The Outerhaven Productions
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I don't know about you, but Rise of the Tomb Raider, while not a complete masterpiece, is pretty damn close to being one in the Action-Adventure genre.
WWE 2K16 is definitely the perfect blend of fun and competitive gameplay, and a definite shot in the arm for this series to date, being a step in the right direction that the series needed after setting the foundation with WWE 2K15.
In the early hours of the game, I was conflicted as to how the game matched up against its immediate predecessor, Obsidian's New Vegas (which I consider better than Fallout 3, and might have been my favorite game of the last generation). It did not seem to have as grand of a narrative scale, nor the same breadth of choices to make. Instead, the game is more of a personal journey. But Bethesda has done a great job of weaving that story so that the choices you make impact both your character and the Commonwealth, even if it's not as obvious as purifying water or taking control of Hoover Dam. At the same time, the base game has seen a variety of changes that may be more divisive, and the execution is nowhere near as smooth as is expected. Nevertheless, Fallout 4 is a great game that deserves the attention it has received.
Helldivers is a fun, frantic and amazing deep dual stick shooter. Tackle it by yourself or several other players, there's no lack of things to do or challenge, especially on the higher difficulty missions. It's not the prettiest game out there but it makes up for looks with providing plenty of kick ass gun-play, satisfying weapon sounds and a touch and gritty environment that will chew you up and spit you out if you aren't smart about how you play.
All in all, as much as I enjoyed the original game of Bloodborne, I found myself enjoying the DLC just as much, perhaps even a little more. The eerie setting, the backdrops, tons of mindless action, and PVP is just the tip of the iceberg with Bloodborne: The Old Hunters. So much that I know I'll be trying to beat the game just one more time before I perhaps hang it up for good, and anticipate the third coming of Dark Souls.
The team over at Shin'en have crafted a fast and futuristic racing title in the vein of F-zero and Wipeout. I would go as far as to say that Fast Racing NEO is definitely a nod or an homage to those past racing giants. Even still, Fast Racing NEO has it's own set of features and tricks that make it stand out on it's one, from the beautiful and attractive backgrounds that will ultimately make you crash if you pay attention to them instead of the track, to a mechanic that rewards players that have split second reflexes. With the addition of multiplayer options as well as a smooth 60 frames per second, makes this easily of the better Wii U racing out there, maybe even a little better than a certain racer that features a certain plumber.
Nostalgia infiltrates this HD remaster through very subtle yet highly important artistic direction – the untouched cutscenes, the B-movie voice acting, the core controls modernized to a pleasurable degree of gaming satisfaction. The universe is equal parts haunting and stunning with each frame of the game a work of art in its own right – brought to life through modern 3D polygons and dynamic lighting. The key issues I have with the game are simply down to decisions made over a decade ago; they're core failures that the remaster hasn't been able to address – from a terrible inventory system to repetitive combat. Due to its competitive pricing in the modern gaming climate, I'd definitely recommend this HD remaster a reliable January buy to tide you over to any upcoming A-grade titles you may be salivating after… like hungry gaming zombies…
The only question gamers will have to answer is if they're okay with playing the game for its own sake, not necessarily to have their questions answered. Thinking back on those overbearing in-game quotes, perhaps that is the point.
If this is the first efforts from Awfully Nice Studios, it's a damned good one. While the Bug Butcher won't win any awards for innovation, it definitely will with how much fun you'll have with the same. Simple, frantic, charming and fun are easily the four best words to describe The Bug Butcher. It's also nice to know that Awfully Nice Studios is constantly fixing bugs (No pun intended) that are found in the game, so it's also nice to see that they're committed to making this the best experience it can be.
Imagine playing Dark Souls. You've just saved up enough to purchase a new sword that will give you just enough reach to take out that foe from a distance. Unfortunately, you make a stupid mistake, and you die. But when you come back, that sword is gone, and you have to die fifteen more times before a random number generator decides you can have it back.
If "walking simulators" aren't your thing, this may not be a fit for you. I wasn't a fan of the genre before playing Firewatch, so maybe it might change your mind as well. It is hard to make the call as a critic, because the experience can be pretty personal at times. But what I can say definitively was that I was surprised.
To be fair, it's standard Walking Dead fare from Telltale. There isn't much of a difference, and to those who didn't read the graphic novel, and don't know what happened to Michonne during her disappearance from Rick Grimes' group, there isn't much to be said here.
To sum it up, my original opinion of Super Galaxy Squadron hasn't changed at all. I still think that while it's a bit short, it's definitely a fun SHMUP title that deserves a look at. However, with the addition upgrades to the updated title, it just pushes Super Galaxy Squadron further up on the must have game list.
All in all, I'm happy that the port came out as well as it did, as to be honestly I wasn't sure what to expect. It also worried me that there wasn't any advertising for this game at all, and while that seems to be the norm for strictly PC games with minor exceptions, I feel that's a missed mark for Microsoft. PC gamers are still gamers and we like to see the full support of the company is pushing this game, so seeing a TV commercial or two, or even on YouTube would have been nice to see. Hopefully, this all has been a test run for the main course, which would be a port of Gears of War 4 for the PC platform as well. At least one can hope that this is exactly what it is.
If you liked Fallout 4, this is the perfect excuse to dive back in. Just don't expect a fully fleshed out story to guide you through the new content.
Let's just say that you'll be putting in a ridiculous amount of time into Forced Showdown.
All in all, if Dark Souls III is indeed the final chapter in the Dark Soul series then at the very least the game will go out with a supernova sized bang. Multiple endings, hidden paths for the adventurous, optional bosses and levels, tons of items to find and despite the forward linear progression this is perhaps the game in the Dark Souls series. While this review does cover the Xbox One version, nothing else will be any different on either the PlayStation 4 or PC versions as well. That said you can't do wrong regardless of which system to you decide to play Dark Souls III on, just make sure that you do play it.
When people mention shmups on the PC, they don't mention Stardust Galaxy Warriors and after playing this gem I feel that is a crime. Tight controls, catchy music, every game is handled different thanks to the customization and 4 play co-op make this game stand out in a big way. In fact, the only thing that hurts this title is that it's an offline affair only. That said, for $10 you'll have a blast, literally. And if you have 3 people to play with then you're in for one hell of a time. Hopefully, we'll also see some much-needed DLC as the game as it stands if pretty short, that is unless you keep coming back to the gauntlet and challenge modes.
Ratchet and Clank does exactly what is was meant to: retcon the series to include all of the expanded lore and present a good jumping on point for recent and new fans in preparation for the upcoming big screen debut. That's not meant to sound diminutive, either. It's a great game, and, in a generation lacking in good 3D platformers, comes as a godsend. Clearly, Insomniac put a lot of work into making the definitive origin story for the duo. That being said, it still feels like a missed opportunity to add something that fans haven't already seen.
What Hyperdevotion Noire lacks in inherent innovation, it makes up for in character (and tsundere).