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After over a decade, the spiritual successor to Planescape Torment took itself to Kickstarter and destroyed its original asking amount in almost no time. Paying tribute to both its predecessor and to the fans of it, Torment: Tides of Numenera is the perfect follow-up the cult classic RPG.
Not only am I a pretty big fan of Rebellion, but so is most of the staff here as back in 2014 Chris gave Sniper Elite 3 an excellent 8 out of 10 and a year later nearly every member here at CGR was able to get in on the action of slaying zombie Nazis in the Zombie Army Trilogy. Fun fact, I am so incredibly "zombie'ed out" that I actively avoid anything to do with them … except for Zombie Army Trilogy. When Sniper Elite 4 was first announced I could not wait; not only did I want to get back into the action to revisit World War II from a sniper's perspective, but I was itching for some good old fashioned cooperative play. Few titles in this day and age have engaging cooperative campaigns and much to my excitement, Sniper Elite 4 continues the excellent trend that Rebellion set in years past. Sniper Elite 4 is a fantastic example of how to refresh a franchise while staying true to its roots.
In typical Ubisoft fashion, For Honor has received some significant hype over the past year or so. Set in a fictional world full of strife and chaos, choose your Hero from the noble Samurai, the relentless Vikings, or the bloodthirsty Knights and represent your faction in a war for dominance. Whether you are in the captivatingly beautiful wilderness or the majestic ruins of civilization, your Hero will stand as a bulwark against the oncoming threat of annihilation. With an interesting twist on the action-fighting platform, For Honor uses an innovative control system called "The Art of Battle" that provides full control over your choice of one of twelve heroes. Stab, parry, and block your way through the fight control. For all of the interesting new fight mechanics, focus on faction-specific persistent PVP world, For Honor is both new and exciting while feeling, at times, incredibly frustrating and empty.
While some aspects may seem potentially annoying or daunting, such as the passage of time (and the fact no one has an open store at one in the morning) or the intricacies of the alchemy system, these aspects grew on me the more I kept playing. I learned to adjust my in-game schedule in order to view character events, and the alchemy system is something meant to start off as a looming presence that you slowly become familiar with. Overall, Atelier Sophie is a great addition to the series, and while it does have its flaws, does its best to try and overcome them. Although the PC port could run a lot smoother, the majority of the transition went well, and is still an enjoyable game to play.
Nioh is an amazing game. Yes it has some issues but most of them can be solved in time with some balancing patches. Was it worth the wait? Yes. Was it worth going through all of the Demos to give feedback for the Final Form? Very. William's adventure through Japan is an amazing one and I'm glad that I got to share it with friends as well as going at it alone.
Berserk and the Band of the Hawk is Omega Force's latest Warriors-styled experience based off an anime. The brutal nature of the battlefield feels right at home as you move from one fight to the next with the once-young man named Guts exploring his life through its veritable rollercoaster of ups and downs.
Nights of Azure originally released for PS4 in North America in early 2016, and now it has received a PC port to bless, or torment, the non-console gamers. Featuring a beautiful art style and soundtrack, Nights of Azure, while incredibly niche, is a soulful tale of love and friendship.
Tales of Berseria is the long-awaited pseudo-prequel to 2015's Tales of Zestiria (which we loved). Set in the same world, Berseria takes place many centuries prior to the events of Tales of Zestiria, where the world is torn asunder by daemons during a Scarlet Night (which is also, occasionally referred to as the crimson moon) and the young protagonist Velvet is on a crusade of revenge and hatred. Velvet and her merry band of misfits will embark on a journey that tries to be something that it is not. A poor script, struggling combat mechanics, and a world full of contradictions, Tales of Berseria is one of the weakest in the long-running franchises.
Fans of the Digimon world will likely enjoy this offering the most. However, this is a slower grind of a game, one that will not appeal to everyone. However, despite the very slow learning curve here, Digimon World: Next Order offers some real depth that I found myself sinking a ton of time into - and I was enjoying it more often than not.
Double Dragon IV clings to its retro inspirations just a little too tightly. Fans of the old 8-bit titles will likely enjoy their romp here for what it is, but Arc System Works could have taken some more chances and delivered a brawler that had more to offer. Instead we get a fighting game that is simply average, despite my deep nostalgia for the series.
Zen Pinball 2: Star Wars Pinball - Rogue One offers us a standalone table instead of a suite of different ones collected around a single theme. Despite only having one table to play, it is an incredibly well-made one that should appease Star Wars fans and pinball fans alike.
Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers is a guilty pleasure for me, but one I have not been able to get enough of. This is a great twist on the traditional Dynasty Warriors formula, and while the game is not flawless, it is the most fun I have had with a title so far in 2017.
As a package of three tables, I really enjoyed the Bethesda Pinball set. Fallout was average-ish, DOOM was really, really good and I thought Skyrim was great. Now, these tables with their game elements might not appeal to pinball purists. I can imagine my dad wrinkling his nose a little at these because there are times they feel more like a video game than the typical Zen Pinball tables - but I believe that works here. These tables are after all based on popular video games, and to that end I applaud the devs for taking some chances and doing something unique with these tables. The overall package is one I will be coming back to time and again.
With numerous Marvel tables having been released over the last few years or so, I have some favorites. Neither of the two here in Women of Power will be at the top of that list, but both how the usual Zen Studios polish and excellent overall table design. Of the two the Champions table was my favorite and both are a solid experience.
I wanted to enjoy Siegecraft Commander a lot more than I did, but the issues with the gameplay were too much to completely overlook. Between having to struggle with the analog stick and worry about every other incline while simultaneously concerning myself with the number of troops coming at you could be the difference between either restarting the level or taking a break before trying it again with a calmer demeanor.
Overall Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea was a great re-entry into the series for me. Not only is the story a good one, the dialog from both a written and verbal standpoint is highly enjoyable. Best of all, the gameplay is a return to a much more enjoyable and relaxing experience.
Sylvio puts an emphasis on atmosphere, creating horror more through storytelling and exploration than a true sense of danger. It is one of those titles that makes great use of sound and as such is best experienced in a dark room with an ideal audio situation (headset or surround sound). When the game is played this way, it is an interesting, creepy experience that horror fans should enjoy despite some of the game's limitations.
On a whole Shantae Half-Genie Hero clocked in around the five hour mark for the first play-through with about seventy-five percent of the collectable items and the good ending. This leaves more time for completionists, speed running challenges, the new mode that opens up thereafter, and those wonderful platinum trophies that the more elite covet. With lovable and detestable characters alike making their return for the latest adventure there's no reason not to explore Sequin Land with our Half-Genie Hero Shantae.
Please, Don’t Touch Anything is a puzzle game with a pretty wicked sense of humor. This title is an oddly casual yet mind-bending game that is well-executed despite its somewhat simplistic overall premise.
Crystal Rift if not a complete bust. Some of the puzzles are interesting, they found an interesting atmosphere and it is a genre I would love to see gain more representation in general - but especially in virtual reality. Psytec Games Ltd has some decent ideas here, but in the end the execution just lacks polish. Normally a game like this would get some marks for 'old school nostalgia', but once you strip off the VR gimmic, you see Crystal Rift for what it really is: a very basic, uninspiring RPG.