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There Came an Echo is the equivalent of walking through a desert for days before receiving an ice cream cone. Yes, water is definitely what this hypothetical traveler desired, but, hell, if that ice cream cone isn't wonderful.
Resogun Defenders is an intelligent extension of the Resogun formula. The Protector mode is shockingly robust, mixing small micromanagement elements with a fully alive arcade spirit.
Fans of the Ace Combat series are destined to be disappointed with Ace Combat Assault Horizon Legacy+. Aside from some small control additions and swanky new amiibo support, the aerial combat game is largely unchanged from Bandai Namco Games' initial 3DS release in 2011. The flying itself is decent, and greatly enhanced by the game's outstanding soundtrack, but ultimately Ace Combat Assault Horizon Legacy+ feels like nothing more than a poorly-disguised cash-grab.
After almost two years of anticipation and endless hype, The Order: 1886 introduces itself with the bravado of a dead fish. With a premise interesting at surface level, enormous backing from Sony and technically incredible visuals, The Order seems like it would be a sure-fire hit.
The sad thing about the controls is that everything else in Grow Home is so well done. Exploring the world, gliding around on a leaf, climbing to the bottom of an island, and growing shoots to new areas are a lovable traits.
Many people overlooked Majora's Mask originally because it wasn't "Ocarina of Time 2." As its 3DS revival shows, however, Majora's Mask is in many ways superior to its N64 predecessor. Nintendo and Grezzo have made a cult-classic more accessible, refined and enjoyable than ever before, and its return to the spotlight has cemented just how ahead of its time it was. Some of its flaws live on in this 3DS remaster, but ultimately The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D is a game that absolutely deserves your time.
Much like Titanfall, Watch Dogs and Destiny, Evolve likely serves as a good proof of concept for what will probably be a superior sequel. Turtle Rock's unique title has enough novelty to capture player interest for the next few weeks, but it is not a Left 4 Dead level game that will keep everyone engaged for years on end.
Like its predecessors, Total War ATTILA is equal parts grueling and rewarding, a deep simulation of medieval warfare that lets you shift the tide of one of history's bloodiest conflicts. Unlike some of its predecessors, this game feels thoroughly polished, without any technical gaffes or design mistakes to speak of.
It would be easy to write off Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate as nothing more than an incremental update to an already fantastic franchise, but that would be wholly unfair to a game that makes a number of intelligent tweaks and additions to its historically solid foundation.
While The Escapists on the Xbox One may not be the most definitive version of the title, it's still a soundly optimized and immensely original gaming experience that stands out from the crowd in the One's digital library. Unlike anything you'll ever play, The Escapists is among the most thoroughly and thoughtfully designed simulation RPGs.
#IDARB is a game that keeps on giving and the quintessential Xbox One multiplayer experience. Nintendo systems have Mario Kart and Mario Party, many moons ago the SEGA Saturn offered the ultimate multiplayer mayhem in Saturn Bomberman and now we have #IDARB for the Xbox One as one of the best and most inclusive multiplayer havens.
Castle in the Darkness knows what it wants to be and succeeds marvelously. It's a smooth-playing action platformer that meshes a variety of genres together nicely.
It'd be easy to overlook the The Lost Lords' myriad issues — the awful presentation, the lack of true divergence, the general lack of polish — if it weren't for its biggest problem: it's boring. Even for diehard fans of the show or books, there's little to glean from these first two episodes so far.
It's a testament to sound design when the worst aspect of a video game is indeed its actual title. Even with it, though, Grey Goo is a stand-out RTS that has found an expert way of blending old with new to create something familiar but fresh.
There’s no end to the criticisms that can be leveled at Fahrenheit, but it’s hard to deny the game’s eminent playability.
Beyond Apotheon's amazing presentation and story is a clunky, combat-heavy Metroidvania that rarely ever pushes players outside their comfort zone. The controls are already weak and frustrating, but even they pale in comparison to a combat system that can be easily abused.
The reworked zombies mode is just one reason to get the Havoc DLC pack. The best reason to get it lies in the four new maps, which have a lot of replay value not only for team deathmatch, but the other modes as well.
Fortunately, it falls apart in a semi-entertaining fashion; not in a "so bad it's good" way but rather a "can't look away" way. For all the well-deserved kicking I've given Zombeer, I also pushed through to finish the game not because I was obligated to for the review, but because I was morbidly curious as to where it was going.
It's very tempting to dismiss Life is Strange out of hand as the same pretentious pabulum that it emulates, but the affectations of hipster cinema prove essential to its narrative goals. DONTNOD's sophomore effort aims to capture the voice of today's youth, and outside of a few heavy-handed moments it succeeds.
Techland's latest title is by no means perfect, nor is it one of the best zombie games, but it's solid enough to warrant a playthrough. Even though its story will leave most players unsatisfied and its open-world design is questionable at best, its phenomenal side stories and often entertaining gameplay will prevent distaste.