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Arslan: Warriors of Legend does a great deal more right than it does wrong, but you would likely already need to be fan of the Koei Warriors games to think so. While the improvements this entry has over typical Warriors games are a big plus and make this title more accessible to players unfamiliar with the content it's based on, they also shine a brighter light on where the developers are not evenly spreading their attention to detail. The right combination of patches and DLC could possibly make this one of the best Warriors games yet, but the unlikelihood of that happening makes this just another example of action game mediocrity; albeit an exceptional one.
Yarny heads a fantastic 2D platformer that suffers from one or two issues, but ultimately becomes one of the more enjoyable experiences in recent memory. The music is peaceful, challenges are introduced intelligently, and the visual design is stunning. Unravel is an absolute delight of a video game.
Firewatch is a beautiful story of escapism and loss, set against the beautiful Wyoming wilderness. The physicality of your interactions, the excellent radio conversations, and poignant writing and imagery are hindered only by slight issues in presentation and technical hitching. It's grounded, human, and one that you'll be eager to talk about for days after the credits roll.
Cyber Sleuth evokes nostalgia while also pivoting in tone and setting for fans who have grown older. The disorienting lack of story direction in the first half is made up for when its mysteries finally come to light, and it makes Cyber Sleuth's world a great one to spend hours training Digimon in.
It is rare when the sequel surpasses its predecessor, but XCOM 2 does it with style and verve. Unlike grenades in Enemy Unknown, everything in XCOM 2 matters. Choices have purpose, lives are no longer trivial. Maps no longer repeat, and neither do outcomes. XCOM 2 is punishing, but that just makes success taste that much sweeter.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam excels at RPG combat, but is bogged down by tedious minigames and a disappointing story.
Clapfoot has created a tower defense game unique to the Xbox One console. With a strong sense of style, AI companions and a moderate amount of shooter control, this might just scratch your strategy itch. It's too bad then that it isn't as accessible, and relies on repetitive gameplay with a steep difficulty to add gameplay hours to its otherwise short campaign and limited maps.
Baba Yaga is a good excuse for another adventure with Lara, but it doesn't hook quite as deep as its base game. Besides an excellent boss fight and a few major moments, nothing here stands out from the fold.
Klaus is a thought-provoking platformer that usurps expectations and will stick with you long after you've finished playing.
Slybots: Frantic Zone has its redeeming aspects as both a single player and multiplayer game, but without much variety in content or gameplay, the entertainment value wanes fairly quickly. If this game aims to have any sort of longevity, the team will need to continue pushing updates. In its current state, I am not overly impressed with Slybots.
A bevy of incredible technical advancements offer vast improvements in some areas and minor ones in others. With a highly variable framerate, it's clear more optimization is needed, but the game is highly playable on a variety of settings and hardware levels. The Xbox One version is no slouch, but if you've got the kit to run it, this is the ultimate edition you've been waiting for.
Shooting Stars can provide some thrills due to its solid bullet-hell focused gameplay systems. The mechanics are tight and the special pick-ups diversify the combat a bit. But at the end of the day, its comedy feels more painful than enjoyable. The fact that it is thrown your way constantly only makes it more unenjoyable. It simply feels forced.
LEGO Marvel's Avengers' ties to the cinematic universe make it less imaginative than its comic book predecessor, but excellent superhero gameplay makes up for it. This is one of the best LEGO games yet and a must-play for any Marvel fan.
The core of what Gravity Rush is is still here and still great, but what problems the game originally had aren't fixed by the visual update, and some of them are even made worse.
Crashlands is a charming cartoony story-driven RPG. The Adventure mode is a near flawless balance of story, exploration, combat, and crafting, but if you have a preferred playstyle or want to try something different after you've beaten the game, there are three other modes to choose from. With its convenient gameplay mechanics and detailed design, time easily flies while playing this enjoyable game.
This War of Mine: The Little Ones is a fun, yet difficult survival game that fans of Don't Starve, and the like, will most certainly enjoy. It takes a chance in telling the story of war from a rarely seen civilian angle, but ultimately doesn't deliver an engaging narrative. The addition of children doesn't add much to the original 2014 release besides a few new items to craft. And the potential for a great and addictive survival experience is hindered by a wonky combat system.
Familiar series hang-ups lead to signs of aging, but Resident Evil 0 HD's core gameplay and horror element hold up remarkably well. Updated visuals and controls make the return trip to Raccoon City worthwhile.
While Blackbird's HD update of the original Homeworld titles may have shipped with a few nagging bugs, this original and inventive prequel reinvents the series in way I hardly even hoped could be possible. It's fresh but familiar. It's Homeworld, but it's something new. Like its story-chronological successors, Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is amazing — there's simply nothing else like it.
Draft Day Sports: Pro Football 2016 isn't a beautiful game, but like a desk calculator sitting idly on a business desk in 1978, it just works. The game gives players an ability to run simulations of teams with high levels of accuracy. American football is an underserved sport in the simulation gaming genre, and Draft Day Sports: Pro Football 2016 has a shot to become a "division leader" in the sports sim world.
Oxenfree is a smart, emotional adventure that feels focused and purposeful. It's got plenty of narrative twists that lead to great "a-ha" moments, but keeps the story well-grounded in its compelling protagonists and clever gameplay moments. Oxenfree is simply well-made, endearing, and very memorable.