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Citizens of Earth is an enjoyable charming retro-inspired RPG with clear inspiration from the SNES classic EarthBound. There are occasional pacing issues, as certain areas seem to be padded with additional areas and enemies. The writing hits the mark throughout, making jokes about the political system and the occasional pop culture reference.
Elite: Dangerous has core mechanics that work well within the online multiplayer universe, but has many single-player components built-in. Missions tend to get repetitive, but I have yet to exhaust myself exploring a new system or planet. The universe can feel quite empty, even if you are playing with the open-world options. Frontier promises to expand the game with content updates, and if you were looking for a new paint job, they are available for purchase. You'll be sure to experience a new "wow" factor every time you play.
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are solid additions to an already beloved franchise, and can be enjoyed by both longtime fans and newcomers alike. I do wish it had been slightly more challenging, however, as I often found myself over-leveled and smashing through gyms. Though the post-game content makes up for that by offering a wealth of activities to keep you interested. Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire has a little bit of something to offer everyone.
Elegy for a Dead World will not be for everyone, and that is understandable. Coming from my English-centric background, I found it fascinating and reminiscent of some of the workshops and classes I've taken over my education. Being able to take a prompt and run with it as I saw fit is an excellent mental challenge and I can easily see this game being useful in classroom situations. While it may not find a place in the big leagues, Elegy fits within a niche group that will certainly be diehard fans.
As it was in the original release of Destiny, The Dark Below features timed exclusives that can only be found on PlayStation consoles (until Fall 2015). The Undying Mind strike takes players further into The Black Garden to face a timeless Vex Hydra. The strike is a tad on the lengthy side and features multiple spots where you face incoming waves of Vex. The final showdown against the Undying Mind (the third Hydra boss in the game) features three force fields. The 4th Horseman, an exotic shotgun, is the other PlayStation exclusive. This four barreled shotgun can quickly eat away at foes, if you are lucky enough to have it drop.
Many have complained about the number of glitches within Assassin's Creed: Unity, and while I have experienced some myself, the game is still playable and fun at that. It's got a solid core and I've enjoyed the story, but I feel like Ubisoft completely dropped the ball with some aspects. The connectivity they've forced upon players is just a major drag on the game and I feel cheated that because of their broken systems, I am unable to participate in every piece of Unity. If you can get past that, however, you'll certainly enjoy the game.
Dragon Age: Inquisition is perhaps one of the best RPGs I have ever played. It combines a number of excellent elements and stuffs them into a huge game. It's got a little something for everyone and enough meat to the game that it'll keep them going. Fans of the series will not be disappointed and those wanting to jump in will be awed.
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is a worthy successor and a natural evolution of the series. Lucid Game has included the best parts of the previous games and blended them together into a single game bursting with content.
After playing the first episode for Tales from the Borderlands, I feel more excited and anxious for the next episode to hit than their other games. It's almost scary how well the Borderlands franchise translated into the style of game Telltale is well-known for.
Assassin's Creed: Rogue is certainly my favorite of the last generation of Assassin's Creed games and arguably the best of them all. It brings so many new things to the table, relying wholeheartedly on the mainstays of previous titles. It's got the best aspects of everything, a larger world to explore, and you still get to be a pirate. What's not to love?
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is the revitalization the Call of Duty series has needed for years. While previous games have attempted to freshen up the series with baby steps, Advanced Warfare takes a massive leap forward in every aspect. The exo suit gives players more options than running through the maps, adding untapped vertical potential to multiplayer.
Randal's Monday is a great gem of a game. While the puzzles can be extremely challenging and misleading (who thought drinking rat poison was a good idea?), they're fun to try and mess around with. Thankfully Randal will point out directly how dumb some requests are, keeping you from feeling too confident in yourself about your puzzle solving skills. Combining that with the pop culture and humor and it's a great adventure game.
Civilization: Beyond Earth shakes up the turn-based strategy formula, taking the series to new heights and new locations. The past experiences of the team at Firaxis with Alpha Centuri shine through, blending both styles of games into one of the best strategy games of the year.
The game offers so much for players interested in a deep experience guaranteed to take hours to complete. I think it shines more in the free roam aspect where you can set your own path, but there's so much to do.
The first episode marks the beginning of what may be an epic adventure, but falls flat. Most of the time is spent reacquainting ourselves with the characters and narrative, which isn't inherently a bad thing after eight long years.
The Legend of Korra may be the smallest title Platinum Games has worked on, but the inclusion of newly animated cutscenes, the original voice actors and a mostly enjoyable combat system should please fans of the series. In other areas, the game falls on the lighter side with horrendous level design and a sheer lack of content.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is an absolute blast to play. The gameplay builds off of the successes of Batman and Assassin's Creed and weaves a story through the world of LotR that connects very well within the framework of the overall universe. It's a title that I definitely recommend picking up since you'll certainly enjoy it if you do.
Styx: Master of Shadows is fun. It falls somewhere between enjoyable and infuriating on a scale, as for every shining moment there is one of constant resetting. I feel players will quickly acclimate themselves to the gameplay and be able to move about quickly as the game is very intuitive and pulls from the likes of Metal Gearand Thief. Topping it off, it has a decent story to boot that works its way into Cyanide's previous title, tying both together.
Regardless of game mode, Fluster Cluck is a shallow experience with barely enough there to keep you playing more than a single match. The music and sound effects repeat often, forcing me to turn the volume down after a dozen matches. LOOT has already stated they will be looking into Share Play for taking the local multiplayer online, so it is encouraging to see a studio support their product post launch.
Skylanders has always focused on collecting various figures and even more apparent in Trap Team. You'll still come across in-game videos that show off new special moves and Skylanders you haven't encountered. As the villains are the best part of the game, you'll want to purchase traps for each element type. Each trap can only hold one villain at a time, so you'll have to switch them out between levels.