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The game used in this review was a digital copy supplied by the publisher.
Rainbow Six Siege is tactical fun, but the lack of substance hurts the overall experience. It won't take you long to play everything Rainbow Six Siege offers, but what it does it executes very well. You may get bored sooner than you'd like, but you'll have plenty of fun before that happens.
In order to keep this already long-winded review from balooning further, I'll simply sum it up at this: while Amplitude doesn't do much in the way of innovation, it does offer the strongest gameplay in the franchise thus far in terms of challenge. However, the weak track selection, questionable visual design choices and semi-botched implementation of the franchise's best gameplay methods add up to a very lackluster experience. I would be upset if I backed this on Kickstarter, not because I didn't get a good game out of the deal — which Amplitude certainly is, for sure — but rather, that the game doesn't seem as inspired as the labors of love that preceded it, which causes this particular pony to look like it's not even capable of doing its one trick nearly as well as it used to.
Ultimately, even with the bugs and other issues, it was refreshing to get a chance to play a survival title that was more about the struggle against the elements instead of other players.
I really want this game to work. I want it to be another breakout hit from a studio known for engaging and relatively-simple titles. I want it to be something I'll return to time and time again, to land the world's least reliable spacecraft, piloted by the world's most fickle space crew, upon the surface of Mars, and revel in the rush of victory felt when tremendous odds have been surmounted. It's a bummer, then, that it just isn't. Tharsis is a brilliant title that is ironically marred by its reliance upon dice rolls, and as such, I'm doubtful that many players will be able to reach through the game's thick veil of frustration to the genius that awaits just beyond.
The story for the first episode of Minecraft: Story Mode is a little familiar, but it's solid and full of fun references to Minecraft lore. The puzzles are lacking, however.
This game was reviewed via a digital code provided by the publisher.
Though slow in parts, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam is fun, funny, and simply feels good to play. A must-play for Mario RPG fans of all stripes.
Turok: Dinosaur Hunter Remastered is quite literally like finding an old toy you loved as a child, having a nostalgic moment with it when you pick it up, and putting it back down soon after that moment has passed. You're older, you're wiser and you've seen and done more advanced things since the time where that toy meant something to you, so the resonance you feel with it is fleeting at best. Most cherished, hallowed classics of the medium — Megaman, Mario, etc. —are considered as such because they never feel too old, but that isn't the case here. That's where I am with Turok. It's fun for a few hours or so, and going through the levels – especially the speed-run begging tutorial – was like hopping on the old bike and popping wheelies like I was 14 again. It doesn't take long for that feeling to wear off, and due to this, I can only recommend Turok to those who loved the old game so much that they feel compelled to spend money on it again. It's not likely to be worth the twenty-dollar purchase, otherwise. That said, it's still a very fun game and the remastered package is done quite well, so I'm going to grade the game based on the quality of the remastered port, with however bored I became with it notwithstanding.
Resident Evil 0 HD Remastered is essentially the same RE0 that I played back in the Gamecube days, a dated but enjoyable RE experience. The HD coat of paint gives the game a 2016 glow that truly impresses, and the modern control scheme improves the experience in ways that cannot sufficiently be explained, but the core game remains intact. I enjoyed my trip back in time, but I don't think there's enough here that would make me want to do it again.
All in all, Nitroplus Blasterz is profoundly underwhelming. The mechanics are there, but they're implemented poorly. The character sprites are well-designed, but not necessarily well-animated. The backgrounds are dull, the soundtrack is just there, and the game doesn't offer much to the player outside of frustration. There's no reason to pick this up unless you fit one of two criteria; one, you love Nitroplus visual novels and want to play the fighting game that features all their characters, or two, you're a fighting game player that will literally play anything handed to you. If you're that rare fusion of both, I'd say it's a must-buy. For everyone else who's not big on the source material or hardcore enough to play everything that the fighting genre has to offer, you'd be far better off dropping forty dollars on something else. Hell, Skullgirls is half the price, has just as much fanservice, and is a mechanically superior game by all measures. Go play that instead, because this...this just ain't it, although I will say that it isn't for a lack of trying.
The game used in this review was a digital copy supplied by Square Enix.
Despite what you might think of the source material's other incarnations, the Ultimate Ninja Storm series is where the world of Naruto truly comes to life. The story mode alone justifies the game's purchase, and the versus mode is a hell of a lot of fun...provided you're not going online to play. It gets kind of dicey at that point.
This may be the first substantial DLC for Rise of the Tomb Raider but it also sets a high standard. The incredibly cool hallucenogenic sequences that occur within are very much worth experiencing, even if Lara has no real part in the story. Nabbing a few extra items after completing it is pretty neat too, given their usefulness.
SteamWorld Heist's mash-up of action and turn-based strategy makes for a deeply satisfying experience that feels like it's over a touch too soon.
Perhaps if the team had aimed for a visual style just a bit more detailed, they could have landed on an aesthetic that really stood out, but unfortunately the dead-eyed caveman stare just doesn't do it for me. With some more varied weapons, a bit of a re-balancing on the health situation, and some re-arranging of stages so that they come along by theme rather than at random, Dinocide could have something going for it, but as it stands, I'm afraid it's just not noteworthy.
I really wish that I could have enjoyed The Witness in the way so many others seem to. I tried, really I did. I attempted to see what was so "mindtwisting," "transcendental," or how it provokes "natural epiphanies." I just couldn't though. All I saw were endless line puzzles which felt like endless padding, like the creation of the island itself was as far as the developer got in planning and then realized they had to have some sort of driving mechanism to justify it. The depressing thing about it all is that it's such a waste. The island is a lovely place, and its oversaturated colors give just the right touch to a world that is vaguely fantastical. If Blow had put some variety into the puzzles, preferably using the excellent environment to its fullest, and actually telling a story instead of the lazy minimalistic mess that we got, this title could have been a Myst for a new generation. Instead, it's a dull, frustrating, pointless hike through a lovely, colorful, dead place. If you're looking for the same effect on the cheap, I recommend a box of crayons, a puzzle book, and a nice coloring sheet. You can use the money you have left over to get a game worth your time.
I like it, but I don't love it. I think its best is yet to come, but I know that its best is likely to come with an additional price tag attached to it, at least in some fashion. I think Street Fighter V has the potential to be the best Street Fighter ever. I just don't think it is right now, and I feel that this has a lot to do with the people behind SFV wanting it to be the headline event at EVO 2016 instead of EVO 2017. Nothing more.
The Following may be different than its core game, but in this case I think that helps more than hinders. One of Dying Light's biggest strengths was that it proved that zombie games could still be fun, and The Following absolutely retains that. It doesn't really add anything in the way of enemy variety, and its story, while interesting, isn't as fleshed out as it perhaps could be, but it is a genuinely fun time.
Rabi-Ribi is a fantastic love letter to Touhoumania fans, but at its core, it's an exceptional platformer that's so well designed it'd make Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya blush. Rabi-Ribi manages to blend multiple concepts together and distil them into something entirely unique, which is a rare sight these days. The difficulty is firm but fair, and the optional help solidifies that. Its Touhou-inspired cast may be too much for some players, but if you can stomach through its aesthetic, you'll experience one of the best indie titles of 2016, bar none. You'd be doing yourself a massive disservice by not giving Rabi-Ribi a shot.