USgamer's Reviews
While the core game has changed very little since its original appearance on Wii U a little more than a year ago, Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World giveth, and it taketh away. If you don't mind the visual downgrade and the loss of cooperative play, you'll probably enjoy the new additions on tap here (most of which, unsurprisingly, revolve around Yoshi's canine companion Poochy). At its heart, this is the best follow-up to Yoshi's Island to date, so it's absolutely worth your time if you missed it on Wii U.
It's a bit on the short side and the latter chunk of the game is rather linear, but Resident Evil 7 absolutely recaptures the feeling of survival horror established in the first game. The Baker family is terrifying and spending time trapped in their home is damned good horror. A new direction for the franchise, returning to an old one seems like it was a great idea.
There's a lot to love about Yakuza 0, but it's going to take me a while to work my way to the story's finale. The endless brawling turns the whole thing into a real chore, I'm afraid. But I will say that as tired as I've already become of the constant beatdowns, the story and general self-confidence of the game makes me want to power through.
Gravity Rush 2 is a real treat for the eyes, ears, and reflexes. Its cinematic looks and score are wonderful, and its storyline is enthralling and thoroughly compelling. All combine brilliantly with the addictive and entertaining mission-based action to create a terrific game that's an absolute joy to play.
If you're a Forza Horizon 3 driver who's ready for a new challenge, take the trip to Blizzard Mountain and get ready for a truly wild ride. Packing treacherous icy roads and extreme blizzard conditions, this gorgeous-looking expansion is an awesome automotive winter wonderland.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero spent a lot of time cooking, but the end product is well-built. There are occasional tedious moments, and the story's disjointed at times (which can be chalked up to the fact some characters and chapters were added as Kickstarter campaign stretch goals), but it's still a must-play for Shantae fans. And if you're not a Shantae fan … what's wrong with you?
Steep brings a lot of really good ideas and reasonably strong snowboarding action to the table, but it's held back by a lot of little problems with the physics, the UI, and the course design. The final result is ambitious and often entertaining, but also unpolished and frustrating. Hopefully Ubisoft gives the series another chance, because I'd really like to see some of Steep's better ideas fully realized in a sequel. Alas, the initial outing doesn't quite meet expectations.
Stern Pinball Arcade is a great-looking, authentic-sounding, highly realistic simulation that features an impressive roster of ten fun-to-play tables. If you're a pinball fan, you should definitely download the free one-table demo to see just how great an experience it delivers.
Playing The Last Guardian reminds me a lot of playing Half-Life games: The actual moment-to-moment of working my way through the game involves an enormous amount of frustration and annoyance... but when I look back at it, all I see are the happy memories of the experience. That's due in large part to the incredible design of Trico, and also to the spectacular emotive ending. Make no mistake, though, you will want to tear your hair out throughout your journey with Trico... but patient players will find the payoff justifies the suffering.
Dead Rising 4 continues the idea of mainstream accessibility that started in Dead Rising 3. While the first two games were about watching the timer and making efficient choices, Dead Rising 4 is about killing zombies in silly costumes with cool weapons. If that's what you want, Dead Rising 4 delivers good, gory zombie fun in a Christmas-themed wrapper. If you're looking for something more like the first game, I'd pick up that re-release. If you liked Dead Rising 3, you'll get a kick out of this.
IO Interactive brings the Hitman series back in grand style. Not every level is Season 1 is amazing, but at it's best, Hitman contains some stunning settings, amazingly detailed level designs, and a vast number of ways to kill your target. It's handicapped a bit by its online implementation, but if you can get past that, you'll find one of the best games in the series.
Super Mario Maker for 3DS comes pretty close to being a perfect portable adaptation of an incredible Wii U game. It certainly works a lot better than previous ports had led me to expect! That said, the absence of one of the original game's most important elements truly diminishes this conversion. The new format and new pre-baked content go a long way toward making up for the loss... but while this version is worth owning for the 100 (!) new levels alone, it's still not the definitive Super Mario Maker.
I was really skeptical that Final Fantasy XV could ever be successful; but despite some real flaws, it ultimately won me over. I warmed to the characters over the course of many camping trips, found more than I was expecting in the open world, and even enjoyed the bombastic setpieces. I have no doubt that it will be harshly criticized in some circles, but it also has some real merit. Stick with it even if you find yourself rolling your eyes at the opening hours: You may be surprised by how much you end up enjoying yourself.
Pokémon Sun and Moon's trek through Alola is the most engaging campaign the series has offered in a long time. Not everything on Sun and Moon's plate is perfect – Z-Moves feel underwhelming, and you're still going to commit the overwhelming majority of the Pokémon you catch to PC Box Hell – but this is one tropical getaway that's worth every penny.
Packing a vibrant, immersive open world, likeable cast of characters, and an engaging plot, Watch Dogs 2 is a good-looking, entertaining hacking romp that's not afraid to make a statement on today's technology-obsessed society. Its missions can be tackled in a variety of ways: Combat is always an option, but the game really comes into its own when you're using your suite of technology-disrupting tools to creatively outwit the enemy. It's involving, rewarding, and a lot of fun.
Arkane Studios returns to the world of Dishonored, with a bigger, badder version of the game they debuted in 2012. Choose between the direct violence of Corvo Attano or the deception and guile of Emily Kaldwin. With a host of amazing power, you'll stealth your way through huge, expansive levels with amazing artistic design. Dishonored 2 is a great stealth-action game and deserves every accolade.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare comprises a trio of game modes that are all very well produced and enjoyable to play through – but largely tread familiar ground in terms of their design. The spectacular-looking, well-written campaign packs strong characters and plenty of over-the-top moments, while Zombies in Spaceland is an enjoyable shoot 'em up romp that's best played with a team. The multiplayer mode is perhaps the game's weakest element. It's slick and polished, but feels a little too much like a remix of Black Ops 3.
Skyrim Special Edition is a solid purchase for anyone introduced to the game through the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. PC players should give longer pause before playing, however, as they've probably already made their own "Special Edition" with the aid of mods – and some of those mods might not even work in the Special Edition. In the end, your decision should come down to how much you love Skyrim's ambition, how much you enjoy exploring its expansive world, and how tolerant you are towards its flaws.
From Software once again serves up a solid piece of DLC with Ashes of Ariandel, even if it is a tad short. It's full of beautiful vistas and interesting levels, and the boss fight at the end is a good challenge for high-level players. But those looking for something new and innovative are apt to be disappointed, as this is all familiar territory for the series. Still, From Software's execution is strong in this first piece of Dark Souls 3 DLC.
Civilization VI is a worthy sequel for the franchise. Firaxis has crafted the best vanilla version in the franchise's history, with a host of leaders, a great soundtrack, some keen art direction, and new features like the city expansion. There's not much missing this time around and I look forward to seeing what Firaxis adds to an already amazing game.