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The gameplay design of Torchlight III is fun and motivating, but it has some deeper flaws that need to be addressed. Players must have a balance of difficulty and challenge. Giving players too much advantage at the beginning and overpowering them will not benefit the longevity of the game. If you need proof, go look at Bungie's Destiny 2, which is struggling to maintain challenging content, while believing that making players 'grind' for shoddy rewards is the right solution for the issue. Finding that balance of building up a character properly and delivering difficulty and challenging enemies along the way is what other action RPGs, like Diablo, classics. Echtra Games did a great job with the initial groundwork of Torchlight III's gameplay design, but it needs a bit more balance in some backend areas.
Destiny 2 is what we hoped Destiny would be. While it still may not be what everyone wanted it to be but it is, to me, a fantastic and entertaining FPS MMO with plenty of content to keep you entertained.
Though it doesn't reinvent the rogeulike genre, Fury Unleashed makes a name for itself through its comic book style and action-heavy combo system that relies on agile shooting and swift thinking.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons enriches the feel of classic beat 'em ups. The basics are supplemented with modern sensibilities that sprinkle in some variety but perhaps not enough longevity for players drawn in by its "roguelite" branding.
The gameplay certainly isn't perfect, as the younger audience that Tose and Square Enix are trying to reach rears its head in the gameplay structure once in awhile through the game's flow and simplicity, but World of Final Fantasy is diverse and deep enough to keep the excitement going from beginning to end. Just come prepared with a good GPU to push it on the PC. [Nathaniel Stevens separately reviewed the PC (8.3) and PS4 (8.6) versions. Their scores have been averaged.]
Dragon Ball FighterZ is fantastically animated and one of the more interesting fighting games that I've ever come across. It's an epic game to play by yourself or head-to-head with some friends.
Frantics is a fun four-player party game that does its beset imitation of being a Mario Party lite. It's engaging, fun, at times frustrating, but nonetheless a good addition to the PlayLink game family.
Unforeseen Incidents checks all the boxes for what constitutes a great point and click adventure game. Solid characters, a good story, good puzzles that are balanced, and an impressive presentation thanks to well-drawn art/animations and a good aural package.
Overall, this is the best version of Hitman you can get, as it is the complete version. This is especially nice, if you don't own any of the prior content.
The majority of my experience with Destiny 2: Forsaken over the last two weeks has been overwhelmingly positive. I think the addition of Gambit, the change up of gameplay design and leveling, the raid, and the sense of scale with the two additional maps has really notched the entertainment value for this series up quite a bit. Forsaken truly is the best thing that has happened to the series. They do need to get crucible cleaned up, though, and sooner rather than later.
They're all worth experiencing if you've never done so before, and with the terrific presentation, true-to-form gameplay, and extensive bonus content, Legacy Collection is certainly the best way to go about it.
As far as presentation, Unavowed has twice the resolution of a typical Wadjet Eye title (640×360), but more importantly the art work looks great. Voice-acting and dialog is nicely done, and you can also enable a commentary track as you play to learn more about the development. In sum, if you enjoy the genre, you're sure to enjoy Unavowed.
Overall, if you liked Patapon 2 back in the day, you're going to enjoy this release on the PlayStation 4. It doesn't do anything particularly special other than giving you the game you might have loved in 2009 on a bigger screen.
Overall, with all its gameplay design simplicity on the surface, Journey to the Savage Planet still held some fun discoveries along the way that was drenched in short stints of tongue/cheek humor. It does bring a solid adventure and the fact that you can co-op with a friend helps to keep it all fresh and fun.
The Wizards creates a nice environment to explore and provides a short adventure to draw gamers into a magical land. Unfortunately, the unpredictable VR controls frustrate gameplay and are a distraction from totally enjoying an immersive wizard experience.
Blasphemous is a delightfully dark game with superb style. This Kickstarter success pairs magnificent world-building with clever combat mechanics. A player must have precision timing, as every hit point is vital. One wrong move could be a fatal error. This intense game feels very much like a 2D platforming version of games like Dark Souls or Bloodborne.
The ultimate love letter to fans of the Etrian Odyssey universe, Nexus serves as a bittersweet—and gargantuan—farewell to the 3DS for a series perfectly suited to the platform.
Fire Emblem Warriors is the scheduled consequence of Hyrule Warriors; a sword-friendly Nintendo treasure paired with Omega Force's quantitatively indisputable knack for mowing down thousands of bad guys in the pursuit of an even worse guy. Somehow, in spite of the presumed absence of inspiration, Fire Emblem Warriors remains engaging. It will always be fun to destroy perpetuating hoards with only a modest commitment from your mind.
I'm shocked with the scope, the size, and the feel to a game that is now two years old (as of March 7th). It is still very much a unique title that offers up about everything you ever dreamed in one single experience. The fact that you'll want to replay it speaks volumes about what is in store for you. There aren't a lot of games that make you want to revisit them so quickly, but NieR: Automata is definitely one of them.
Skellboy's strong points come from its writing and visual identity, not from its combat and gameplay. While there are certainly some unique mechanics to keep the game going, there isn't much there to keep players invested. The game is enjoyable enough to get through the story alone, just don't expect a deep gameplay loop within.