Cheat Code Central
HomepageCheat Code Central's Reviews
If Ghost Games can find a way to properly refine and execute their ideas, they're on track to something great. Need for Speed: Payback, however, finishes in the middle of the pack, and that's a damn shame.
Overall what we have here is another Call of Duty, which means exactly what you think that means. Going back to basics will likely please the fanbase, which was vocally growing tired of the sci-fi stuff. The gameplay loops online are much less complicated, heading back to the “freeze tag with guns” and away from the more complex movement systems. The campaign feels like a greatest hits of Call of Duty moments, but falls short of standing out on its own, despite looking nice and being well-produced. Headquarters feels like an unstable attempt at Destiny-fying Call of Duty, but the amount of online multiplayer content available will help people overlook flaws and perhaps allow for future iteration. Call of Duty: WWII is a solid entry, but it feels more safe and standard than it should, especially standing next to its peers that took similar ideas and did more.
Super Mario Odyssey feels like a new glove that fits like an old glove, the new high point of a decades-long evolutionary process that is so smooth, so finely-tuned, that playing it nearly feels like an extension of yourself. It creeps up on you, the scale and design of it all, in a way that often doesn't dawn on you just how purely grand it is until you stop playing and reflect on your experience. In a year full to bursting of huge, great games, Super Mario Odyssey stands out by acknowledging what's cool and works about games today. It trims all the fat and doubles-down on not a gameplay loop, but a gameplay flow that feels effortless the whole way through. Even when you lose, when a challenging bit sends you sailing into the Nintendo-y abyss, you just keep going. Super Mario Odyssey is here to remind us how uniquely compelling jumping and flipping around a colorful video game space is and lets us indulge as long as we can stand it.
Assassin's Creed is one the greatest action-adventure franchises out there, though its hidden blades have been dulled of late from overexposure. After its brief sabbatical, Assassin's Creed: Origins enters the arena glistening in the Egyptian sun with quality and quantity. Whether you're a devout member of the Creed, someone who's fallen off the hay wagon, or even a prospective new member of the Brotherhood, this is the time to dig your blade deep into a succulent new Assassin's Creed.
By the end of Wolfenstein II; The New Colossus, I felt overwhelmed. It was a lot to take in, so much so that 15 hours felt like so much less. It was like going to a rock concert, riding a roller coaster, and reading a thinkpiece condemning the alt-right all at once. When I jumped in, I wasn't sure what to expect, especially with so much of the marketing playing up the comedic elements. What I got was more of what I liked in The New Order, but on a much larger scale, with ambitions that cared little for AAA conventions and comforts. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is a project that wears its heart on its sleeve, and that sleeve is on a bright yellow motorcycle jacket with a red devil on the back that is being worn by a Texan Terminator who finds great joy in hacking away at Nazi soldiers with a hatchet.
Gran Turismo Sport feels like a game people shouldn't be buying now. Rather, it is something that should be revisited in three or six months. There is too much that needs to be done here. While it handles and looks well, with an Arcade mode and online elements that are rather solid, the Campaign isn't fulfilling and too much gets locked away the second online connectivity has been taken away. There are too few cars and tracks here, something that will hopefully be remedied with both free and paid updates. If it gets the proper support, it could end up being a respectable entry in the series. At the moment, Gran Turismo Sport feels like a precursor to greater things.
South Park: The Fractured but Whole feels dated, shallow, and lacking in the purpose or self-awareness needed for a work of satire to hit its mark. It feels like it's trying too hard to recapture that edge. It is as if it believes that if it makes fun of black and queer people enough, it'll stir up those old headlines and controversies that made South Park feel like something more than another multi-million-dollar intellectual property pushed through a corporate conveyor belt.
WWE 2K18 may be my first foray into a WWE wrestling game in many years, but I enjoyed getting quick and dirty into matches and being part of the multilayered action that incorporates a variety of attacks, grapples, and submissions. The dramatic backstage elements were too lethargic, but the Road to Glory mode offers a great reason to keep improving my custom MyPlayer's craft. There's still some fine tuning needed in the animations and general visuals, but the overall feel of a faithful WWE experience is absolute and worth the ticket price for any dedicated fan.
If you are considering getting The Evil Within 2, be prepared for some slightly clunky movement and somewhat repetitive walking simulator sections. Past that, it's a wonderful sequel to a game that was originally sort of a miss, rather than a hit. You'll become just as invested as Sebastian is when trying to find his daughter and walk away from the experience feeling like you got your money's worth. The Evil Within 2 is well worth the purchase, but especially those who enjoyed the first game and want something more.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a definite improvement over Shadow of Mordor. People who played the first game and wanted to see serious growth will be pleased. There are times when it can feel a bit repetitive. I feel like I would have enjoyed it more if I could have spread the experience out over weeks, picking away at segments and really building up to those major sieges. But the Nemesis system does feel stronger this time around, with orcs that can be rather delightful as you continually fight them or prepare them to serve your own purposes in your army. If you don't take the story too seriously, you should have a good enough time.
