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I would have simply been content with Techland releasing another Dead Island game, as long as it came with some needed polish to help it realise its potential. Instead, we got Dying Light, a surprising mix of old and new, which has managed to once again rekindle my excitement for both the genre and the developer. It may stumble every so often, but Dying Light is still the most fun I've had in a while.
The calm before the storm, in other words, which (without giving spoilers) is also literally the case with Max's adventure. Dontnod though the badly underrated Remember Me and now Life Is Strange is quickly establishing itself as a premiere developer of arthouse games, and the only criticism I have of Life Is Strange is that I have to wait so long for the next episode.
This is the same game you should have played before. If you already own it complete with random map generator and expansions and have minimal interest in the online, then this remake might not have enough going for it to convince you to buy it. However, if by some chance you missed this game before and enjoyed other tactics game, or you're just looking to take on real people to see how good your strategy really is, then it's easy to recommend nabbing the update.
If you can move past that, then Re;Birth 2 is a fine remake of the finest Hyperdimension Neptunia game in the franchise. It pushes more boundaries and is a sharper satire than the other games in the series, as fine as they are, and that marks this one out as something special indeed.
Now that we're barrelling, battle-biceps exposed, into the conclusion of this critique/ nostalgia trip, I feel I must briefly attempt to convince you that a remaster of a remake of a nearly two decade old PS1 game is relevant by today's bustling gaming standards. To summarise it simply, it's about how RE's limitations add measurable impact to your choices. It's about the exploration and puzzle solving sans omnipresent hand-holding. These concepts are rare attributes in today's AAA gaming scene. And when laced with enhanced visuals and a friendlier control scheme, RE HD Remaster becomes a precious survival experience for the nostalgic and a necessary one for the newcomer.
There's a place for these kinds of simplified tactics games, and there have been plenty over the years; be that tower defence games right through to the likes of Chain Chronicle. Unfortunately a lack of personality and gameplay that doesn't live up to its promises have left Ironclad Tactics dead in the water.
As an adventure that does just about everything right in the fun and technical sense, CoE's most valuable triumphs are its sense of humour and accessibility; whether you're politically knowledgeable or oblivious, and if you have a near-romantic relationship with turn-based RPGs, you will risk yawning through a filibuster if it means becoming the Vice President of this world.
Funk of the Titans disappointed me in a way that is oddly like how Akiba's Trip disappointed me, of all games. In Akiba's Trip, the premise was plenty ridiculous but the developers failed to embrace that insanity and take the game that played like its press release read. Funk of the Titans should have been more than what it has come out to be. While the runner platformer is fine and the visuals and story behind the game pleasant, the end result does not come together to create a cohesive experience worth investing your time into.
[I]t is a very clever little puzzle game that tries to add something through commentary that lifts it well beyond standard puzzle platformer fare. If PC is the only way you have to play Dokuro, then it's worth a go anyway.
While it may have flown under the radar for some (I imagine the last minute name change didn't do it any favours), you'd be doing yourself a disservice by dismissing Kalimba, even with its rather straightforward and barebones presentation. As great as it is as a single player outing, Kalimba really shines when you can bring a partner along for the ride.
Is it disappointing that units in Warhammer 40,000 are so simple in presentation? Sure, especially when you consider how monotone many of the "apocalyptic" environments are. But given the choice between a game like this an a major studio producing a Warhammer game that fails to even understand where the real appeal of Warhammer lies, I'll take a game like Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon any time.
Toybox Turbos is a good game for beginners and newcomers to racing games. It presents an easy learning curve, but later levels can be a little more challenging. It's a lot of fun to play and in ways it may remind players of the Micro Machines toys and video games from the past.
The difficultly is ramped up further with the game using a single save file, which also automatically saves after each mission. If you are too careless with your troops at the beginning of the campaign, you may find you will not have enough manpower to complete the latter missions. Once you wrap your mind around this added layer of complexity, it makes the Ardennes Assault experience both fun and challenging.
If anything, the release of Captain Toad goes to show just how confident Nintendo is, and more so with how much it understands its audience. In a blockbuster season filled with plenty of firearms and fistfights, Captain Toad shows us more creativity and style than many new IPs out there.
Ultimately, it's fun but probably more of a tablet experience. The issue comes from the fear that there is a lack of imagination in some segments of the developer community. Some developers inspire wonder and imagination on a daily basis, even in the casual gaming arena.
Ubisoft set out to create a social racing game with a story. While the story aspect is completely forgettable, Ubisoft did do an excellent job in setting up a racing MMO-like experience. Mechanics like experience and money couple with exploring new territory in a way that tickles the RPG gamer in me. Unfortunately if you attempt to play The Crew by yourself, are hoping for simulation racing with loads of detailed cars or state-of-the-art visuals, The Crew will likely disappoint on those items. This turns The Crew into an interesting experiment that only makes for a decent game.
The first episode, as is typical for Telltale, is nothing more than a foundation for the tale to come. It helps to establish new characters and the overall arc of the story. It's actually a slow start, but ends of such an incredibly cliffhanger that I really can't see anyone playing this and then not immediately investing in the season pass for the rest of the thing.
If you appreciate arcade or racing simulations that aren't just about speed or horsepower but rather the balance, control, and rhythm it takes to manipulate them, MXGP would make for a most reliable partner at the starting line.
Amiibo aside, Super Smash Bros. is a triumph of good design, a generous approach to content, and making smart refinements to an already stellar franchise in order to keep fans interested. It is also much, much better than the 3DS version of the game, and caps off a stellar end to the year for the Wii U that included Bayonetta 2 and Hyrule Warriors. There's no better time to buy into the console.
[I]t is a 5-star game