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Your enjoyment of Mirror's Edge: Catalyst will depend greatly on how willing you are to accept its flaws. The load times can be a pain to deal with, there's not much of an inclination to take on side-quests, and the combat doesn't seem to have improved much from the first game, despite the abandonment of firearms. At the same time, the idea of a platforming-heavy, first-person game remains intriguing, and your moves and the layout of the city make the running aspect one of the more legitimately enjoyable parts of the title. Though it may not appeal to all players, those looking for something a bit different will enjoy one more go-round in Faith's shoes.
Rainbow Moon is a good game buried under tedium. It has a lot of fundamental strengths that lack an engaging push to keep you going. For a budget downloadable offering, it's absurdly long and packed with content, and the fundamental combat system is fun. Had the developers toned down the grinding and added more substance to the story, Rainbow Moon would've been an easy recommendation. Instead, it's a game for those who are fond of grinding out levels and skills. Anyone who's looking for a fast-paced or engaging story will be sorely disappointed. At the budget price of $14.99, there's plenty of reason to give it a shot, but don't be surprised if you can't drag yourself across the finish line.
All in all, Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book is a solid if unexceptional addition to the franchise. The new alchemy system is enjoyable, but the combat lags behind its predecessors. The focus on a more relaxed and lighthearted atmosphere than the Dusk games can be either a plus or a minus, depending on the player. At the end of the day, it's an enjoyable and relaxing game where you spend hours crafting the ultimate cake in order to fight a giant dragon, and if that appeals to you, Sophie fits the bill nicely.
Ultimately, the objectives in Alienation aren't anything special, but the good shooting mechanics and abundance of things to do make up for that. The loot and XP systems will keep players addicted, while the campaign length is just right. It could've used more weapon variety and local co-op, but overall, Alienation is a dependable addition.
As a stand-alone title, MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune vs. Zombies does well for itself. The story may be silly, but it is enjoyable enough thanks to the characters. The combat has been refined to be more flexible, and the inclusion of multiplayer increases the game's longevity since the mode can still be played with no one around. As a spiritual sequel to Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed, however, the game is a bit of a letdown. Short fighting sessions, a lack of side-quests, and fewer enemies to fight against means the campaign is more of a visual novel that's broken up with little bits of action. Overall, MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune vs. Zombies is fine, but Hyperdimension Neptunia U is stronger for those who want to play with these characters in a more action-oriented setting.
Sora is an experience worth checking out if you're grown bored of the standard bullet hell formula. The juggling of three different weapons sets and dash ability make this more involving than other shooters, while the difficulty level makes you pay attention to strategies, especially if you've lost your edge because other titles offer unlimited continues. With a presentation that is mostly good, Sora is a title that shooter fans should definitely check out.
Overall, the Aliens vs. Pinball package is another worthy addition to the Pinball FX 2 library. All of the tables are balanced nicely for loads of scoring opportunities, and there are lots of distinct elements in each one to bring you back for one more round. Most will gravitate toward the Aliens table, but there's enough quality in the other two to make them worthwhile. Even if Alien day is never repeated again, at least players have this nice set of pinballs tables to commemorate it.
Doom is a fantastic single-player experience bundled with a weak multiplayer component. If you're looking for a fast, intense and fun shooter, you'll have a hard time finding anything better on the market than Doom. If you're hoping for something that carries that same intensity over to multiplayer, you'll be disappointed. Snap Map adds some extra value to the package, but at the end of the day, the real fun is slaughtering the forces of Hell with your super shotgun. It's not quite a return to the days of old, but it's still one of the best shooters on the market.
Unfortunately, Coffin Dodgers is a mess. It squanders its interesting premise, and races are plagued with poor track design, ineffective weaponry, and a lack of meaningful content. The multiplayer fares about as badly as the solo game, making it a blessing that this isn't online, and the constant frame rate issues sap any potential fun from the title. Unless you're willing to pay for a quick boost to your Trophy count, there's no reason to touch this title.
Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence is easy to recommend on its own merits and not just because it's the only in-depth strategy game available on the PS4. It has some flaws, including a rather lackluster interface and average visuals, but it makes up for that with plenty of in-game depth. It's probably not going to change your mind if you find the complex political strategy games too slow-paced or boring, but for anyone hankering for that often-neglected genre, this is a welcome addition.
