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First party franchises may not hold the same importance from a pure sales standpoint as they did in the 1990s and early 2000s, but they still play a vital role in branding. In-house exclusives are vehicles for advertising and product recognition. From big conferences to little banner ads on mobile devices, creations like Gears of War become pivotal elements in which the elixir of lure is concocted. It's Delta Sqaud, it's wearing amror with a bandana instead of a helmet, it's lambasting your way through any and all problems and forgetting to ask questions later, it's the Crimson Omen. This level of iconography would not have a pronounced effect if it were not proliferated by games that people wanted to play again and again. Repeatedly, Gears has provided the Xbox with a trusty destination for players looking to feed their inane desire for unadulterated virtual violence. And very few have done this better over the past decade. Fortunately for us brutish meatheads, the fourth numbered installment carries the flag adeptly and waves it heartily for everyone to see. The Coalition has done a fabulous job taking the framework principles of Epic Games and applying them to a project for the new machine. All the familiar gameplay aspects return with a few new tricks to increase offensive agency. Campaign is worthy of its ancestors and will probably prompt more than one play through for hardcore fans. Versus and Horde 3.0 both add tons of replayability and the presentation package is the best in series history and is contemporaneously adroit. Gears of War 4 will be one of the pre-eminent shooting galleries this holiday.
It’s no Thousand-Year Door, but Color Splash really does provide an overarching sense of consonance which was conspicuously absent from Sticker Star and even Super Paper Mario. It’s a good balance of humor, environment, variety, and casual puzzle elements. And it seems likely that, provided they can sit back and relax and reset their expectations for the franchise, the fanbase will really enjoy what it brings to the table.
Severed is a short adventure that has a lot of major gameplay elements packed into it. Its unique art style will keep your eyes engaged, while your brain will be firmly occupied with the puzzles and sword play. There’s not a lot more you could ask for from a $14.99 game.
God Eater 2: Rage Burst’s gameplay is driven by a bevy of missions, some great enemies and a variety of different, interesting loadouts to help make the experience fun and somewhat deep. The shortcomings are outweighed by these positives, though those shortcomings come in the form of linear landscapes, plain graphics and difficult controls. Regardless, Shift did a good job overall.
Clustertruck posits a world in which a mysterious force must fashionably break the will of a congregation of sentient eighteen-wheelers whom do not care if they live or die. This is exactly as fun as you think it is. A detectable absence of precision and available control may disappoint those hoping for a more air-tight platformer, but also this game is called "Clustertruck." It performs as advertised.
In the last several years, this game has really set itself apart with one or two other yearly sports releases as being around the top. An argument could be formed that no other athletic franchises have benefited from the increased hardware capacity of this generation more than NBA 2K and FIFA. In my estimation, those two have been neck-and-neck for sports GOY honors since 2013. Which one will hoist that trophy this fall remains to be seen, but EA Canada has definitely thrown down the gauntlet. Gameplay needs a round of buffs and nerfs in the "finer points," but the overall base is strong, particularly for nascent engine usage. Creation of The Journey is very welcome, and should be popular enough to warrant inclusion, and perhaps expansion, next year. All of the familiar modes are on the roster with a few new tricks up its kit sleeve here and there. Throw on expected opulent sights and sounds, and what we have is another worthy addition to the physical/digital shelf. If this is a usual 12 month purchasing decision for you, absolutely no reason to stop now. Uninstall 16 and get up with the new team!
Destiny - Rise of Iron is a worthy addition to the Destiny expansion family. It brings more fun, better balance (risk/rewards) and a tough raid. Definitely a step up, but still contains some old caveats that the series can't quite shake in PvP that hurt it just a bit. Overall, it's a great expansion for the series.
The complex nature of videogame creation usually precludes exclusive compositions. When allowed, however, you're likely to find a piece of the designer's soul buried in the experience. Memoir En Code: Reissue embodies this sentiment with its delicate recreation of tense and peaceful moments of its author's life. It's funny, painful, relatable and, unfortunately, a little heartbreaking.
A perfect enigma is a perpetual struggle between tenable doubt and informed speculation. This is difficult to produce in any creative medium, let alone one that relies on personal interaction. Videogames almost never attempt to do this. Virginia does. The fallout could have been an obtuse curiosity, but it succeeds in throttling tension through subdued parlance, laying out a series of clues and challenging the player to organize them into a cogent (and personalized) picture of the story.
Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice is more positive than negative. It is developed to tap that deep nostalgia that Sonic fans have for the series, while bringing in some new elements that make it more than just an arcade platformer. While it isn’t perfect, especially the controls, it’s still a very entertaining experience that should satisfy the Sonic the Hedgehog fanbase. Sanzaru Games did a fabulous job with it and I hope they continue to make more Sonic games in the very near future.
It would be easy for an observer to write off the Horizon flavor of Forza as a campy, amateurish, uninspired offshoot. Turn 10 and Playground's partnership has consistently worked to thwart these potential worries with solid mechanics that tweak certain aspects of Motorsport to be a touch less sartorial. It's a delicate balance that the two teams have gotten correct twice previous. Things are reliably no different this time around. Everything that gives driving the festival its own identity is here again, with just a twinge less sophistry in racing environments. The slight changes make competitions more prim and proper without having an overt effect on free roaming joy rides. A dizzyingly expansive event list tandems with a solid online component of good range. The Blueprint system is a respectable attempt to add more community interaction that should beneficially evolve in post launch weeks and months. Another awesome selection of four wheeled creations get to speed, skid, and slide along in stunning backdrops with a refreshing soundtrack to boot. Everything we've come to expect from the Horizon festival is back in spades, which is motor music to every virtual gear head's ears!
An old classic revitalized and modernized in the right ways, preserving its core and best features while streamlining other elements to make it not only more enjoyable, but also more penetrable for the average player. Highly recommended.
If I were to sum up ReCore in one word it would be 'fun' -- it's absolutely worth playing, especially at the low MSRP of $40.
Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 is a tough, uphill experience that might have a few things going against it in terms of frustration, but the game also has a lot going for it in terms of challenge. Gamers generally cry about games being too quick and easy, so Bandai Namco Studios has created something that goes against that grain. Certainly this is the Dark Souls of the Pac-Man series.
What was once an assembly of divergent systems is now a finely tuned machine, one that enables a man to combine a bull skull with motor oil and use it to liquidate scores of zombies. Dead Rising 2 brought focus and direction to an experience that used to be defined by chaos and disorder. Pandemonium isn't completely wiped out, but this time it works with, rather than against, the player's objectives.
In 2011, a faintly redressed model of Dead Rising 2 and a replacement hero in Frank West may have seemed crass. Now, with both Dead Rising 2 and Dead Rising 2: Off the Record released simultaneously and priced identically, it's a simple matter of choice. Do you want Dead Rising 2 as it was conceived, or a genetically modified clone that's less inspired but, technically, a lot more fun?
In 2006, Dead Rising's clever assembly of ideas rampaged against comfort and cohesion. Time has been kind to Dead Rising's sharp edge of nonconformity, though some of its quirks feel frustrating after two (and a half) sequels provided a better defense of its thesis.
Finally arriving on the Wii U, Axiom Verge still packs a mighty punch long after its initial release.
A beautiful game in several ways, Jotun is a treat that Wii U owners should not pass up.
NHL 17 is a game that overwhelms you with variety of play as well as feedback aimed at making you a better, happier player. Outside of a collection of new game modes including Draft Champions, Franchise Mode and the World Cup of Hockey, everything here is largely the same. The game still looks great. Still feels great. And most importantly, it still plays great. Little refinements throughout yield small but noticeable improvements on the experience.