USgamer's Reviews
Far Cry 4 certainly features a lot to love, but Ubi's continued buffet-style approach to content has the game wearing out its welcome far earlier than it should. Still, if you're willing to adopt a pick-and-choose approach to its unbelievable amount of stuff to do, you should have a good time—just don't expect to digest everything it has to offer.
By far the best-looking World of Warcraft expansion yet, and it's filled with quality content. However, the character and stat overhaul has left the gameplay feeling a little too simple and rote.
Ardennes Assault represents an intriguing twist on the established Company of Heroes 2 formula, introducing a strategic element that adds to the scope of the combat and offers a more complete picture of the Battle of the Bulge than has typically been possible in a real-time strategy game. In that, Relic's latest standalone expansion represents the best elements of real-time and turn-based strategy, making it worth playing for anyone who appreciates the form and likes to see it taken in new directions.
Persona Q represents a bit of a risk, bringing together two RPG series that, despite their common parentage, focus on entirely different facets of the genre. But it works, with the Persona elements livening up the dungeon-crawling and the Etrian Odyssey components bringing some merciless old-school discipline to the unruly Persona sub-universe. Though admittedly fans of the two series will get the most from the crossover, this lively, complex adventure works as a great RPG by any standard.
As a tribute to all things Nintendo, Super Smash Bros. can hardly be topped. The attention to detail afforded to its characters is matched only by the comprehensive nature of its soundtrack and stage selection. On top of that, the Wii U brings with it a huge amount of single-player and multiplayer content, putting it a notch above its similarly strong handheld counterpart. Running through Classic Mode and the like to unlock characters can be the tiniest bit tedious, and the Amiibos don't stand out as a particularly worthy addition, but there's otherwise very little to complain about in this excellent high-definition update of Nintendo's much-loved mash-up.
Pokémon remains as unique as they come among RPGs—a monster collection game that effortlessly blends social gaming with deep battle mechanics. In returning to the series' third generation, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire bring back many of the elements that defined the originals while also being some of the most accessible entries to date. That said, they can be a little too easy at times, and the postgame content feels a bit lacking in light of what's come before. Regardless, they are enjoyable remakes that appropriately capture one of the more peculiar periods in the series' history.
A tricky and challenging single-player game, joyously mad multiplayer action, and an incredibly in-depth creator mode combine to deliver what is without doubt, the best LittleBigPlanet game yet. Wonderful stuff.
Rockstar Games revisits last year's heist-filled romp with a new version on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. With the new power, the developer has added more depth and life to the world of Los Santos. It's the same game, but the new visual effects and first-person mode provides a strong experience. It's not completely worth a double-dip if you tore through the original GTA V, but it's definitely worth a second look.
Dragon Age: Inquisition is a graphical showcase for the next-generation consoles—a sprawling, beautiful open-world RPG with a deeply satisfying exploration loop and just enough in the way of mechanical depth to keep hardcore adventurers happy. At more than 50 hours for a single run through the story, it packs in a tremendous amount of content across a wide number of locations. After stumbling a bit of their past few releases, BioWare has recovered to deliver a truly excellent piece of epic fantasy.
Unity attempts to improve on some of Assassin's Creed's innate problems, but it misses the mark as often as it hits. Nevertheless, you'll want to play it for the gorgeous rendition of revolutionary (etc.) France and the involving, opened-ended primary assassination missions. It's clear Ubisoft is trying to shake up the series a bit, but next time they need to shake a little harder.
MotoGP 14 delivers exciting, challenging and surprisingly deep motorcycle racing action. It's audio-visuals feel disappointingly last-generation, however.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection clearly sets out to be one of the videogame tributes ever assembled; and in doing so, its hard not to be impressed by the scope and ambition of its efforts. This is the definitive collection of Halo: Combat Evolved through Halo 4, effectively presenting both classic and remixed content in a way that makes it feel like more than a simple trip down memory lane. Assuming it avoids issues with multiplayer stability, it's possible that it will end up being relevant as a shooter for a long time to come.
Tasked with leading Call of Duty into the next generation, Sledgehammer Games is off to a cautious start. Advanced Warfare executes the formula competently while adding a handful of bells and whistles like mechs, laser cannons, and double jumps; but Sledgehammer Games seems reluctant to really cut loose and push the setting to its fullest potential, making Advanced Warfare a solid but ultimately unexciting entry in the series.
Fantasia is a great example of a quality Kinect game. It's solid, is really enjoyable to play, and it works almost flawlessly. It's a reminder of what Microsoft's unpopular peripheral is best used for: kinetic, aerobic gameplay, choreographed to deliver an experience whose exertions ebb and flow in sympathy with the game. Were there more titles available like this, I imagine I'd be using my Kinect a lot more. But for now, it seems that this might well be the last major Kinect game. At least, for the foreseeable future.
Sunset Overdrive is a welcome change of pace from the dour, serious AAA games we've been playing all year. Insomniac asks "who do you want to be?" with tons of customization options, some great weapons, and a very physical way to get around the city. The game feels a bit light in the content department, but it's undeniably fun.
The Legend of Korra is a game that has a clear understanding of the source material, but without the budget to really dig in and do that material justice. Platinum offers up a diet version of the gameplay that made it famous, which is still difficult enough to stymie casual players. For $15 though, fans may find the best Avatar game available.
I was worried going in that Civilization: Beyond Earth would be little more than a re-skinned Civilization V with a few added bells and whistles; but thankfully, the flow, structure, and overall feel of the strategy makes for a very different game. At the same time though, it embraces its roots, while also playing its sci-fi inspirations to the hilt. Firaxis Games can still take the concept further, but ultimately, I like the foundation they've laid with their latest foray into science fiction strategy.
With this game, a cult favorite comes into its own. Shantae has always been a passion project for WayForward, but this is the first time the series feels like it properly realizes the developer's ambition for it. A fun, funny, and pleasant substantial Metroid-alike boasting phenomenal old-school visuals and a refreshing sense of optimism, it's both an eShop standout and a great (though by no means final) conclusion to a slow-burning trilogy of games.
The Evil Within is Shinji Mikami's return to the survival horror genre, but that return is muted. Overall, the Evil Within is solid and it definitely has some great moments, but poorly-implemented mechanics and a bland story bring down the overall package. Survival horror fans should pick it up, but others may want to wait until the price drops a bit.
Bayonetta 2 is the high-flying return of everyone's favorite Umbra Witch. Platinum Games pushes to the Wii U to its limit with fast action, magnificent vistas, and huge bosses. The addition of the original Bayonetta just pushes the entire package over the top. If you're a Devil May Cry fan, this is a must-buy.