Adam Beck's Reviews
Rise of the Tomb Raider is exactly what we needed. While there has been an influx of open world games over the last few years, Crystal Dynamics have been able to find a perfect balance of cinematic action and strong adventure elements. There are far more tombs to raid this time around, not to mention an open world filled with challenges, artifacts, documents and expansive story elements. Speaking of the story, while it's not particularly deep, it does contain a strong antagonist duo and an even more compelling heroine. While Lara's drive becomes a bit obsessive at first, she has grown up to be a capable woman, looking death in the face rather than fearing it.
Bloodborne: The Old Hunters is a solid add-on to an already outstanding game. While it fails to try anything new and is relatively short, the bosses make this something worthy of trekking through, especially for existing fans. There's a bevy of weapons to add to your arsenal, additional lore to accumulate in your journal and luscious environments to keep your interest. It's a shame the majority of the new areas are rather straightforward and the standard enemies don't really offer much of a challenge, but there's something about figuring out the strategies of each boss and exploring every nook and cranny of the world that will leave you satisfied. There's a masochist in everyone and Bloodborne: The Old Hunters helps bring it out in people.
Lightning Returns is the antithesis of its predecessors. The confined and plodding pace of the last two games is no more and the nonsensical narrative has been lightly improved. More still, the combat is hands-down the strongest of the three games. Unfortunately, Lightning's new quest isn't without its limitations, as while the visual fidelity has improved thanks to the transition to the significantly more flexible platform, the six year old engine is showing its age and the degree past assets are used is almost criminal.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is a four-year-old game wrapped in slightly better visuals.
Resident Evil 0 HD Remaster is a fantastic reworking of a solid entry into the mainline series.
The PC version of Rise of the Tomb Raider is a step above its 2015 release.
Rise of the Tomb Raider – Baba Yaga: The Temple of the Witch is a short piece that properly reflects its price point.
We really wanted XCOM 2 to be something amazing, but unfortunately it falls short.
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition for PC is plagued with a number of issues that vastly damage the experience.
Deponia Doomsday is a charming adventure that brings back all the humor from the past, but derives its puzzles on obscurities and trial and error.
There's nothing that gets your blood boiling and your heart racing like a hardcore strategy-RPG with perma-death, and Fire Emblem Fates fits that mold to a T.
IO Interactive has setup something potentially more impressive for future releases, with gameplay we've come to love and a taste of what feels like infinite possibilities spread throughout a single scenario.
EA Sports Canada has improved upon the UFC formula greatly, although plenty of the modes still feel shallow.
Quantum Break has an identity crisis going on for itself, not knowing if it wants to be a TV show, action game or puzzle platformer.
Dark Souls III is shorter than what we've come to expect, but it's also more consolidated to give players exactly what they're looking for without any unnecessary fluff.
Rise of the Tomb Raider: Cold Darkness Awakened has a lot of promise, focusing on the strong stealth and puzzle mechanics that made the core game so popular, but unfortunately it fails to leave a lasting impression.
Final Fantasy IX for PC is surprisingly well done for a sixteen year old port.
The second episode of Hitman is a satisfying adventure that’s once again dragged down by technical issues.
Naughty Dog has done it again, creating a cinematic marvel that sets the bar for the action genre.
Finally, Final Fantasy X and its sequel have breached a platform outside of the PlayStation family and it comes with positive tidings.