OnlySP's Reviews
Currently, the graphical hindrances do not derive from the overall enjoyment of the game. Compulsion Games is continually working to iron out the issues and provide a smoother running experience. Despite some minor problems, the game is an overall joy to play and well worth a playthrough for RPG fans or any gamer in need of a well-written bash.
As an experience, FutureGrind is an excellent example of the balance between punishing and satisfying gameplay. Scoreboards and trophy systems are in place to encourage gamers to beat their previous scores, creating a level of player-induced difficulty. The ease of resetting a level goads gamers into trying more daring acts to boost combos in a high risk, high reward scenario. The varying environments and changes of pace from using the differing bikes is enough to prevent the experience from becoming stale. Overall, FutureGrind is a brilliantly addictive title with a tonne of replay value for those competitive gamers eager to better themselves and show off their skills.
It's recommend that you level up your survivor skill tree to 12 before beginning expansion – with good reason. The infected roam freely in the pastures, your enemies have guns, and there are fewer places to hide. I ignored this recommendation and started with a survival level of 5. It's not impossible to start the story this way, but be prepared to die. A lot.
Despite its somewhat abrupt ending and sodding micro transactions, Mankind Divided is still a marvelous addition to the series with a well written narrative, tons of gameplay options, and hours of fantastic optional content. Though not quite the revolution that its predecessor was, the fact remains that Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is one of the few rare cases where basically being more of the same is the highest praise I could give a game.
Set in a rural post-societal America, The Flame in the Flood is one part Noah's Ark, one part Oregon Trail, and two parts grit and determination.
The Coaltion has a bright future ahead of itself with the Gears of War franchise.
I’m not the most strategically-minded person, but a shoot-first-ask-questions-later kind of gal. I just want to run in, guns blazing, and figure it out from there. Tutorials? Who has time for that? Offworld Trading Company said I did, and they not only sat me down and made me pay attention, but they did it in a way that didn’t leave me confused at the end.
A game that received quite a bit of hype before its release, Ghost Recon: Wildlands may be the jewel Ubisoft needs to reignite the passion fans of the company feel towards its products. After some grumbling caused by the deteriorating quality of the Assassin's Creed games, Ubisoft needs a little more buzz surrounding it, and if the company keeps producing games as decent and immersive as Wildlands, a chance exists for them to regain their home run status. With high quality graphics and audio, a passable story, and smooth gameplay, it may be safe to assume Ubisoft is going back to producing quality over quantity.
Virginia is a Rubik’s cube for your senses. The game masterfully provides you with a constant desire to explore and investigate, but can make you feel claustrophobic with its imposing soundtrack and jarring jump cuts. This is a game that takes its potentially biggest weakness and turns it into its greatest strength.
For a 2D puzzle-platformer, the levels are naturally integrated into the environment – and one of the most naturally integrated that I have ever seen in any game of the same genre. Utilizing the changing seasons to its advantage, Seasons After Fall feels less like a traditional platformer and more like an innovation, jumping from tree branch to vine, frozen geyser to snowball, all the while bending the seasons to your command. The narrative and setting aren’t built around the level design, but rather the design enhances the narrative and setting, allowing for a gorgeous and immersive experience.
From OnlySP’s first impressions of the demo, Prey stood out as, perhaps, one of the best games of the year. Though the title does contain glitches that should not be expected after release and the progressive values of the narrative may unintentionally complicate the message the game espouses, Prey stands up to scrutiny. The stellar aspects of the game outweigh the negatives by a large margin. Fantastic writing, intelligent casting, comfortably difficult combat, and several bits of innovative game development make Prey thoroughly enjoyable and, undoubtedly, one of the better games that 2017 has produced thus far.
The strong choice-based interactive narrative, clever writing, comic-grungy art style, and haunting/setting-and-situation-appropriate music culminate in a masterpiece of a season worth every penny of the admission fee. Every choice and the consequences they have on each character, particularly Clementine, is laid out to players at the end of the season finale in a beautiful tribute to those lost, those still alive, and those still needing to be found that should not be missed. Telltale has truly embarked on a new frontier in the gaming industry with this remarkable third season.
