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Luckily, the package as a whole is satisfying enough to overlook most of its flaws. The only one that came up to bother me time and time again is that the story is very weak in comparison to the rest of the series, and oddly enough given the wide-open gameplay, it's very linear. There's no weird questions, or whodunits when it's over, it's all spelled out for you and that's just not how Metal Gear is supposed to be. However, with Kojima's track record of innovation and tenacity, regardless of any announcement that he's no longer involved with the series, I believe he'll make sure that the legacy of the Metal Gear series lives on in some form or another. Even though Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain wraps up the saga of Big Boss, I feel we've only just begun...
While I think LEGO Dimensions is a good game, it's certainly not a must-play. The crossover potential feels extremely weak when it comes to beloved franchises, and not having any more than three characters to play as -- unless I'm seriously missing something that doesn't cost more money -- makes the title feel pretty darn lacking. That being said, if you're willing to eat the cost, you won't find yourself having too bad a time. I know I didn't.
This is a portrait of what its genre can offer. It's only downfall is it may not have taken enough chances to truly distinguish itself.
A copy of this game was provided by the publisher.
At the core of The Talos Principle is the startling idea that man is not so different from machine, and that our truest purpose lies in the contributions we leave for our children, and our children's children. Though we die, our legacy remains through them, and through what our small actions help them accomplish, even in the face of total destruction.
Rock Band 4 is like a glorious reunion of wizened rock stars. Everyone looks and sounds great, but a little bit of the twinkle in their eyes has dimmed. The band plays all their hits in the same way that you remember with the same exuberance of youth, but you can detect that something's wrong, something's off with the entire package. But there's plenty of time to get back into the groove of things, and with the updates Harmonix has planned to implement going forward, I feel confident Rock Band 4 will blossom into the game it was meant to be soon enough, especially since support will go on in lieu of annual game releases. I'm no fairweather fan, and I'll be a groupie 'til the end, even when it seems like it could be time for a curtain call in the near future.
Year Walk is a strange game, a brief sojourn into a downright chilling tale surrounding a small Swedish village and the potential horrors abound. There's a lot to like here, especially in the narrative side of things, but the game is too short and some puzzles are more interesting than others. It's worth a try, if for no other reason than to play an indie game and there's nothing else interesting at the time, but don't expect it to last very long. This Year Walk feels like it's only around the block.
It all comes down to this: don't deny yourself Final Fantasy V.
As much as I didn't feel any profound level of resonance with the content of The Beginner's Guide, I will certainly defend its right to exist. I think that it makes a showing in a side of the industry that doesn't get a lot of attention, and that's a good thing. However, my personal opinion is that there are other games that do a far better job of making that showing, and this includes The Beginner's Guide's immediate predecessor.
If I was to go in depth on all of this game's mechanics I would literally be here for thousands of words, so suffice it to say that the game has plenty to offer and almost all of it is entertaining. It's a bit of a shame that the story lacks the hilarious premise of its predecessor, but mechanically Disgaea 5 is as solid as they come. I've spent over 60 hours on the game, going through the story and messing around a bit in the different optional worlds, and there is so much more I could do in it. Whether you're looking for a fun 50 hour story, or want something that will have you grinding your nights away for hundreds of hours, Disgaea 5 is a pretty safe bet.
Party Hard is a surprising game. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did, but it's a thoughtful affair that relies on careful thought and planning to keep up the most gruesome cross-country trip ever. Sometimes it doesn't play fair, but it's still fun.
Offering deep gameplay with an approachable style, Sphere of Influence is rewarding for strategy fans while remaining forgiving for genre newcomers. Strategy vets will find all they want and then some, but newcomers will need to exercise patience in order to begin digging into the game's bountiful rewards.
As weird as the concept is, the critically-acclaimed mobile game Leo's Fortune makes a surprisingly graceful transition from phone screen to TV screen.
The game's "whodunnit" caper isn't the only mystery that needs solving in Calvino Noir. Some other design choices will leave folks scratching their heads. The greatest complaint I have here is movement -- characters move dreadfully, painfully slow. They're trying to be sneaky, and that's all very well and good, as it's a genuine way to stick to the stealth theme. However, when you die as much as you do in this game, playing through an area for the 3rd or 4th time at a slothlike pace becomes a bore, and a player will likely begin to question why they're putting themselves through this. When trying to move characters into hiding, they will sometimes move past the spot and shuffle around a bit before moving into place. Such side steps can be deadly. The game's "collectibles" present another puzzle. From time to time you will happen across money or other abandoned treasures while sneaking through gloomy hallways. This is fun at first, until you realize that said findings bear no discernible use. It's a strange loose end that makes the game feel a bit half-baked.
It's tough for an annual sports franchise like Madden to spice things up from year to year, but Madden NFL 16 brings just the right amount of change to make things interesting. Nearly everything it adds works incredibly well, most noticeably in the passing game, while a few other things still need a bit of work. Ultimate Team continues to grow, Draft Champions is the coolest mode ever, and even just a quick game against a friend is still as fun and footbally as Madden has ever been. There's a lot to like on the gridiron this year, and I can only hope that this upward trend continues to grow.
Until Dawn contains almost everything I want from a story-driven horror game. A thoroughly captivating narrative, a believable dynamic between characters, choices that have a direct and meaningful impact on the storyline, and most essentially: a constant state of tense fear created through the environment and narrative. If you're looking for the next great horror game, look no further. Just wait for the sun to go down, turn off the lights, and try and survive Until Dawn.
For fans of physics-based platformers, Airscape: The Fall of Gravity is a must-play. The unique way it blends traditional platforming with swimming segments and gravity makes for some truly creative ideas, and you'll find plenty of mind-bending puzzles and frantic yet compelling gameplay to keep you entertained until the very end.
Overall, Back to Bed is a puzzle game that has a lot of potential to be something memorable because of its surreal art style and interesting premise, but it doesn't really stride to do anything more with them. While I'd have a hard time recommending this to someone — I know it's the first to go if I need to delete something on my hard drive — it's not like it was a very sour experience that had me cursing every second I was playing. It's not a very engaging title, but it's not a very offensive one either.
Online aside, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is exactly what Gears fans could ever want from a remake of the original game: enhanced controls, powerful new visuals and a complete transferring of the full Gears of War experience — PC exclusive missions included — from the previous console generation to the current one.
Personally, I was happy to have finished the game because I was so worn out by the monotony that I just wanted to stop. If I didn't feel compelled to finish every single level in the campaign for review purposes, I probably wouldn't have bothered seeing the ending. Yet despite everything I've just said, I will say that Gauntlet: Slayer Edition does suffice as a multiplayer experience. It's serviceable enough that, if you and a couple of friends want to get together to play games over some drinks, you're not going to have too bad of a time with this title. It's still a such mindless button masher that I actually preferred playing as the Elf because it's a lot less taxing on the fingers. It's also really not all that fulfilling, especially with the particularly lackluster boss battles, but that doesn't mean that it's an awful title. If all you're looking for is an arcade-styled experience, then Gauntlet: Slayer Edition will fill that void. There's even an Endless mode that you can run through for a mostly uninterrupted experience, and you can head online if you don't mind matchmaking. However, only the most die-hard fans will probably keep playing long after the credits roll, and it's a really short game.