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Broken Age is charming, attractive, funny, and all-around entertaining. For fans of adventure games, it leaves little to be desired short of its second act. If that meets the standard set by the currently playable bit, Double Fine looks to have dropped a classic in its wake. Regardless, the experience of Act 1 is enough to recommend outright — don't hesitate to add this title to your library.
While other versions of Tomb Raider may be less expensive and offer a similar experience, the Definitive Edition combines the already stellar gameplay with vastly improved graphics, creating what is most certainly the best version of Tomb Raider available.
It would have been nice to see more thought put into the presentation, but fans of the series will feel right at home with this familiar layout. The excellent touch controls in the "Virus Buster" mode along with the new challenges posed in "Operation L," make "Dr. Luigi" a worthy successor and a nice cap off to the 2013 Year of Luigi.
Octodad: Dadliest Catch may be a one-joke game, but the team at Young Horses has taken that joke and squeezed as much hilarity out of it as possible. Don't ask questions about the man in the suit — just buy the game.
All in all, is this DLC worth $10? That depends on how much you want to revisit Los Perditos. The additional content is more than worth it to those who loved it, but for those lukewarm to the game, I'd wait a bit and see whether the next episode is compelling and then consider looking at getting this episode in the $30 four-episode season pass instead. The action is the same, the perspective is interesting, but the new content is over so quickly that it really doesn't have the pull that it needs to make Operation: Broken Eagle a must-have.
Necrophone Games has a fantastic premise, a decent execution and a brave narration in Jazzpunk. Had I not had the pressure of trying to get through this for the purpose of review, I would have had far more laugh-out-loud moments, rather than a quick acknowledgements and the occasional laugh. At $15, there is some quality time you can get with this indie Steam title. Watch the trailer – if you're even the least bit curious, I say go for it.
If you are getting a Wario Ware 9-Volt games vibe, you are on the right track. If you like your old-school gaming challenging, and you don't mind a few minor hiccups, NES Remix is worth a trip down memory lane. Even if it's only to watch a real hero like Link rescue Princess Peach for once, though with his track record with Zelda I bet she won't stay rescued. I bet Samus would have gotten the job done…
Strike Vector is a game with great ideas, and really breathes some life into a dying genre. The game's challenge may be a bit too much for casual players, but if you're looking to scratch that aerial shooter itch with a frantic edge, then take to the skies — but don't expect to live long.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a solid, if at times frustrating platformer, but the inclusion of a couple new characters aren't enough to stave off the feeling that we've seen all this before.
Despite my deep reservations regarding the reboot of my favorite character and the world he inhabits, Thief manages to deliver a compelling experience. Sure it's a bit grimy in areas, but the team at Eidos Montreal have done well with the reboot of this title, just as they did for Deus Ex. The main missions are immersive, and the team has clearly catered to both new audiences and us old taffers with the bevy of options and mods. While it may not convey the same style as its forerunners, it delivers what I would call a mostly-authentic Thief experience. Now, let's talk about getting those cutscenes back…
Appealing to both hardcore shooter fans as well as younger and more casual players, Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare is entertaining, accessible, and oozing with charm. And while it's only launching with a handful of maps, the lower price point and promise of free content down the line softens the blow considerably.
I thought that Spartan Assault would be a great addition to the Halo universe while expanding the audience with a new genre. In the end the short campaign, lack of storyline, and ease of gameplay make this a tough sell. I enjoy dual stick shooters like this, so I did enjoy my time with the game. However, you might have to lower your expectations with your purchase.
Mario Golf: World Tour offers little in the way of surprises, but it's still an entertaining and accessible golf game for the masses, with a decent amount of content for the price.
I've played quite a few Kirby games, and Kirby: Triple Deluxe may very well be my new favorite. It has perfected the platforming experience and has more content than even Kirby could fit into his fat mouth.
Sadly, LEGO The Movie Videogame fails to live up to the expectations set by both it's source material and its video gaming forebears. A few inspired moments of gameplay give way to a bland and tired retread, while lacking any real substance to provide reason to revisit. Long loading times, last-gen caliber graphics and moments where bugs stop gameplay underline the lack of attention. At a sticker price of $60 I recommend you buy a movie ticket instead, and spend the rest on a LEGO set or two. At least if you tire of those, you can build something new and entirely different.
Yoshi’s New Island looks great, plays flawlessly, and is entertaining and challenging enough for any fan to enjoy—and ultimately, that’s all that matters. If you’re a fan, you’ll find what you’re looking for here, but those still waiting for the next great and unique Nintendo title will have to keep on waiting. Some of the pieces of the game feel poorly tacked-on, but at it’s core Yoshi’s New Island is a worthy sequel to a beloved series that has been out of gamer’s lives for too long.
While Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy offers little innovation or surprise, it’s still just as charming and entertaining as ever, and it’s a fitting end to a legacy of perplexing brainteasers.
Tomodachi Life is more toy than game, but it's an intriguing, colorful, and consistently surprising one.
Bravely Default’s combat combines the best things that old-school JRPGs had to offer with some new and welcome additions, and its social features are incredibly forward-thinking. However, its sluggish pacing and over-reliance on repetition and genre conventions holds it back from being the Final Fantasy replacement we all wanted it to be.
If you've not gathered it thus far, the house that brought you Fallout: New Vegas, Dungeon Siege III, Alpha Protocol, Neverwinter Nights 2, and Knights of the Old Republic 2 have struck gold once again. An epic RPG, a licensed game that somehow transcends its source material, and the culmination of everything South Park has come together to create the funniest game I've played in a decade. Stuffed with fan service, South Park: The Stick of Truth is better than any episode of the show, and it's so much better than any of us could have anticipated.