Assassin’s Creed: Origins is not perfect, but it does return the franchise to a less tarnished status. While the game does not necessarily wash away the taint that stains Ubisoft’s reputation after Unity’s negative feedback, it does improve the overall stigma. The story immerses and intrigues, the characters are believable, and the bugs are tiny and negligible. As with most AAA titles, the graphics and audio are well-suited for modern consoles and PCs, and the gameplay is addicting enough to keep players interested. While the target-lock system is finnicky at best, the rest of the game’s aspects more than make up for that mild irritation. The two-year break between entries seems to have done Ubisoft well. Hopefully, the company will continue to stick to a quality over quantity model.
Yakuza 6 is another standout entry in the most fascinating series of this renaissance of Japanese video games. The game is better than the already great Yakuza Kiwami that released late last year and is possessed of a profound, yet silly, tone that fans of the Metal Gear and Final Fantasy games of old will love. Adherents of previous games might be blindsided by the game's sole focus on Kazuma Kiryu, but the long-striving Dragon of Dojima is deserving of some sort of conclusion. The series has seen more sprawling and fully-featured entries—including the upcoming remake of Yakuza 2, which will see a greater focus on Majima's ongoing story—but that cannot detract from the enjoyment to be had saying goodbye to one of Japanese games' best ambassadors.
At worst, Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is a victim of ambition. The sheer number of ideas and the volume of content packed into the game is jaw-dropping, but can cause confusion. Nonetheless, familiarity breeds contempt, so Level-5's decision to keep things fresh throughout the expansive adventure must be commended. Considering that such a noble goal is attached to a game that, on the surface at least, is targeted towards children makes it even more impressive. However, the reality is that Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is an incredibly powerful title that has the potential to appeal to people from all walks of life. The game's excellence should not be underestimated.
The best way to summarize DBFZ is that it is Dragon Ball in its purest form. The game is ridiculous and odd, but filled with decades of lore that fits right in with its faithful graphics. DBFZ's challenge and accessibility are only matched by its commitment to a proper adaptation that will appeal to both the oldest and newest of fans. The beginning hours of the story is where the game's biggest flaws can be found, which ultimately hurt the game's chances of keeping players hooked. DBFZ has so much beneath this thin surface though, so players who are turned off upon their first hour with the game should really give it another go. The story will always be an annoyance, but this is a small gripe in a game filled to the brim with exceptional content. DBFZ is a Super Saiyan experience and essential for anyone who has memories from the anime—present or past. Those who are not fans will still find a fantastic game, but a bit of research and patience may be needed to fully grasp what is, without a doubt, the greatest Dragon Ball game ever released.
Standing alone, Before the Storm has an emotional arc, which goes to say that the experience is not an inherent waste of time. The nature of truth that is at the heart of the narrative is not without merit—a worthy exploration of an important theme to be sure. Overall, Deck Nine does as the best as any studio could be expected to in trying to recapture the magic of the first season, even if the experience ultimately leaves players wanting more of that original magic. Perhaps these shortcomings are simply a testament to the quality of the initial installment. Any attempt to replicate Life is Strange would always fall flat, and no one can be faulted for failing at such an impossible task. In the end, even with all the proper precautions and setup in place to capture the same lightning in a bottle, the emotional maelstrom that is Life is Strange is so potent because of the storm at the heart of the game. Anything that comes before is just the calm.
Indeed, in an age where titles are designed as sprawling live services, a more focused campaign can help a game to stand out. Fortunately, Attack of the Earthlings has much more in its favour than being a throwback to a simpler age thanks to its cheery tone and novelty. The game is far from revolutionary, but it bears a sense of individuality that many others lack. The greatest disappointment is that the title will likely never reach the audience it deserves.
No other game exists that offers the same experience that Insomniac's Spider-Man does. Even the Batman: Arkham series from which Spider-Man garnered many of its ideas from does not implement a system that constantly injects a sense of wonder like web swinging. Peter is learning to stand as an idol for New Yorkers, and Insomniac manages to put players right in the driver's seat. The LA-based studio knew it had great power when it was given the reigns to one of Marvel's biggest faces, and every ounce of effort poured into this project shows that. Spider-Man on PS4 is not just a love letter to everyone who has ever loved the wall-crawler as a superhero; the game is a love letter to everyone who has loved his games too.
Travel has formed the basis of many works of fiction. No other game, though, has committed to this human need to move forward as much as FAR. Aspects of the game touch on real-world issues—the dissolution of agrarian life, reliance on fossils fuels, technology as comfort—but the only one that really matters is the reiteration of what travel means to people. The title starts by tickling the innate need in gamers to move forward, before gently coaxing them into a pilgrimage. In only three hours, FAR is a reminder that even when things get rough, we can always push forward.