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FIFA 16 manages to reflect how important both planning and chance are during matches, rewarding gamers who tweak their team and execute complex moves with cool efficiency, while finding spectacle in mad scrambles in front of the goal and fun in goals that are scored after ping-pong-like changes between defenders and attackers.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 is a big step forward for the series and manages to show the complexity and the beauty of football while also emphasizing the hard work that's required from a team looking to put together a string of victories.
Skyshine's Bedlam is a pretty good mix of turn-based strategy and rogue-like mechanics. However, the sheer difficulty at the beginning of a campaign and the randomized unit placement does make it very tough for players to survive their journey into the Wasteland. Already some patches are in development to solve some of these things, so the future of the game is looking relatively good.
Destiny: The Taken King is a worthy investment for any fan of the original game and a pretty good one for those who weren't exactly thrilled with the initial experience. Sure, there are some downsides, but more or less, the expansion manages to show that Destiny can provide a great time for a huge number of players.
Cross of the Dutchman is a fun history lesson that not only attracts through its source material and the alluring visuals but also through the simple yet entertaining combat. You'll have fun learning about the story of Pier Dosia while rampaging through Saxon soldiers in medieval Frisia.
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a fun experience that excels both in terms of mechanics and presentation and manages to showcase the kind of innovation that indie teams can deliver in a genre that has long been ignored.
Armello shows a lot of promise and its mechanics work well in a virtual environment while still keeping their tabletop feel. However, the lengthy AI turns, not to mention the sometimes-unfair RNG and erratic AI behavior, weigh it down.
While overall Mad Max borrows from past titles like Batman when it comes to combat, or Far Cry when it comes to the design of its open world and its activities, it still manages to stand out through its car combat. The story is also pretty compelling and manages to keep you invested even if some of the missions get repetitive after a while.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain makes good on its word and delivers a great experience that's more than worthy of the saga's heritage. However, it's not exactly perfect, as the story requires a lot of pre-established knowledge, not to mention cassette-listening to make sense. The mechanics are polished in the campaign, but the FOB multiplayer does feel a bit pay-to-win with its microtransactions.
STASIS is a good video game that will appeal to those who like both the adventure game space and the classic science fiction franchises that deal with corporate greed and with the failings of humanity.
Overall, The Grand Tournament brings exactly what Hearthstone needs - new mechanics and tons of fun - while keeping the game balanced. The addition of new rewards for Ranked Play is another positive aspect, even though it's not related to The Grand Tournament expansion.
Satellite Reign offers a very solid set of mechanics and the four specialists are clearly designed to allow players to approach almost all situations in a variety of ways, able to create big gun battles or to always move without altering anyone to their presence.
Until Dawn is a video game that should jump to the "to-play" pile for those gamers who love classic horror and want to see the high-quality that the PlayStation 4 can deliver when it comes to faces and character interactions.
Party Hard blends a novel concept with a great mix of gameplay mechanics. Throw in the random behavior of NPCs and the tongue-in-cheek style, and shutting down parties feels quite good. Gameplay might become repetitive in some situations, but overall, you'll have a nice time with it.
Shadowrun: Hong Kong is a solid experience both for veteran "chummers" but also for newcomers. Harebrained Schemes has managed to once again impress by adding a few, but only a few, good improvements to the recipe, while delivering a very interesting setting and some imaginative missions. However, it might not feel like a whole new experience, just "more of the same."
DiscStorm has a core that's well designed and engaging, especially when the player faces enemies who are able to throw their own discs and move around well.
There are still a few quirks, such as camera angles or some complex platforming sequences, but overall it's still a blast to play through the new title, both for veterans and newcomers.
Tales from the Borderlands Episode 4: Escape Plan Bravo manages to provide a great mix of hilarious situations, intense adventures, and emotional moments. While it may not please everyone and might even cause anger amongst longtime Borderlands fans due to a pretty big moment, it tells a great story and manages to set up the final chapter in a solid way.
Volume has a carefully considered set of mechanics and it will certainly appeal to those who love stealth action and are interested in completing each of the levels as quickly as possible, moving smoothly and without having to get saved by the checkpoints.
Airscape: The Fall of Gravity is a tough but entertaining platformer experience that throws in quite a few interesting concepts and mechanics and makes them work quite well. There is plenty of trial and error, and sometimes the cute octopus might not seem so loveable, but you'll have a pretty great time with it either way.