If you can forgive the controls, Azkend 2: The World Beneath can be a fun puzzle game. The fidgety nature of the analog stick and the imprecise movements of the directional pad make it very easy to commit mistakes, something that didn't occur in either the PC or mobile iterations. If you can live with that, then you've got a puzzle game that provides a decent amount of challenge and replayability without feeling like it goes on far longer than it should.
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 is an average but reasonable send-off to the franchise. It's not a game for casual fans who will probably be lost in the story of random villains and long-running plots, but those who've followed Naruto from start to will be pleased to see the stylish finish to the series. The gameplay isn't enough to justify upgrading from the previous game in the series, and even longtime fans may want to wait for a price drop before jumping in.
In the end, the genre change doesn't hurt Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart. The story may be straightforward, but the characters and their personalities make things enjoyable. The gameplay may not bog you down with too many systems and minutiae, but it remains fun. The simple nature of the strategy and some slow elements, like enemy movement, may irk genre veterans, but for fans of the series and those who are starting to get interested in strategy RPGs, Hyperdevotion Noire is worth a shot, especially if the developer patches up that crash.
Much like the internal woes that befell titles such as Duke Nukem Forever, it is unknown if Homefront: The Revolution would have benefitted from some stability behind the scenes. What is known is that the result is a title with some potential that was never fully realized for one reason or another. The idea of running guerrilla-style missions and liberating areas in an open Philadelphia may not be new, but it remains appealing. The missions, however, are rather monotonous, and the game drags on due to the lack of a solid story and characters backing it up. The multiplayer meets the same fate, since the co-op experience is dulled by a lack of level variety. Coupled with a number of bugs and other technical issues, it's difficult to enjoy The Revolution since the beginning of the year was unusually crowded with quality titles.
Invisible, Inc.: Console Edition is tough. Porting quirks aside, the missions can be quite difficult if you're careless in your strategy, and the randomization means that using brute force to make your way through the title isn't feasible even at the lowest difficulty level. That difficulty is also what makes the game fun, and a more defensive approach to turn-based strategy makes things interesting. The title has a very solid presentation and promises longevity due to randomization, so strategy fans will undoubtedly enjoy Invisible Inc.
Abraca: Imagic Games is a good party game for those who don't want another minigame collection. The cooperative and competitive aspects seem oddly put together at first, but the experience ends up being fun after just one round with the main concept. The presentation fits in rather well with the theme, and although the other modes are not as fresh as the main one, they're fun in their own right once you accept the limitations. While it would've been nice to see the multiplayer branch out into online modes, Abraca is a good choice for those who constantly have friends over.
Your enjoyment of Doom is going to depend greatly on the mode you're playing and your acceptance of the tweaks to the classic formula. In multiplayer, you'll have fun as long as you keep in mind that this is a blend of every other multiplayer first-person shooter instead of simply being Doom with prettier graphics. If you're playing the campaign, it feels like a welcome evolution of the series, since the classic elements meld rather well with the modern touches. If your attention is on Snapmap, then you'll find that the game has some long legs thanks to an easy-to-learn system that has already produced loads of content for solo and multiplayer situations. Either way, you're getting a complete package that celebrates the pure adrenaline-pumping action that brought so many to the genre in the first place. Doom is absolutely a worthy entry to any genre fan's library.
Stranger of Sword City can be a little archaic as far as mechanics go, and it certainly isn't very welcoming for those not already accustomed to the slow first-person, dungeon-crawling style. It is, however, very deep in the gameplay department and showcases new mechanics to complement a rather long campaign. A very different experience for those who aren't into the portable systems, JRPG fans who want something more distinct should check out Stranger of Sword City.
With a basic but solid presentation, it's a good alternative racing title for those who want something other than the direct competition offered by almost every other entry in the genre.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is a strong ending to the series. It deviates slightly from the franchise's established themes and ideas in favor of something more down to Earth, but it works. Players will experience the same action, the same characters, and the same amazing set pieces. The gameplay is getting a little long in the tooth but manages to hold on for this final outing for Nathan Drake and his friends. It's not the strongest in the series — a title that still belongs to the excellent Uncharted 2 — but it's a strong runner-up. Fans of the franchise should enjoy this seemingly last romp, but newcomers may first want to play The Uncharted Collection for the full story.