GameGrin's Reviews
Shelter 2, in spite of a lack of dialogue, managed to create a hauntingly beautiful experience. Due to its extremely short length and virtually zero replayability, I cannot recommend the experience unless it undergoes a severe price drop.
Deathtrap is a game that has all the functional workings of a tower defense game and depth of an RPG, which makes for a surprisingly good combination. For such a low price it's hard to go wrong with a game like this, while most tower defense games tend to get boring after a few hours, Deathtrap keeps you wanting more and more action. There were very few aspects of the game that I did not like and those were easy enough to forget about because of how entertaining the rest of the game is. I would highly recommend Deathtrap to any fan of tower defense games as it is a fresh take on the genre.
The Escapists is a "deeper than appears" puzzler that will take some getting into, but the pay-off is worth it.
Cities: Skylines is a great, solid city builder and while it could still use a bit of polishing off, I will be spending hours playing around with it. A lot of hard work has clearly gone into focusing on small details to make a real complex, challenging and fun experience.
Harold is a beautiful game, but that's not enough to make up for sloppy design and maddeningly difficult gameplay.
Apotheon manages to be a truly unique entry into what's a decidedly overcrowded genre. With its polished design, excellent sense of story and beautiful aesthetic, fans of the platformer genre would be remiss to skip over it, despite its at times clumsy combat controls.
The Order: 1886 is a visually stunning technical achievement, held back by mediocre gameplay. Fortunately for Ready At Dawn they've achieved on setting the bar high in visuals, and have laid out the groundwork for what could well be one of the best PlayStation exclusive franchises.
Total War: Attila is a triumphant return for the kings of PC battlefield strategy, and hopefully will usher in a new era of incredible Total War titles.
I've had a lot of fun playing Evolve; it's well-balanced, satisfying and wonderfully tense at times. Some elements of the game don't quite match up to the core concept, the maps and the progression system in particular, but it's not enough to hinder the appeal. I hate myself for saying it, but I can see why Turtle Rock has taken the super-DLC route for Evolve. They're going to have a lot of hooked gamers by the end of February, and more than a few that'll be willing to part with yet more cash. That, I think it's safe to say, will be the most important measure of Evolve's success.
The story is certainly starting to pick up the pace and the player is left wondering who among their current crop of characters will live to see the end. Much like the A Song of Ice and Fire series and A Game of Thrones, nothing is completely certain. A must for fans of either, Telltale are hitting their stride with this series.
I'm sure that once all five episodes are out, the game will be a great one, deserving of the highest scores. But right now the generic, unlikeable characters mar what could have been pretty perfect.
With nice looks and lots of replayability, there is a lot to like about Scrolls.
Grim Fandango is a great game let down by its age, it generally looks good but persistent bugs hinder the experience. For fans of adventure and puzzle games I would highly recommend it, as it has one of the most engrossing and enjoyable stories of recent memory, and even the simplest of puzzles offer great satisfaction upon completion. The world and story of Manny Calavera are the main reasons to play Grim Fandango, persisting through the bugs can sometimes be a frustrating experience but it will be worthwhile. Grim Fandango is truly a classic of its time and will remain a highlight of the adventure/puzzle genre for years to come. This new remastered version may do little to enhance the experience but it does offer gamers a chance to play a remarkable game, and that is surely worthwhile enough.
Gat out of Hell is not perfect; it's shorter than it should be, and the missions are disappointingly unimaginative. As a full release, it'd be very tough to recommend the title, but taken simply as a slice of Saints Row silliness, it's much easier to endorse.
Satisfying gameplay mechanics, an often exciting day/night system, perfectly balanced and designed levelling and well-rounded presentation that ties all of these things together nicely. There's a lot to like about Techland's latest; if you're looking for a great zombie survival story then you're better off looking elsewhere. Need a well-crafted open-world filled with fun things to do though and you're unlikely to do much better than Dying Light this half of 2015.
You may not get as much time out of it as you would with the likes of Red Alert 2, but for the time you're involved it's a neat little RTS title that has some good ideas and can provide a great challenge.
A sometimes frustrating, always enthralling strategy RPG that has its rough spots. The time necessary to get to grips with it is well spent despite this as it rewards you in so very many ways.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a refreshing game and one that is charming and deceptively difficult at times. I enjoyed my brief romp through the Mushroom Kingdom and would like to see Captain Toad and Toadette in bigger and grander adventures in the future. For now though Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker should be recommended to puzzle and platformer fans alike as it delivers a solid experience with a boatload of personality to go with it.
Maybe the problem with The Witcher Adventure Game is that it's just too much like the board game which was meant to be played with four friends together in a room, narrating their actions to each other while making inappropriate jokes about Triss. Playing this version just feels too solitary and mildly tedious. For fans of the board game only.
Tellale Games have proven that they are more than up to the task of creating a vivid realisation of the Westeros that has found global popularity - as with their previous titles, everything they touch seems destined to turn to gold.