IGN's Reviews
On the whole, Hyrule Warriors Legends is an ok experience for New 3DS owners. Despite adding five awesome characters and some smart control-swapping and fast-travel options, the performance problems and shabby-looking graphics make it difficult to appreciate all the fanservice that’s packed in here. The poorly downgraded textures, hideous menus, and pop-in are all real eyesores. And stay away from 3D if you prefer a stable framerate. [OpenCritic note: IGN separately reviewed the 3DS (4.0) and New 3DS (6.8) versions. While OpenCritic does not support the New 3DS as an independent platform, we are choosing to average these two scores here.]
Thanks to the timeless quality of the writing, Day of the Tentacle remains as enjoyable today as it was when first released over twenty years ago. Faithfulness to the original art design is reflected in every lovingly-drawn line and hue of the gorgeous graphical presentation, and the zany humor is consistently spot-on. New players should be aware that the leaps in logic can make a few of the puzzles very difficult, but the witty wisecracks keep the search for solutions tremendously entertaining.
While UFC 2 certainly looks the part, it doesn't feel it. Strikes are razor sharp, kicks are satisfyingly heavy, and each and every fighter is beautifully sculpted and recreated, but each and every element is too robotic and rigid to recreate the dynamism and unpredictability that draws me to real UFC fights. Those fights are often won by finding those spaces between the lines that your opponent hasn't thought to cover, but those spaces simply don't exist here. As a fighting game it's worth your time if you're seeking something other than the usual options, but as a recreation of the UFC it falters before the final bell.
There's definitely some decent meat to chew on in The Division, but it's usually surrounded by too much gristle to enjoy it for long. Both in combat and out, there are some clearly good ideas, especially the tense and dangerous Dark Zone. But they're not spread evenly or interwoven cleanly enough to form a cohesive, consistently enjoyable loop. Ultimately, The Division's overly busy, conflicted design philosophies drown its best ingredients in a bland slurry that never quite comes together into a cohesive dish.
Pokkén Tournament takes a lot of what we know from old fighting gaming favorites and sticks them into a blender, delivering a unique take on both Pokémon and on fighting games in general. Sometimes all those ingredients spill over a container that's a little too full - there is a surprising amount to learn beyond the beginner's level, and that may alienate some Pokémon fans without fighting game experience. Pokkén Tournament does do a good job, though, at alleviating this bloat of mechanics with single-player modes to help ease into the action.
Like the chess move it's named after, Alekhine's Gun puts its pieces in the right places, but then it fails to follow through with any quality or grace. It's hard to feel accomplished after pulling off a clean kill when the targets lack the competence to even defend themselves.
One thing's for sure: The more I've played Hitman's debut "episode" the more I've enjoyed it. Despite the often boneheaded AI and dire loading times, Hitman has definitely combined the best of both worlds. There's scope for it to improve in some areas as the levels are released throughout the year but this is a fun, confident start.
Grim Dawn is one of the best action-RPGs out there, combining excellent hack and slash action with a world and progression curve that makes it worth fighting through. Alone or with friends, it's hour after hour of top quality combat and looting, with the promise of many more excellent dark times to come.
Although its clunky controls and inconsistent voice acting dates Heavy Rain, it still remains enjoyable (if mad) B-grade sholock. A stunning visual upgrade on the PlayStation 4 makes this the version to grab if you're new to developer Quantic Dream's games, and existing fans should find enjoyment in a richer aesthetic this time around.
The Flame in the Flood is a beautiful procedurally generated survival sim that gains a welcome sense of momentum from the need to stay on the move. Its unwieldy menus and tendency to crash ruins some of the fun, unfortunately, but not enough to diminish the strength of the hopeful, riverbound journey at its core.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD holds plenty of memorable moments that've stood the test of time, and Nintendo's high-definition update does a lot to modernize its look and feel. This cleaner, fresher presentation is still noticeably and disappointingly flat in some ways, but just past that are some of the best puzzles and dungeons to be found anywhere in the series.
A good combat system and gorgeous visuals are significantly let down by an underwhelming and perfunctory narrative that can make progression a real chore. Whilst there are elements that work in isolation, Bravely Second doesn't manage to tie them together in a way that matches the quality of the original.
Devil Daggers' stripped-down and distilled essence of first-person shooter intensity will take up a lot of my time in the weeks to come. Every second longer that I survive in its hellish arena is a new record for myself to break, over and over again. It's a brutal, but brilliant shooter that finds strength in its minimalism, stretching a few seconds of action here and there into endless hours of dreadful fun.
Superhot's clever time-manipulation idea delivers consistently fulfilling challenges by turning blink-of-an-eye action into carefully considered and cautious tactical decisions. It avoids potential one-hit death frustration with quick respawns and deaths that always feel earned and avoidable in hindsight. Its unique brand of puzzles are complemented by simplistic but helpfully high-contrast art and sound design, yet undermined by a tedious, intrusive story and a reluctance to put new game-changing spins on its ideas to extend their lives.
Under its attractively bright and cartoony art style, Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 has a great amount of modes and customization options to enjoy, whether alone against the AI or with online allies and enemies. The interesting abilities options of the six new character classes gave me something to sink my teeth into, and the customization options are a great reward for playing outside my comfort zone. The sheer amount of enjoyment in this full garden will keep me in the war for some time to come.
The White March: Part II expansion for Pillars of Eternity boasts better pacing and lore than its humdrum predecessor, but at the cost of a running time that feels somewhat inadequate. A welcome new Story Time mode helps dull the force of the brutal combat though, and memorable settings and enemies make this an expansion to savor.
Fire Emblem: Revelation is an excellent final act to the Fates storyline. Its balance of difficulty and accessibility means that both veteran players and newcomers can enjoy it without feeling bored or overwhelmed, and its story starts slowly, but quickly becomes a worthy finale to this tactical trilogy.
True to its title, The Walking Dead: Michonne - Episode 1 is all about one character, somewhat to the detriment of the story and other characters. Michonne is so well done, though, from her impressive survival skills to the hollow look in her eyes, that she easily carries the entire episode. Even though I wasn't invested in the story, I did care about Michonne — everything she said, every walker she killed, and what will happen to her moving forward.
Far Cry Primal succeeds in transporting the Far Cry formula back in time and comes to the table with a quiver of neat ideas and a dangerous and fascinating open world. The visceral and varied combat is fun, the beast-based gameplay is a winner, and the lure of camp-claiming, gear-crafting, beast hunting, and resource gathering remains irresistible.
Judged against other tactics games, there are so many better options on the 3DS that Project X Zone 2 doesn't rate. Don't come expecting deep gameplay or even inventive updates to distinguish it from the previous game. PXZ2 is much more interested in matching up a diverse set of mascots for maximum humor and references to classic Japanese game series, which it skillfully handles most of the time. Nostalgia can only take PXZ2 so far in a lengthy campaign of average strategy gameplay, but it's an engaging old-school reunion while it lasts.