Michael Huber
Mario Party 10 feels like waiting in a line that never moves forward. It's completely possible to go through an entire match as a passive observer and still win first place. Occasional mini-games spice things up but their appearance is far too rare. Don't RSVP to this party.
While Sacred 3 isn't a broken mess, there are few redeeming qualities to be found. Linear levels, repetitive enemies, meaningless progression, and insulting voice acting add up to a dreary mechanical exercise. There are far better options for action RPGs than Sacred 3.
WWE 2K15 has attempted to create an authentic wrestling experience by slowing the pace to a crawl, and the result is a boring and unsatisfying. WWE 2K15 loses sight of what makes wrestling fun in the first place: high thrills, meaningful momentum changes, and unsuspected surprises. While it's fun reliving past rivalries, the stripped down create-a-superstar, laggy online, and lackluster career mode pin this year's game into a submission it simply can't break out of.
While it's a big improvement over last year and a clear step in the right direction, NBA Live 15 forgets that basketball is a team sport. Dunks are overpowered, rendering ball movement and teamwork pointless. Hopefully further refinement can produce a great basketball game in the future, but for 2015, NBA Live's advances are still overshadowed by flawed fundamentals.
Xenoverse is worth a recommendation for diehard Dragon Ball Z fans interested in participating in the story. Seeing your own created character interact with legendary moments from the anime is satisfying, and it's fun to witness characters like Nappa and Goku become allies. However, the shallow and repetitive gameplay lacks the same impact, and the long grind is a heavy burden. Those without such a strong attachment to the franchise may not be able to stomach the compromise.
While there are certainly some things to like about The Sims 4 such as building a custom mansion, or being visited by the Grim Reaper, the entire experience feels like a starter kit for bigger things in the future. If you had The Sims 3 and its multiple expansions, The Sims 4 will feel stripped down. If you have never played a Sims game, it might be a better option to hold off until The Sims 4 flourishes into a more complete package.