Timothy Nunes's Reviews
NHL 16 is the type of game NHL fans wanted last year. Full access to game modes and a welcoming execution for newcomers makes NHL 16 an essential purchase for anyone interested in the game of hockey. With the small issues aside, hockey has never been better than this.
There's not much positive to NBA Live 16 apart from the unique menus and the well-conceived game modes. Gameplay is borderline crippling, leaving the final product on the whole incomplete. Uneven growth keeps this year's outing from being justifiably on anyone's radar.
Lacks depth, but Dragon Quest Heroes quirky narrative, colorful visuals and easy-to-grasp combat makes it a family-friendly RPG with plenty of character.
Tales of Zestiria is a success in all the right ways. Combat has the potential to compete in the intricacies of any fighter out there, despite the minor camera issues. Character development is awkward, but the depth is there to compete against some of the most complex RPGs in gaming history.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel has an old-timey feel to it while not getting lost in the novelty of that. Trails channels inspirations from the entire RPG timeline in subtle ways and brings it into a modern and progressive light. The PS3 and PS Vita are lucky to have this gem of an RPG in their library, even if it doesn’t push the hardware as it could.
The Witness, at the end of the day, revolves around one's ability to interpret and solve complex puzzles. The island is gorgeous and memorable while the gameplay itself is as smooth as silk, but there's no way around the constant need to solve the next puzzle. It is the ultimate stonewalling challenge rewarded only by rare success.
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 has the potential to be a sleeper hit. The multiplayer is a major focal point and the classes have a lot of variety and complexity ready for every level of player. The repetitiveness aside, there's enough here for everyone to have a good time, especially when friends are involved.
EA Sports takes a positive corner on the MMA market with UFC 2 as it focuses on what makes the sport great: strong mechanics and a lot of training. With strong servers and gameplay mechanics, UFC 2 has what it takes to represent the UFC both offline and online.
San Diego Studio continues to show love for baseball with MLB 16 The Show, taking its historic limelight and bringing to it a multitude of new options, features, and enhancements. Every annual release should be better than the last year, but MLB 16 The Show expands on all fronts with dividends and adds even more reasons to crack the bat.
Atelier Sophie has a target audience in mind here, and while it offers a compelling crafting with alchemy, the narrative lacks much intrigue to keep things moving.
Adventures of Mana has a great, olden feel to it, capturing what made the beginning years of the medium so special. While rough around the edges, this inspired RPG has a perfect home on Sony’s handheld powerhouse.
The PlayStation brand has something special in God Eater Resurrection, and developing the franchise even more would be a godsend. With little holding it back, Resurrection makes a strong statement on how the hunter genre should be.
I Am Setsuna brings to light all the memorable aspects of what made classic games classics. With the good outweighing the bad, I Am Setsuna embodies old concepts and creates a challenge worth undertaking, even if the pilgrimage to the end is as difficult for the player as it is for Setsuna.
With Madden as one of the longest running franchises in the gaming industry, coming this far from such modest beginnings proves that it has a great team behind it. The directive seems clear in Madden NFL 17 as MUT sees the smartest enhancements this year, but gameplay isn’t far behind either. The trenches have never had this level of attention, so the hard-nose side of the game holds proper presentation alongside its vertical counterpart.
NHL 17 has everything in place to separate itself from the other sports titles with only a few cracks in the ice keeping it from a perfect slick.
The final product that is NBA 2K17 is exactly what basketball fans want, right down to Shaq at the commentating table, but in areas where it progressed it also felt some growing pains.
There’s a lot to be had here, but the PS Vita version of Exist Archive could have used some more attention. Still, in the proper hands, there’s plenty of JRPG goodness to get lost in.
Those looking to jump right back into a tight, predictable multiplayer experience will find exactly that with Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. A lack of focus overall puts this year’s outing in the driver’s seat over the shark, but Zombies and some saving graces in the campaign keep this from being a total loss.
Channeling its Metroidvania roots, Shantae offers newcomers and genre aficionados alike a taste of what made the genre so great back when it was new and uncharted while offering plenty of upgrades to keep the journey feeling progressive.
Tales of Berseria will tantalize any JRPG fan with a narrative unique to the franchise while still entirely Tales. There's room for improvement on all fronts, but that doesn't stop Berseria from being the best franchise title in a while.