GameWatcher
HomepageGameWatcher's Reviews
Sacrifices have been made in getting The Sims 4 to be as clean and crisp as it is, with features usually expected notably absent, but the gains are striking enough to help swallow their loss – for now. Everything ultimately hinges on what comes next, and hopefully Maxis will show us they've got some great new ideas, as well as some old ones revived.
Dead Rising 3 is a step forward for the series as it finally finds the confidence to expand its setting, which is mostly down to better hardware being available. Hopefully the focus going forward can be put on fleshing out more of its mechanics and not just creating larger areas, like perhaps a more in-depth survivor posse system for example.
GoD Factory Wingmen is a game where accessibility comes easy but mastery does not. Yet, the innate thrill in approaching the latter proves to be its own reward over the long-term as Nine Dot Studios sophomore effort proves to be its best, ably injecting new life into the space combat genre with innovative features and a real, loving focus on multiplayer gameplay and tactics.
Sometimes you don't need an epic tale with complex obscure puzzles or a "comedy" that shoves jokes and an irritating protagonist down your throat (hello Daedalic), instead a short fun little adventure that makes you smile and doesn't tick you off is all you need. The Journey Down: Chapter Two is that sort of game, and I enjoyed it enough to ensure I'll be in line for the next phase of the journey.
If you've been waiting for the finale to dive in, well go ahead and do so with the full confidence that it'll be worth it. Now… can we have Sam & Max Season Four now Telltale? Please?.
Several antiquated mechanics like the limited supply of torches and the unhelpful hint system also serve to make exploring Shadowgate Castle more frustrating than it should be, and that's even before we debate whether baffling cryptic trial-and-error puzzles are a good thing or not. Shadowgate is a faithful update then, but Zojoi have squandered the opportunity to actually update the gameplay too.
If you've never played Last Light, you should – it's an excellent game, and you should opt for this version. If you've already played it, however, you don't need to upgrade.
This is the finest available version of an excellent, atmospheric game.
There's just so little to do, and if you don't like commenting on videos you won't see anything here but a bunch of crazy confusing videos. Lovely idea, not for me or people like me, but a community of people already love it so feel free to ignore me and give it a go.
In truth, this writer wasn’t overly excited at the prospect of playing McDROID when they first read into it – more fool me. While I still harbour reservations about its long-term appeal (a product of the genre’s repetitive nature more than anything) McDROID is an excellent tower defense romp with enough candied charm to keep you coming back.
Despite still having a few issues Risen 3: Titan Lords is a vast improvement on Risen 2. The combat could be better but doesn't cripple the game this time, the world is more interesting and easier to get around, and there's tons of stuff to do.
Road Not Taken might not always be successful in making players feel remorseful for paths avoided, but the game itself stands as one journey that at least everyone should attempt; if only to expose themselves to the game's frustrating, yet undeniably fresh idiosyncrasies.
The payoff for finishing the game isn't enough to make some of the levels worthwhile and it feels like Back to Bed is selling itself short by being constricted to just two campaigns. That said, Back to Bed is reasonably priced and if you're a fan of the art-style mentioned or want something a little different to play for a few hours then there's value here.
If ARPGs, particularly co-op ones, are your thing then Sacred 3 should definitely be on your to-buy list, but don't expect it to take over your life the way other games in this genre have a tendency to do.
Nearly the whole of Gods Will Be Watching relies on your ability to act within situations, but when these situations feel so limited it's annoying to not be able to express yourself freely. This makes the game immediately frustrating as its premise, intention and art set the experience up for something incredible. But the badly designed and unnecessarily hard game design stop your actions from really 'meaning' something. Gods Will Be Watching is not necessarily frustrating in its difficult, it's that it really didn't need to be.
Aside from the odd moments where Magic's innovative ruleset is allowed to shine, this entry feels like a complete cash-in, forcing players to rely on their wallets, not their wits. Long term Magic fans will want to avoid Magic 2015 to avoid utter frustration, whereas newcomers should look further into the Duels of the Planeswalkers' back catalogue for a more appropriate and fulfilling platform for inauguration.
Season 2 may not be overall better than Season 1 so far in my opinion, but Amid The Ruins is arguably the best episode of the entire series because it embraces story and choice/consequence gameplay better than all the others. And that's no mean feat. Kudos Telltale, now better it with the finale. And bring back that raccoon, he was great.
OlliOlli is the very definition of a love it or hate it game, and I apparently came down on the wrong side of that equation. I fully acknowledge that OlliOlli is not my kind of game and there are plenty of gamers and reviewers who already love it, but unfortunately for them and Roll7 I exist too and my opinion is just as important. And my opinion is that OlliOlli is getting deleted off my hard drive the second I finish this sentence. Try it, you may very well like or even love it, but don't come crying to me if you don't. I told you so.
Unless torturing your reflexive skills and muscle memory is a turn-on then Infinity Runner may be better left on the Steam shelf until it re-emerges onto a portable device. Either that or just run into a field of hungry cows and run like you've never run before - that's a real first-person endless runner experience.
Light has great ideas but fails to use them in any meaningful way or make any lasting impression - it's like the setup to a great game that never comes. Shame.