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Perhaps that is why its shortcomings are so glaring. What is good here is really good, but what is bad detracts enough that the entire package is a bit of a disappointment. A great piece of science fiction may ask a lot of hard questions and make the audience think. Halfway is not a great piece of science fiction, but it is a good strategy game for those willing to put some effort into it.
Warframe has a great foundation, but there's almost nothing unique or exciting about it. With a free-to-play scheme on top of how grindy the game feels in general (especially without a static group), it can wear on you even after a few hours of play. If you're looking for a new shooter, give it a shot on another platform if you can while the Xbox One bugs are being ironed out.
Occasionally, it doesn't feel quite weird enough to carry the whole concept of a human schoolgirl at an all-bird high school, but there's still plenty of laughs to be had for a brief experience that you're going to have to play through multiple times to fully enjoy.
Hearthstone: Curse of Naxxramas isn't too exciting for expert players, as they'll likely breeze past the content, but as a delivery system for cards, it's novel -- not to mention that all the same cards are given to every person. The bottom line is I'd love to see more add-ons like this in the future, and hope Blizzard supports Hearthstone for years to come. However you look at it, bare-bones or not, Naxx is a great start.
Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is two great tastes that taste great together, even if they don't congeal together until the finale. But wow, what a finale it is! The framerate issues are very unfortunate and the new Ace Attorney mechanics can make the game a bit repetitive, but with over 20 hours of well-written content, this is a game who will please fans of either series, and will delight anyone who is a fan of both series. This game is also a great entry point for either series, since it offers a glimpse into both without heavily favoring one or the other.
Full stop, inFamous: First Light is more Second Son, which is a good thing. Although I wasn't nearly as invested in Fetch as I was with Delsin's story, this is a great way for fans to return to the super-powered world of Seattle, and an even better way for newcomers to get a taste of the series.
I really enjoyed Season 2 of The Walking Dead overall, even if its finale lacks bite. It was original, compelling, and managed to deliver yet another interesting cast of characters to romp through the countryside with. I can safely say that Telltale hasn't run out of ideas yet, and I'd still love to see a Season 3 someday.
Aside from lacking robust online options and a few clunky menus, Lethal League is an amazing package. It's my personal favorite of the revival of couch co-op games, and may be my favorite "tell a friend" game of all time. I know I'll be spreading the word, and maybe even one day we will be watching streams of high-level League play. Team Reptile really hit it out of the park with this one.
CounterSpy nails its style. The angular art, the tight animation. Even the 2.5D cover mechanic stuff, the over-the-shoulder shooting, looks cool. But there is a weird tonal inconsistency to the whole thing that leaves it feeling unfinished despite the polish. The absurdist premise meant to invoke Dr. Strangelove is half-heartedly written with laziness that pretends at deadpan while the stealth is undercut by the stitched-together rooms used instead of careful design.
Hohokum may look bright and colorful, but it can feel awfully like stumbling around in a darkened room. It's a double-edged sword. Charting the unknown can feel as stressful as it is intoxicating. There's serenity to be found in the shadows, but it's just as easy to become agitated as you reach out into the black, searching for that elusive light switch.
When I first started playing Road Not Taken, I was completely enamored by its premise, style, and world. Slowly, bit by bit, I started having a little less fun as the levels progressed, as the game's initial intrigue wore off a little more. That's not to say it eventually becomes unplayable as I did enjoy the majority of the game, but make sure to bring extra patience along with you on this trip through the beaten path.
As it stands, Sacred 3 feels distinctly average. The game works well enough at what it presents and is largely annoyance-free (though the checkpointing system could be better and I had a save-game issue where my progress wasn't saved from one session to another) but there's better and more rewarding games out there right now that you should seek out first.
This is a unique game, presented as a traditional point-'n'-click adventure title but more focused on strategy and planning instead of puzzle solving. If you push on and don't give up, you'll be rewarded -- just expect a few heartbreaking moments first.
This season has been extremely consistent, and did a great job of hooking you in from the get-go. Clem has taken everything she's learned from Lee and applied it tenfold, to the point where these new connections she's made this year trump anything she's experienced personally with her former father-figure. Although Amid the Ruins doesn't really go for many jump scares and is clearly a table-setting episode for the explosive finale, it's very much worth playing through multiple times over.
Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty is roughly the same frequently soul-crushing, yet unique and rewarding game it was in the '90s. Even if you hated it back then, it's probably worth investigating the remake just to see if your puzzle skills have improved, even if there aren't a whole lot of extras ready for you this time around. In the end, Abe's adventure is a tale worth telling.
Though it is not bad, it is neither great. The basic gameplay concept is fine, and it works as a way to pass time in short bursts. It seems like it could work better if it were a pure skill game rather than the hybrid it is, and it surely would work better on mobile or handheld. The sheer volume of content available for the relatively low price is commendable, but while there is a lot to play in Squids Odyssey, there is not a lot to really love.
One Piece Unlimited World Red is a very standard action game that won't excite masters of the genre, but it has more than enough charm to make up for its simplicity. It also certainly helps that it's an original story, so hardcore fans of the manga or show will want to get in on Red even at a discount just to experience more Straw Hat goodness.
In a game like this where mastering the mechanics is key, there's a lot to learn early on in Abyss Odyssey and it can feel slightly overwhelming. Once you understand that you're only expected to get so far in, die, and come back again, you'll be able to get into a groove that allows you to explore further and further. While it would be nice to see some more variety in the level layouts and early enemies, there's still a really enjoyable and deep combat system that's reason enough to descend into the Abyss.
Still, most will come to MouseCraft for the puzzles, stay for the puzzles, and ignore the narrative (or lack thereof). To that end, it does an admirable job, constantly introducing new ideas so that each chunk of levels feels fresh. Over the four hours it takes to see the end, and additional time to complete entirely, it never overstays its welcome. The concept behind it is solid, and it has been developed well past that initial idea.
I don't want more Wolf Among Us -- I need more. It delivers a tone unlike anything Telltale has given us before, and really shows us how they've matured as a studio. The series has also influenced me to read Fables, the source material for Bigby's adventure, just so I can pass the time and hold out hope for a season two. If you're listening, Telltale, find a way.