ZTGD's Reviews
Crimsonland is now up there with Super Stardust HD as one of my favourite twin-stick shooters. It may not blow you away with the visuals, but looks certainly don't matter when it's packing this much content. Added to the fact that the Xbox One version includes new content, this is a must buy for fans of the genre and for those looking for a fun co-op experience.
This final episode does some really interesting things, wraps up everything in an emotional way, and leaves me thinking about it even hours after seeing the final scene. If you haven't played through this game yet, do yourself a favor and do it. Hopefully, you'll feel the way I have throughout this adventure.
It's still Assassin's Creed to its core, and won't bring in any new people or those that completely have tired from the franchise. Yet I can proudly say Syndicate sits right behind Assassin's Creed 2, Brotherhood, and Black Flag as my favorites out of the franchise.
After some time with Prison Architect, I can't say that that I've completely warmed up to the genre just yet. Still, that doesn't mean I regret the time I spent playing it either. Even though Prison Architect has its share of flaws and limitations, it's still a fun experience I'm sure fans of the genre will enjoy.
Yoshi's Woolly World is Nintendo doing what Nintendo does best; create a colorful world full of precision that spans generations. I loved it, my son adores it, and gamers everywhere will not be able to play it without smiling. Nothing about it changes the genre for better or worse, but that doesn't change the fact that Nintendo still makes some of the best games out there. If you own a Wii U, it is definitely worth checking out, if for nothing more than the smile it will put on your face, the entire time you play it.
A lot of the issues with GHTV is that it is confusing to understand how it works within the game. Players are used to just buying songs a la carte. The new six button setup will also throw players for a loop. Again, I totally respect the new direction, but the familiar tones of its competitor really draw me to prefer that offering. Plus I can play what songs I want, when I want. I will be interested to see how this game evolves over time, and I hope like Harmonix, they intend it just to be a platform. I don't want to see Guitar Hero Live 2 next year. As it stands though, this is one purchase I am finding a hard time recommending to those that already bought into Rock Band's ecosystem.
All in all, this is a pretty great pack that has some really well done tables in it. There are a few hiccups with the Archer table, and while it wasn't my cup of tea, people have different tastes in pinball tables. Even then, there is a lot to have in the Balls of Glory pack. Zen Pinball players should pick this up without a doubt. More pinball is always a good thing and Zen knows how to make some fun tables.
[I]t's got an interesting story. It's got some really wicked visuals. The ghosts are creepy as shit. Some of the jump scares are pretty bad. And it just has this sense of creepiness that all the Fatal Frame games have had. So if you're familiar with this franchise, you're gonna be right at home. If you've never played 'um before, it's okay. The games kindof connect via some of the characters, but it's usually a completely new story, so you can jump right in this and still have a great time with it.
Ride seems to be a spiritual successor to MotoGP. While I didn't play those game back in the day, I can say I enjoyed my time with Ride. It is a niche genre, but this game is well done when it comes to creating a simulation motorcycle racing game that celebrates the culture. It looks nice, plays well, and has just enough in it to make it feel like both simulation and arcade at the same time. Motorcycle racing fans should give this one a shot. There's a lot of content in here for the bike enthusiasts to enjoy.
Elite: Dangerous is a massive game. I can't even begin to talk about how many star systems there are in the game, and you can go to them all if you choose to do so. That statement is both what defines this game as well as holds it back, but it only does that for the first few hours. The lack of direction is its biggest gift and its biggest curse. It is up to the player and player-base to make the fun for themselves. This is one of the best space sim games I have ever played. It can be a scary game, but if you let yourself get into it and really dig in deep, you will begin to see just how brilliant this game can be, just like I did.
Transformers: Devastation is a fantastic trip down memory lane for fans of the Generation One cartoon. As a video game, the combat is extremely satisfying, if not a tad repetitious. This game feels incomplete in some areas, like there should simply be more of it. That makes it hard to recommend to anyone not completely gaga over the cartoon. However, for anyone who grew up with Prime and Megatron constantly butting heads, this is a must-have title. I just hope Platinum gets the time to do a proper sequel, and really flesh out the incredible template they have created.
Overall the improvements to 2K16 cannot be ignored. The gameplay is better than it's ever been, the presentation is fantastic and the expansions to My League and My GM are very welcome. For someone like me however, for whom My Career is consistently the biggest draw, it's hard to not be disappointed. My hope is that next year 2K addresses my concerns in this area and finally delivers what I would consider the perfect hoops game.
Dragon Quest Heroes is just fun. The visual style is gorgeous, and the game play hits all the right notes with some fantastic pacing. Fans of the genre should definitely check it out, but even those usually put off by it, should definitely keep an eye on it. It quickly became one of my favorite sleeper games of the year. I didn't expect to even care, now I can't stop playing. I hope Omega Force continues to step outside the Warriors franchise to deliver these unique experiences, there are so many franchises that would benefit from this type of game.
Wasteland 2 is for players looking to get lost in world that seems perfectly comfortable in giving the players all the options at their fingertips. The wasteland is a host to deadly enemies, characters, and vile world, one in which I take my very own created desert rangers, with their own personal stories, my stories, and try to live… to see another day.
The Taken King easily eclipses both previous Destiny expansions in quantity and quality of content, and goes a long way towards making Destiny the game what so many of us have wanted.
Samurai Warriors 4-II is a weird step in the series. It isn't a typical remake or sequel, and it would almost benefit if it didn't carry the numbered moniker, even if it does share a lot in common with the previous game. Still, it is yet another solid entry in the series. Omega Force has become a machine at crafting these, and for those not yet tired of the setting, there is still a copious amount of fun to be had here.
FIFA 16 has a few nice additions, but failure to fix some of the franchise's ongoing problems, along with a massive focus on FUT leaves it feeling stale; especially seeing as PES seems to be scoring highly in reviews.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 is easily the biggest disappointment of the year for me. Not because I expected it to be great; but because I expected it to at least be enjoyable on some levels. Sadly it fails on almost every attempt. The core skating feels good, but never satisfying, and everything surrounding it just feels flat. I wanted this to the be the resurgence of the series, but it feels more like a budget game wrapped in a AAA game price.
There are a few performance issues here on console but that aside Talos Principal is an excellent puzzle based game that keeps players engaged and perplexed, a winning combination all around in my book.
There are those out there that will really love this game, but for the casual and even some hardcore RPG fans, this can quickly become a mess.