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All in all, The Elder Scrolls Online is a pretty good game. It's not outstanding, and it's not terrible. Once it's less new and the developer has had time to polish and clean it up a bit, it may be a good game, but I think there was so much effort put into making it feel like an Elder Scrolls title and so much effort was placed in checking off every bullet point on the MMO checklist that they forgot to make the game stand out from the crowd. And when you've paid $60 plus a monthly subscription fee for a game, it should.
flOw is still a good game, but its presence means different things, depending on the platform you're playing it on. On the Vita, it represents the better port of the PS3 game when compared to the older PSP release due to the better graphics and the presence of motion controls. On the PS4, it only benefits those who have just joined the PlayStation family, as the experience is largely unchanged from the PS3. The cross-buy option means PS3 owners will have this version either way, but unless you need a trophy boost or are a big enough fan of thatgamecompany that you need to play every available version, PS3 vets who have moved to the new console can know they aren't missing any improvements.
However, I'm not convinced the purchase price of $59.99 lines up with what Kinect Sports Rivals has to offer. Of the six game modes, only bowling and wake riding stand out, and the other modes suffer from a lack of entertainment. For all the enhanced graphics and technology involved, the game isn't that much more impressive than Wii Sports was at release, and it doesn't feel worthy of a full-price sticker. It's fun to pick up and tool around with some of the modes, and between the gameplay and the avatar scanning, it showcases the Kinect's capabilities. It's just disappointing that the game doesn't have that much depth, and with few exceptions, its only successes are things that have already been done before with different technology.
Strider is a great example of how you can reboot an old arcade game with modern sensibilities and still keep it true to its roots. The fast action is sharp and responsive, and it mixes nicely with the grand setting. The adventure comes in at just the right length, and the various battles, while easy for series veterans, still excite in how they play out — though it would have been nice to have skippable cut scenes. Fans of the series and action-adventure gamers will have a blast with this title.
Despite doing a number of things right, 1954: Alcatraz doesn't feel special. The characters are intriguing but ultimately one-dimensional, and the story fails to take advantage of the time, location, and the branching paths idea. Though most of the puzzles use common sense instead of asking players to use obscure logic, they feel easy and there's the sense that the title isn't very challenging. Combined with a less-than-stellar visual presentation, 1954: Alcatraz doesn't reach its full potential. Adventure fans may enjoy this, but they'll also feel that this could have been much better.
While Gigantic Army feels like it's intended for those who crave nostalgia, it comes with just enough material to make it stand out. The fights are exciting, and the inclusion of older mechanics strikes the right amount of balance. The technical aspects could've used some work, as the omission of a few things feels lazy when compared to a majority of indie games. However, for the low price tag, this is a fun jaunt that can be played between more substantial games.
For fans of the series, there's enough glittery nostalgia and polish in Broken Sword: The Serpent's Curse to gloss over the rough edges. The lighthearted banter, the brightly colored scenes, enticing mystery, and solid puzzles make this something that the original Kickstarter campaign promised: "fan service aimed directly at those aching to experience one more story involving one of adventure gaming's favorite teams."
The Last Agent is right up there with Fallen Angel as the best of the DLC packs available for Dead Rising 3. Considering the issues that still occur here, such as lots of fetch quests and vehicle missions in such a short time period, that's not saying much. However, the weapons in this pack are very nice, and most of the side-quests aren't annoying. Though the character isn't very interesting, at least his story makes sense in the world of Los Perdidos. It isn't exactly a ringing endorsement for players to pick up the DLC, but if you already have the season pass, it wouldn't hurt to spend some time with this pack.
At its core, Escape Plan is a mostly good puzzle game. There's a good build-up from easy to hard puzzles, and the tougher ones are truly devilish to figure out. The presentation is still great, and the amount of content is pretty sizeable even if the individual puzzles are short. The only things that hurt the original game were the controls, and while some of those issues are fixed on the new hardware, the act of retrofitting Vita-specific mechanics into a standard PS4 controller also introduces other issues, thereby leveling things out. Escape Plan is interesting enough that it's worth picking up for new PS4 owners who are looking for something more cerebral.
LEGO The Hobbit is yet another LEGO game. It does a great job of presenting the world and characters, but the mechanics and gameplay have seen very little in the way of touching up. If you've played previous LEGO games, you have a good idea of what to expect here, and if you haven't, it is perfectly accessible to newcomers. As usual, the selling point is the setting tied to the game. If you (or your kids) are big fans of "The Hobbit," then they'll enjoy the game. If not, it'd be better to look at one of the many other franchise tie-ins that have received the LEGO treatment.
