GamingTrend
HomepageGamingTrend's Reviews
Madden NFL 17 boasts some changes that players may not find entirely intriguing. The practice system with franchise has been bumped up, but it still remains a tireless slog that should be avoided. The new commentary duo is breath of fresh air and one that should stick around for years to come. While making the special teams useful again was nice, the on-field action has changed very little. Madden NFL 17 feels like more Madden NFL 16, which isn’t always a bad thing.
While offering a set of promises that would make any trigger-happy PVP addict excited, Shattered Skies fails to deliver a reason to keep coming back. While the concept sounds fun, the execution thus far has yielded a relatively lifeless world with a by-now stagnating population. Time will tell if the developers can shape their game into something more engaging post-launch.
I imagine the Internet will be abuzz with discussion on the "Mechanical Apartheid" issue, debating whether it was offensive, or if Eidos Montreal did enough to warrant the comparison, but aside from that, there is a very solid effort here. The new augments combined with better level design makes exploration more satisfying, and the little upgrades to hacking make that whole system more tense. While it's over a little too soon, if you enjoyed Human Revolution, there is a lot to like here.
Metroid Prime: Federation Force succeeds at carving out its own identity, but loses a few elements in translation. It’s still Metroid at its core but lacks the masterful execution that the series is known for.
No Man’s Sky is an unforgettable adventure, one plagued by lack of direction and lack of meat. It brings about one of the most incredible worlds ever seen in a video game, but it doesn’t always take advantage of that. Despite the issues, No Man’s Sky is a milestone in video game development.
Kelvin and the Infamous Machine is a fresh take on time travel, with a diverse cast of characters thrust into hilarious scenarios. The puzzles aren’t so difficult that they’re maddening, but just enough to feel rewarding when it all clicks into place. You’ll be laughing out loud or scratching your head, but you won’t ever be bored.
While there isn’t much to do after your first playthrough, Reigns is a short and sweet micromanagement adventure game filled with quirky characters and amusing conversations.
What it lacked in story, it made up for in visual appeal. The romantic choices were different enough that it felt like a unique story for each choice, but the interaction between lovers seemed a little artificial at times. The art is pretty enough to make me want to continue on just so I can see the gallery pictures.
A deceptively difficult shooter, Lovely Planet Arcade mixes adorable graphics with addictive action and a great soundtrack.
Bear With Me is an entertaining, witty point-and-click investigation game with a Noir twist. Its strong characters, unique style, and snappy dialogue will resonate with fans of the genre. The game is held back by slow load times and a surprisingly short story, but provides a great little adventure and a solid overall experience.
Little King’s Story is a delightful RPG with around 30 hours of gameplay. With a cheerful soundtrack, imaginative landscapes, and improved graphics, this re-release can stand shoulder to shoulder with similar games on the market. The gameplay is fun, addictive, and pretty forgiving. You’ll find plenty to do in this game, from digging for treasure, to collecting taxes, to completing quests, to battling bosses and other baddies. Fans of the series will no doubt enjoy getting lost in the colorful kingdom of Alpoko once again.
Road to Ballhalla is an insanely difficult rhythmic puzzler. It’s enjoyable and agonizing in equal measure, tossing a variety of trials at you then teasing you when you don’t overcome them on the first try. For those who can fight their way through and remain cool-headed, dozens of neat features and hours of playtime await.
Telltale’s take on Batman is fresh, and shows a side of Bruce Wayne most games shy away from, and that’s enough to make it interesting as we head into the rest of the season.
Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force is a remake with very few improvements. An added ability to be evil and access a new storyline brings new content, but the game is basically unchanged from its PlayStation 3 debut. Bland, cliché, and uninspired, Fairy Fencer F is just another cog in an increasingly frustrating machine churning out the same JRPG experience over and over again. With recent releases of bigger and better games in the genre, Fairy Fencer F is one to avoid.
This Is The Police is a challenging portrayal of law enforcement that falters when it comes to meaningful commentary. While it constructs a good form and addresses topical concerns, it fails to say anything definitive. Starting a conversation is worthwhile, but that only carries the game so far before its menial nature drags it down.
Hunter’s Legacy is another platformer in a sea of platformers. Some of the puzzles are clever, going beyond jumping around to involve intriguing elements, but otherwise not much about it stands out from the crowd.
Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate is an old school roguelike JRPG with a ton of replayability and a great visual style. With its randomized levels, densely related mechanics, and deceptively simple combat, it’s a game that still manages to be fun even twenty hours in.
Trials of the Blood Dragon continues the storyline from where Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon ended. If you’re driven to find out what happens next to Rex Power Colt and his two kids, Roxanne and Slayter, it looks like you’re buying this game. You won’t hate it, and the charm of the presentation is enough to keep you moving forward, just don’t expect it to be the thrill that other Trials games have been able to deliver.
There is very little fun to be had in MilitAnt. After spending most of my time breezing through half of the game’s bosses, all but submitting to the other half (with a pair of very green exceptions), and rushing past nearly every basic enemy, I get the impression that this ubiquitous imbalance in difficulty is more likely a vast oversight than a design choice. I appreciate Xibalba Studios’ focus on old-school level design, and some of the boss designs showed real inspiration, both in gameplay and aesthetics. But the desultory approach to enemy design and combat mechanics completely overshadows any of MilitAnt’s potentially redeeming qualities.
DreamBreak is a short, relatively easy trip down memory lane for anyone who grew up playing point-and-click adventure games. While it has plenty of rough edges and won’t hold your attention for much longer than the end credits, it’s a good game to play through in an afternoon, with well-designed puzzles and surprisingly engaging combat. Just be warned that there are a lot of bugs near the end.