gameranx's Reviews
Battleborn carves itself a deserving spot on people's lists. Its endearing roster, wild set of abilities, great variety of modes, progression systems, and the promise of free content in the form of new heroes, modes, and maps have left me addicted and turned me into a MOBA fan, a feat I didn't think was possible.
The game is a tribute to its source material and one that will test even the most exceptional admirals out there but that’s when Armada is at its best.
Add in a terrific soundtrack by Command & Conquer composer Frank Klepacki, and that’s 8-Bit Armies – it’s a small, tightly-designed RTS geared toward genre newcomers that doesn’t offer much in the way of gimmicky flash or weird new asymmetric factions, but counters with an easy-to-use design with just enough moving pieces to make it a great first step for players who are RTS-curious but intimidated by the likes of StarCraft 2 or Total War.
It's a vibrant shooter with finely tuned characters that play very well off each other, providing for an almost party-like experience that should be fun for almost anyone. This new direction for the series is mostly a welcome success, but fans of traditional tower defense games or those from Dungeon Defenders and Orcs Must Die! may bemoan the lack of strong strategic placement and plotting.
If you're a huge fan of last-gen's Tomb Raider reboot, you should probably pick this up. The same goes if you have yet to play it. If, like me, you played Tomb Raider the first time round and enjoyed it, there's not really enough here to justify another, full price purchase, however. This is for superfans and newcomers only – casual veterans need not apply. Now, where did I put my waterproof face cream?
Skylanders Swap Force – like all of the games in this series – can be without a doubt an expensive hobby, but it's a fun one if you're either a kid or like collecting toys or both, and if you don't mind playing through the game with only three characters, it's also a rewarding way to pass the time with just the basic starter set.
But when it's working correctly, Wasteland 2 is stellar. The tactical combat is pretty standard, but challenging and only occasionally overwhelming (those are essential moments, to me). Learning to deal with everything that goes wrong as you wander the wastes is a thrill that makes it all the more satisfying when a plan actually does come together. Wasteland 2 is a Real Game, bro.
Stoic had me hooked within the first five minutes through the visual and sound design alone. The hand-drawn art style is reminiscent of animated feature films, and in conjunction with a soundtrack composed by Austin Wintory (of Journey fame), The Banner Saga presents a melancholic, unforgettable atmosphere which will grip you immediately. It's a shame more couldn't have been done to give the battles more complexity, but the choices you're forced to make throughout the adventure, and the sheer beauty of the world, more than make up for a lack of strategic depth. In fact, I could've played The Banner Saga on aesthetic direction and risk management alone—both are that engaging.
Age of Wonders III is a game that excels at almost everything it set out to do. It has well executed turn-based strategy, beautiful freedom of choice and some really interesting, but definitely tried and familiar, tactical combat. It's major flaw is the clumsiness in easing you into the experience. The game almost seems set on alienating the player from the start, but if you if you stick with it, you might find a quite rewarding gem beyond.
Despite some of its shortcomings, Homefront: The Revolution is a solid open-world FPS. It gets a lot right and if you're in the mood for liberating future America, it might just be your jam.
If you find yourself loving fast paced action RPG titles and enjoy an immersive story that forces players into making touch calls then Stores: Path of Destinies is a must-play.
Enter the Gungeon is the game that keeps on giving.
Alienation could stand to be better in a lot of the ways I've already mentioned, but it's also one of the best twin-stick shooters I've played, so I can't complain too much. Even with its shortcomings, I found it to be a good waste of time.
I can remember more than one occasion when I literally yelled out loud after I threw my gun into an opponent's face, grabbed his rifle out of midair and shot him with it. It's a game that doesn't need excessive achievements, unlocks, or leveling up, because playing the game well is so much more rewarding than any creeping XP bar could ever be.
If you're looking for a lightweight game puzzler then Hitman GO: Definitive Edition is well worth checking out. The gameplay is overall enjoyable and quick, but if you're looking for the next big installment within the popular Hitman franchise, it's probably best to move on and wait for the upcoming Hitman release later this year.
With all that said, Leap of Fate was still a pleasant and an addicting game. I found myself going back throughout the day to kill a bit of time and to unlock a new character or attempt to pick up a new character attribute. This video game is definitely worth the $15.99 it’s currently marked at on Steam and one I recommend despite the downsides highlighted in my review.
With a clean, gorgeous new look, the Final Fantasy X games are good enough to hold up despite a number of surface elements not really aging well.
That's by no means a bad thing; despite its similarity to its forebears, it's still a welcome escape from other city-building franchises, and is a deep enough experience to keep players engaged for quite some time. One can't help but feel like it's shackled by its presumably-slim budget, though, as its lack of radical improvements and its mediocre overall production value will make it a hard sell for people who were indifferent to previous Tropico games.
So while I do appreciate Daylight as an effective scare generator, its shelf life feels much shorter than Zombie Studios intended it to be.
Although this review has felt rather negative towards the campaign, there's a lot to like there, too — for the first half at least. And once you're done with that you can always jump into the always brilliant online arena. As far as launch games for new consoles go, Killzone: Shadow Fall isn't bad by any means. Just don't expect anything revolutionary outside of dust particles in shafts of light and you'll be fine.