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There have been a handful of Alien games over the years, but none have delivered an experience so close to the intent of the films as Isolation. With visuals authentic enough to have been ripped right from the movies and a terrifyingly intelligent monster as the primary antagonist, Alien: Isolation makes for a memorable experience, and clear proof that Colonial Marines was the fault of the developer and not the material.
This is not a game for casual players, neither is it for those with a love of the arcade shooter genre. This is a game for retro purists or for those who wear their triumphs over insane difficulty levels like virtual army epaulettes across their gamer tags. Futuridium is a game for those who can invest in the grind of simply 'getting the job done'. Taken on those terms, Futuridium becomes a challenge to be completed, retro looking enough to be in vogue, yet with mechanics that inhibit a broader mainstream appeal. Once you've sated your curiosity on its aesthetic retro nostalgia, it quickly feels like you're playing Galaga at light speed ….on your PS4. Whether or not you invested in a PS4 to be able to play Galaga is something owners of Futuridium will have to come to terms with.
Now that the story of Dark Souls II has been fully told, the theme of persistence is key. I think back to my initial review, where those brief flashes of light and life offered hope against overwhelming, almost oppressive odds and darkness. Dark Souls II: Crown of the Ivory King concludes the adventure, the player has earned the sense of hope that he/ she is left behind with. At least until you begin the adventure anew and Dark Souls II ups the difficulty and prepares to make you die yet again.
Ice Cream Surfer deserves full credit for offering a taste the Wii U could use more of. I just wish the developers focused less on decking their digital sundae with chocolate sauce and realised that the ice cream beneath it was past its prime.
All six cases are interesting and brilliantly written, filled with characters that not only fill a role, but perform exactly as you'd expect from the Sherlock tales of old. The developers have wisely avoided pigeonholing the game's moral code into black and white (again fitting in with the original Sherlock character, who was hardly a saint), and it these shades of gray to explore that makes each case as well as the interplay between Sherlock and Watson so interesting. Sherlock's mind is presented in such a way that he is clearly a man treading the line between madness and brilliance, which makes this opportunity to play him all the more riveting and an opportunity not to be missed people who enjoy genuine detective fiction.
I can all-but guarantee that the Wii U version of Super Smash Bros. will be game of the year based on the raw quality of how the 3DS version plays and the assumed value of the local multiplayer on the big screen. But if we were too look at 3DS version in isolation, it does miss the point of why people play Smash Bros. in the first place.
Overall Anomaly 2's release on the PS4 offers console players the chance to play an interestingly designed take on the tower defence genre in which we will hopefully see more of in the future.
While not the most innovative title in terms of modes and menus, FIFA 15 delivers where it counts - on the field of play. It will be interesting to see if EA Sports can continue to make these kinds of strides going forward, because for soccer fans FIFA 15 may already be just about the perfect game.
Runers is a fast paced and fun roguelike that offers plenty of variety. While there is a lot of reading to figure out exactly what everything does, the simple, twitch mechanics and randomisation make it one that is easy to come back to over and over again.
Dead Rising 3: Apocalypse Edition is not going to sate anyone looking for a deep narrative experience - The Walking Dead or The Last of Us this is not. However, for those looking for a higher level of action and maybe something a bit more humorous (albeit not kid friendly in the least, just for the record), then Dead Rising 3: Apocalypse Edition could be a real treat.
The Golden Realms Expansion does not reinvent the Age of Wonders III wheel, but it does an excellent job of adding content to an already fun title that already had lots of replay value. With that being said, it would have been nice to see the expansion address one of the real issues I had with the first game - the limited combat variety for a feature that is meant to be the game's real point of differentiation.
Flockers will not only test your puzzling ability but also the ability to not feel like a baaaad (man, Brad, you almost managed to get through the whole review before doing that - ed.) person as you laugh at every sheep's' untimely end. Flockers is a clever game for the thinking gamer and those fans of Lemmings who have been waiting for so long for another quality puzzler in the style. If Team 17 can bring the level editor and level sharing ability over from the PC version in a future update, as well as a touchpad interface, I'd give it that last star.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing with the Red Wings or getting drafted in my Be A Player mode, but I could not help but be be disappointed with the lack of depth that I have come to expect from an EA Sports title. I love that more updates are planned, but a full-priced game should not be incomplete in the first place. Taken from within a vacuum, NHL 15 is a perfectly solid hockey title, however longtime fans of the series are bound to be disappointed by the things that they have grown used to over the years that are missing.
There is still something decidedly relaxing if not therapeutic about creating Sims characters and letting them live out their fanciful little lives in this virtual environment. And so there is still fun to be had here, but I suspect newcomers will be more accepting of what The Sims 4 has to offer than fans of the earlier iterations. Currently The Sims 4 feels more like groundwork that has been put down for future DLC packages. There is nothing wrong with that. Fans of the series have come to expect and even look forward to those releases because of the enormous amount of options and personality that they inject into the core game. However, The Sims 4 leaves me feeling like the potential for greatness is there, but at this point we will have to wait and see if it ever gets realised.
Survival games have never really been my cup of tea. However, Minecraft somehow transcends its peers, providing a creative outlet that goes well beyond its simple yet charming visuals with surprisingly deep mechanics when constructing things. At the heart of Minecraft is a creative experience that I probably should have played a long time ago, but am glad I finally got the chance to experience now. Better late than never.
As someone who genuinely, deeply cares about games as works of art, to see a game as limited as Destiny become the game that is on the front pages of mainstream news is like a slap in the face. I can't deny that the game is entertaining, beautiful, or content-rich, but for all that Destiny is not even close to a masterpiece.
The ultimate concern with any rhythm game is whether the actions that the game is asking players to take (swipes, taps and so on) reflect the movement and mood of the music. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call nails this, and makes for a music game that is both fun and rewarding. Especially for the Final Fantasy fans out there.
If you've already had the luxury of playing through Second Son, you might be tempted to write off Infamous: First Light as a quick cash-in, but you'd be doing yourself a great disservice. At times, it can often feel like an overly distilled version of Second Son, but First Light works because it trims off the fat, leaving behind an engaging story and breakneck gameplay that will appeal both to returning patrons and first-time customers.
A little bit more variety in gameplay would have made it the perfect game, but SteamWorld Dig comes at a low price point, so there isn't any real point in complaining about what is ultimately a well-polished and entertaining title.
So, while this expansion is still fun, it's the least worthwhile addition to the Souls experience to date.