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With all that said, Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS is still a great holiday buy for gamers that only own a Nintendo 3DS. The game acts like a quick Super Mario campaign with an accompanying endless collection of levels — and endless Super Mario levels is never a bad thing. Despite a fantastic new delivery system found in Super Mario Challenge, too may of the downgrades strip the components of Super Mario Maker that made it a breakaway success on Wii U.
Sadly, even Duke’s attitude can’t save the majority of the game, which is the same Duke Nukem 3D that released 20 years ago, from being a labyrinth of key card doors with instances of fun shootouts. Jumping from platform to platform while shooting an RPG at groups of enemies is fun, but the frustration of running into a locked door and realizing a missed a panel in some room earlier is a hindrance that occurs too often. Remastered graphics helps perspective, though doesn’t do much more than that. Developer commentary is sparse and mostly skippable, while a multiplayer mode was given prominent space despite there being nothing to do beyond bot matches. Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour is a good romp for those who have never picked up one of the previous eleven ports, but doesn’t offer anything substantial for everyone else.
If you are a fan of shoot ’em up or bullet hell style games, I would recommend Laser Disco Defenders to you. It adds some interesting mechanics to the genre and has a very wacky premise. While the game is not as memorable as I would have like, and can be too difficult at times, it is still unlike any other game of this style that I have played before. Even though the game may not stick with me as long as one could, it manages to be something original in such a crowded genre of games, which is very impressive.
It’s certainly not a perfect picture, but despite the wacky balance and the flaws, Watch Dogs 2 manages to be a very enjoyable experience, and a game definitely worth its price tag with its rich content and carefully crafted world at your physical and virtual fingertips. At times it almost feels like the delightful God simulators of old, only with an enormously expanded scale.
Amnesia Collection retails for $29.99 USD on both the PC and PS4. If you own Dark Descent on PC, I would suggest skipping the collection and just buying Machine if you’re curious enough. But if you’re someone who’s never tried the series (especially if you own a PS4 but don’t have a PC strong enough to handle the original game) I highly recommend picking up the compilation. Sometimes it’s worth it to go out and seek out those scares that will stay with you a long, long time.
I came in expecting another bad anime game but was instead blown away by Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization’s enormous game world, addictive combat and different gameplay systems. Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization has a charming cast of lovable characters, plenty of dialogue, countless missions, skills, equipment and areas to uncover, relationships with the girls, a level cap of 100 — I could go on. The abysmal story pacing, technical blemishes, online shortcomings and inadequate tutorials are considerable shortcomings, but not enough to keep this from being a standout action RPG.
With an exciting and epic visual novel campaign that will take the fastest readers more than a dozen hours, a huge playable roster of wonderfully unique, personality filled and intricately designed characters, scores of unlockable artwork, movies, additional scenes, full online suite and customization options, BlazBlue Central Fiction is certainly the total package and surely a worthy pickup for fans of visual novels, fighting games and everything in between.
Despite some great options and customization available, Seraph’s narrative doesn’t go anywhere with what is presented or hinted at and the gameplay has many elements that don’t feel significant enough to be worth investing into. There is a lot to dig into both in mechanics, systems, and game modes, but the foundation of what is there doesn’t compel me to make multiple returns. Including Twitch integration and inclusive options for all opens up the audience, although I don’t think they’ll stick around after the first playthrough and toying with the additional options.
Back in 2012, Dishonored was a title that surprised many its striking world and engaging gameplay rooted in old-school stealth, and with its sequel, Arkane Studios thoughtfully (and smartly) builds on what made the original one of the highlights of the last generation of games. Dishonored 2 will still satisfy those looking for a challenging (but rewarding) stealth experience, but more importantly does so with an incredibly varied toolset of abilities, skills, and options more than ever before. If Dishonored was the student that displayed great promise, Dishonored 2 shows the series well on its way to becoming the master.
Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon are both fantastic additions to the series’ 20th anniversary. With an inspired new generation of Pokémon and a ton of variation, Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon are the freshest take on a tried-and-true series. However, just like a vacation, most changes are ones I hope are temporary — I’ll be happy to return to the formula again next year.
On the other hand, if you enjoy a good story, with great writing, compelling characters and some deeply emotional moments, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is definitely the best choice among this year’s first person shooters. If only it had a less unremarkable villain, it would have gone down in history as a full-fledged masterpiece. Yet, it’s still awesome, and I personally hope to see a sequel in the future. We never got a Wing Commander VI, but I’d be very glad to play an Infinite Warfare 2.
I like how the game continually adds new challenges and mechanics up through the campaign. Having to retry various parts pads the length of the game, which is actually relatively short. Lumo has some bright moments with interesting puzzles but it doesn’t have much else.
It feels weird to assign a score to Just Dance 2017 — the game doesn’t stray too far from the path, but it’s never been a series that needs to. The game is all out fun and still a world-class party game, but treads the same ground as any other game in the last couple years. If you need to get the latest injection of pop music or haven’t touched the series in years, this game is an easy recommendation. While it isn’t too different from last year’s version (on the one before it), it is still the best Just Dance 2017.
It can be hard for a game to escape the shadow of other entries in their series, whether it be for good or bad reasons. Mario Party Star Rush manages to separates itself form the other Mario Party titles, both on handhelds and consoles, by being individualistic and a good game in its own right. Mario Party Star Rush a very fun entry in the series that introduces a lot of interesting mechanics, most of which end up in its favor. I would recommend all Mario Party fans pick this up — it is the most refreshing entry in the series in a long time.
While Owlboy may have small sections that cause numerous restarts, those portions are buried underneath the overwhelming amount of great moments found within. Nearly everything about Owlboy is well-crafted. From the graphics, the soundwork, the characters and their inter-relationships, the changing state of the world, the gameplay, and the title’s ability to introduce and drop mechanics in a dynamically-paced way, Owlboy is a perfectly executed composition of story and gameplay.
Despite all that it’s lacking, such as an interesting stories and characters, sophisticated or innovative combat mechanics, and compelling game-play outside of the dungeon, Dungeon Rushers can provide an entertaining experience for genre fans. It’s chock full of humor, has a colorful nostalgic visual style and has solid combat mechanics offering a decent challenge.
As someone who has ADD, it's difficult for me to concentrate on a game for even 30 minutes — yet, Small Radios Big Televisions plucked me out of reality and dropped me into its world for two hours. I never once looked away when playing it — something that has only happened to me one other time. It was upon that realization, that I knew Fire Face had created something unique and special in an industry deprived of originality.
This is certainly one of the best FPS games I have played in a long while, and it definitely does not fall short compared to more established franchises. Its biggest weakness certainly isn’t Respawn’s fault, as it’s a tasty hamburger between the Battlefield 1 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Buns. If you love first person shooters, good sci-fi or giant robots, I implore you not to ignore this game just because of that sandwich. Titanfall 2 deserves your attention.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition doesn’t set the bar for remakes, but it is the de facto entry point for one of the best games ever made. With mod support, all of the DLC, and noticeable stability and visual upgrades, Skyrim Special Edition is a welcome addition to the current console generation. However, given the inconsistent value of the versions, take a few moments and consider where you want to play it.
More than anything, Episode 3 of Batman: The Telltale Series continues to show that underneath the billionaire, playboy philanthropist archetype that Bruce Wayne has come to be known by for so many decades, there’s an even greater story waiting to be explored.