Luftrausers is a nice little getaway from the story-focused games that populate the landscape nowadays. It's a great game that is both fun and challenging for those who appreciate simpler experiences. Those not interested in chasing high scores will still get some mileage out of the challenge and unlock system, but the game is really made for those who adore points. The short playtimes for each round ensure that you can sneak in a round or two between other things, but the addictive nature proves alluring enough that hours can fly by before you notice. For anyone who enjoys a fun, solid game, Luftrausers comes highly recommended.
Despite its brevity, SteamWorld Dig: A Fistful of Dirt is an enjoyable title. The premise may initially seem too simple, but the constant feed of tools and power-ups, coupled with speedy platforming, prevent the player from becoming bored. The mix of exploration and combat is blended well to the point where new additions don't feel out of place, and the only lament is how there's not much else to the game once you've finished it.
Of the three released DLC packs so far, Chaos Rising is the worst of them. The whole campaign and a good chunk of the side missions are composed of fetch quests, and their tedium is highlighted by a mission where you do nothing but wait until a certain amount of time has passed before you can continue with the rest of the game. The boss fights are a nice touch, but with attack patterns reminiscent of some fights in the core game, the novelty quickly wears off. The weapons are nice, and the new vehicle is a blast to ride. As part of the Season Pass, this pack only reinforces one's buyer's remorse. As a stand-alone piece of DLC, Chaos Rising isn't worth the bother.
Unless you already own the HD remakes on the Xbox 360 or PS3, you should try Resident Evil 4 Ultimate HD Edition on PC. From the story to the gameplay, the title still resonates today and stands as one of the more harrowing entries in the series. The graphical improvements are welcome, and although they aren't overwhelmingly different, it's very nice to have a frame rate of 60fps. It really is the controls that make the new version worthwhile. Now that Resident Evil 4 has received a proper PC port, let's hope Capcom is willing to bring proper PC versions of the older games in the series.
For players who may never had heard of Shadowrun, Dragonfall is a firm introduction to what the world is all about. In many ways, it finally fulfills the promise of a real sequel. It won't brutalize players who are new to tactical gaming, and it won't stop veterans cold, but Dragonfall does an awesome job of translating Shadowrun's world into a digital battlefield fraught with shady choices.
InFamous: Second Son is good but unmemorable — essentially the diner food of video games. It's well made, enjoyable, safe, and it has a likeable cast of characters. However, it doesn't do anything beyond the expected, it lacks variety and reach, and there are a few problems, such as the lackluster morality system. In the end, it's a very beautiful but extremely textbook sequel.
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is an excellent first taste of the gameplay we can expect in the upcoming Phantom Pain. It's well designed, well tuned, and a lot of fun to play, but the general game design and lack of content make it feel like an extended demo rather than a full game. Viewed from that perspective, the $30 price tag is really steep. Die-hard Metal Gear fans and those who've replayed the games over and over to achieve Big Boss rankings will probably get their money's worth. Everyone else would be better off waiting for an inevitable sale. There's just not enough here for the average player to get his $30 worth.
Fallen Angel is certainly the better of the two DLC packs so far, but that isn't saying much. Angel is certainly more interesting, even if they barely give her a backstory, and the story is more interesting once you see it as part of the bigger picture. The side missions make up for the rote main missions, and the additional weapons are nice. The main campaign is painfully short and doesn't give you much of a reason to spend $9.99. There are two more DLC episodes to go, so here's hoping they'll be more exciting.
The ideas behind the design of TitanFall aren't new to the genre, but the resulting combination works well. The pilot gameplay makes incredible use of a map's surfaces and elevations, the Titan gameplay trades vertical gameplay for heavy firepower, and the transition between the two is seamless. The sheer fun and unparalleled mobility that the game provides cannot be overstated. The Xbox One finally has a console-exclusive shooter, and TitanFall is such a damned good one that it's tough to go back and play others.
Dead Rising 3: Operation Broken Eagle is sort of just there. The story doesn't offer anything interesting to shed a different light on the main story. The gameplay remains unchanged, and the side missions — even ones that are meant to be revolting — don't feel challenging. It's also rather short, and the omission of co-op is baffling since the main game offers that option. However, the inclusion of new weapons and vehicles is nice, as is the ability to take experience from this DLC and apply it to the main game. As standalone DLC, it isn't worth the rather high cost of $9.99. If you haven't gotten the Season Pass yet for $29.99, it's best to hold off and see if the other DLC packs justify the cost, and you could consider this a bonus mission.