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With no real major upgrades to what was already a great game when originally released, this would be a tough sell at full price. Thankfully, God of War III Remastered is only $40, and that price point is quite a bit easier to swallow. If you've never played a God of War game before, and you either don't have a PS3 or don't want to play the previous games, you won't really know what's going on as it picks up towards the end of the anthology, but the story plays a secondary role to the gory action anyway. This still remains the best entry in the series to date. Pick it up if you want to see Kratos at his greatest.
Simply put, Rocket League is one of the best titles on PlayStation 4. It manages to flawlessly blend fast-paced racing with a sport that is familiar to millions. The depth is there to keep players coming back for years to come, and Psyonix has done a masterful job in creating one of the best multiplayer experiences yet.
But, looking past the identical campaigns, the bland environments, and the poor graphics, J-Stars Victory VS+ is actually a fairly enjoyable game. With its fast-paced combat, large cast of Shonen Jump characters, and strategic card system, J-Stars can offer hours of solo or multiplayer fun. If you want a game with decent combat, it might be a good idea to check J-Stars out. However, if graphics are important to you, you might want to take a pass on this one.
Rarely does a game resonate with me enough to keep playing beyond review, but for PlanetSide 2, it feels as though my journey is just getting started.
But when you're playing a character that chooses to do all the things you can make her do, she should have understandable reasons to do them. Elena doesn't, and that numbs most of the game. I don't think Whispering Willows intended for me to ask myself why I needed to keep playing for the majority of my time with it, but it did. It's the kind of game that lacks satisfying substance, the kind of game where all you can say is that you finished it.
If you liked the original Devil May Cry 4, then you'll enjoy this re-release. If you haven't tried the series before, then this is a good entry point. It still has the occasional poorly-placed camera, and the graphics have not aged too well, but overall it's a high-octane mix of platforming and combat interspersed with the occasional puzzle. Pick it up if you want your action fix.
The thing to remember is that this will be Rocksteady Studios' last entry into the Batman Arkham universe, so if you have been playing the previous entries in the series, and enjoyed them, this is going to be a no-brainer, just go get it. Not only is this a testament to how far we have come as a medium in our ability to develop stories on existing IPs, it is one that shows that games are also able to deliver stories in a cinematic and logical way, without having to force a players hand to push the narrative in a straight line.
The vast differences between the choices at the end of Episode Two, the introduction of two major new intriguing players, and the crucial development of some old ones kept Catch a Ride as a strong episode despite it's much more leisurely pacing. It retains much of that humor and charm and the new characters don't disappoint in this field either. While it's obviously a midpoint piece and isn't quite as strong as the first two episodes, Catch a Ride sets the stage to drive Tales From the Borderlands into what is certain to be an explosively violent, yet veraciously hilarious final half.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited is a long term commitment. It is a game that is meant to be played over time, with nuances to the game that you may never even encounter, depending on how you decide to play the game. Fortunately, there is no subscription fee for console players, which removes a huge barrier of entry, and though it is an MMO, it strikes a balance of being enjoyable enough to play solo as well. If you're looking for Skyrim Online, you won't quite find that depth here, but the sheer magnitude of The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited makes up for it, and there's nothing quite like running into your friends while questing across Tamriel.
But, despite the bugs and the annoyingly repetitive soundtrack, LEGO Jurassic World is a whole lot of fun. Being able to relive some of my favorite Jurassic Park moments was fantastic, and being able to play as not only the movies' main characters, but also the dinosaurs is something that sets this game apart from other LEGO games. If you're a fan of either LEGO products or the Jurassic Park franchise, I recommend picking up LEGO Jurassic World.
Pieces Interactive has done a very good job in continuing the Magicka series. While there have been some growing pains, Magicka 2 still manages to be an extraordinary cooperative game when played with the right people. If you have a group of friends that are tired of playing Borderlands and Helldivers, then make sure you give Magicka 2 a spin.
The Escapists holds the methodical tedium of a prison life simulator with some escape mechanics built in, rather than a thrilling game in which you plan your escape. More focus on teaching the intricacies of the mechanics in-game would have done wonders for The Escapists and actually hatching and carrying out a master plan for escaping confinement, because at its core The Escapists is a thrilling concept. Instead we get stuck going through the motions like it's The Sims: Prison Life as we realize we're two months into our sentence and no closer to being on the other side of those bars than the day we got thrown into the joint. Time to hit the showers, boys!
What more can be said about Ultra Street Fighter IV? If by some act of (insert deity here) you've never played a Street Fighter game, this is a great place to start. It's the best fighter you can get on the new generation of consoles. With the PS4 in its second year, it's about time the series showed up! For $25, you can nab the most definitive version of Street Fighter IV released to date, including all DLC. If you're a fighting game fan, this is a no-brainer. Just be sure you update.
Bungie has been on trial by fans of Destiny since the release of The Dark Below, but House of Wolves has shown great strides in the evolution and support of a game that has personally held my attention for hundreds of hours, even if I have had my share of criticisms about the way certain things have been handled. It's not quite perfect, but if the improvements made in House of Wolves are any indication of the future, then I'm eager to see what kind of stuff Bungie comes up with to support and evolve Destiny next.
Despite these shortcomings, Game of Thrones: Episode 4 – Sons of Winter is still an enjoyable experience. While I left the episode feeling like all the choices I had made were, and still are, essentially worthless, I also wanted to dive right into Episode 5. The rising action and a few well-placed, surprising events kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time I played through the episode, and I have a feeling that the next episode will be even more intense.
Schrödinger's Cat and the Raiders of the Lost Quark is a good start to what Italic Pig has promised to be a series of games. There's decent dialog and adequate (if slightly boring) platforming. Quantum Physics nerds are sure to get some nice laughs out of the jokes tossed into the story, while the rest of us will still laugh at Schrödinger's Cat's antics. Using the quarks in the proper order and combining their abilities to solve puzzles and move forward in an area is also pretty rewarding. If the platforming can be made more exciting, Italic Pig could have a hit on their hands.
If you know you'd like a farming simulator game that tries hard to recreate perfectly a small portion of reality, Farming Simulator is just what you need. If you are looking for an all-encompassing simulation game that basically recreates life on a farm, maybe wait for Sims 7: Farming Life. If you're in between, try to score this game when a deal arises, as you may get bored like I did. It's worth trying it out, and I'm glad I own it so I can go back to it when the farming mood arises, but my attention wavered far more quickly than I would have preferred.
But, despite having a rushed feel and under appreciating some pretty large issues, Life is Strange: Episode 3 is highly intriguing, entertaining, and surprising. Even though it offers up a different type of gameplay experience than the first two episodes, it still holds its own against the larger story.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is truly an incredible masterpiece. The writing and building of the world alone should be lauded as some of the best in video games. Stories weave in and out of one another surprisingly. The consequences of every decision are far reaching and unpredictable while also making complete sense once they happen. The world is organic, dangerous, and fun to explore. There is a true sense of reward and accomplishment. While minor design choices keep it from being absolutely perfect, The Witcher 3 will go down as one of the best games of this generation of consoles.
Toren felt like it was just trying to check things off of a "how to make a video game" checklist. Monsters? Check. Armor? Check. Jump button? Check. Scrolls? Check. A dragon? Check. Platforming? Check. Varied environments? Check. I could go on, but I'll spare you. Each of these things were only half thought out and glued together haphazardly. No thought was given to creating an enjoyable experience that uses all elements of a video game to form something incredible. There's a good game hiding deep down inside Toren, but it missed the mark in almost all ways and failed to fully realize any of its ideas, leaving it as much less of an experience than it should have been.