Game Debate
HomepageGame Debate's Reviews
Dying Light: The Following is an expansion that harkens back to the days where DLC and micro-transactions weren't so rife in the industry and add on content actually provided meaningful weight to a game rather than just a few new guns and a few new maps. The add-on is actually slightly bigger than the base campaign so there's a ton of value for money here. If you didn't like Dying Light, you're not going to like The Following but if you're still sitting on the fence or you're interested in smashing some more zombie skulls with all the visually stunning gore that Dying Light: The Following has to offer, then I don't know what you're doing still reading this and not playing it. All in all, the expansion is well worth the price and a really excellent addition to an immensely enjoyable game.
Overall there's a lot more to love here in Snowfall than there was in the slightly meagre After Dark, and from a visual standpoint alone it's almost worth the price of entry just to build a winter wonderland. Adding in the numerous additional points of depth such as clearing roads, heating homes, and building trams and you've got a meaty add-on on your hands. One year on, Colossal Order has done it again with Cities: Skylines - Snowfall.
What's here I wholeheartedly admit is fantastic, but we find ourselves in a Street Fighter V-esque situation where we're waiting for the full package. The budget pricing for American Truck Simulator goes a long way to assuaging these fears, and there's still potential for dozens of hours of gameplaying for aspiring truckers. On a personal level I'd be tempted to wait and see how this shakes out - will you have to buy every state? What if I buy New Jersey, will I have to buy every state in between there and Nevada to do a long haul? What about Canada and Mexico? There's a lot of unanswered questions, but provided SCS Software remains true to its word, you're guaranteed to having a trucking good time.
Overall it's clear Blade & Soul is an MMORPG which stands out from the crowd for different reasons from the norm. Of course it's got all the usual questing systems, dungeon raids, and character customisation, but where it really comes into its own is its competitive edge. PvP combat is as good as many fighting games, so provided the advanced loop grabs you Blade & Soul could occupy you for months to come.
Overall Street Fighter V is extremely playable, responsive and looks great and is a really strong entry in the Street Fighter franchise. The game that has been released today is the one designed for people who want to play online, for those of us who enjoy the stories and challenge modes, there's still some time to wait.
Firaxis have made tremendous strides to provide new mechanics and gameplay options for players who are still unsure what the XCOM series can offer them whilst retaining all the features that fans of Enemy Unknown have grown to love and now expect from the series. XCOM 2 is more than just a fantastic XCOM game, it's a polished and cohesive AAA experience that shines with a level of quality not often felt in these bleak, modern days.
Like a good thriller, the whole time I was playing Firewatch I was completely engaged and couldn't wait to see where the story went next. The tale raises interesting questions about solitude, privacy and paranoia. However, a weak ending and some occasionally strange pacing ultimately detracts from Firewatch's spark of greatness.
At times then Resident Evil Zero is a frustrating experience, but persevere and you'll find yourself immersed in a great old-school survival horror game. The atmosphere's fantastic, and the character zapping system means you're never stuck too long banging your head against a hard puzzle. It won't be everyone, but what is, and it servers as a timely reminder of just how much Resident Evil has changed over the years.
Ultimately, Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is a bit like a trip to the beach. Sure, the sun's beaming and you'll have a great day's fun, but you still can't escape that feeling you've got sand up your Kharak.
It's sadistic, mean-spirited and unfair. And it makes no pretense at being anything other than that.
In many ways Rise of the Tomb Raider is a difficult game to review. It's a predictable experience, but it's one which does improve on its predecessor, no matter how small the improvement. It's a safe evolution then, and one that fans of the last game will be able to go in confidently, knowing they'll like it. One day the fairy dust will wear off, but for now, Rise of the Tomb Raider is a glittering spectacle of what cinematic third-person adventure games can be.
If you're reading this then I'm going to assumed you have, as a very brave soul, already played through the original pair of games. As such you sort of know what you're getting here. In comparison to XIII it's certainly a stronger experience, but it's a case of whether you can stomach yet another adventure in that vein.
There are also a handful of other neat features that raise it in my estimation. It's a PC port of a three year old console game, which means system requirements are very light. The gameplay is a healthy challenge. It's good value for money. All in all it's such a charming and engaging piece of work that as soon as I've wrapped this review up I'll be straight back on it. So farewell.
Overall One More Dungeon won't be the game to blow your mind or keep you playing, bleary eyed until the wee hours of a work morning. Despite that, it does a decent job at what it sets out to do and offers quick fun that will have you returning again and again every once in a while. That, and at just £4 it really is quite affordable.
In conclusion, Ceres has its flaws, but they do not make the game bad in any way. If you can look past the bugs and the confusing UI, and look at the potential the game has, you will thoroughly enjoy yourself. Ceres is a game I will always remember because of how comfortable I was playing it towards the end of my time with it. Once all the systems click together it's like a well-oiled machine. You can see the love and support spread all throughout the game, and I cannot wait for another game by these wonderful developers. May Ceres continue to spread across all stars and galaxies with her lovely AI voice.
If you take into account the limits of the genre itself, then Helldivers is a fantastic way to keep yourself busy for hours at a time, Helldivers is a surprisingly immersive game with intuitive mechanics and a rewarding levelling system. Repeating seemingly the same mission over and over does get a little staid, but the variable objectives and procedurally generated worlds go some way to fixing that. Not taking itself too seriously, this is friendly fire fun for all.
Don't let the difficulty of Mordheim: City of the Damned throw you off. The initial experience looks punishing, but a few rounds of skirmish matches will help you understand the mechanics. From there, you'll bond with your squad through the trials, triumphs, and failures you experience together. Mordheim: City of the Damned isn't about winning or losing, it's about making the best of the bloody journey.
Overall Knights of Pen & Paper 2 is a well made turnbased RPG with a great balance between depth and simplicity. This is couple with often hilarious dialogue that is guaranteed to make you chuckle your way through this often beautiful retro adventure.
In the absence of a tutorial, adequate live tips, or indeed any indication whatsoever of the correct way to go about these menial and repetitive tasks, all that remained was to stop the lorry next to the bin and jab sequentially at each key on the keyboard in the forlorn hope that one of them might do something productive.
Getting back into the world of Pillars of Eternity was soothing, like a comfortable pair of slippers that you'd almost forgotten about. Sure, it didn't give me the same unexpected euphoria that the core game slapped me with but as a few evening's entertainment, it was a very welcome addition to the lore and gave me a chance to lark around in a world which, despite its reliance on walls of text and creepy obsession with souls, I'd fallen in love with.