Digital Chumps
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Only Final Fantasy could get away with the paradox of a clean slate that simultaneously references countless tropes endemic to its name. Type-0 HD can feel like the tortuous result of hasty assembly, but if allowed the time and energy to piece itself together, it stands as clear and original as others bearing its exalted title.
The joy of I Am Bread is the frustration that you have to go through to get to its goals . The wacky control scheme and the uncooperativeness of it all is a planned design, as well as the driving point for the game. Much like Bossa Studios' Surgeon Simulator, which is more about the complication of trying to perform surgery with individually assigned buttons for fingers, I Am Bread is lighter version of that same concept where it's not quite as frustrating, but still nonetheless a chore to play through.
Overall, the gameplay for Madden NFL 16 has been refined, simplified and improved. It feels like it's going back to a time where playing a football game was less of a chore and more fun. I think EA Tiburon hit the right notes with this year's Madden and has opened the door for everyone wanting to play a good game of football on their current generation system. Kudos to them for logical and entertaining gameplay improvements.
An indie gem that shouldn't be missed regardless of your platform of choice. It would have been ideal to see this re-release separate itself more from previous versions, but it's still a very good and memorable experience.
If anyone reading this has a One but hasn't experienced Gears first hand, this is a must buy right before the rush of the holiday releases really gets going in a month or so. For long time Gear heads, I still think this is a worthy hard drive partition, and makes retiring the 360 from your HDMI ports that much easier.
Until Dawn doesn't hide what it's trying to do. It's a game that focuses on story and QTE heavy gameplay. It has linear design driving it, while only deviating from the course with player choices, which affect the direction of the story. If you can accept these things, and realize it's not perfect, then you're going to probably enjoy Supermassive Games' horror show.
The premise of Hacknet and my preexisting interest in the idea of a UNIX-based hacking sim had me going into this excited and hopeful. The quality gameplay and sense of reward from figuring things out kept me playing hours on end, and excited to tell others how cool of a game this was. Check it out.
The Descent is a good addition to the Dragon Age: Inquisition family. It has great atmosphere, wonderful level design and motivates the player to explore the Deep Roads a bit. It does get repetitive in the enemy department, and brutal at times in terms of difficulty, though the rewards help to ease the pain a bit.
Everybody's Gone to the Rapture's take on interactive fiction is admirable, even in its struggle to manage personal discovery alongside narrative composition. I love its calamitous tranquility, I identify with the plights of its characters, and I'm enamored with its confident storytelling, but its reluctance to disclose its disposition adversely affects its capability. Everybody's Gone to the Rapture is at the front of the line, although I can't help but wonder if it could have started its own path.
Galak-Z pushes the freewheeling buoyancy of 80's anime against a hostile ecosystem of evil empires, insane pirates, and skeevy space bugs. Beneath this veneer of chaos is a shifting alliance of applied skill and honest luck, and muscling toward the former forces the player to fight every fight like it's their last. As roguelikes go, Galak-Z's tireless air of optimism makes a case for its own dimension.
The Swindle is frustrating at first glance, but smooths out to spread its steampunk wings thanks to some good depth, variety and quick gameplay style.
Rare Replay is loaded with gems and classics that by and large have stood the test of time. Modern tweaks and goodies make it all the more worthwhile. It's the best value in gaming, and sets the bar for any compilation going forward.
Legend of Kay Anniversary is a worthy nod to a 2005 game. Despite its flaws, such as the irritating camera movement, it contains some fun moments, improved graphics and a few other little things to remind you how good it was back in the day.
It's easy to get lost inside Submerged's desolate seascapes. Its desire for pacifism and drive for hope are worthy talents, but it's the call to adventure—to indulge and explore marine tranquility and conquering vegetation—that you'll keep with you, if only for a little while.
There are people who care about Formula 1 more than you and I care about anything. F1 2015 rewards their passion with an impressive simulation of not only the actual races, but a slice of the elegant culture surrounding the sport. Unfortunately F1 2015 doesn't have room for much of anything else, finding itself lapped by modern peers in expected features and ease of approach.
As a raw turn based SRPG, Lost Dimension would not be particularly impressive. The x-factor that makes it so interesting and different is the traitor-system that adds layers of intrigue, strategy, and makes the entire experience much more interactive and robust.
Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold is a hardcore dungeon crawler flaunting an old-school difficulty, yet imbued with modern sensibilities and accessibility. It's a terrific addition to a beloved series, and it's truly probably also the best entry to date.
Godzilla is not a terrible game, but it's just not a lot of fun. The repetition sets in very early and it becomes a chore to play for all but the most diehard of fans.
The Magic Circle is a playable videogame about a broken videogame made by people who aren't good at making videogames. While you're busy sorting between layers of candid reality and marginal fiction, The Magic Circle swiftly installs an impressive degree of agency behind its narrative and mechanics. It's not exactly commentary or criticism, but a relatable demonstration of game development hell and, ironically, one that's fun to engage as an untethered party.
Victor Vran is a very competent and solid game that dungeon crawling ARPG fans should not miss.