Forza Motorsport 7 still has features that didn't make the deadline. Forzathon events, multiplayer Leagues, and the Auction House and Marketplace are currently listed as “Coming Soon”. However, what is already packed in is plenty of meat to digest, and no feature feels tacked on or a novelty. With a long and flexible solo campaign, quick multiplayer setups (including couch co-op), fun challenges, and lots ways to tweak your ride, wardrobe, and income, Turn 10 Studios continues to perfect their skill with another entry in one of the best racing series in the industry.
When all is said and done, FIFA 18 is a game I can get behind. A lot of the small annoyances have been fixed from last year, especially regarding player movements, and there's nothing like diving full force into The Journey with Alex Hunter. There's also the gorgeous graphics; it's truly a work of art when you stop and take it all in. The lack of FUT improvements knock it down a peg, but all in all the title is worth sinking your cash and time into. If anything, you'll love the way Rolando's perfect sculpted hair deflects the wind in one of the most beautiful stadiums ever constructed as those rowdy Real Madrid fans engage in a bit of tomfoolery. Just remember to take it all it and enjoy the ride.
When all is said and done, NBA 2K18 is a solid title that will carry you long into the winter with its upgraded features, massive amount of content, wide range of game modes, and overall better presentation. Its minor setbacks pale in comparison to the positives infused within this title. Yet again, 2K and Visual Concepts have combined to provide basketball fans another great installment. It's safe to say you can skip the NBA Live resurgence all together and stick with NBA 2K18.
Hopefully the novel I just wrote offers some perspective on where I came from going into Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. As a set of fighting game mechanics, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is hovering somewhere around brilliance, with a fascinating set of mechanics that respect the appeal of the series while dialing back on complexity for complexity's sake. At the same time, it feels like half the appeal of this series, the bright, colorful visuals, and high-energy, sometimes experimental soundtrack have all gone out the window in favor of a more generic, brand-friendly Marvel house style. Smooshed in-between is the game's story mode, which still managed to make me smile as a lifelong Capcom nerd. Despite the Marvel vs. Capcom brand power, the Capcom portion is absolutely the most important, but this time feels like it's fetching Marvel's coffee. But this isn't a kitschy mobile game, it's a Capcom fighter, and that Means Something – and I can't shake the feeling that the Marvel Machine doesn't care.
Ultimately there's a ton of content in NBA Live 18 for basketball and NBA nuts. While it doesn't have something comparable to Madden's Longshot, making it more accessible and distinct, there's still a ton here to do and enough variance that different kinds of players will probably find something to latch onto. For me, it was The One for sure, with its hodgepodge mix of RPG elements, character customization, and a more casual style of play. When I ran into issues, it usually felt like I had the deck stacked against me in a nasty cocktail of RNG, tough opponent AI, and bumbling teammate AI all working together to take my pride down a notch. A more integrated set of learning tools would have been nice, but the game is simple enough at the beginning to make ergonomic, video game language-style sense, which is a plus compared to the much more complex stylings of Madden or NHL. There's an uphill battle for this one to stand up to the NBA 2K Juggernaut, but it has a chance this time for sure.
NHL 18 delivers the gameplay improvements, renewed rosters, and added content that are the expected additions in an annually updated EA Sports game. Not every mode fits comfortably in the menu screen, but there's enough variety to satisfy gamers who like to control every inch of their season and those who prefer a quick thrill.
There are plenty of areas where Destiny 2 is doing well.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is a game that will surprise people. The level of quality and depth here is absolutely extraordinary. There are some very well thought out levels that involve doing more than just fighting one or two foes. The character movesets mean you'll have favorites you rely on often and others you find yourself needing for specialized situations. The campaign and hub are structured in a way that encourages you to return to retry levels or access new areas with recently acquired Beep-0 skills. It is one of the most charming and detailed games I have played in 2017 and I suspect it will go on to become one of the Switch's most memorable titles.
The Uncharted series may have moved away from our old pal Drake, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is as beautiful as ever, and its storyline is just as captivating as you would expect. In fact, the arch, peaks, and valley, in terms of its plot, are unmatched in the current landscape.
If you don't know what you're doing, play Longshot and figure out if you're into it or not. Maybe go through some tutorials, maybe get a more knowledgeable friend to walk you through the basics, and play some couch co-op together. Once you get your feet wet, get into MUT Squads and let your buddies play offense and defense, while you pick head coach and continue learning. Or you're already familiar but you aren't great, so you set the game to arcade mode, play Longshot a few times, then build up your MUT game to a huge OVR rating. Or, of course, you're a huge Madden nerd and you're tweaking the minutia in the options for hours before you even start playing. Madden NFL 18 wants to be a Madden for everyone, and it's built to allow a player of any skill level to mold their experience around themselves.