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NHL 17 is only held back by a few issues, but they rear their ugly head during every single match. Both player selection and poor teammate AI could be improved by patches, but right now they make every match become frustrating in spots. It’s incredibly disappointing to see a game that gets so much right also proceed to get a few important things dead wrong. There is still fun to be had, especially in the Be A Pro mode, but the action on the ice isn’t nearly as satisfying as it should be.
There’s a lot going for Jotun, it’s Norse artistic nature permeating the very being of the game, but there are certain aspects of it that certainly focus more directly on the art side of things rather than the gameplay experience. That’s not always a bad thing, but in the case of Jotun, it can make the overall experience feel disjointed; going from a simplistic and art inspired level to a challenging boss battle is a paradigm shift that is difficult to properly balance. At the end of the day Jotun is a great game for everything it does right, including its art and overall styling, but misses a lot of the key aspects that could make it a perfect journey to the halls of Valhalla.
The exciting, fun turn-based combat, too, is an absolute treat to revisit, even if I’d have liked to see more meaningful changes and improvements made to its systems.
The disparity between the repetitive majority and the engaging finale did cause me to like The Final Station after it was said and done, but it’s not enough to overlook the significant flaws along the journey. Ambiguity is supposed to provide a level of intrigue, making players want to look further and explore dark corners, being rewarded for the risks they take to discover more. Instead, The Final Station hands out breadcrumbs without promise of a full loaf until the very end. Repetition and simplicity hold back what could otherwise be a fascinating survival horror indie,and a personal tale of interest about the train conductor. It’s worth taking a ride on this train once if not to see the promise the narrative holds, but don’t expect to want to hop on board with the mechanics again when you reach the final station.
I wasn’t able to find many full matches in Verdun, but when I did I actually had a pretty good time. It’s too bad that most of my play time was spent in matches with three or four people, not 32. Nobody is playing this game because it’s a technical mess, and I can’t recommend it to anyone due to that. If you want to play Verdun, then pick it up on PC. Sadly, the PlayStation 4 version is an inferior version that launched dead on arrival.
On the surface it would appear that Livelock is trying to bring something new and interesting to the PlayStation 4. Unfortunately, though perfectly competent as an action game, ends up falling flat on execution. The predictable storyline, inconsistent production values and lackluster variety mar what could have been a fun distraction during the summer’s AAA famine. If you are looking for a fairly decent brawler/shoot-a-thon, Livelock should fit the bill, but this is not going to be the kind of title that remains installed on your console after its completion.
Besides the core concept being interesting, I really don’t have any other compliments to give Touhou Genso Rondo: Bullet Ballet. It’s a disappointment for a number of reasons, and it really sucks that a lot of North American gamers’ first experience with the Touhou series will be this bad spin-off. Hopefully one of the entries in the main series, or at least the PS4 fighting game, will come stateside and get this bad taste out of my mouth.
If you've been pining for an arcade flight combat game that will test your skills, Strike Vector EX is going to sit right with you. Controls are tight, though they do have a decent learning curve and a new way of thinking about an aerial combat game. Maps are wide open and yet provide for intense, close combat. While the campaign feels like a write-off, the multiplayer boasts six fairly varied modes to choose from, and there are decent unlocks for your player profile as well as your aircraft. Not a bad use of $14.99 USD (launch price).
Even though Hue looks very bland, its elegant puzzle craftsmanship proves once again that you most certainly cannot judge a game by its graphics. I can't imagine how painstaking it was for this team to perfectly balance the growing difficulty with the puzzles, building upon each puzzle learned and amping it up just a smidge. No room was above and beyond more difficult than the one prior; it was slow and steady growth, and one that will keep you glued to your controller until you finish it.
Attack on Titan is an excellent example of a passion project made right. It's not a simple cash grab, but created with care for fans of the franchise and newcomers alike. It captures the precise feelings I get watching the anime without sacrificing anything for the interactive or visual experience, from the terror of the Titans to the rush of zipping through the air inches away from certain death. While it could have had a more robust RPG system and and a much cleaner HUD, these aren't big enough issues to detract from the titan amount of fun that Attack on Titan is, each and every nape I cut.
Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA X may start off too simple for returning players, but it opens up into a fun, yet familiar, rhythm game. The action is highly enjoyable, even if I was just frantically pressing butons, and I even found myself getting into some of the periphery features. It may not reinvent the series, but it’s yet another solid entry.
Assetto Corsa may succeed as a simulation, but it fails as a game. Clearly a ton of work has gone into making sure the cars handle correctly and that the tracks are as realistic as possible, which just makes the end result even more heartrending. It has a terrible user interface, isn't fun to play and doesn't feature any of the helpful tools that make Forza such an appealing game.
I greatly enjoyed my time in the Valley, and I can’t wait to dive back in to find all the hidden areas I missed. I’m certain most people, if not all, will enjoy their time in the Valley, too.
Don’t expect Inside to deviate much from start to finish, but you’ll find that it doesn’t need to. If you liked Limbo (or even if you didn’t, maybe?), or found yourself piqued just a little by what you’ve seen of Inside, then go snatch it up. It’s a rabbit hole that you’ll find comfort in diving into.
Alone With You provides an interesting ride for players, but doesn't manage to fulfill its potential. The romantic side of the game feels underdeveloped, and I ran into bugs often enough to hamper my enjoyment. That said, it has an interesting enough story that is worth checking out and its shortcomings can't undo a solid story that is told well.
At the risk of sounding too cliché, Madden 17 was the next necessary and logical progression that the series needed to make. The evolution of mechanics, both on and off the gridiron are a staple of what keeps fans coming back each season. With the offensive balance now restored, games will be more true to what the audience consumes weekly on television, while still keeping things at least moderately approachable. Additionally, spending the past nine months focusing on what the fans deemed to be most important is just one of many eye opening steps in the right direction. This may not be the best Madden title ever, but it is definitely the most promising entry this console generation.
The King of Fighters XIV is a fully featured fighting game. It still feels like its classic predecessors, but it has been updated in some important areas to feel like a modern take. Its roster is both a celebration of the series that also signifies that this is a new step forward. I’m excited to see KoF back in the spotlight, and I hope to see SNK continue building on this great installment.
Worms W.M.D. has all the fun of the older games, combined with some genuinely unique vehicle and emplacement mechanics to see that this game feels different enough from previous entries to warrant a purchase.
Once again, Eidos Montreal has created an engrossing, intense adventure that even FPS haters need to check out. Serious subject matter is explored; answers are not always cut-and-dry, much like in real life. There is also the occasional dose of humor, to break some of the tension. While combat can still be awkward from time to time, there are so many options at your disposal that such a minor issue can be overcome with relative ease thanks to the numerous choices at your disposal. This is a game you'll want to play multiple times, to see how things could play out if you play a certain way, and its save system encourages experimentation. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is this summer's must-play game.
Codemasters created a great foundation for themselves when they made F1 2015. It wasn’t the greatest F1 game ever, but it looked and ran great. Building upon that foundation, F1 2016 adds quite a few bells and whistles, along with a meaty career mode and an unforgiving Pro Career mode that is as much fun as it is difficult.