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Rise & Shine won’t likely single-handedly propel Super Mega Team to Indie Stardom. But it will certainly put them on the radar for gamers who like something different. Much like Supergiant’s Bastion, it’s the beginning of a bold new voice in games. It’s not perfect, but Rise & Shine’s a fun and frenetic little game that seems wholly worth the $15 bucks it costs on Steam and XBL. Recommended for those who like unique and challenging action games, and don’t mind the lack of longevity.
Yakuza 0 is a strong reminder of just how much potential the open world genre has for unique experiences. It’s easy to get bogged down with the long list of games that just give you a map full of tasks to complete. Yakuza 0 is not one of those games. It’s got a strong story to tell, and tons of genuinely fun and funny side ventures to partake in. On top of it all, its combat is so fun, you just might find yourself running around Japan looking for Mr. Shakedown to teach him a lesson.
When all is said and done, Brut@l is a decent hack’n’slash game with better-than-average combat and a totally wicked graphic style. While not on par with classic ARPGs like Diablo II or Titan Quest, it’s still a lot of fun and worth the $14.99 (11.99 through the 16th) price tag.
Sniper Elite 4 is in a class all its own with its long-ranged shooting, and quite frankly – don’t we all want to give it to a few Nazis these days?
As an arena sword fighter For Honor does an admirable job but it falls short in supporting an epic campaign. Hopefully the eternal war meta game can keep the players satisfied for the long haul. It’s easy to see the novelty wearing off for a lot of players before the end of the first season.
Puzzle fans will be delighted by the challenges it contains, but there’s a wider experience here that deserves to be discovered.
Creative Assembly and 343 Industries should be proud of their work here. Halo Wars 2 isn’t perfect, and it’s not likely to win over tons of new RTS fans. But for fans of the game-starved genre (which is admittedly seeing a resurgence of sorts), Halo Wars 2 is a bright spot. It’s a little shallow, a little greedy with Blitz cards, and a little short in the campaign. But it’s a good game overall, and one I’d gladly play more of in the future. Keep it up, CA and 343i.
Overall A Pixel Story is a ton of fun and aside from some minor glitches here and there it was a delight to play. Though I do recommend taking breaks if you’re struggling with any of the puzzles because it can get quite frustrating.
There are a lot of great platformers on the 3DS, and if you’ve already played Woolly World on the Wii U, it may not be worth shelling out another $40 for this lightly updated version. That said, there’s a real charm to the level design, some real challenge in its item hunt, and a whole lot of cuteness to its aesthetic. It’s not a game of the year, but for fans of Yoshi, it’s hard not to recommend this one.
In the end, it feels as though Zheroes is a game that can’t make up its mind about what it wants to be. It pulls elements from side-scrolling platformers, deep beat-em-ups, and button-mashing dungeon crawlers, but fails to bring them together. With a stronger vision, clearer direction, and more meaningful narrative, it could have been the sci-fi romp we were hoping for. As it is, this is one for niche die-hards only.
To sum it all up, Torment: Tides of Numenera is an amazing game set in a unique and easily recognizable setting. It has a very steep learning curve and a lot of complexity to the systems. Adding the sheer amount of information thrown at the Castoff, the game might be overwhelming for a new player. The companions are well written and varied in their behavior and reactions. Many NPCs are memorable and quest text quality is befitting of a book. In short, Numenera is a decent successor to Planescape: Torment and pays respects to the classic games of the genre.
Horizon Zero Dawn won’t be remembered for being superbly unique. It’ll be remembered because it’s so well-crafted, lovingly cared for, and downright stupendously executed. It doesn’t chart new territory in gameplay, but it charts plenty of new ground with its world, characters, and more. Guerilla took a major risk shifting IPs and genres, and with Horizon New Dawn they’ve created a universe I can’t wait to explore again. If you own a PlayStation 4, this is a game for you. And if you don’t? Maybe it’s time you bought one.
Sublevel Zero: Redux is a remastered and expanded version of the original 2015 release on PC. Having never played the PC version, I can’t comment on the changes to the original formula. What I can say consoles needed a 6DOF shooter a Sublevel Zero fills that void nicely. Its RPG and rogue-like elements elicit the addictive anticipation of one more run and, before you know it, you’re off again. The downsides of random generation aren’t unique to Sublevel Zero, but are disappointing nonetheless. The long-game isn’t quite there, and a few extra how-tos would be most welcome, but the mechanics of blasting your way through its robot infested halls are a lot of fun to master.
That’s not to say there aren’t problems with Stories Untold. The puzzles aren’t terribly hard, the scares aren’t particularly scary… But for what the game is trying to do, and actually accomplishes in its final act, it’s hard to really care about any of the minor flaws. I cannot recommend this game enough. I can see Stories Untold being one of the best, most unexpected indie gems of this year.
Wildlands is a shooter with a brain. Unlike most shooters, you're rewarded for careful approaches, timed shots, and planned executions. Your drone becomes a necessary ally, just as the Rebels become a wonderful assistant to your village onslaughts. Killing civilians isn't just collateral damage, but it can actually cause a game over. It's rare for an action game where anything goes to include that sort of reminder that not everyone is the bad guy.
Super Bomberman R is a good, not great, return for the franchise. It’s charming in its retro gameplay, but also a bit disappointing that the first new game in a decade does little to push the IP forward.
While the world often feels lifeless, and the combat runs on the routine side, the cast of loveable (and hateable) characters is sure to keep you locked to the screen a few hours at a time wondering where everything will lead. The game could’ve passed with the title Atelier Firis: The Mysterious Journey, because that’s exactly what it is. When I’m wrapped up with Atelier Firis, I’m likely to go back and check out the rest of the series as well and see just how we got to this point.
Styx: Shards of Darkness is everything you could expect this game to be and more. It offers hardcore stealth gameplay for those who are interested in it while simultaneously lowering the skill cap for those who just want to finish the game and do not shy away from a messy slaughter or alarm or two. It is hard to resist Styx’s wits and cockiness even in the middle of situation he gets into. If you were waiting for a sign that Styx: Shards of Darkness is an amazing game worthy of your time, consider this to be just it.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is not only the greatest game so far this year, it’s one of the greatest games ever created and a title we’ll all be playing years from now.
Whether it’s the combat system that is both new and familiar or multiplayer with its improvements or the interesting variety of quests or the epic score that screams Mass Effect, it all gels together into a whole. Ryder’s galaxy is as well-suited to her as the Milky Way was for Shepard. If we’re lucky, there are a lot more adventures in store for Ryder and her crew. To take a phrase from the original trilogy’s Anderson, “You did good, BioWare. You did good and I’m proud of you.”