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Only clocking in at roughly two and a half hours, the whole experience is over rather quickly, but that's enough time to give players a clear satisfying story for those that paid attention to notes. It isn't all that innovative but truly, it doesn't have to be. If you're playing this, you're playing for the narrative.
[T]he baseball itself is as good as ever, and one of the better modes, Road to the Show, is far less clunky this time around.
If you are tired of always playing Cards Against Humanity, Monopoly, and that Gargoyles board game on Laserdisc, then Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes will certainly give you the fix you're looking for, pending you have friends ready to be committed to the task at hand. If not, Gargoyles is always a good choice. Trust me.
Hearing about how different Star Fox Zero was compared to its inception, it's almost like Miyamoto jettisoned most of the new ideas in favor of playing it safe due to complaints from testers. Even with Platinum's involvement, it's a confusing project that isn't quite sure of itself, wanting to try new things while simultaneously reigning it in. Despite these blemishes, I enjoyed my time with it.
That said BlazeRush is easily recommendable as one of the experiences to show off your fancy new toy if you get a Rift. It certainly has that initial "wow factor" even though it isn't the kind of game that comes to mind when most people think virtual reality. It just isn't an experience I can recommend for gameplay as it leaves much to be desired; such as people to play with online, as there were none.
Ultimately, Star Fox Guard's relationship to the adventures of Fox McCloud is skin deep. As spin-offs go, it's not a compelling addition to the series, so much as it is a substantially unconnected, but inventive take on the tower defense genre that is lucky to be riding on the coattails of an established franchise.
It's not as impressive as Der Eisendrache or the aforementioned Shadows of Evil though. This is mostly due to fatigue from the same cast that has been around since World at War, as there's only so many times you can hear Steve Blum call a zombie a "freakbag" before your eyes start to roll in the back of your head. I really liked seeing Heather Graham kick Lovecraftian ass in the base Black Ops III map.
There is obvious talent at work behind Phantasmal. The lighting and setting are amazing and there are some great ideas buried way underneath all the bugs and issues. I hope they can learn from the mistakes of this title and release something that lives up to the potential that they display.
Bravely Second is a missed opportunity in many ways. It's too similar to the original to woo a new crowd, and any risks it takes are narrative-centric and mostly fall flat. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to still be playing JRPGs in 2016, but it's more important than ever for studios to avoid resting on their laurels.
As a product for humans though, I can't see Wasteland Workshop as anything but a bad buy. A cynical ploy to pad out the “value” of the Season Pass and maybe milk a few weirdos like me who just can't resist neon lights. If you have the Season Pass, I guess you might get some use out of this. If you were waiting to see if you wanted this al a carte, you would be better off going with Automatron. At least the robots haven't turned on me... yet.
Initially, I wasn't all that excited to hear about a Ratchet & Clank reboot, but having actually played it, I don't mind seeing a resurgence at all. This feels like a last-ditch effort for Sony to bring this series into the spotlight again, and honestly, I hope it works out.
Even with the slow grind, I have no reservations saying Stranger of Sword City is a damn fine dungeon crawler. It's challenging, it's beautiful to look at, and it kept me on my toes throughout the adventure as I walked the fine line between playing it smart and playing it dangerously. If this game can make a believer out of me, imagine what die-hard dungeon crawler fans will think of it.
The beauty of Epic Dumpster Bear is how it isn't afraid to say "This is fucking stupid and ugly, I admit that, but that's the point." The overall presentation somehow mixes great music and tight platforming with a hilariously dumb story and purchased assets to make something surprisingly playable and enjoyable. This one goes in the so bad its good category.
Since its release, Killer Instinct has slowly become one of the most competent fighters in the genre. It's accessible at all levels thanks to its approachable yet deep combo system and extensive tutorial. Its characters, including the new ones from Season 3, all have unique mechanics and tons of small touches that bring them to life. With an efficient and non-scummy free-to-play model and PC availability, there are few reasons not to jump into Killer Instinct.
It's a different sort of game when compared to its brothers, but it works very well in the space it occupies. It's unfortunate that there are quite a handful of technical issues, because otherwise this is a great excuse to head back to the Sword Coast.
It's business as usual in terms of the moment-to-moment happenings, but it benefits from the altered structure that eschews multi-episode arcs in favor of singular experiences. For the first time in the series, I'm looking forward to continuing onward, if only a little.
Aegis of Earth: Protonovus Assault is proof positive that one good idea can’t carry a title. The central gimmick is a good one, but there is just no reason to subject yourself to a game so unambitious and condescending.
With tons to find, unlock and kill, Enter the Gungeon is easily recommendable to those that don't mind a bit of repetition and difficulty, and especially to fans of Nuclear Throne and Binding of Isaac. While it doesn't totally reinvent the twin-stick shooter, it has all but perfected it and is worth every penny.
Esper 2 constantly reminded me of a bygone era and the future of VR at the same time. It borrows a lot of inspiration from classic PC adventure games, but also manages to inject some of its own signature humor in and usher us into the new dawn of virtual reality without feeling like a tech demo -- even if the experience itself is fleeting.
Even though I generally dig Outer Rim, I think it's a fairly tough sell as a standalone add-on given the current pricing. If you're way into the game, specifically the smaller modes, it has some of the better content in all of Battlefront. But otherwise, I'd stick with the free updates for now and wait to see how the three other packs in the season pass play out before committing to the full bundle.