GameCrate's Reviews
I can honestly say that I have never played a shooter as much as I have played Destiny. Not Call of Duty, not Halo, Not Far Cry or Battlefield. I've clocked in hundreds of hours in the game since its release last year (I wouldn't be surprised if there are people who have thousands), and with The Taken King it looks like it'll just continue to increase.
The rapid, mini-game-like design of Shutshimi makes it ideal for quick bursts of play. Even then, the game is so captivating that it's hard to put down even after you've spent an hour or two playing.
NHL 16 is definitely a return to form the NHL series, now I think I'd like to see them break that form and come up with something different. The features are there, the graphics are amazing, now the gameplay needs to catch up to the rest of the game. Hopefully they can do that next year.
Back to Bed on the PlayStation Network is a competent albeit unremarkable puzzler that's over before it can get satisfying. Great art and a decent bonus mode at least help to make the experience somewhat enjoyable, though the hefty $20 price is hardly worth paying when you can get it for much less elsewhere.
Asteroid Base's Lovers In a Dangerous Spacetime turned out to be worth the wait, perfectly blending elements from space shooters with a bit of strategy and throwing in some entertaining co-op as well. There are times it can be overwhelming – especially if you're going at it single player – but it's still an adventure you can't help but fall in love with.
Leo's Fortune can't quite overcome the hump when it comes to avoiding being categorized as a mobile-to-console game – more levels would've done the trick. As it stands, though, it's a solid platformer that fans of the genre will appreciate, and the various challenges it presents more than justifies the somewhat moderate price tag. Besides, you can't help but admire Leo's confidence and attitude – or his mustache, for that matter.
Castle Crashers Remastered keeps the game relevant to Xbox again and comfortably keeps a void in the systems library filled.
For better and for worse, Party Hard is one of the most faithful tributes to the slasher genre. It overstays its welcome, but it's still a bloody fun time for the most part.
It's hard to recommend Blues and Bullets Episode 1 because it feels like two games in one. The first half feels tedious, confusing and poorly paced, but then the second really shows the promise that A Crowd of Monsters has put into the game. If Episode 2 can really keep up the momentum that the second half of Episode 1 had, we're in for a treat. Otherwise, this is one cold case you probably shouldn't open again.
One of the best indie games to surface this year, Runbow is a sheer delight, whether you're running through the game on your own or taking up with a group of friends in a fight to the finish. Make sure you rush to the eShop and give it a download.
While the gameplay is solid and Avalanche Studios did a great job digitally creating the Wasteland, Mad Max starts off slow in the story department and may turn off potential players. However, if you stick with it, you'll finally get the Mad Max you were expecting.
This is the Metal Gear universe as it was always meant to be.
Life is Strange: Dark Room does a masterful job at bringing us to the finale, and it currently stands out as the best chapter in the series. While some may find fault in the shallow gameplay mechanics and the absence of multiple choices, the plot more than makes up for it, leaving us anticipating the last chapter with great excitement.
Mixing a unique setting with classic strategic and board game elements, Armello is easy to recommend.
Life is Strange: Chaos Theory moves the series' plot forward, if awkwardly at times. The third chapter makes up for the weak decisions players have to make by maintaining a superb production quality and delving into increasingly mature issues.
In the four hours it took me to get through Gryphon Knight Epic, all I could think about was how I wanted it to end so I could move on and play something better.
While there are still some areas that could use polishing (like that commentary team – wake up, fellas), Madden NFL 16 continues to make strides with some strong gameplay change-ups and abundant online features. Draft Champions and Ultimate Team will keep true fans busy for weeks, and the casual play is exceptional enough for that audience to enjoy as well. As long as Madden keeps making progress like this on a yearly basis, I'll keep coming back for more.
With only one episode left Tales From The Borderlands has proved itself a worthwhile experience. If you haven't picked this up yet, do it now.
Taken as is, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is everything a fan would want in a remake of this game, whether they plan to play it alone, with a friend, or against a bunch of people they meet online.
When Until Dawn was announced, expectations were low, because I was afraid that Supermassive would simply follow the same horror movie tropes without innovating. But how wrong I was, as, thanks to the "butterfly effect" and some savvy game design, there are multiple ways to experience fear here. Some groan-worthy moments do set in (especially when it comes to some character behaviors), but overall it's an experience that horror fans will gleefully eat up. And that's something you can't really say every day with products from this genre.