of the series, and in terms of giving players a taste of what to expect in the as-yet-undated Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, it delivers. But between its poor value proposition and its jarring darkness, it's not likely to make Snake and company any new friends.
[Q]uibbles aside, Infamous: Second Son is a game that truly showcases the PS4's impressive technology, and succeeds in ushering one of Sony's best exclusive franchises into the next generation. It's by far the most impressive and enjoyable of the three Infamous games, and marks an evolution not just in visual presentation, but in the scope of things that can be done in an open-world superhero game.
So many itches. And right now, a little voice tells me it's time to stop typing and go scratch.
All this being said, Thief is ultimately worth playing, especially for fans of the stealth genre. It hearkens back to the things that made the original games of the late '90s and early '00s so intense and enjoyable, while offering a wealth of settings and options that cater to a wide range of players. If you can forgive the game's rough edges and its lack of a unique vision, Thief might just rob you of a dozen or two hours without you even noticing.
Clever, colourful and weirdly comforting – there's little to dislike about The Lego Movie Videogame, even if it feels assembled from the same bricks as its predecessors. Not everything is awesome, but it comes close enough.
Still, a big part of me wishes I'd waited for Act II and played Broken Age in its uninterrupted entirety. It's smart to always leave the audience wanting more, but when a book is snapped shut in the middle of a story, there's a danger of the reader getting his fingers pinched. And mine, frankly, feel a little bit sore.
Gladiator may have won Oscars, but Ryse is much more like the movie 300 – nice to look at, mindless and silly at times, and the kind of experience you'll probably forget as soon as the credits roll.
If I want serious adult drama, I'll watch The Walking Dead. But for sheer, unadulterated fun, Dead Rising 3 has my thumbs, eyes, brain and heart. Or, as a zombie would call it, a well-balanced breakfast.