EGM's Reviews
Harmonix bills Rock Band 4 as a platform that will grow and improve with the future, but for now, the new game offers little reason to upgrade from Rock Band 3, with a weaker soundtrack, fewer modes, and more promises of exciting features than actual, demonstrable ones.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 does a disservice to returning fans and newcomers alike by removing most of what gave the original games flare while being simultaneously riddled with glitches.
Marvel at NBA 2K16's drive for excellence and all they've put into making this year's sim incredible. Year by year 2K has learned to make a more solid sports title, and now it's not just a highlight-reel player, but an accomplished All-Star video game.
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection is an exercise in reestablishing familiarity with one of Sony's most recognizable faces. Almost everything new in the game is ancillary, but what makes this retrospective collection worth consideration is the the quality of design the original games brought to the table.
NBA Live 16 takes a small baby step forward with the franchise, but there are still core gameplay elements that need to be smoothed out before it can be a championship caliber game.
With impressive storytelling, tight controls, and a sense of purpose, The Taken King is not just an expansion, but a noteworthy improvement to the Destiny series as a whole.
FIFA 16 is a beautiful game about the beautiful game. Driven by a need for authenticity, EA has created an unparalleled soccer simulation that improves upon FIFA 15 in every aspect. While the game's elaborate controls and elite presentation still make it challenging for the uninitiated, steps have been taken to help welcome new players.
It's an absolute feat that Nintendo was able to retain the trademark Animal Crossing charming feel without including many of the tropes that have been present since the series began back in 2001. That novelty, however, is fleeting, and after a few hours of play, you're left with a shallow feeling that your work has gotten you nowhere. Even when viewed through the lens of "just a spinoff," Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer is disappointing.
Atlus somehow finds a way to craft a music game based around Persona 4 and have it end up as a serious entry to the rhythm genre. Persona 4: Dancing All Night is a great experience, with gameplay, visual, and a soundtrack that all come together in one heck of a package.
New aspects in NHL 16 like the on-ice trainer and the Morale system in Be a GM give the game some welcome layers of depth, and the actual gameplay is as good as ever. However, you can't help but get the sense that the biggest additions to this year's game just came from putting back features that were cut from last year's title.
Mad Max's inescapable, monotonous looting in a derivative open world can't justify seeking the sparse instances of break-neck fun behind the wheel. Though there are moments that reach the level of Mad Max: Fury Road, they're unfortunately too few and far between.
With a cosmic blend of minimalistic space strategy and humorous, frenzied, in-person action, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a neon-pop space shooter not to be missed.
Forza Motorsport 6 is a welcome shot in the arm for the series. Easily the best entry the franchise has produced, Forza 6 introduces tons of new online and offline gameplay that should make players want to stay in the driver's seat for as long as possible this fall.
One of the Vita's best releases come to the PlayStation 4 in Tearaway: Unfolded, a charming, endearing, and enjoyable adventure whose jump to the big screen will allow a far wider audience to appreciate a game that went criminally overlooked the first time around.
Super Mario Maker's a glorified level maker, but it's a good one. Though it's a little short on content, there's plenty to play around with, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the community can make with it. In the meantime, it's easy to learn, it's fun to play, and it's packed with enough Easter eggs to put the Easter Bunny out of business.
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition does a fine job of remastering the original, but a new coat of paint and some minor upgrades can't disguise the fact that the gameplay experience hasn't aged particularly well.
Disney Infinity 3.0: Star Wars Edition adds another massive and massively popular property to the series' roster. Both the Star Wars and Inside Out Play Sets are well done and the new Toy Box is much better organized. Since toys-to-life games are all about breathing life into your favorite characters, Disney has an advantage (at least now that they're past the Lone Ranger). They leverage that here and the result is fantastic.
In a time of movie-scale video games with photorealistic graphics, downloadable content, post-launch patches, and 50+ hours of game play, Mega Man Legacy Collection reminds us all of the perfection demanded from both developers and gamers in the 8-bit era of gaming.
Until Dawn doesn't always live up to the potential Supermassive Games envisioned for its ambitious PS4 project, but the game succeeds in enough ways to make it a fascinating and engrossing twist on the horror genre.
New gameplay mechanics and the new Draft Champions mode mean Madden NFL 16 finally delivers a complete football experience that both casual and hardcore fans should be able to enjoy right from the start.