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2015 has been a great year for strategy RPGs. 'Stella Glow' stands along the likes of 'Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker' and 'Disgaea 5' to give SRPG fans and new genre players alike plenty of high quality titles to work through. 'Stella Glow' may have a couple of odd design quirks that may bring it down a bit, but Imageepoch's final title provides a great experience for all but the pickiest of RPG fans.
Load up, head out, and see the world. Haul some of it back. Be a law-bringer or a scoundrel. See what's behind the curtain, and make some battery-powered friends. It's all here and more. I wish the visuals of 'Fallout 4' were better, even much better in places, but the gameplay eventually had me hooked. I wanted to see what was around the next bend, and if I could take it. I wanted to see if I would dish out pain or aid, and if the reprehensible machinations of the powerful would yield fascinating, if deplorable, results.
Messing with the core 'Call of Duty' gameplay is tricky work, but Treyarch has delivered a AAA beast with 'Call of Duty: Black Ops III.' On the one hand, there is an accessible speed and mobility that keeps everything moving in a guns up way. On the other hand, new abilities will make even the least adept player feel like a powerful part of a team. No doubt, the performance on the PS4 will spoil players. With robust options ranging from a slick co-op campaign to a moody underworld trip into zombie purgatory, playing 'Call of Duty' "just for the multiplayer" has new meaning.
'LEGO Dimensions' pulls from a lot of fantastic licenses and even gets the player to use actual LEGOs. At the same time, the game strays too far from the proven LEGO formulae for a series veteran, pulling out the meat of the game design without providing enough balance or sense of progression. There are bright things in the future for 'LEGO Dimensions' I'm sure, but the growing pains of early adoption are too harsh for me.
'Minecraft: Story Mode - Assembly Required' came so quickly after the first that I can't help but wonder if it was rushed. Parts of it seem that way - the duration, the weaker script, the lack of entertaining interactions. It's almost as though the episodes were created by different people. It's still early in the season though, and Telltale has some time to pull it together.
'Halo' becomes more agile as 343 works on it, both in design and in gameplay. There are some story issues that keep 'Halo 5' from being a top-notch sci-fi epic, but the campaign is still a pleasure to play, especially with others. The multiplayer is hearty out of the gate, with the hypercompetitive Arena suite alongside the more bombastic, arcade-oriented Warzone. 'Halo 5: Guardians' has a lot to offer the consummate shooter aficionado.
'Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide ' includes a lot of great new content that fleshes out the existing mechanics of 'Beyond Earth.' While this expansion doesn't take any big risks, and some new research or victory conditions would not have been remiss, it is a shot in the arm for the already excellent 'Beyond Earth'.
Ubisoft took considerable flak from last year's release of 'Assassin's Creed: Unity', which had some good ideas but suffered from a collection of design and testing problems. To their credit, they appear to have taken it as a learning experience, as 'Syndicate' emerges as one of the strongest 'Assassin's Creeds' in recent memory.
'Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below' is not a perfect package. There are some flaws with the overall nature of the game that keep it from being a truly great experience, and as such not everyone is going to have the patience to deal with some of the title's issues. Despite that, though, this game is rather solid, and if you're interested in either Musou titles or Action RPGs, 'Dragon Quest Heroes' is sure to be an enjoyable experience. All of this enjoyment value is increased exponentially for 'Dragon Quest' fans, too; it's been quite a few years since the last localize Dragon Quest title after all, and it's a good game to boot!
If for some reason you have any interest in adventure games and have not yet experienced 'Tales from the Borderlands,' now there is no excuse. 'Vault of the Traveler' is by far the best episode, even with its crippling stagger issues. In between the laugh-out-loud moments and the almost tearful, poignant moments of the underlying theme of friendship are a collection of witty jokes and awkward banter that any gamer can enjoy, not just longtime 'Borderlands' fans.
'Polarized' is a fitting end to a strange game that has been reliably decent, with the occasional wondrous high and disappointing low. It uses a mix of storytelling techniques that have not been seen previously in the 'Life is Strange' series, but gets its message across to the audience. What precisely that message is, is up for the viewer to decide.
Not all of the games in 'The Jackbox Party Pack 2' are clear winners, but the stronger titles make up for their weaker brethren. The system of player interaction is genius and makes it very palatable for console owners, not to mention the relatively cheap price. If you have a family that loves gaming together, or are looking for ideas or an intense laugh for when you have friends over, 'The Jackbox Party Pack 2' might just be what you're looking for.
In 2015, it's takes a real statement game to justify excitement in the rhythm game genre. 'Guitar Hero Live' is that statement game. With a New guitar, new gameplay, two distinct modes and a new content delivery method that should see players awash in free, marquee songs, 'Guitar Hero Live' is packed. FreeStyle Games has gone back to the drawing board and returned with both a rock star vision and a streaming music/video gameplay model that ought to attract fans old and new. Alongside the normal AAA titles to look forward this holiday, 'Guitar Hero Live' should be of special interest to home theater enthusiasts on account of the sound quality and the enjoyable novelty and passion to be found in the gameplay and visuals.
While I have come to love Telltale's more grown-up titles, 'The Order of the Stone' is fun, wholesome entertainment in its own right. There are plenty of jokes for all ages, along with a healthy dose of slapstick comedy and a few puzzles and quick-time events to spice things up. Perhaps the best thing I can say about it, other than I'm looking forward to the next episode, is that it dearly made me want to fire up my own 'Minecraft' world and get to building.
'Rebel Galaxy' comes out of left field - an adept and fun space sim from two developers who have spent decades working on RPGs. If you have ever wanted to fly a capital ship of your very own and blow up pirates (or become one), your opportunity has arrived at last.
'Warhammer 40,000 Deathwatch' was an excellent mobile title, and its 'Enhanced Edition' remains competitive with other strategy titles on the PC. It doesn't have the visual or narrative heft of some of its high-budget contemporaries, but its gameplay punches far above its weight.
I'd have to go back to the PS2 days to find a 'Transformers' game that was as faithful and fun as 'Transformers: Devastation,' and I think 'Devastation' has the edge in both categories. 'Devastation' is a wonderful counter-point to both the checklist openworld games and the endless parade of indies that are flooding the consoles. Not since I first watched the 20th Anniversary Movie DVD has my Transformers nostalgia been so engaged. The game is a must for fans.
'Rock Band 4' feels more like digital-only game instead of a full release. I fully agree with Harmonix' decision to make it a singular platform going forward, one that will be constantly updated with features and songs, instead of dumping a fully-priced release on consumers every fall. It is nostalgic and enjoyable, but not the great leap forward in rhythm gaming that we were hoping for.
The content and gameplay of 'Elite' is much as it was during the Preview program, which is to say excellent. The technical issues are much improved, and the addition of CQC is a net positive. It can be a cold, uninviting experience for the new player, but it is a great spaceship game that should not be missed.
'Assault Android Cactus' is a great little shooter that delivers lots of chibi, shooty fun in each level. It has a lighthearted arcade feel and doesn't take itself very seriously, going so far as to crack jokes about gaming itself. Even for those who aren't typically fans of the genre, you'll probably have a good time with Cactus and friends.