Trevor Houston
There is no question the most noticeable eye popping difference with these maps is the enhanced visuals.
Granted it is not without some flaws, annoyances and price point appears a tad steep but at the end of the day this Lara Croft does the franchise proud.
Saints Row 4 fans have been waiting for this expansion to finally touch down for quite some time now and by and large the wait was worth it. The reimagined Saints Row version of Hell built from the ground up is impressive and much of the personality we have come to love about the franchise is prominently on display. Granted the game can be offensive at times but it never takes itself too seriously and is all about entertaining.
With the many unique classes, the art style, humor and polish put forth by PopCap, Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville all culminates into a great time.
NHL 19 is as solid as it gets yet I cannot help but wonder what could have been done with more resources.
Overall, Madden NFL 19 certainly hits all the right notes.
Dead Rising 3 is not a game that takes itself too seriously and it is all about having a great time; and a great time you will have. Out of all the launch games that I have been playing I have the most difficulty putting this one down and there is something to be said about that.
With a brilliant blend of silky smooth yet brutal combat and some memorable stealth sequences, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor offers up some of the best open world combat we have seen in quite some time. It is not without some faults, and will frustrate many to the core, but in the end you are left with an excellent Lord of the Rings game that should please any "Mature" gamer.
Vanguard doesn’t stray too far away from the classic Call of Duty formula we have come to expect from the franchise over the past several years. In many ways, it’s a little more of the same. That said, Call of Duty: Vanguard is an incredibly robust package offering up tons of content for the buck. Zombies mode is far more enjoyable and varied, the single-player campaign is a visual stunner, and 20 MP maps at launch is nothing to sneeze at. If you have passed over Call of Duty over the last several years, it might be time to come back.
This makes this Madden feel more like a Madden for everyone, not just for those tournament and league diehards.
It’s clear more time with next-gen hardware has paid off. Madden NFL 22 looks and feels like a step back in the right direction for the series. The core gameplay remains largely unchanged but almost every mode in this Madden experience sees a noticeable bump. Everything from the drastically improved facial animations to a robust new feature set in Franchise mode, Madden NFL 22 quickly erases the stench that Madden NFL 21 left at launch. It’s a complete experience and you could not say that last year. More updates and patches are coming but at this point, Madden NFL 22 is a rock solid purchase and one that should make the community and fans satisfied.
It remains as punishing as any other zombie game I have played to date.
If you own Madden 25 on current generation systems, you could wait until next year but that could also be a mistake as Madden 25 on the Xbox One feels like a considerable leap over the current generation game. It may be the biggest leap we have seen in the franchise yet.
I absolutely loved the vibrant energy about this 80’s setting. Zombies in Spaceland is also stacked with talent.
There is no question a big risk was taken with this year's game. Does this risk pay off? It sure does as Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is about the most fun I have had playing a Call of Duty game in several years. Granted it remains very familiar but the leaps are significant and in the end pay off.
One thing is for certain, Black Ops 4 is easily the best multiplayer experience we have seen from the franchise to date.
With many multiplayer modes and 12 maps out of the box, Treyarch gave Black Ops 3's multiplayer game the time and attention it deserves.
There remains room for improvement and I certainly experienced a few let-downs with Madden 15; however, this is hands down the best Madden game to date. And let's just say the future remains bright for the franchise.
FIFA 14 was an impressive launch game last fall for next generation consoles. With a little more time under their belt the development team have managed to up-the-ante with FIFA 15. While the changes may not be as robust as we have seen in previous installments in the franchise, there is no question FIFA 15 has firmly cemented itself as the best soccer game on the planet.
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood doesn't reinvent the franchise or really stray from what made The New Order a success but taking this abbreviated journey with B.J. Blazkowicz put a smile on my face from beginning to end.