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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is a good game when it tries to deliver a hack and slash experience. Unfortunately, when it attempts to go for a stealth-oriented design, it fails miserably and provokes only frustration and confusion. The fleshed out combat system and the presentation make up for it to some degree, but it still ends up a lackluster game.
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare is an awesome third-person shooter based on PopCap's great franchise. The multiplayer modes are fun, hectic, and require a lot of dedication to master. The Garden Ops mode may be a bit too hard on the latter difficulties, but it certainly promotes teamwork.
Thief is a great return for the classic series. Thanks to its open-ended missions and the big amount of customization options, not to mention the great visuals, it can delight fans old and new alike. While it has a few problems with platforming and some erratic enemy AI, it still manages to deliver a memorable stealth experience.
The outlook of the Shining Rock Software created game is too bleak and, while it might inspire some thinking about the future of mankind as resources dwindle, it's unlikely to keep gamers coming back to play.
Strider is a glorious comeback for the old franchise, once again proving that Double Helix knows how to breathe fresh life into classic series. While the boss fights are sometimes annoying, the visuals, the fluid animations, and the combat make up for that and once again establish Hiryu as a great protagonist.
Line of Defense Tactics – Tactical Advantage has a few solid ideas when it comes to the actual gameplay, but the presentation and the story are not up to par and the game cannot deliver anything similar to already established franchises like XCOM or Jagged Alliance.
Consortium is a really immersive role-playing experience that plays like an adventure game set in the early days of the Star Trek universe. It is similar to what a modern incarnation of the classic point-and-click adventures of old should be like, complete with diplomacy and multiple choices with different consequences and end results.
The Wolf Among Us Episode 2: Smoke and Mirrors is a good follow-up to the impressive first part in Telltale's adventure series. There aren't that many changes in terms of the gameplay, for better or worse, but the new story elements certainly make up for that, introducing new characters and keeping things going into intriguing directions. Unfortunately, it's a bit short and there aren't enough big moments in this second part.
Strike Vector is a solid design and it remains to be seen whether there are enough fans of its mix of mechanics to make it a success in the long term.
Stick It to the Man manages to deliver a great experience that's reminiscent in part of Psychonauts or Paper Mario, but it also adds plenty of different new elements, all finished in a great visual style that delights and works in terms of gameplay. While some bugs are still present, the game will certainly entertain you despite its short length.
There are two types of people as far as Might & Magic X: Legacy goes, those who upon hearing "Might & Magic" think of a role-playing game, and those who think about a strategy game. The former category will greatly enjoy the new game and ignore its shortcomings, and the latter, well, not so much.
The development team at Daedalic Entertainment has created an enjoyable experience, but one that asks players to accept its quirks if they are looking for hours of solid but unexceptional role-playing gameplay.
I have never fully understood the narrative or the mechanics of the experience, but I liked its trippy vibe and the weird, weird spaces it allowed me to explore as I was searching for lightning and shelter.
Assassin's Creed Liberation HD is a successful re-release of the PS Vita game, managing to deliver the experience to many fans who missed out on it the first time around. Even so, don't go in expecting something on the same page as Black Flag, as its graphics are much poorer, while the gameplay still needs some upgrades and polish.
The Banner Saga is a great game as long as the player is willing to accept its theme and its overall tone, while also harboring at least a little bit of love for the turn-based battle system.
While Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition still has the same award-winning content, even adding a little bit of extra stuff, the game is unfortunately still outmatched in today's arena.
All in all, Rain Games' little gem is quite the bundle of joy. It is a little bit on the short side, but that's to be expected from a 2D platformer.
Tiny Brains can be pretty fun when played with others, especially on the same computer. When played alone, it's an annoying affair and its repetitive puzzles do nothing to redeem it. Throw in the clunky sequences where you have to move big balls or protect tiny chicks and you won't have that much fun with it.
Halo: Spartan Assault is a pretty fun twin-stick shooter that works even without its relationship to the core Halo franchise. Xbox One users should certainly try it out if they're fans of the genre, but first-person shooter fans might want to wait until Halo makes its proper debut on the Xbox One in the future.
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a great side-scrolling puzzle platformer. Max's marker has come a long way since the original game and you'll have a blast exploring the game's world and using all the different abilities. There are a few bugs in terms of gameplay and the visuals don't scream next-gen, but it's still a great investment.