TEW2 is a great game, tempered a bit by combat woes but nonetheless a game I gladly recommend to fans of the first or newcomers to the series (or genre, for that matter).
All that aside, PoE is an experience I am still working through at the time of this article. It's tough and long, but absolutely rewarding, and it makes it very clear why games in the lineage of the genre — Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, and so on — are still held in such high regard today. Someday I hope to tackle those, but until then, PoE will keep me very busy.
In sum, Street Fighter V Arcade Edition is precisely what many gamers wanted two years ago. The roster, balance, modes, and amount of content are now fleshed out and in a convenient complete package. For anyone that has been waiting for this release, you're not likely to be disappointed.
Ultimately, there's no denying the impressive history of Street Fighter. It's a series that has continued to evolve, and this special release is a great and deserved tribute to the 2D titles from the first twenty-plus years.
I have been, and continue to enjoy S:A enough that it's hard to find much fault with it. That said, for some genre veterans looking for a stout challenge, the default difficult setting is likely much too easy. Additionally, some quest and puzzle design could be considered a bit repetetive, but for me, these concerns were greatly overshadowed by the positives of the experience.
My Brother Rabbit is a pleasant surprise, a welcomed departure from the norm (for me), and a game I'm happy to recommend.
Coming into DMC5 as a fan of the series, I had high hopes for DMC5. I’m happy to say those hopes were met and even Exceeded in some respects. While there is room to improve in some critical areas, primarily in level design, DMC5 kicks ass, in Style.
On the whole, Soulcalibur VI does an excellent job of advancing the series while also stay true to its roots. Character creation, two new battle mechanics, new playable characters, two story modes, online play — there's a lot of meat here for fight-hungry fans to dive into and it's crafted and presented with the skill we've come to know from Project Soul.
The ending of this first installment of the DLC certainly ends on a cliffhanger, leaving us excited for November's content. Whether you play it now or wait until all three DLCs are out, The Heist is definitely worth the price of admission and the four hours it takes to complete.
Everything from the digital manual, menus, menu music, optional display filters, numerous border art, unlockables — it’s clear that M2 has created and maintained a reputation of excellence for themselves and they should be proud of it.
For Pinball on the go, you would be hard-pressed to find a better option than Zen Studios’ Star Wars Pinball. From design to execution, Zen did an excellent job.
Team M2 has done another masterful job with this Sega Ages release and it’s another must-have as far as I’m concerned.
I would have liked to have seen shorter load times and a revised inventory management system so that players can more easily avoid spending so much time in their inventory, but these are things that could very well be addressed with patching. Those two gripes aside, Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is an awesome game and a wonderful experience to sink into.
Overall, a ticket to Plant Coaster: Console Edition is a great buy if you’re at all into theme park management. Frontier did a superb job bringing their excellent 2016 PC game to next-gen with console-friendly UI, controls, and everything you could need to get a big jump on your theme park building and management gameplay.
It’s hard to explain these stories without spoiling them, and they’re so bizarre that you just have to experience them for yourself. Were it not for the great art, writing, and puzzle design, the very creative storylines just wouldn’t hold much water, but that isn’t a problem here — Sam & Max Save the World fires on all cylinders very well, with little room left for disappointment.
With the Mr. X Nightmare DLC, SOR4 feels fresh all over again. The new characters, moves, and weapons make replaying through the campaign with friends a treat, and the Survival Mode offers an intense barrage of enemies to beat with interesting gameplay elements. At just $8, it’s easy to recommend the DLC, but if you’re a fan of physical media, there is a fresh re-release of the game that includes the DLC on the medium, too. Regardless, Streets of Rage 4 is not to be missed, and this DLC is worth adding to an already stellar game.
In sum, Skunkape has done another excellent job remastering an old point-and-click gem from the Telltale archives of years past. Though I wouldn’t put the Sam & Max episodic adventures in my all time list for the genre, they do rank highly, and are absolutely worth playing if you enjoy the genre or want to experience some zany plots and characters. We’ll look forward to the third and final remaster hopefully next year.
Sifu gets a lot more right than not, and though I typically can’t stand to play games that force heavy-handed repetitive loops, I found myself enjoying Sifu too much to put it away for long. Playing Sifu is a cycle of emotions; it’s tough, fun, frustrating, and rewarding, not always in that order. I think Sloclap did a solid job overall and I would also point out that the game is priced very reasonably at about $50, too. If you enjoy detailed, authentic martial arts action, Sifu is not only one of the only choices out there, but it’s a great one.
An excellent fighter and another superb addition to the series, MKX kicks ass.
Finally arriving on the Wii U, Axiom Verge still packs a mighty punch long after its initial release.