Hardcore Gamer
HomepageHardcore Gamer's Reviews
After a serious misstep with NHL 15, FIFA 15 is a leap in the right direction for EA Sports. Shrewdly taking advantage of current-gen's capabilities with added emotional intelligence and improved animations, this is easily the prettiest EA Sports title this year.
Teslagrad combines puzzles and platforming in a way that feels both familiar and new. The Wii U version is the first out of the gate on consoles, and thanks to off-TV play, will likely be the definitive version of it outside of the PC.
The physical quality of the figures have remained outstanding and focusing on Marvel should bring in a whole new group of collectors and gamers alike. It may not revolutionize, but Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes 2.0 Edition firmly establishes the property in the gaming landscape.
D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die is one of the more pleasant surprises of the year. When one hears "bizarre episodic mystery title that uses Kinect," a high-quality product isn't what immediately comes to mind, but that's exactly what D4 is. It feels like a Telltale Game on LSD, which couldn't be more of a compliment. This is a mystery that's hard not to get sucked into, as its "anything goes" logic will leave players wondering what's going to come next. From its insanely quirky characters to its underlying tragedy, D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die is oddity done right.
Lethal League is built on some neat ideas, and its simple mechanics and funky aesthetics make it quite appealing and accessible, but it isn't capable of holding players' interest for long. With few characters and no modes to speak of, there's not enough here to satisfy fighting game aficionados.
There's some room for improvement, but what's here is already easy to recommend to those who like platformers and have an off-beat sense of humor. That aspect shines with the voice acting, which is some of the funniest you'll hear in a game this year.
At the end of the day, what elevates Hyrule Warriors to greatness is its seemingly endless fanservice. Whether it's an obscure cameo, a cucco counter attack, or even just an awesome finishing move, the game is rife with glorious slices of Zelda goodness.
Natural Doctrine is an exhausting game. It's punishing, unfair at times and hell-bent on funneling players through a narrow corridor that leaves little-to-no room for tactical experimentation. That being said, it has its moments.
Without flashing PETA's save-the-bat signal, it's hard not to chuckle as a flock of sheep face the spinning jaws of slaughter-by-sawblade. The animations are charming, the backdrops are pretty and there's a clever — albeit slightly aggravating — design to its sprawling, puzzle-centric stages.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call is a game without many flaws.
Destiny isn't the convention-bending masterpiece it's been touted to be, but it remains a fine shooter.
NHL 15 is one of the most frustrating sports releases to date. The core experience has been markedly improved.
At its core, Surgeon Simulator: A&E Anniversary Edition on PS4 is still effectively the same game as it was on PC, just with a few more additions. The biggest change is going from far too precise keyboard controls to still somewhat precise controller support.
Though it’s engrossing in its own right, and it provides a hearty serving of gameplay, Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney feels full of wasted potential.
Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate is purely for the hardcore fans of the series, or newcomers wanting to finally jump in. There's little incentive to upgrade, especially if you played the the Hyper version in late 2012, but if you're looking for a fix of one of the best Warriors games available, then this is best solution.
Dead Rising 3: Apocalypse Edition is a beefy port of a great Xbox One game and its decent post-release content. It may come with its own set of issues that could be fixed in future updates, but they matter little if you have the gaming rig to back up.
Dance Central began as a simple game with engaging, realistic dance-based play when it first launched. Since then, there has been a devoted effort to keep the series going — but with little innovation.
Superficially, The Sims 4 is the upgrade everyone wanted. It's prettier, rife with the possibilities only the fourth entry in a longstanding simulation series can provide.
Velocity 2X isn't just one of the best games of the year, it might just be the best downloadable title available on the PlayStation 4.
At first blush, Runers might not seem like anything special. This initial impression is far from the truth.