Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number didn't make giant leaps in gameplay improvements, but the essence that made the first game great is intact and alive. Sometimes that is all that matters, especially in a game like this.
Sid Meier's Starships is a simplistic, strategic and cerebral space version of Civilization, albeit a short one. It's meant to keep your attention for a short amount of time and succeeds in consistently doing so. It does have sprinkles of economic depth like it's Civ brother, but it doesn't demand gamers sit and engulf themselves in the learning process to achieve success. For gamers not wanting to dedicate their entire beings to the Civ games, this might be a worthy substitute.
Omega Force certainly takes the core gameplay of Dynasty Warriors and boosts it considerably. A wider and deeper landscape for networking, invading and scheming, and sometimes playing as a politician, helps to make this title more than just another hack and slash experience. This depth will overshadow the lack of visual upgrade for current generation hardware.
The Bright Lord is a bunch of frustrating fun, but it pays off at the end with new missions, upgrades and quick gameplay.
While not incredibly complex on the surface, Minutes offers up a challenging style of gameplay that requires you to constantly think on the fly, while having a blast. It might be closer to a causal gaming experience than a console experience, but it's nonetheless fun at the end of the day.
Life is Strange has simplicity to it that is driven by a strong and intriguing storyline. It's one of those titles that demands your attention, but doesn't ask too much from your gaming skills. Gamers may not like the lack of control and variety of gameplay, but the freedom to dictate the character and story might be enough to warrant a go.
Resident Evil HD Remaster is almost everything promised. After all these years, it still doesn't miss a step.
If you go into Sportsball with friends ready to play a local multiplayer experience, and ready to screw each other over, then you're going to find a very fun and inexpensive experience on the Wii U. If you're looking for more of a solo game, then this probably isn't the game for you.
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris has its limitations due to the dungeon crawling style of the game, especially in the presentation department. However, it does a great job with bringing some fun puzzle solving, competent enemies and level design, as well as a strong leveling system that motivates the gamer to keep going.
agic: The Gathering — Duels of the Planeswalkers 2015 doesn't pull any punches with what it is and how it's played. It's a tough game that will challenge you, much like the actual card game, and will force you to think and strategize before jumping into the mix. It's certainly made for a specific audience that enjoys mathematics and forward thinking.
The charm of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker resides in the unique variety of levels built for the game, as well as the competent, yet simplistic gameplay design it delivers. Add a strong replay value to the mix and you have one of the best surprises to hit the Wii U this holiday season.
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham is initially the same type of gameplay that you know from the previous LEGO titles, but with a little bit more freedom and flavor added in to separate it. If you loved previous LEGO titles, especially the most recent LEGO Batman titles, then you're going to enjoy this one.
The visual upgrade to Grand Theft Auto V on the current generation systems would be enough to warrant a re-purchase. It's absolutely stunning and by far one of the best looking games on current gen. The additional online content, modes, cars, people and the inclusion first-person is just icing on the cake.
Dragon Age: Inquisition has incredibly deep and complex parts, while still maintaining the core gameplay values that Bioware knows how to do best with their third-person action titles. The game delivers everything promised, including gorgeous visuals and a strong story. Simply put, Bioware has returned the Dragon Age series to the greatness it truly deserves.
Sledgehammer Games does a great job with their first full go around of Call of Duty. Advanced Warfare features a campaign with an entertaining story, a deep multiplayer experience that is fast and on target, and a co-op experience that has small twists to keep it unique. They didn't reinvent the franchise with their first Call of Duty release, but they did produce something enjoyable.
Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection is a well-designed and deserved trip down memory lane. For those who never experienced arcade games before and never truly saw Street Fighter in its heyday, it's a nearly perfect way of seeing it at its best. Sans the controller issues that still plague the Switch version of this release, and any Street Fighter release, it's a solid collection that is worth the money.
ArchAngel: Hellfire does a good job with PvP. The maps are nice, the mechs and controls are solid, and there isn't a lot to dislike about what Skydance Interactive put together. I will say that the co-op isn't as interesting as the PvP, but that's not the reason you will want to play Hellfire. Hopefully more updates in the future will improve upon this solid groundwork.
NBA Live 15 is an improvement from the previous year. It contains better graphics, smoother gameplay and feels like a more complete experience when compared to NBA Live 14. That said, there is still some work to be done if it hopes to compete with the NBA 2K series. It isn't quite to the 2K level, but it's now officially on the right path.
Driveclub delivers driving fun on gorgeous and expansive maps, offers a variety of ways to race and a bevy of cars to choose from. It won't satisfy your need for a Gran Turismo-esque experience, but it will certainly bring enjoyment to your racing lives.
All in all, Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is a beautiful third-person action title that has deep role-playing game elements embedded firmly into it. You also get enormously detailed and deep environments, with unique enemies to populate it. This is simply a superb game.