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Watch Dogs represents a step into a scary real-world future. It raises social and governmental questions around a person's right to privacy. It delivers combat, stealth, story, and an incredible amount of side content to bring the whole world to life. I'm amazed at what the team at Ubisoft has delivered here, and I'm glad that they treated the hacker world with more respect and attention to detail than any other game or movie to date. I'm hopeful that Watch Dogs becomes a franchise because it is the best sandbox title I've ever played.
Tropico 5 is a stop-gap measure, another coat of paint on a series designed for a specific audience that's looking for a specific experience. The freshly streamlined interface may court some new blood, but a lackluster campaign and a failure to branch out from the micromanagement-heavy core sim experience makes this a tough sell for outsiders to the genre.
Always Sometimes Monsters is one of those independent, cult-classic-to-be, games that fans of narrative storytelling should really give a chance. Whatever flaws it may have are obvious and avoidable, and at no point did I encounter something game-breaking that soured my time. There are plenty of paths to choose from, feelings to explore, and surprise consequences that will make you give yourself a high-five or scream at you monitor. The Vagabond Dog boys have made a solid start.
I'm surprised at just how much MachineGames has done to bring the Wolfenstein franchise into a new generation. Balanced gameplay, a memorable story, characters with depth, and more than two dozen hours of content scratch a shooter itch that has been long dormant. Wolfenstein: The New Order delivers an experience well beyond my expectations, elevating this venerable series not only into a new generation, but raising the bar for story-driven shooters as a whole. Well done, MachineGames, well done indeed.
Consisting of two very well designed maps and one recycled and repurposed yet still very enjoyable map, Expedition will certainly bring the faithful back to the table for more. Unfortunately, Titanfall still feels a little thin, mostly because a lack of maps was never really its problem. Respawn would do well to examine other FPS expansion packs to see that gamers will likely expect more from paid content than a handful of new maps with no additional features.
If you're looking for a whimsical and accessible racing game to play with your friends and family, Mario Kart 8 is one of the best. Just don't expect any additional content outside of the most basic modes.
Super Time Force blew me away. This is a must-own for Xbox One owners, so don't waste any…TIME…buying it.
Coming into the release of MLB 14: The Show, it was clear that this is the king of baseball games. Not only is it the king but no other game is coming anywhere near it's level of greatness for quite some time. Thankfully, Sony San Diego does not take that lightly as they have continued to build on an already fantastic product. There is no doubt that some of their additions fell a bit short, but those are the risks you can take when you are the uncontested king. The graphical enhancements in the PS4 version of MLB 14: The Show are undeniable and true proof of how far we can go with visuals this generation. Whether it is in graphics or gameplay, MLB: The Show continues to rule the sports game world.
Ultimately Spider's follow up to Mars: War Logs is a far better effort than its predecessor. You can't help but appreciate the effort put forth, as well as the fantastic concepts and new approach to storytelling. Bound by Flame provides engaging mechanics and choices that actually matter, if you can stomach the horrible voice work.
So here we are at the end of a very long review for a very big game, and the question of whether or not The Elder Scrolls Online has captured the magic of its single single contemporaries still remains to be answered. I think the framework is there, but there are some painful missteps that are holding it back. MMOs are a constantly evolving ecospace, so it's possible we'll get there, but for now I'll cautiously say…maybe.
While a lot of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 fails to impress, there is a decent amount of potential to be had in this Beenox product. It is clear that Beenox is a talented developer, but being forced into developing a movie-game that has a predetermined release date is a near impossible situation for anyone. Here's to hoping that brighter futures are in front of Beenox. If not, there will most certainly be a new Amazing Spider-Man heading our way in a few years.
After eight months in Steam Early Access, Sir, You Are Being Hunted is out of beta. Unfortunately, it still feels a little under-baked. There isn't enough content or complexity here to warrant Sir's length on a single playthrough, let alone on multiple playthroughs. Sir, You Are Being Hunted has a delightful sense of humor, but it's just not enough to carry the rest of the experience.
NES Remix 2 reminds us of the challenges of our youth. With bite size nibbles of the most challenging or salient aspects of what made these games great, NES Remix 2 also delivers more iconic and well-recognized games from the library that made Nintendo famous. Ice Climbers takes a back seat to the far superior Metroid, and Kid Icarus replaces Balloon Fight, and Zelda II: The Adventures of Link makes Wrecking Crew look silly. A far superior installment in this series, NES Remix 2 improves on it's predecessor in every way.
All in all, Daylight is a respectable addition to the modern horror lineup that packs enough scare into its roughly three hour playtime to justify its modest $15 price tag. The story and scares don't quite stack up to the best of its contemporaries, but the title brings enough of its own charm to the table to make it worth a procedurally generated spin or two.
Child of Light is a bright spot in a genre overwhelmed by mediocrity. Beautifully retro, yet modern, and incredibly addicting–Ubisoft Montreal has created a rich world and style that is unlike anything I've played before.
LEGO The Hobbit is what everyone expected, which can be good or bad depending on your exposure to the series. There is plenty to enjoy here for Middle-Earth fans, children, and those who haven't been burnt out yet by the series, but for those who were hoping for a fresh take on the LEGO video game experience there are few unique experiences to be had.
Dark Souls 2 for the PC is a far cleaner port attempt than the first Dark Souls port. The death of Games for Windows Live continues to mean good things for PC gaming, the potential to tweak up the graphics for the technically capable is still on offer, and the whole experience is far more gamer-friendly right from the get-go.
Out of the Park 15 is not only a great baseball simulator, but approaches all-time great sports game, period status. It is the only sports simulator on the market that tries to capture the nuances of both on the field gameplay and off-the-field life and decision making. It goes far beyond trying and succeeds masterfully in both accounts. With its dedication to pristine simulation now joined with a step into 3D visualization, a deepening of real world leagues, and improvements across the board, Out of the Park 15 absolutely knocks it out of cliche park. If the promises of 3D game display comes to fruition, it will be the last step in the game's ascension to the top. This gem of a game is absolutely worth anyone's time who loves the sport of baseball, sport itself, or has even ever played a baseball game, digital or otherwise.
This next-generation launch has been described as a little anemic, but I'd have to disagree. There are some incredible games hitting the market this holiday season, and this is one of them. The PlayStation 4 version of the game is mechanically the same as the PlayStation 3 version, but the new engine is eye-poppingly awesome. The new visual tech has gameplay implications, which is rare and highly appreciated. In the end you really can't go wrong with either version, but the PlayStation 4 version has entirely too many bells and whistles to not recommend. The fact that I've had a bout of OCD and needed to find each and every thing in the game speaks volumes.
Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut may not be for everyone, and if you suit up expecting a AAA budget game you might be disappointed. Looking past the surface, the combat is surprisingly deep and satisfying once you get the hang of the controls. With unlockables and 18 missions that range from 15-30 minutes each, there is a lot of game for $20 in a genre that has not yet found a foothold in the console market. Reminiscent of Wing Commander: Prophecy, Born Ready scratches an itch for those who love dog-fighting in space, regardless of realism.