GameGrin's Reviews
For a group of friends who regularly play together in the same room, this would be an ideal addition to the rotation. It's an ironically fitting tribute to the days of Goldeneye, and one that will have your group in stitches by the end of your first session. Of course, you'll be at it tooth and nail by the second session, and by the third you'll probably be sick of it. While the idea and execution are both excellent, the game just isn't substantial enough to warrant extended play sessions.
Metro: Redux is a hauntingly beautiful game that will test your nerves as well as your trigger finger. If you want a definitive post-apocalyptic survival horror experience, I would definitely recommend the game. Also, in the winter, the game will turn your computer into a makeshift heater. What's not to love?
Poltergeist: A Pixelated Horror is a functional and at times enjoyable puzzler with an interesting twist if you can look past its flaws. Those looking for more action to their ghost simulators, though, might be better off waiting for something else.
At the end of the day, The Evil Within is a good Resident Evil game from 2005, but a below average third-person action adventure game in 2014. Silly design choices and just plain awful decisions manage to hold back what could be a fantastic experience.
While not being as much of a leap forward for the tower defense genre as the first game, Defense Grid 2 oozes quality and will provide both DG veterans and newcomers alike with hours and hours of enjoyment.
FIFA is a game about making you feel like a superstar. The game excels at creating moments that induce feelings of immense pleasure from periods of extended play. While the game is essentially the same old FIFA you know and love, it's a testament to the formula that it never seems to get old. With every feature you can imagine still here and improved, and more added for this year's iteration, you're left with a solid football game that gives you all the tools to enjoy playing for another year.
You will notice some cut corners but if you are looking for good pure stealth game this is it.
Time trials, speed potting and high score challenges all sit alongside the game's main career mode, and while they're all perfectly serviceable game types, it's Pure Pool's multiplayer that really stops the repetitive nature of the game from sticking its claws in.
Don't let its strange premise fool you, Hatoful Boyfriend delivers a masterful satire on the dating sim genre and a thoroughly enjoyable experience all the way through. Underneath its absurd setting, Hatoful boasts a well thought out world, enjoyable characters and clever writing that give the game its quirky feel. Plus, birds in maid outfits.
Every aspect of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor feels like it was designed to be the ultimate power trip. At the same time, thanks to nemesis, your actions have very direct and visible consequences on the world you inhabit. It's this combination that makes Shadow of Mordor not only an excellent game, but one which sets the standard for all open-world titles to come.
It took me a while to get into Alien: Isolation and, I can't imagine that everyone will enjoy it but, if you're a fan of either the Alien series or scaring yourself into next Tuesday, I'd suggest giving it a try. The story itself isn't particularly inspired, but it's more about the parts in between the story that work for Isolation.
The core elements of the game are all very good: story, visuals and gameplay are top notch, but they don't combine particularly well. The lofty ideas of player independence are held back by the need to tell a convincing story and the narrative can conversely be held back by the degree of player agency that does exist. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is an enjoyable short game by all accounts, the sum just isn't quite as good as the parts.
As gamers, we've certainly become a lot more demanding for original and varied content across the stretch of a game, and while repetition and score-beating held up well 30 years ago, it's not the case anymore. For series fans looking for a temporary time machine this'll do the trick, for most other gamers, it's a simple reminder of gaming's brilliant, but dated, past.
Destiny is a game that has some bad storytelling and some unbalanced multiplayer, but the core gameplay is one of the best in the genre and the design of the universe is one of the finest examples I've ever seen. The years Bungie have put into this game's development are clearly seen here. With plenty of content to continue to play past the end of the story, and more coming, it's a great game that deserves your time.
CounterSpy may have it flaws but what makes it stand out is the visual style and design. It is, however, short but with cross buy and cross save on PlayStation it might just be that Spy-filler your looking for.
While Capcom did give plenty of warning that this game would only run at 30 fps, the poorness of the port wil put many PC gamers off. If you can put up with that though the game is enjoyable and satisfying, with some very clever simplifications.
It's these sorts of missing gameplay pieces, often inexplicably so, that leave The Sims 4 feeling incomplete. While what does exist makes for a fun game, as a long-time fan of the series I found myself constantly looking for tools and items that don't exist. The Sims 4 feels barebones, and unusually so even for a base game. One can only hope Maxis and EA make up for it with the inevitable line of expansion and stuff packs.
Risen 3 never ventures into uncharted territory, but remains enjoyable thanks to a beautiful and varied world, solid questing and interesting level design.
Velocity 2X is an excellent digital title that delivers more than just a little substance for its modest price. While certain aspects could do with some slight refinements, i.e. some iffy controls and repetitive stages, the title as a whole is leagues better than most titles that claim to be as innovative as Velocity.
It’s an enjoyable game which doesn’t really have any flaws. And given it's in Early Access, it will probably gain missing features over the coming weeks.