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Being digitized has been the enabling factor for Armello. In reality this would be a boring stat-checking and constant dice rolling experience, but the PS4 takes all the slack, doing the math and dice-rolling for you, allowing you to just enjoy the show. This makes the heavy rule book seem more palatable while you enjoy the rich and engaging lore. It's a well-balanced and good-looking experience that shows originality is still possible in a format that's centuries old.
The graphics aren't exactly pretty, battles can be cumbersome, and even the tutorial is brutally unforgiving. But underneath the rough edges lies an undeniably competent game, one that will challenge you first and foremost, but also a game that will reward you for putting in the hours that it requires.
It has fun melee and vehicle combat mechanics, and it has an engaging upgrade and customization system in place. While things did begin to feel old after a while, players can still get many, many hours out of the game before that happens.
These small issues can easily be ignored when it comes to appreciating just how impressive of a project Tearaway Unfolded is. What could have been a simple cash-in HD port of the handheld title was instead lovingly (paper)crafted by the developers into a vastly improved, dedicated PS4 platformer.
I am Bread is initially a very frustrating game to play, but it makes up for it by being full of charm and character. While the controls may never become second nature, there is a lot of fun to be had in Bossa Studios' second PS4 game. While it's still a patch or two away from being an easy recommendation (fix that camera!), I am Bread is still worth a purchase if you are looking for a fun title in the vein of Surgeon Simulator.
Incredibly, unbelievably, what we have here is a nearly perfect finale to the Metal Gear franchise. I truly believe that The Phantom Pain is where Kojima always envisioned he would take the franchise. This is personalized, open-world infiltration at its finest.
Obviously, if you really like testing yourself with puzzles such as those found in this game, you might not even mind the length of the levels. I did, but that didn't stop me from appreciating the premise, which can be summarized as a witty sci-fi puzzle game that combines real-time with turn-based strategies. It achieves that blend well with a huge amount of mechanics and with the very entertaining commentary of Dr. Science accompanying you on your whole adventure.
[D]espite the occasional frame-rate drops and the repetitiveness, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 is a fairly fun game. Between the fast-paced combat, large number of playable characters, and up to par visuals, it is a must-play for Dynasty Warrior or One Piece fans. It might not be perfect, but it is probably the best game that follows the Dynasty Warriors formula currently out on the PS4.
As a fan of art and games, I enjoyed my stint with Back to Bed. The conversion from mobile to console is perhaps only noticeable in its length, but the surreal art style wowed me, especially on a big screen. It is a tiny game with a unique, yet brief and understated impact.
Zombi would be a tough sell at anything higher than its current asking price of $20. With a playtime of 6-8 hours including modest exploration, and three barely disparate endings that don't feel like much of an emotional payoff, I can only recommend Zombi to hardcore zombie game fans.
If you've never played Dishonored then this game should already be in your basket. It's a pristine release that's being saved from fading into history with this re-release and delivers all the content as a thank you. For the double dippers considering this, a stern word of caution. Very little has changed since you left Dunwall but if you really get a kick out of your controller talking to you then by all means, go in for the kill.
Madden NFL 16 truly is more than just a roster update as EA added enough new features to kick the game up a notch to another level. The question now is: what can they do for Madden 17?
If you want to relive your memories as a kid or just want to see how Mega Man got his start, then Mega Man Legacy Collection is an easy recommendation. The price point of $14.99 is perfect for the collection, and hopefully we'll see Digital Eclipse work on similar collections for the SNES Mega Man games in the future. The challenges are a great touch, and help round out a stellar collection of gaming classics.
[T]here's a cynicism deep-rooted in Calvino Noir, a heavy darkness you can't escape. Death is always lurking, success is futile. Maybe this is the best representation of noire in games that nobody wanted.
There's a well written and unchanging lore here. It's campy, but it's horror and was never billed as anything else. The events on the mountain are set in motion and then wrapped around each of your decisions and characters' fates. There are certain points and choices that will cause each character to die, some in a variety of nasty and horrific ways, and something about taking the reins of a character in a horror movie is just satisfying. Instead of yelling at the screen that they made a stupid choice, you get to beat yourself up for what you did to get them killed. When the sun rises and the final survivors are tallied up, you'll realize Until Dawn isn't perfect, but no matter which choices you make, it's one hell of a ride.
Yes, Risen 3: Titan Lords – Enhanced Edition was remastered with care, and it shows, but should the game have even been remastered in the first place? Probably not. Thanks to a story that gets a bit confusing, boring combat, and poor animations, Risen 3 is simply not a good game. The huge worlds, beautiful visuals, and large number of character skills do fight hard to make the RPG worth your money, but in the end, I think it's a game that most likely should be avoided.
Gauntlet: Slayer Edition is still well-worth a play, especially for fans of hack-and-slash action. It's a streamlined dungeon-crawler with easy-to-learn combat and a great selection of time-tested characters. Things may start to feel repetitive after a while, but playing with your friends and taking breaks every couple of levels can help things feel fresh again.
It's an undeniably cute platforming adventure that's sure to provide a good few hours of enjoyment, but this is mostly due to it not stepping out of the norm. The Adventures of Pip does little wrong simply by not doing much at all, its colorful stages, tight mechanics and often humorous writing are all disappointingly dulled by an overwhelming and unshakeable sense of déja vu.
From the opening with Rhys hilariously attempting to zig-zag as he runs from his masked captor, to the epic Borderlands staple credits sequence set to a great soundtrack, and all the way to the jaw dropping conclusion, Escape Plan Bravo manages to cram humor, heart, and tension into one of the best episodes that they've ever created in any of their series.
Toy Soldiers: War Chest is a refreshingly simple 3D tower defense game. It blends the strategy of building and upgrading your units with action-packed third-person shooting, and the result is unadulterated mayhem with a lot of visual charm.