Gears of War: Ultimate Edition felt like a bit of a mixed bag on the Xbox One. It was just too simple to go back and play the previous version of the game which is still damn good today. The lack of real improvements didn’t make this a “must own” and more of a nice addition to the library. But on PC if you’re even remotely interested in the series or just really like the idea of having that keyboard and mouse gameplay element added then this is a damn fine game. Read More.
Some writing fumbles aside I have a the pleasant time with Syndicate. The Assassin's Creed series has had a bit of a bumpy road lately so it's nice to see the games taking a more solid turn again. Even if it doesn't redefine storytelling or even action-adventure gaming in general it's still a fine addition to any gamer's library. With the talk of Ubisoft taking a break from the yearly releases to drop their next game in 2017 instead, it sounds like more effort will be put into making these top-tier games once again. After Syndicate I have to admit that I'm looking forward to it. Read More.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is an excellent game but it doesn’t really feel like it excels past the first game in this rebooted series. The original Tomb Raider for the PlayStation 1 laid the groundwork for this whole series only to be blown away by its sequel. Rise of the Tomb Raider doesn’t manage to do this. With all of that said it’s a great game, definitely in league with the previous entry. It’s just hard to shake the feeling that something more could have been done with the gameplay to really set it head and shoulders above its predecessor. It’ll just have to settle for being a great game I suppose. Read More.
I’m not going to say that this is a completely perfect game - it has flaws. But like any great piece of media it balances out any of its flaws with lots of good stuff. If there’s an issue it’s clearly because they tried something fantastic and it only half-succeeded. The overall package for Fallout 4 is one of the first must own titles of the newest console generation. Read More.
Between these design issues and the final boss, the game really just ended on a sour note for me. The extreme difficulty of these missions isn’t in a fun or challenging way, it’s just aggressively punishing and turns what should be a fun time into trial and error gameplay tinged with extreme frustration. It’s a shame to see a game with so much promise ruined by a few bad decisions. If not for these issues I would have no problem recommending this title but as it stands I have a very hard time doing so. If these issues are patched then I would happily recommend it but until then, it’s a pass. Read More.
One thing you can’t accuse Don’t Starve of is a dearth of content. There is so much to do, so much to see and so much to craft that it almost boggles the mind. The game doesn’t explain a single thing to you either so you’re expected to learn all of this stuff on the fly - a truly daunting task. But once you start climbing that steep, steep hill you’ll find yourself with a very rewarding experience. While the fact that death is permanent can be really off putting after spending hours on one character it creates a feeling of tension and danger that few games can even hope to match. Read More.
With all that said it’s not like the above problems really ruin the game. The price growth is annoying but it’s still a fairly cheap game. Only the class difficulty issue really impacts things so you might find yourself having to play on a lower difficulty with them but it’s still a nice option to have even if just for the challenge (or playing on easy difficulty). I personally enjoyed the experience here but it may definitely not be for anyone. I can only really recommend it for huge fans of the roguelike genre. For others I would suggest watching gameplay videos or trying it at a friends house before purchase. Read More.
Your opinion of this game will greatly vary depending on your relationship with the Forza series. If you are the type of person who wants to own every game in the series then this will happily sit on your shelf as one of the better ones right alongside Forza Horizon 2. However if you’re the sort of person who only wants to spend money on a game in a series when it’s a huge improvement since the last one then it’s a harder sell. On the personal side of things I’m quite happy to have this game in my collection but it’s very hard to recommend it to others who already own the next gen Forza games. Read More.
Do I think that Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is worth the money? Definitely if you’re a fan of the series. The extra chapter is a great addition if you’ve never played it before. But if you’ve already played it or just aren’t much for the series then it’s a harder sell. It’s still a great game but without Horde or Beast mode, or even OverRun, to add some real replay value then it’s hard to give this a 100% endorsement which is a huge disappointment for a fan of the series like myself. Read More.
Keeping all of this in mind, it honestly came as a very small surprise that this was actually a port of an Ouya game. Mixing its short length, unimpressive graphics and generally simplistic gameplay it had the feel of a game made for that device. Luckily the majority of Whispering Willows still makes for a fairly enjoyable experience, even if it is far too brief to recommend at anything other than a sale price. Read More.
Adventures of Pip might not be a revolutionary game but it does a lot of things right. It manages to really use its cute sprite graphics to tell a very amusing story. During the first four hours or so I found myself enjoying every moment of the game, especially against the rather simple but enjoyable boss fights. But with even the problems that came after that there was so much fun to be had in these levels that these issues really feel more like a blip in the road than a gamebreaking problem. Read More.
While I do believe that Submerged isn’t the sort of game everyone will love I heartily approve of the experiment. Submerged tries to be an emotional experience of a young girl working to save a dear family member and it succeeds at this. It may be slightly repetitive to some, it may be a bit on the aimless side but it’s also an incredibly soft and relaxing experience I enjoyed every step of the way. Read More.
Really Foxtales takes everything I liked about the main game and gets rid of the things I didn’t care for. The bolas? Gone. Sections where my AI partner got me killed? Gone. Constantly running for your life from beasts or environmental threats? Very limited. Foxtales takes the puzzle solving elements and expands them to make a much more compelling experience that lets you sit back, relax and enjoy the experience for what it is - a trip to the stories of another people. Read More.
There are some might say that Rare’s recent releases have been disappointing but this compilation shows why the company is so beloved. While some games are notable by their omission the rest of this package is incredibly solid. Even if some newer gamers might be put off by the clunkiness of playing older games you still get six Xbox 360 games and a number of classics for a cheap price making this a must own package. Read More.
If you’re like me and you enjoy a good brain bender every now and again, Q.U.B.E. is a great experience. Most of the puzzles are very low stress while also managing to be very involving. You’ll feel frustrated when you get stumped by one but upon solving it, that successful feeling is hard to beat. Pair that up with the great visual aesthetic and ethereal soundtrack to make a hell of a game. Read More.
