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'SOMA' is scary, but that aspect pales in comparison with the great script and characterization. It is a bit brief at 10-12 hours, but does not over stay its welcome and should not be missed for anyone who appreciates a deep sci-fi tale with a healthy dose of accompanying fear.
'Laserlife' may have been successful as a tech demo of some kind, perhaps showcasing a new style of music game or abstract take on exposition in gaming. As a final product, it is woefully incomplete. It could have been more, perhaps with clearer writing, a stronger soundtrack, and precise gameplay. Even if it had those traits, it would still struggle, as the gameplay never really shines, despite its hypnotic qualities.
Perhaps the constant stream of remakes has jaded me, but 'Castle Crashers' didn't seem to be screaming for an update, especially with backwards compatibility right around the corner. The new mode is wishy washy and the jury is still out on the matchmaking. Still, the $5 price for previous owners of the game, there are far worse old-timey arcade brawlers out there than 'Caste Crashers Remastered'.
'Disgaea 5' is one of the best strategy RPGs I've played in years. The gameplay is fun and addicting, and the rest of the package offers more than enough incentive for me to play until the ending and beyond. Not only will series fans find another enjoyable entry, but it's easier than ever for new players to get into 'Disgaea,' with the Cheat Shop making grinding quite easy and most of the extra stuff not being forced upon them. Despite my doubts, 'Disgaea 5' sees the series come to the PS4 with all due grandeur. New player or series veteran, this is a fantastic SRPG that should not be passed up.
'Persona 4: Dancing All Night' is a good game, but it's also a game that's likely only going to appeal to a specific subset of people. Mainly, it's those that are really into the world of 'Persona' and the characters of 'Persona 4' are going to be charmed by this title, and Atlus has made 'Dancing All Night' exactly with that in mind. Unlike 'Persona 4 Arena', whose fighting game mechanics can still have a widespread appeal, this rhythm game is regulated to a more narrow audience. That's an important and viable choice. The game is by no means wanting for personality, but those that aren't invested heavily into the 'Persona' franchise might be better off looking to another rhythm title to satiate their needs.
For newcomers to the series, 'Destiny: The Taken King' presents a much larger and more user-friendly 'Destiny' experience, and that's after a year of crazy highs, and RNG lows. For veterans, it feels as though we have to take two steps back before we can go forward, but the way is paved with fun things to do. If you've been putting off playing 'Destiny' until it got better, now's the time.
'Skylanders SuperChargers' is that game that can make the toys to life concept feel exciting again. It can pull together different family members locally or online, and you better believe it will make players want to get a boat and plane to augment that vehicular fantasy. There is depth and variety, but some areas are much more polished than others. It's an obvious buy for existing fans, but the vehicle dynamic makes it a nice choice for anyone who might want to dip their toes.
'Mad Max' is a decent open world experience. It checks all the boxes for what is expected with a game in this genre, but doesn't bring much new to the table. Max's ride and sidekick are important high points, and a love for the film series helps. The game does have heart and some great vehicular combat; it's just missing some body work.
'Forza Motorsport 6' is much more evolutionary than it is revolutionary, but it is nevertheless a significant upgrade over 'Forza 5.' Key features, like the Drivatar system, can't be found outside of the franchise, and the stealth feature that looks to have serious legs is the addition of Leagues. 'Forza 6' is more serious, deeper, and more demanding than 'Forza Horizon 2,' but I expect many players will embrace both games while others are polarized. The Stories of Motorsport career mode is a welcome change, but still feels in need of a more major shake-up. Even so, the look and feel of racing in 'Forza 6' in dry or wet, offline or online, makes the game a crown jewel offering for the Xbox One platform, and it's a game that feels teeming with content.
'Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain' isn't just great a stealth experience by 'Metal Gear' standards, it's a great stealth tour for this generation of gaming. The devs have built on the great prequel series and made an extremely sympathetic character of Big Boss. If this is Kojima's swan song, he has done it grandly.
Like its forebears, 'Don't Starve: Giant Edition' on the Xbox One is a delectable survival experience, and the included 'Reign of Giants' content does a great job of growing the experience. The game is tough, and the permadeath can be discouraging if you have spent several in-game weeks or months on an epic crafting bender, but it is worth the pain.
'Dishonored' has received a minimal amount of dress-up for this re-release. In 'Dishonored Definitive Edition,' the main game is all here with its DLC and a light visual touch-up, and that's about it. The price is also high when compared against the last-gen (or PC) GOTY versions. Still, it was one of the most captivating games of last gen, and a must-own for any Xbox One owners who have not experienced it. For those who have, you'll find little of interest here.
We are firmly entrenched in era of gaming where seemingly every single video game ever is being repackaged, rebooted, remade, or just plain ripped off. 'Zombi' on the Xbox One isn't a rip-off, but nor did it really call out for a port. It could have been quite content to remain a halfway decent Wii U exclusive forever, but instead we have a flawed zombie game with a few novel mechanics lurking under the surface. It'll be interesting to see if Ubisoft elects to follow up with another 'Zombi' at some point this gen.
Following the pedigree of the first two titles, 'Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls' could be seen as a bit disappointing. It's markedly shorter than the mainline titles, and the story it tells, while good, is simply not as great as the first two 'Danganronpa' titles. While it's not the Game of the Year material of its series' herald, there is plenty to be enjoyed in 'Ultra Despair Girls' to be worth a purchase for any fan of the series.
Digital Eclipse considers 'Mega Man Legacy Collection' to be just as much a time capsule or museum exhibit as it is a video game, a sentiment I do not disagree with. A great deal of work has been put into curating the games and adding new, optional content while retaining their retro aesthetic. A few video issues crop up here and there, and perhaps the gameplay can be stubbornly vintage, but this is still a great compilation.
'Shadowrun: Hong Kong' is an old-school style strategy experience with one of the most interesting settings in contemporary tabletop gaming. Instead of expecting the license to do all of the heavy lifting, Harebrained has instead created a good game and then set it into the mythos of 'Shadowrun'. With the inclusion of the Unity editor, this platform will only get better as time goes on.
'Gears of War: Ultimate Edition' is not a mere port, but a labor of love a long time in the making. The price tag is a bit steep with much of the new content geared towards multiplayer aficionados, but this is a lovely showing of Delta Squad on the One.
'Until Dawn' should be on top of every horror fan's must buy list. The game effectively presents the tropes and the stereotypes of the genre in a graphically stunning interactive adventure. Those who loved 'Heavy Rain' or 'Beyond: Two Souls' and thought those titles lacked genuine scary moments, will almost certainly eat up 'Until Dawn'. It shortened my life expectancy by a considerable margin.
'Satellite Reign' truly embodies the phrase "spiritual successor". It is very much a modern adaptation of an older title. That is not to say that it is without innovation or not a good game - far from it. 'Satellite Reign' takes the best parts of its source material and expands upon them with modern tech, creating an intoxicating, thickly cyberpunk strategy experience. The degree of freedom available invokes that special kind of PC game that is all-too infrequent these days.
'Escape Plan Bravo' makes a very strong showing as 'Tales from the Borderlands' moves steadily towards its conclusion. The characters are developing well, the plotline mostly makes sense, and the script is rife with signature 'Borderlands' humor, even if the plot as a whole shows more of the darkness of Telltale's other series.