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Punch Club is a game with a lot of personality. From its realistic gameplay to the little surprises it has tucked away, there's something special about it that will have you hooked. In spite of the moments that feel like a lot of grinding, it's an enjoyable title.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is a worthy memorial to a criminally underrated title, and although it falters at times, the design, combat, scenery, and world this game molds is one that deserves preservation.
Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon offers a fun glimpse into the Pokemon world from the monsters' perspective, all while providing a unique, turn-based tactical gameplay with light roguelike features. Featuring over 700 pokemon to encounter, fight and team up with, it's a must-have for any dedicated fans of the series, and provides just enough tactical thinking to entertain a budding CRPG player.
Sword Art Online: Lost Song, while polished in some areas and definitely a great buy for a fan of the anime, is only mediocre in it's own right. Its solid play mechanics and interesting characters are quickly overshadowed by a convoluted and self-referential narrative that only the most dedicated enthusiasts of the franchise could really appreciate. If you are just looking for an anime-like title to spend some time with, better options are out there. Sword Art Online: Lost Song was really only built with fans in mind.
It sounds like I'm being fairly hard on Chapter 2 of the King's Quest reboot, and to some degree I am. The first chapter was a triumphant return for the series, setting the bar fairly high for anything following. While Rubble Without a Cause can be a little obtuse and less intuitive than A Knight to Remember, it is still a worthy installment. Let's hope that Chapter 3, which is rumored to focus on Graham meeting his future queen Valanice, takes a few more risks when it comes in Q1 2016.
Amplitude hits both highs and lows, but is the kind of score-hunting, high difficulty challenge that rhythm fans will love if they're looking for something fresh. A solid revival for a pillar of the genre.
Xenoblade Chronicles X is wonderful addition to Nintendo's impressive roster for the Wii U. It takes the well-oiled RPG mechanics of its predecessor and delivers a vast and alien world so meticulously and passionately designed that it's easy and fun to get lost inside of it. There are some grindy fetch quests and tiresome elements to the soundtrack, but these flaws become mere background noise once you begin exploring the incredibly immersive world of Mira that serves as the setting. It's a rewarding gaming experience that should not be missed by any RPG fans, or by people looking for a good reason to own a Wii U.
As of episode four, Minecraft: Story Mode feels like it's on the right track to conclude in a more interesting way than it originally appeared, but I'm not sure yet whether that makes dragging yourself through the first three episodes worth it to see the better places the series goes as it nears its conclusion.
Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star succeeds at providing base-level fan-service, but in a way that doesn't feel as particularly compelling or essential as the original. If you want more pigeons in your life, it's pocket change for a few laughs – just don't expect more out of it.
The Sims 4: Get Together utilizes the new club system to have new experiences, ways to play, and is a great social feature. Although it is a great expansion and allows for new and exciting gameplay, it fails to bring enough to the table for new players or people looking to get back to the Sims franchise.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Orsinium is a pretty land with a dull set of tasks waiting for you to come and grind with. Large, stone-forged, and overloaded with simplicity, Orsinium does a great job of expanding a game for dedicated players while doing absolutely nothing to coax ex-players or new players into the fold. More than medi-orc-re, but less than spectacular, Orsinium seems more like a holdover expansion than an overall addition to the ESO experience.
Rainbow Six: Siege is one of the better tactical FPS experiences of the year, even with a smaller content offering than most. Microtransactions and limited custom options can muddy it up, but if you enjoy the core gameplay loop, there's a lot to enjoy here for the multiplayer-minded player.
It feels odd calling a point & click horror game adorable, but that's what Bulb Boy is. Heartwarming moments are mixed with gross-out details without any friction. The surreal story has plenty of twists and turns, and the puzzles are enjoyable to work out. This little indie title is truly a gem in its own special way.
Just Cause 3 provides a ton of thrills. Its main goal from the outset seems to focus on raising the player's blood pressure and enthralling them with the action. While it achieves that feeling for a majority of the game, the console version suffers from some serious frame rate and loading issues that bog down their experiences. That being said, Just Cause 3 is a great game to simply sit down and have fun with. Turn your brain off, relax, and embrace the explosions happening on your television screen.
Valhalla Hills is a well built title easily capable of fulfilling a short term RTS fix. It's complex without being complicated and rewards players with dozens of unlockables for clever and calculated play. Valhalla Hills' only real drawback is the lack of a tutorial system that allows players to learn and take advantage of all the things it has to offer. RTS hardcores should find little difficulty with this potential caltrop, but moderate and casual players might have a very hard time.
Driveclub Bikes is a nice departure for the Driveclub franchise. This is an expansion that actually expands the game from a relatively competent title, in my opinion, to nearly a must own for racing fans. Others may feel they are adding a whipped cream dollop to their already delicious Driveclub pie. The gameplay mechanics and competitive A.I. make for the most interesting and challenging player vs. CPU racing that I've experienced in a long time. Driveclub Bikes is a highly recommended pickup, particularly for PlayStation Plus members.
Just what Telltale hopes to accomplish Minecraft: Story Mode remains in question as "The Last Place You Look" breaks story and characters for the sake of seeing every corner of the Minecraft universe.
Star Wars Battlefront nails bringing home the original trilogy in a new and interesting way, but fails to substantiate the splendor in a meaningful way. A fun nostalgia trip that might barely tide you over until the new film, but not much longer.
For the most part, The Old Hunters feels like a tight, good bit of content that fans of the original game will thoroughly enjoy. The Old Hunters ratchets up Bloodborne's difficulty quite a bit. But in doing so, the satisfaction of beating bosses only gets stronger. Found throughout the confines of the expansion are a host of new weapons and armor, all of which are welcome additions. The visual design is stronger than ever, as well. From Software has confirmed that there are no current plans for future Bloodborne expansions, meaning The Old Hunters is more than likely the bow on top of Miyazaki's 2015 project. If that is the case, it is a solid outing for one of the best games of 2015.
Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival retains the charm that the series is known for, but is uneventful and boring. Move out of this town.