GameCrate's Reviews
Defiant has certainly dealt a full house with Hand of Fate. It blends together two genres into one package, with well-paced battles and lots to do on the collecting side of things. Its battles can be overwhelming and at times not as polished as they should be, but this game still deserves your attention, especially if you seek something new on the role-playing front. Take a gamble on this Hand.
Red Phantom Games has made an interesting – and highly playable – game with Minutes, a title that's too short for its own good, but makes up for it in spades with gameplay that easily welcomes you back for multiple rounds, and a presentation that doesn't go overboard with flash, instead simply letting soak in more game time. These Minutes may go by fast, but it's hardly time wasted.
Fantastically weird and powerfully written, Sunless Sea is sure to satisfy genre fans and could very well make some new converts into the world of Weird fiction.
Evolve is easy to recommend to anyone looking for something different in the world of big-budget shooting games. Though the game is at its best when you can play it with friends, it also has plenty to offer for single-player gamers. You need to be ready to lose a half-dozen matches while you figure out how Evolve works, but this is a game which will absolutely reward your patience with hours and hours of fun.
Grim Fandango manages to feel fresh in a crowded gaming market. Its bright colors, foreboding setting, and compelling story kept drawing me back. When every side character comes alive with personality, that's when you know the writing is good and the game has staying power. On top of that, you drive around in a car called the Bone Wagon. Who knew the afterlife could be so much fun?
Switch Galaxy Ultra is proof that a mobile concept doesn't always translate well into a console experience. There are some modest "twitch" sessions to take part in here, but with very little diversity to go around, and even less worthwhile content to come back to. Worse yet, the price is jacked up extremely high, and the promise of multiplayer competition is dwindled due to the fact that, well, there is no competition. For a game with the word Galaxy in its title, there doesn't seem to be much to explore here. And that's a shame.
Dying Light builds on the ground work of games like Dead Island and Mirror's Edge and excels in so many ways. The combat and crafting system is solid, and mixing in parkour as the main style of movement makes this game stand out against an onslaught of zombie-themed games. The atmosphere cultivated by the direness of the survivor's plight and the ever-looming threat of nightfall is wonderfully executed and a solid experience for players.
While Riptide GP 2 won't exactly make waves (sorry, bad pun) in the jet ski racing community, it's a welcome addition to the ID@Xbox library, especially for a meager $5 price tag. More could've been done, but chances are that Vector Unit will provide that to us in a more devoted Riptide sequel. Or, hey, maybe Hydro Thunder Hurricane 2. We'd take it. For now, though, Riptide is worth coasting through.
Grey Goo is a novel real-time strategy game that attempts to emulate the luster and wonder of the Command and Conquer series. With sloppy mechanics, a less-than-inspiring plot, and a mixed bag campaign, it falls short of this goal. Nevertheless, for those looking to play something other than StarCraft II, you may want to give it a try.
The Saints Row IV Re-Elected + Gat out of Hell combo pack is well-suited for anyone who missed out on Saints Row IV when it released 18 months ago on last-gen platforms. If you've already played through that game, unless you're dying to play through a slightly enhanced edition, your best option is to pick-up the standalone version of Gat out of Hell, also available now.
2015 is off to a trailblazing start with #IDARB, a party game that looks deceptively simple but is anything but. Grab some friends and get your party on.
While the era of the Micro Machine-style racer may be left in the dust for more conventional material like Forza Horizon 2 with some folks, Toybox Turbos is a festive throwback to the arcade games of old that many will come to appreciate. It's cheap, it's packed with multiplayer options, and it's a good time behind the wheel.
This HD remastered Resident Evil preserves the original experience of the game for fans who have their rose-tinted glasses polished and ready to go. From a next-gen standpoint, there are just too many things that get in the way of an enjoyable and immersive gaming experience.
Had the game mixed up its gameplay a bit – and taken off its endless running shoes – it certainly would've fared a lot better. As it stands, Funk of Titans is a novelty that can only last so long with an audience – and there's nothing funky about that.
I wouldn't recommend Elegy to anyone but folks who actually want to take the time to write. Though some creative types will question the need for writing prompts, the fact remains that sometimes all you need is a good starting point.
Rollers of the Realm is a fun, unique, and flawed game that ends up being greater than the sum of its parts.
While Super Mega Baseball won't go down as the next great feat around the diamond, it is a fairly good representation of the sport, even this deep in its off-season. The modes are a little short-handed, but the gameplay has its heart in the right place, and the presentation is amusing enough to keep a goofy grin on your face as you belt one out of the park. Play ball!
One popular view holds that EA's FIFA is for football fans while Konami's PES is for gamers. That still holds true with Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 but that's not necessarily an insult. PES is fun, challenging, and rewarding, which is what every sports game should strive to be.
After enough time with the game, it became clear that Project Spark is not so much a game as it is a game design/content-creation tool for Microsoft's Xbox One community, one for those patient enough to reap the rewards of approval and praise from the community. As such, it is definitely an acquired taste, but those who enjoy it will find a truly rewarding experience.
Easily one of the best fighting games of the year, Guilty Gear Xrd SIGN shows that you can stick with basic fighting concepts while trying something new at the same time. As a result, the PlayStation 4 has yet another benefit to its library – and it's just going to get bigger and better as 2015 rolls around.