For those looking for something different from the standard "Civ" experience, or something that's an even larger departure than "Beyond Earth" was, this may just be the scratch for said itch.
"Cities: Skylines" brings us forward, while looking over the shoulder and providing an ever so slight nod to the proud history of city management games.
Destiny: The Taken King takes what was a good foundational game, and enhances nearly everything about it, taking the great gunplay and environments, and adding more of the good, while negating the bad with system overhauls, new modes, and new ways to enjoy Destiny.
Star Wars Battlefront paints an incredible digital picture of the Star Wars universe. With authentic visuals and sounds, the most details and beautiful realization of the universe ever, and familiar settings and sound that pull the player in to their childhood fantasies, it does a lot right. The inability to squad up, motivation drying up after a few hours, and no true cooperation rewards barring the cooperative game modes, the game feels like some serious decisions were made in the wrong direction. Battlefront should be about playing and coordinating with others for galactic supremacy, but comes off feeling more like a big deathmatch that while still pretty, doesn't string the player along and motivate return.
There really isn't anything truly bad about LEGO Dimensions unless the initial cost scares you off – rest assured that the amount of gameplay paired with the good characters out of the box aren't a bad value at all. There's great acting, great action, and great everything, as it transports the older player to a younger age, and inspires younger players imaginations to the possibilities of LEGO.
Guitar Hero Live has a few issues, and the buying plays thing doesn't feel on the level, but that doesn't really hold it back from the end goal of a great time, and it's just that. A great and extremely (as well as surprising) variety in the tracks available to play, two distinct and unique modes that mix up gameplay in a significant way, and the rush of memories it provides while defining itself as one of the best rhythm games yet prove that we're ready for a bit of a comeback, just not the overload of the mid-2000's.
Wasteland 2 offered gamers a modern revamp of a sorely missed angle on RPG games, and the Director's Cut enhances the year-old game further, adding value, depth, and polish to an already well-rounded game. This one deserves a spot on your list of games to get to sooner than later.
Resident Evil 0 HD is a good remake of a good game. Simple as that. If you like the series, or the original production, you'll like this quite a bit. The remake serves as a great history lesson to gamers that haven't gotten the chance, or a great throwback for those that just want to play some good old Resident Evil. Control, camera, and visual hiccups aside, the remake is good enough to forget Resident Evil 6, and remind us of the roots of the franchise. Hopefully this signals the return of true Survival Horror to the Capcom classic.
The writing, humor, and story structure are such that they not only get the job done, but are actually fun to experience, making Superchargers a great option for almost any age. While older gamers might find it aimed at a younger crowd, it's still a great game and opportunity to bring together families and siblings.
The Banner Saga 2 absolutely deserves the time of gamers looking for a narrative experience with challenging gameplay, and true gravity behind decisions made during nearly every moment of playing.
Dying Light on its own was a great game - now with the Enhanced Edition, more story, more to do, and more guts to splatter - it takes an already great thing and makes it even better. There's tens of hours to be had exploring, completing side quests, and just breaking bones and slashing zombies, and that's what makes this one the definitive version - all the right additions, nothing really holding it back. Dying Light: The Following and the Enhanced Edition will go down as not just a zombie game done extraordinarily well, but a complete experience that is a love letter to players in a time when it seems ok to be happy with less than great.
Trackmania Turbo is a thrill ride, offering up some high-speed action that feels great from beginning to end. Complaints are minimal, and even though the cosmetic items are slow to earn unless you're a natural, it still feels good when they are unlocked. The sense of speed, simple to learn yet hard to master controls, and the consistent mechanics make the game truly come together as a great arcade racer with some surprisingly consistent, almost simulation-grade mechanics like cornering and drifting.
Submerged left me thinking, wondering, curious. That's what sticks with me, I want to go back at my own leisure and explore the world, find those secrets, and complete that world's story.
Dishonored: Definitive Edition delivers just that, the definitive experience, as long as you've got a PlayStation 4, or Xbox One, and have not played the game previously with the available DLC. If you're looking for something to get through those doldrums of draught that inevitably follow certain seasons, this is a game that deserves time from both old and new players looking to get into the world of Dunwall again. As remasters and remakes go, it doesn't truly blow the doors off anything graphically, nor does it add a ton in the way of game changing play or experiences.
Impactful decisions, great creative and stylish choices, and some truly memorable moments make this episode one to check out, and a bargain at that.
Far Cry Primal is a bit of a surprise, not just being it happened in the first place, but that it works so well. It's a beautiful game set in an interesting time, place, and involving interesting characters. Weapons feel great, the gameplay itself is fantastic, and the new mechanics introduced work extremely well for the game itself. While it doesn't break any ground in the narrative department, it tells a decent story of family, legacy, and revenge. Far Cry Primal is an unexpected but wholly welcome entry to the series, and serves as an example of something you didn't see coming, but can't see yourself without.
The Crew Wild Run saves a bit of face for the game, introducing some cool modes, mods, and new ways to dart around the map with motorcycles. Weather effects and a few visual enhancements make the game look incredible, and while it can't save the ho-hum affair that was The Crew, Wild Run as its own product is a good time, with some real play value to it.
MLB The Show 16 could've been a disappointment, just another entry with an updated roster. Fortunately Sony San Diego brought improvements, innovations, and some (potentially) fun experiments to the table. The Show remains the only real player in the baseball simulation realm, and while unfortunate for Xbox owners, and the only choice for PS4 players, it would fare well against any competition that were out there.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is an incredible game. The amount of content is incredible. The ability to control and mix up your character at any time is incredible. The variety in not only location but weapons, armor, and items are incredible. The ability to jump and grab a giant enemy, scaling it to stab it in the face while it thrashes about is incredible. You get it, now if you're a fan of Fantasy RPG, saving the kingdoms from dragons and demons, and extremely satisfying gameplay from nearly every aspect, buy Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen.
Superhot might not be a FPS in the vein of Call of Duty or Battlefront but it has it's place in the landscape as a thoughtful, interesting, and artistically striking game. It brings unique style, compelling puzzling, and a method of making trial and error engaging that is seldom found in other games. Superhot is one of those rare games that anyone can sit down with, make total sense of, and come away classifying it as a great experience.