Paulmichael Contreras's Reviews
Incredibly, unbelievably, what we have here is a nearly perfect finale to the Metal Gear franchise. I truly believe that The Phantom Pain is where Kojima always envisioned he would take the franchise. This is personalized, open-world infiltration at its finest.
Horizon Zero Dawn is an early contender for game of the year. Guerrilla Games has outdone themselves, in astounding fashion. This is a glorious game, the result of a team of masterful artisans who not only had a story that they wished to tell, but a world that was living inside of them which they wanted to share with us all. Now, we get to play inside their creation, and it is a breathtaking experience to behold. A massive, open world filled with equally massive, terrifying robots, juxtaposed against the beauty of the Earth, nature fighting back the darkness as it tends to do. Horizon Zero Dawn is the kind of game you play to get lost in, and can be enjoyed by players of all types. This could be the beginning of a stellar franchise, and there is something for everyone here. If you own a PS4, you owe it to yourself to give Horizon Zero Dawn a go.
Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds is everything DLC is supposed to be. For only $19.99 ($14.99 if you're on PlayStation Plus), the wonderful playground we last saw Aloy in is expanded by an impressively large, immaculately detailed, diverse landscape. Like the base game before it, this is a tough area that almost everyone will enjoy exploring. Yet for those who hate open-ended games, fast travel points and simple navigation can keep you on the beaten path, if desired. With more content in this fantastic expansion than other entire games, The Frozen Wilds is a must-buy, can't-miss experience.
God of War is an epic reboot of an epic franchise. The evolution of Kratos could have gone horribly wrong. Instead, Santa Monica Studio has given the franchise the treatment it deserves. This new narrative tone has heart, and serves to make Kratos much more relatable in his new role as protector, while remaining as brutal as past installments. Reworked and improved combat options make for an enjoyable and customizable experience, and phenomenal audiovisual performance ensures that each trip to the mythical lands before the Vikings is a wonderfully grisly experience. God of War is a must-buy experience well worth the wait.
It's such a shame that this is the only expansion that is going to hit Bloodborne. With a great attention to detail, and meaningful changes to single player, we can only wonder what other sort of innovative ideas From Software had in store for us before their plans changed. Still, The Old Hunters enables Bloodborne to go out with a bang, and a challenging one at that.
Somehow, Christian Whitehead and team have made the definitive version of Sonic even more definitive. The genuinely challenging stages are chock-full of secrets, and will require multiple playthroughs to find everything they have to offer. The lengthy campaign may not have as stellar pacing as Sonic the Hedgehog 2, but it provides both nostalgia and fresh experiences. The limited lives make each death significant, though the bonus stages can easily be exploited to gain enough continues to render the threat of a true game over moot. These are small issues, to be sure – Sonic Mania Plus is the best Sonic game you can buy today.
Guacamelee! 2 is the sequel the original deserves. Fast, fun, funny, challenging, and chicken-filled, Juan Aguacate shows us he's still got a few tricks up his mangas (sleeves), especially when he takes on his chicken form. Buying Guacamelee! 2 for $19.99 at launch is a no-brainer for fans of the original, as well as fans of platformers, beat-em-ups, co-op games, and anyone who wants to let their inner Luchador soar.
Trials Rising is pure, unadulterated, arcade fun at its finest. The mechanics are simple, and indeed anyone can play. But mastering the techniques to get ever faster times can take countless hours. The extreme levels will really test players' resolve, but the payoff of finally finishing the Everest level, for instance, is worth the obstacle-filled journey. There's so much content packed into Trials Rising, it's hard to believe the game is launching at $24.99.
No Man's Sky Beyond really has brought everything promised to players, and then some. While the initial launch was full of bugs, Hello Games has hardly left their offices, as they have released nearly ten patches post-update. One update in particular, 2.05, smoothed a lot of stability issues out, and Hello Games has been fixing things at a freakishly fast pace. This cannot be stressed enough: No Man's Sky Beyond is a killer VR app on any platform, but it is a showcase-worthy example on the PSVR. Dust off those Move controllers and head back into the Euclid galaxy–you'll be instantly glad you did.
