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Need For Speed Payback is the perfect example of one step forward, two steps back. While the world is more beautiful than any of its predecessors, it feels empty in much the same way that the game does. All of the systems seem to be their own worst enemy. Want to build a car? How are you going to upgrade it? Want to customize its looks? You've got to complete unnecessary challenges. Want to progress the story just to see if it gets better? You've got to make sure your car is the appropriate level. All of these things, combined with an unimaginative and frankly boring story result in a racing game that makes it frustrating to race. While there's still the rush of pushing past second place a few meters before the finish line, that rewarding experience is not due to any innovations that the series has made here and the innovations that make this entry in the series unmemorable and unattractive.
It is a shame to see the series fizzle out like this on 3DS. At this point, I just want Nintendo to bring the game over to the Switch with Mario Party 11, as that may be the breath of fresh air this series desperately needs to stay relevant. If that doesn't work out, then it may be time for Nintendo and Nd Cube to finally put this once great series to rest.
The Sims 4 attempts to bring genuinely happy moments throughout your Sim's lifespan; occasionally, you will even find yourself smirking. However, those moments are quickly bogged down by tedious goals, a terrible HUD and menu navigation, and gameplay that is outright boring. Life events like a date or wedding put less emphasis on the occasion and more on completing monotonous objectives. These goals wouldn't be too dreadful if the commands given to the Sim would actually follow through. However, there were too many times where the Sim would completely ignore what I wanted them to do. All of these gameplay problems are bundled up in a poor performing port that chugs more than it should. The Sims 4 is an unsatisfying experience right from the start.
Gear.Club Unlimited is not a very good game. It's not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination, but not even it's impressive car visuals can save it from being just an incredibly average racing game. It honestly feels like there was no love put into this game. At $49.99 I simply cannot recommend this game at the current price tag. The title still feels like a free-to-play game you would find on the Apple App Store more than a fully fledged game, and frankly, that's all it's worth to me.
Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV has its own virtual reality quirks, but the game is much more than the sum of its parts. Monster of the Deep may be the first PlayStation VR game that I would recommend across the board to anyone with the hardware to play it. However, anyone who has played a good amount of Final Fantasy XV will get more out of the experience than others.
League of War: VR Arena isn't a bad game, so much as it is underbaked. With a lack of diversity in modes or gameplay, the VR game takes interesting core gameplay and seemingly squanders it on a throwaway campaign. With plenty of exciting and fully-fleshed out VR experiences, I'd only recommend League of War: VR Arena to people looking to round out their PlayStation VR library with a tabletop component. And at the $30 price tag, I don't think I could reasonably recommend it to anyone.
In a time where Star Wars games aren't being made by the dozen however, Battlefront II at least still knows how to elicit the nostalgic, warm feelings that I have for this universe despite its many problems.
Megaton Rainfall is not a terrible game; for an indie superhero title, it does a lot of things great, but the problem is that the few flaws that it offers make one overlook all that it does great. Nonetheless, Megaton Rainfall succeeds in providing the best first-person superhero gaming experience that AAA studios have failed to deliver so far.
Like a stated before, if you enjoy mindlessly killing zombies and half-naked anime girls than you might find a great deal of fun in School Girl/Zombie Hunter, but if you're looking for a decent playing experience, I feel like you'd be let down. I hope to see Tamsoft continue to develop new IPs, but hopefully next time they'll give the game a good amount of QA before pushing it to release.
Even just to have for one dinner party or hangout of four or more friends, the entry price is worth it – Jackbox Party Pack 4 is a guaranteed multi-hour adventure into adult fun.
Stifled is absolutely not the best indie horror game on the market, but I have to respect it for what it brings to the table. While the game is short and the frustration can – at times – be palpable, Stifled is a smart and satisfying game (especially for anyone invested in VR setups). Although we are out of Halloween and horror season, any fan of the VR medium and the indie horror scene should take a chance on this game and see… or, not see… what it has in store.
Tokyo Tattoo Girls is as niche as it's going to get and if that sounds like something you're into than you might find this title to be just what you want. I hope to see Sushi Typhoon Games evolve as a developer and take what's good about this game to create something more because this game has more in common with a random smartphone title than a proper strategy RPG.
Life Is Strange: Before the Storm Episode 2: Brave New World showed me what Deck Nine is capable of in terms of storytelling and character growth. Also, the game's choice system is well thought out and represented a wide variety of possibilities for many types of players. Lastly, after finishing Brave New World, I'd like to add that the worries I originally had for the rest of the series drifted away as Chloe and myself looked towards the future Episodes.
Little Busters! English Edition is the best way to experience an amazing visual novel about friendship, heart ache, and baseball.
When looking at the big picture, Call of Duty: WWII is absolutely a fun time. With a multiplayer that includes a ton of unlocks and a new social hub, as well as a zombies mode that features some incredibly intense moments, players could easily get lost spending hours upon hours playing with other people. Aside from the unfortunately short campaign with flat and boring characters, I believe Sledgehammer Games succeeded in bringing the series back to where it started, while at the same time putting their own spin on the Call of Duty franchise to make it relevant for the newer audience.
Dungeon crawlers aren't for everyone, but Demon Gaze II is the perfect place to start for players who have yet to try out the genre. The story has as much depth as the impressive in-game customization systems that will surely impress veteran fans of the series along with being easy for newcomers to digest. I'm happy to see Experience stepping out of their comfort zone and trying new things with the dungeon crawling genre. Playing through Demon Gaze II has left me excited for whatever the developer has coming next.
I really wanted Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back to be good, or at least entertainingly bad, but I was just left with a tepid, overpriced, and somewhat generic 2D platformer that wasn't funny or fulfilling enough to justify a $30 purchase. If you are really dedicated to the character, I would wait until it drops to around $5 or $10. Once you beat the game, Accolade promises that “Bubsy will return,” so let's just hope his next outing is funnier, lengthier, and more memorable than Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back. Bubsy 3D 2 anyone?
.hack//G.U. Last Recode destroyed any expectations that I had for a remastered RPG from ten years ago. The mechanics and visuals work well and with an increased speed and reworked mechanics getting through the game's low moments aren't so bad. I always tend to prolong beating RPGs because I get too attached to the characters, but the way that Vol. 4 Reconnection concluded the series was as good as a conclusion can be as I found myself content and ready to move on to the next adventure.
Super Mario Odyssey is by no means a perfect game — or even the best 3D Super Mario platformer — and thankfully the game doesn't need to be. More importantly, Super Mario Odyssey is a bold re-introduction to 3D Mario and one that is flat-out mandatory in 2017. The game is not the challenging, rigorous exercise found in the series' past so much as a deep dive into abject fun originality. Placing creativity and wonder above all else, Super Mario Odyssey is Nintendo's equivalent of a Pixar movie: magical, creative, and captivating, no matter what age you are.
That's pretty much it for Raid: World War II. You get a list filled with some missions and you level up slowly to unlock upgrades for your characters as well as new weapons. The process felt incredibly slow and you'll probably be burned out after a couple of hours — if you were ever actually planning on playing this game, that is. I'd like to think the game can be made better through updates but I'm afraid Raid: World War II will probably be forgotten about and abandoned pretty quickly. If you're itching to kill some Nazis this holiday season, stick to Wolfenstein 2: The New Order or Call of Duty: WWII instead.