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Even if you're addicted to rhythm games, Kickbeat is a hard pass. It gets almost nothing right. Stick to your old copies of Rock Band and Guitar Hero and get your fighting game needs met with an actual fighting game.
Heavy Bullets encourages smart, slow, and steady tactics instead of jumping in and unloading in every room. It lets you be a bad ass one man army, while still keeping you struggling and hungry for more. Outside of a few ergonomic missteps, especially with the controller integration, it delivers an intense and immersive experience that rivals a lot of AAA FPS titles.
WWE 2K15 wins my award for the biggest disappointment of the year. This game is a mess. I believe that 2K had good intentions and believe that the have created a great foundation for future games, but 2K15 is not great at all. The gameplay is slow, sluggish, clunky and terrible. My Career doesn't feel like a career mode at all and all of the gutted creation modes and match types really just sealed the deal for me. I understand that 2K may be starting from scratch, and I'm sure they have huge plans for the future of the franchise, but unfortunately, I can only review what I have in front of me and what I have is not good. WWE 2K15 really feels like WWE 2K16: Prologue.
Super Smash Bros for Wii U fixes everything disappointing about its predecessor and is a phenomenal game in its own right. While I miss the Subspace Emissary story mode and the Amiibo feel a little underused, the rest of the game is exploding with content and the core mechanics are near-perfect. Get this game at the earliest opportunity and gather your friends—Smash Bros on Wii U is now the undisputed king of party games.
Having never played a Persona RPG, I enjoyed Persona Q: Shadow of the Layrinth. The fact that it resembles the Etrian Odyssey series in terms of gameplay is a plus and as a person new to the Persona series, I feel that this is another solid RPG from Atlus.
What feels a lot like the spiritual successor to Haunting Starring Polterguy, Poltergeist: A Pixelated Horror is a clever puzzle game that puts players in the shoes of a ghost trying to scare away unwelcome guests. The gameplay may be simple, but the level design shines and the 16-bit visuals are charming. Glitchy Pixel's new game proves once and for all that it's more fun to be the ghost.
If you can get past the stupid name, you'll find that #killallzombies is an exciting dual-stick shooter with a number of fresh ideas. Sure, you've likely seen this type of zombie game before, but the perk system and constantly changing stage sets this apart from similar titles. It makes a terrible first impression, but #killallzombies ultimately proves to be worth your time.
ArcheAge is one of the best free-to-play games to be released this year, with a near endless amount of content awaiting eager adventurers. While ArcheAge could strongly benefit from further guidance on more advanced gameplay mechanics, the overall experience -- from completing numerous quests and crafting tasks to sailing a boat or flying a glider -- are simply too entertaining to miss with the game being free-to-play.
Rollers of the Realm is much more than a pinball game. For the measly price of $9.99, it is absolutely worth getting even if pinball games aren't normally your thing, there is plenty here to enjoy anyway.
No matter if you're new to Grand Theft Auto V or a returning player, there's more than enough in this next-generation port to keep you satisfied. The first-person perspective manages to make a year-old game feel new again, and the changes made to the graphics, gameplay and online mode are substantial. One of 2013's best games is made even better on the PlayStation 4.
Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault is both a worthwhile expansion for series fans and standalone game for those new to the series. With a non-linear campaign structure and thrilling missions, Ardennes Assault earns a high recommendation.
While not as polished as other racing simulators, MotoGP 14 does a good job recreating the exciting sport. With a dizzying amount of single-player modes and a worthwhile online component, this game will keep fans of motorcycle racing busy for months to come. Too bad the visuals look so outdated and the career mode lacks variety.
Lords of the Fallen is both a shameless Dark Souls rip off and a solid action/adventure game. With an easier difficulty and smaller scale, this PlayStation 4 game is a good way to ease people into the challenging sub-genre. On the other hand, the story is underdeveloped and the levels designs are too linear. This new City Interactive release is a real mixed bag.
The newest installment in the Gauntlet franchise is a lot of fun, and the gameplay is strongly reminiscent of classic gaming, while taking advantage of some modern conventions. All of the characters handle differently, and each world has a distinct flavor to it. I like how the leveling system works, since it depends on multiple playthroughs- it fits very well with what I expect from a Gauntlet game. Unfortunately, the lack of variety in levels doesn't warrant more than a couple playthroughs. Which really hampers a game that hinges on you and your friends beating it and coming back for more.
If it weren't for the multiplayer options, The Master Chief Collection would have garnered a much lower score. The multiplayer suite is truly the saving grace of this package and worth the price of admission alone.
Farming Simulator 15 is a great addition to the series that includes a massively improved graphics and physics engine in addition to redesigned user interface and woodcutting gameplay. Players new to the series and farming will require patience and trail and error in learning the various gameplay mechanics. Farming Simulator 15 earns a strong recommendation for both series fans and farming enthusiasts.
If you are looking for a time sink of an RPG with a strong sense of setting and character, then look no further, because Dragon Age: Inquisition is a Game of the Year candidate.
Although it may be the first installment made specifically for the brand new consoles, Unity remains a traditional Assassin's Creed game. The setting and atmosphere is cool, but some of the best ideas are marred by bad checkpointing and a story where the historical elements often feel like an afterthought. Assassin's Creed Unity is a solid action game, but a disappointing follow up to Black Flag.
Samurai Warrior 4 is yet another solid entry in the long-running beat-em-up franchise. It offers a few new gameplay tweaks and a different narrative structure, but is largely the same old brawler you've seen countless times. Thankfully, the game's Chronicle Mode helps set this installment apart, making this one of the most memorable Dynasty Warriors spin-off.
Fenix Rage is a pretty good game, but can also be a frustrating experience. If you don't mind the fact that it could almost pass for a sequel to Super Meat Boy and that the difficulty curve is all over the place and can easily make you frustrated, it is an enjoyable experience. If any game needs Nintendo's reminder to take a break now and then, this would be the one.