Street Fighter 6 is a contender for fighting game of the year. Between the plethora of game modes to choose from, a story mode that’s actually pretty entertaining, and what should hopefully be a robust online mode, players are spoiled for choice with this well-rounded package. Some of the grinding inherit with leveling up your character might annoy a few people out there, but considering the method to doing so involves simply playing through more excellent fights, you can’t really complain too much.
Tekken 8 joins a full roster of fighting games, and competes with the best of them. Naturally, as we couldn’t take the game online during our review period, it remains to be seen how effective Bandai Namco and Akira were at implementing rollback netcode. All Tekken fans should buy Tekken 8 without hesitation, and most fighting game fans will find something to like as well. Though the year may have just started, Tekken 8 will probably compete for fighting game of the year and barring any surprises, should be the runaway winner.
Shovel Knight is just what any veteran gamer's inner child needs. Between the tight platforming, nostalgia-inducing graphics, and pitch-perfect sound design, old-school gamers need look no further for their fix. Younger gamers will appreciate the modern additions of checkpoints and Cross-save functionality, while hardcore gamers can simply smash those checkpoints and reap the rewards. It's incredible to see a game that doesn't just imitate the 8-bit era, but perfectly embodies it.
The PlayStation 4 finally has its exclusive killer RPG. Bloodborne is punishingly hard, but like the Souls series, not unfairly so. If you go into this game accepting of death and the lessons that it imparts on you, then you will have a much better time than if you were to approach the game thinking you were the next Kratos. With a light touch of thankfully, gratefully optional multiplayer options, Bloodborne will be played for years to come. If you see someone with a Platinum trophy for this game, you will know that you are in the presence of a badass gamer. Bloodborne cannot come any more highly recommended for RPG gamers looking for a true challenge.
This is the best version of Diablo III, possibly anywhere. Sure, it may look better on PCs with high-end graphics cards, but you can't beat the control scheme and accessibility of the console version. Touting improved graphics, little to no load times, and extra content, Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Ultimate Evil Edition is a must-have for any RPG fan, whether you've played previous entries in the series or not.
Ultimately, Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition is just like the original, with a couple of added tweaks — this is a good thing! If you've purchased the original, it can be a hard decision to purchase this. If you are a big fan of the series and cannot wait to pummel enemies in Intenso mode, then by all means pick this up. If you never played the original and enjoy Castlevania-like beat-em-ups, then definitely pick this up. If you love lucha libre lore, then of course pick this up. Finally, if you are a fan of funny games, then don't hesitate to pick this game up and play!
Finally, the fourth but certainly not last table is titled Masters of the Force. This is a tribute to the Force itself, or as Zen Studios puts it, "the highest powers in the universe." Each side of the table is themed for the dark and light sides of the Force on the left and right sides respectively. Perform missions for either Emperor Palpatine or Master Yoda, and the balance of the Force will begin tipping to either side. This table feels a little cramped at first glance, but that feeling quickly subsides as you explore and especially when you interact with the holocrons.
Elite Dangerous is a massive, living game with plenty to see and do. Like a lot of sandbox, open-world games, you get out what you put in to the game. The various systems at play, including flight mechanics, are just complicated enough to be believable, while not hindering gameplay. It also helps that the game looks gorgeous, and runs solidly. While the online-required aspect may become an issue if the servers shut down years from now, in the meantime, Elite Dangerous could very well be a game that you play all through the summer, and then some. It's a game that all sci-fi fans must play.
With no real major upgrades to what was already a great game when originally released, this would be a tough sell at full price. Thankfully, God of War III Remastered is only $40, and that price point is quite a bit easier to swallow. If you've never played a God of War game before, and you either don't have a PS3 or don't want to play the previous games, you won't really know what's going on as it picks up towards the end of the anthology, but the story plays a secondary role to the gory action anyway. This still remains the best entry in the series to date. Pick it up if you want to see Kratos at his greatest.
Once again, Eidos Montreal has created an engrossing, intense adventure that even FPS haters need to check out. Serious subject matter is explored; answers are not always cut-and-dry, much like in real life. There is also the occasional dose of humor, to break some of the tension. While combat can still be awkward from time to time, there are so many options at your disposal that such a minor issue can be overcome with relative ease thanks to the numerous choices at your disposal. This is a game you'll want to play multiple times, to see how things could play out if you play a certain way, and its save system encourages experimentation. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is this summer's must-play game.
It almost goes without saying, but MLB The Show 16 knocks it out of the park yet again.