USgamer's Reviews
Pillars of Eternity is more than an appeal to nostalgia; it's a rich RPG in its own right, boasting enjoyable combat, a strong story, and masterfully paced quests. What flaws it has — poor pathfinding A.I. and a Stronghold that feels somewhat derserted — are comparatively minor in the grand scheme of things. Right now, its biggest problem is a surfeit of bugs, which seem endemic to Obsidian's RPGs. Ignoring all that, though, Pillars of Eternity is enormously entertaining, and may end up making a strong claim to being one of the best RPGs of the year.
Although it closely follows the Metroidvania blueprint, the brilliantly designed and executed Axiom Verge adds enough new and original features to make it a truly great game in its own right. An absolute must for retro fans.
Refreshingly, Bloodborne knows what it is, and doesn't stray too far from the Souls formula—but its few alterations make for a fresh experience that will challenge even the most hardened Souls veterans. If you're looking to justify the purchase of a PS4, I can't think of a better reason.
An entertaining and challenging sniping/stealth game that holds up for most of its eight expansive levels and supplemental campaigns. The action can get a little repetitive at times, but it's still a lot of fun, and its kill cam offers some great moments.
It's been a long time coming, and by and large Final Fantasy Type 0 is worth the wait. Despite some dated visuals and mechanics better suited for a last-generation portable system, and despite being greatly overshadowed by the Final Fantasy XV demo it ships with, Type 0 deserves the attention and respect of Final Fantasy fans. While last year's Bravely Default garnered praise for being a reprise of old-school Final Fantasy, Type 0 proves you can be progressive rather than regressive and still capture the series' spirit (whatever that means for you) quite neatly.
An original and addictive puzzle game that includes a terrific roller coaster builder - and plenty of user-generated content.
Resident Evil Revelations 2 might not move the series forward, but, at the same time, it isn't at all the cheap cash-in it easily could have been. If you're a survival horror fan in need of a Resident Evil fix, Revelations 2 will definitely be fulfilling.
The single-player mode starts out promisingly, but bogs down into a rather weak stealth game whose action feels hit-and-miss. Multiplayer is where the game works best, especially on its smaller maps, which can deliver truly thrilling and intense action.
Wrong Number might not be the ambitious sequel you're expecting from Hotline Miami, but if you enjoyed the original, the way Dennaton plays with its essential formula makes for a worthwhile experience.
Cities: Skylines isn't perfect, but it's an excellent city builder and a great launch for developer Colossal Order. There a few control issues, a lack of key features explanations for new players, and the building currently lack the complexity found in SimCity 4 or SimCity (2013), but I still sunk hours into the game and will sink many more. With a strong mod community, I'm sure Cities: Skylines will look great for years to come.
There are some things that drive me crazy about Code Name S.T.E.A.M's mission design, and I really think the difficulty balance could have used another pass, but these issues are balanced by the excellent mechanics. Intelligent Systems know their way around the strategy genre, and it shows in Code Name S.T.E.A.M's deep roster and intricate level design. It's more frustrating than it should be in the early going, but stick with it. Silly as it might be, Code Name S.T.E.A.M is ultimately worth it.
DmC Definitive Edition beefs up the excellent original with better graphics, all the DLC, retuned combat, and a host of difficulty modes. If you loved the original, Definitive is better. If you were avoiding it because you're a Devil May Cry purist, Definitive is closer to the original series than ever before.
While it stumbles over its own ambition far more than it should, Ori and the Blind Forest bursts with both detail and passion. At times it's less a game you play than one you force your way through despite your better judgment, but the parts where it all works together make it worth the pain. And wow, does it look good.
It's a real pleasure to play Homeworld Remastered Collection, especially given the rarity of real-time space strategy games, and Gearbox Software has done a great job of upgrading the audio and video. The gameplay in particular holds up very nicely, and proves that the original was well ahead of its time. Unfortunately, it's held back a bit by its clumsy interface, and formations are currently quite broken, which will hurt its standing with long-time fans. But all that said, it's hard not to love Homeworld Remastered Collection's striking and memorable space battles, which have very much stood the test of time.
A well designed, challenging and entertaining shooter that's best appreciated as a multiplayer game. More variety in mission types would help it feel less of a grind, however.
Dead or Alive 5: Last Round is the final version of a game released in 2012. That means it includes three years worth of available DLC, but it also means the graphical improvements weren't as grand as they could've been. DOA5 is still a solid fighter, but a lack of ambition, focus on DLC, and severe bugs in the Xbox One version means it's not amazing.
The Order: 1886 ends by leaving itself wide open for a sequel (The Order: 1887, one presumes), and I'm interested enough in the series' premise that I'll definitely give it a look. But I can only hope that inevitable sequel offers the sort of improvement we saw from Assassin's Creed to Assassin's Creed II. There's a decent game here, but it does little to set itself apart from those that clearly inspired it. Here's to the future, and to differentiation.
Evolve is somewhat difficult to recommend outside of a fairly limited context. The core gameplay is great, but everything surrounding it is problematic. As Bob says in his second opinion, hunting a monster with a group of friends really is sublime. But its attempts to add value outside of that core mostly fall flat, and its lasting appeal is hurt by the inherently problematic nature of random co-op and the rather shallow pool of available monsters (unless you're willing to shell out the extra money for a Behemoth). It may have been beyond Turtle Rock's resources, but Evolve really could have used a single-player campaign. Without it, it feels unfortunately limited—a single great idea buried under matchmaking queues, unbalanced A.I., and underwhelming tertiary modes. It may eventually be a lot more; but for now, Evolve's weaknesses outweigh its strengths.
Don't let Rainbow Curse's relatively small length put you off; it's a sublime experience that completely washes its hands of the padding most games employ to justify a retail release. If you're used to finishing games out of a sense of weary obligation, expect to be pleasantly surprised when this latest Kirby spin-off leaves you fully satisfied by the end of its final level.
A clever, abstract take on a bullet hell shooter that breaks the action up into very short bursts. It's challenging, fun to play and very addictive. A great indie game to play between AAA titles.