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'Dragon Ball Fusions' delivers a fresh take on one of the most heavily adapted franchises. Not only is the role-playing game unique in that it tells an all-new story, it has a fantastic battle system that has plenty of depth hidden under an easy-to-learn exterior. This is a must-own 3DS title for fans of 'Dragon Ball,' and a good RPG that doesn't have to rely upon nostalgia as a core selling point.
Ubisoft has refined 'Watch Dogs 2' into not only a more polished continuation of the first game, but an admirable sandbox in its own right. I was pleasantly surprised by its conversion to a campier experience and dedication to solid gameplay mechanics, and will have no problem tracking down every little selfie and side mission in the Bay Area for many hours to come.
While 'Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization' is definitely a step up from its predecessors, it's still too rough around the edges to really appeal to anyone other than fans of the anime. It fails to take advantage of the unique premise, and an unpolished localization makes the game overly confusing in spots. Hopefully 'Sword Art Online' will get a great game adaptation, but that still hasn't happened yet.
Like before, 'Dishonored 2' isn't just a great story. It's actually the same story, but hasn't lost any luster in the retelling. It has some of the best stealth we've seen this generation, buffeted by empowering, extraordinary powers, peerless level design, and intriguing characters. Arkane did the same thing this time around, only better.
I found some problems with 'Civilization VI' but not enough to keep me from enjoying it for quite a few hours. Firaxis has improved some systems and stumbled on others, including things that should be in good shape by now, like diplomacy. I have a feeling that a year from now it will be a much better, bigger game, (not to mention cheaper) as is tradition with this series. I just wish that the inevitable DLC felt more like expansions and less like content filling in the gaps from the day one release.
I'll admit I was looking forward to 'Super Dungeon Bros' before playing. I love the genre, and a caricatured metal mash-up could have been interesting, but the game disappoints on all fronts. I like how much emphasis React put on co-op but it needed more under the hood - more choices for character building, more control, more abilities, just more.
The 'LEGO Harry Potter Collection' is a fancy-free, funny and robust brickified version of the eight Harry Potter movies. The current asking price of $50 may be a little steep, considering these are 5 year old games without additional content. One to watch once it hits a more comfortable price point. Worth a look, but only if you don't already own the games.
'Clustertruck' does for jumping what 'SUPERHOT' does for shooting. It boils down the genre into a distilled form, with very few bells and whistles. It doesn't really need the bells and whistles, and manages to more or less avoid the tedium for a long time solely by virtue of its immaculate platforming.
'Infinite Warfare's campaign is can't-miss for any sci-fi warrior, while 'Zombies in Spaceland' is a sweet surprise like late night cable from yesteryear. Nabbing the whole package, including one of the biggest multiplayer draws in gaming, along with a newly spritzed last-gen classic is like a wish list approach for me.
This final episode of 'Hitman' brings together all of the lessons IO has learned over the course of the season into a fun, elegant swan song. I will admit that I was skeptical of the episodic format before the intro was released, but they managed to come through and bring 47 into what is hopefully just the beginning of a glorious new career.
'Titanfall 2' has made good on its promise of a worthy single-player campaign. It is rather short, however, and this combined with the relative lack of variety and modular Titans in the multiplayer modes equals a low replay value. I'm glad to have experienced it, but I'm not sure how much further I'll be enjoying it in the months and years to come.
With a high level of difficulty and a pixelated aesthetic, 'Exile's End' is an affectionate tribute to a decidedly different era of gaming. My time with 'Exile's End' was decidedly mixed, although I must admit I'm not in the target demographic of players that really enjoy this type of experience. I admired the visual and sound design for creating some truly creepy environments, and for serving up a loving tribute to the Commodore 64/Amiga era, but I was left a bit more cold in the gameplay department. Getting lost in expansive, empty 2D maps isn't exactly my idea of a good time, and I've never been one to get terribly excited about "old-school" difficulty. With that said, fans of this sort of isolated retro experience might get a real kick out of Marvelous' take on the genre.
There have been some bad PlayStation VR launch titles, but most of them just felt broken or like an extended tech demo. That isn't the case with 'Weeping Doll,' as it works as intended most of the time (although it's very easy to end up staring at the back of the protagonist's head). The faults here are far deeper, as there just isn't anything interesting to experience. It's a bland horror game that doesn't offer anything mechanically satisfying, and ends on an absolute whimper.
I went looking for Michael Crichton in 'The Assembly,' but I got stuck on the lowlights. As with many ambitious projects, there is some good stock here. As VR advances, another take 'The Assembly' could realize the promise. What's here, however, just isn't thrilling.
Despite largely being a repackaging of last year's game, 'Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence - Ascension' makes smart changes to the formula that immediately pay off. The new game still controls a bit wonky using a controller, but the revamped user interface does make the strategy title more accessible. The future looks bright for Tecmo Koei's strategy series, and its new focus on individual officers is definitely the way to go.
At such a low price and with such a capacity for emergent gameplay it is hard to not recommend 'Hide and Shriek'. The fun is situational, though, and is best played with a friend, with comms, and with only a few matches at a time so as to not dilute its magic. Under these circumstances it's a riot.
'New Order' doesn't completely torpedo 'Batman' but it's by far the weakest we've seen yet. Sometimes I feel like I'm less Bruce Wayne and more of a boring CEO with a soap opera love life. There are still two episodes remaining and I hope the best is yet to come.
'Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2' is the best game based upon Akira Toryiama's legendary series in quite some time. The combat feels more fluid and responsive than its predecessor, and it's packed with enough content to keep players busy for dozens of hours. A fun, if cliché, story mode acts as the cherry on top of what is an enjoyable action game with legs.
'Oh...Sir!! The Insult Simulator' feels like the kind of party game idea that devs would bandy about at a brainstorming session, briefly reminiscing about Monte Python before tossing it into the bin with the other bad ideas. Instead, Vile Monarch actually went through with making it, and I can say in no uncertain terms that it is not my cup of tea.
While it's a shame it's lacking the exclusive bonus chapter from the recently released PC version, this is otherwise the most content rich edition of a great horror game. The new content here is definitely nice, but it's the kind of side content that doesn't necessarily justify double dipping for those who own any of the other releases, but absolutely makes it a great entry point for anyone who hasn't yet delved into the horrors 'Corpse Party' has on offer. With a clear understanding of how to do a lot with very little, and just how to keep things scary, 'Corpse Party' still feels just as terrifying as it did five years ago, and is well worth checking out for any horror fan.