gameranx's Reviews
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare offers some of the biggest, and most interesting changes to the series since Modern Warfare, and promises hundreds of hours of fun in its fantastic multiplayer mode and gripping single-player campaign that's the best one in the series to date. Don't miss it.
What is Rivals? It's the assertion that EA's true flagship for the core in the new generation isn't Battlefield, but Need for Speed. It's thrilling, it's beautiful, it's chaotic, and it's the best thing going on those expensive new black boxes you have. Ghost Games, the spawn of Criterion, really brought it.
Born from a Ludum Dare scenario (an updated version of which has been included in the middle of the game) and spread into a full-length game, Gods Will Be Watching is far and away the most interesting game from 2014 thus far, and it wouldn't really be a stretch to call its design "pioneering." But the true joy, above its other admirable traits, comes from the emotional trauma and frustration it inflicts on the player. Accept no substitutes.
If you ever want to play another game again, this series is not for you. But, if you had to pick only one to play for the rest of your life, Civilization: Beyond Earth would be a solid choice. The various factions and Affinities will ensure multiple, robust playthroughs, each presenting unique scenarios that will encourage the player to strategize in challenging new ways with each file. I look forward to my next 400 hours with the game.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is already my game of the year so far, and simply put–might just be the best game I've ever played. Yes, it's that good.
Overwatch is a carefully curated ship in a bottle made from some of gaming's best new ideas.
If you enjoyed the past Civilization games or happen to be a fan of strategy games, then you can’t go wrong with Offworld Trading Company. This is fast-paced, cutthroat, capitalism distilled into a video game, and one that will keep you entertained for a long time to come.
By all means, if you are ever in the mood for a gripping tale and yearn for the days of the classic point-and-click genre then I highly recommend giving Kathy Rain a playthrough.
I cannot recommend Shovel Knight enough. Whether you played games during the NES-era or not, Shovel Knight is both a great introduction and re-imagining of 8-bit platformers.
The bottom line is that Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Ultimate Evil Edition is a fantastic console game that plays, in my opinion, better than the original PC version it's based upon. It's how Diablo III was always meant to be.
With Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Retro Studios has shown once again it could take just about any beloved Nintendo property and turn it into a unique, nostalgia inducing machine of pure fun.
Dying Light is zombie-killing action turned up to 11. To say that it's "not a bad game" would be a colossal understatement. Couple all of that with a pulse-pounding soundtrack and you've got a recipe for something truly enjoyable. Buy this game.
The Nemesis System is an achievement, one that overshadows any faults Shadow of Mordor otherwise has through sheer fun factor, and I can't wait to see its influence spread.
In all, I really enjoyed my experience with Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, and plan to spend even more time with it.
The Last of Us Remastered is the same game it was a year ago but it is worth playing again and if you never have experienced it before, you're in for something special. Perhaps it was the game of a generation, or perhaps that was merely marketing overhype, but either way, Naughty Dog created something mesmerising and brutal, amazing and grim, personal and grand in scope.
Wolfenstein: The New Order is a game for facing your fears and gunning them down. Thanks to great shooting mechanics and characters you care about, you'll want to do just that. The tightly scripted narrative works against replayability, and tedious boss battles bog down the action more so than any of the non-combat sections of the game, but otherwise the game is worth several run throughs. Wolfenstein: The New Order is a great game, and one of the best shooters I've played this year.
If you'd told me five years ago that a game of this scope, and this level of polish, would come out of a twelve-person indie studio, I'd have thought you were nuts…but here we are. Transistor is easily one of the best things I've played so far this year, and in a field of games made by hundred-person teams and with hundred-million-dollar budgets, that's an extraordinary feat.
I love it. Unrest is another indie that exposes the lie of AAA that says games need some physical skill element to be worthwhile. It gives us many layers to ponder with its narrative, wrapped in a package that feels culturally relevant even as it's firmly rooted in a past and culture that is not my own. That, my friends, is something worth experiencing.
It's a difficult task to capture fully the experience of MMORPGs. The genre is predicated on tons of content intended to last players for months, if not years. It's made even more difficult when a game like WildStar comes along, content-rich and incredibly varied in its well-balanced features. That's why it is easy for me to recommend WildStar to new and old MMO fans alike, as well as to anyone looking to jump into their first MMO. The game literally has something for everyone and does everything incredibly well.
South Park: The Stick of Truth may as well be an achievement. The soul of the show is captured perfectly with its visuals, consistently funny writing and ridiculous scenarios. It also happens to be damn fun to play. After the 13 hours it took me to complete it, all I've been able to think about since is going back to it to find every lost collectible and missed achievement. If you've ever enjoyed South Park, then you absolutely need to own this game.