GamesBeat's Reviews
Dead Rising 3 proves to be one of the better launch games of this new hardware generation. The single-player is a bit too easy, and the map is far too large to lack a fast travel system. Capcom Vancouver's decision to make the shiniest zombie cliché over truly innovating on this worn out pop-culture trope was also disappointing. Most players will spend the majority of their time cutting through zombie hordes with electrified sledgehammers, however, and the mechanics of the crafting system and combat are solid enough to settle into an engrossing routine of making something and then stabbing a zombie with it.
If Crimson Dragon had been released for iOS or Android devices at a cheaper price, it would be one of the year's more interesting releases. Instead, the final product is a rushed, homogenized mess of a game that fails to live up to its loosely associated pedigree.
A Link Between Worlds is one of the 3DS’s best games and a new highlight in one of Nintendo’s most storied franchises.
Knack isn't going into the PlayStation 4 launch with a ridiculous amount of hype, but the end product seems like it'll be one of the better original titles to come out of the system's early exclusives. It hits enough checkboxes to warrant a look, but that $60 price should call for some thought before you buy in.
Killzone: Shadow Fall is a pretty game, gorgeous even. But the demand for moments to punctuate trailers or demos forced a sacrifice of story that it never quite recovers from. The OWL will find its place in history as one of the few controller-based mechanics to actually entertain, while the time spent in free fall may make players actually consider a plummet-related death. You find a stride in the minute-to-minute gameplay before drudgery sets in, and the multiplayer suite remains solid, if with a few new tenuous bells and whistles.
PC owners get the raw end of the deal on Contrast, which goes for 15 bucks on Steam right now. It's really only worthwhile for PlayStation Plus members getting it as a free download, especially since it doesn't even feel like it was finished on time.
Resogun does everything it promises, and not a a bit more. It has gorgeous graphics and solid skill-based gameplay, with valuable online co-op support and just enough content to keep things interesting for a while.
With Burial at Sea, Irrational's greatest accomplishment is resuscitating Rapture. The city is a visual feast, and the developer once again proves that it has some of the most talented environment artists in the industry.
Pokémon X and Y might mark a big visual jump for the series, but the structure remains steadfast in its dedication to tradition. These are still fun games that offer the potential for hundreds of hours of entertainment, and some of the new additions, like the Fairy-type, are certainly welcome. But X and Y don’t really stand out from their predecessors, and I really am starting to wonder how much longer Nintendo can repackage what is essentially the same game.
I'm never thought I would be this enthusiastic about an MMO again, but I'm in love with A Realm Reborn. Its beautiful world always offers something fun and interesting to do. Sure, it's not "the next big thing" for the genre, but A Realm Reborn shines with a hundred smart ideas and small touches. Final Fantasy fans in particular will love adventuring in the gorgeous world of Eorzea.
Neverwinter is a fun game, and it's an excellent introduction to the MMO genre. It doesn't feel like you need to dump hundreds of hours into it, either, which may be a drawback for those concerned about endgame. However, I only made it so far through, and Cryptic seems prepared to support the game with new content like Gauntlgrym and the free expansion Fury of the Feywild, which is due this summer.
Torchlight II is undoubtedly worth the price, and it’s high on replay value with new classes to discover. The problems it does have are mostly minor, but it’s not for gamers looking for an involved story. And in some places, it could use a little more depth.
If you liked Borderlands, you’ll love Borderlands 2. If you missed out on the original, don’t make that same mistake twice.
More importantly, the game’s best narrative trick — again borrowed from Silent Hill — is its mystery, leaving itself open to interpretation and examination. Who was the Man Who Wears A Box? The Seated Figure? The White-faced Man? Who was the brown-haired girl I held hands with in my dreams? The answers aren’t overtly clear, but I can’t wait to play again to find out.
This is a fun blend of classic and modern ideas: pixel graphics meet polygons and special effects, 2D gameplay meets a 3D world, twitchy reflex action meets a relaxed, easy pace.