Levi van Tine's Reviews
'Hand of Fate' is the kind of deviously addictive game that doesn't come along very often. It is innovative, easy to learn, and rewarding. It is also complex and punishing, but keep in mind that you'll never lose any of your cards permanently - if the dealer defeats you, you only lose progress against the current boss, and can restart anytime. The deck-building is fiendish fun, and all those hours spent fighting in the 'Arkham' games pays real dividends here. The real-time combat lets the player make their own luck in many situations. At launch, 'Hand of Fate' has some noticeable problems on the technical side, but is still a great play, especially for card fans disappointed by this year's Magic.
The previous limited releases of 'Evolve' have allowed Turtle Rock and 2K to fine-tune the server performance and gameplay. Everything hums along nicely now except for the occasional matchmaking drop, and the 4v1 cat-and-mouse formula works very well. Playing as a hunter is fun and playing as the monster is fun. There are some issues with repetitiveness, but this is one of the best asymmetrical multiplayer shooters in recent memory.
While 'Grim Fandango Remastered' is very tame in its remastering, it is still an improved (and playable) version of one of the best adventure games of all time. It easily represents the "gaming as art" concept while remaining funny and entertaining throughout. If you have never experienced 'Grim Fandango', now is your chance. If you have experienced it, it is worth picking up the remaster, if only just.
Telltale has a practiced ability to weave a strong story from a licensed work. 'Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series - The Lost Lords' is just as dramatic and engrossing as 'Iron From Ice.' I can begin to see where some of the plot threads are going, but whenever I feel smug about the season's directions, the rug is pulled out from under me and something shocking happens. Only some technical issues mar an otherwise lovely episode.
In the limited field of shoot-em-ups, 'Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions' couldn't be more welcome, especially as the franchise's future was in doubt after the end of both its publisher and developer. It is a great, inexpensive twin-stick shooter that has a few mild design issues, but nothing that would dissuade me from recommending it to anyone.
'Dragon Age: Inquisition' vies with 'Diablo' for the spot of best RPG currently available on the Xbox One. It avoids the grind endemic to games of its kind and has a good story on top of an even better open world. It is not without its problems, many of which BioWare has been criticized for in the past, but is nevertheless an important RPG that is both superior to its predecessor and certainly gives players their money's worth.
'Far Cry 4' is not a revolutionary game in the series (no pun intended), but it continues to build on the addictive open world gameplay of its predecessors. Kyrat is the best character and has enough content to keep players busy for countless hours. The campaign co-op is a welcome addition. A weak storyline, last-gen visuals, and unfinished multiplayer keep it from the upper echelons of greatness.
'State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition' is an example of a good remastering. The core game definitely needed some work, as its technical shortcomings often threatened to ruin an otherwise awesome experience. This upgrade still has some issues, but these are not severe. As an incentive to upgrade, 360 'State of Decay' owners get a discount until the end of June (which brings the price down to a more palatable level), and Xbox One owners can port over all of their saves from the 360 version. There hasn't been a better time to play 'State of Decay'.
'Atlas Mugged' is a strong episode for 'Tales from the Borderlands', if not a standout one quite yet. The series is still absolutely worth the cheap entry price.
Telltale has demonstrated that their knack for writing and developing characters is as solid as ever, even with the wacky 'Borderlands' license. With 'Zer0 Sum,' the first episode of 'Tales from the Borderlands,' Telltale got the story heavy take on the colorful world humming. The characters and script are smart and snappy, and elicited a chuckle from me more than a few times through the brief playthrough. If they can lock down the bugs cropping up in the technical performance, this would be about as good as it gets for an adventure game.
'Minecraft' still has a lot of steam left. The game has been and will continue to be a consuming phenomenon. New console or no, 'Minecraft: Xbox One Edition' is perfect for those who have never played it (are there any of those people left?), or those who have spent a lot of time on their 360 worlds and would be interested in the new features. It is not ideal for those who already spend a lot of time on 'Minecraft' somewhere else, such as the PC.
It has been a few years in the making, but the Xbox version of 'The Banner Saga' is a wonderful experience. I sincerely hope that Stoic releases the sequel on this platform as well, because they have a good thing going here and the more people who experience it, the better.
This is the best Xbox One exclusive to date, although competition is a bit slim in that category ('Dead Rising 3' made the jump to PC this year). It reminds me a lot of 'Saint's Row IV', 'Borderlands', 'Jet Set Radio', and even 'Crackdown', and the combination of a self-effacing world and move-or-die gameplay makes it the rare open world treat. While the crowded release schedule this fall may divert attention from it, it is absolutely worthwhile.
'Fantasia' is a joy to play from start to finish. It has smart, addictive Kinect features, a great (if limited) soundtrack, and uses its source material wisely. It has a few things holding it back, like its weak visuals, frequent load times, and choppy menu navigation. Even taking those into account, this is easily one of the best Kinect-based games to date and is more than worth a long look.
'Heroes of the Storm' is an easy MOBA to get into and stick with. I have been hooked since beta, and that is unusual because MOBAs typically do not appeal to me. While the prices are a bit high and the grinding a bit much, 'Heroes' is still something I will be playing for quite awhile.
'So Many Me' is a lovely addition to the growing stable of adept platformers on the Xbox One. It competently serves up many of the tropes of the genre while gently poking fun at them, and has its own crafty mechanics to keep things fresh. It's not overly difficult, but the puzzles grow more challenging as the game progresses. I'm glad it was able to get over its financial troubles and find a home on the One.
'Total War: Attila' plays well for the most part, as it lives up to the series' deep and enjoyable standards, but doesn't feel like a leap forward. It is a complex, demanding, and often difficult strategy title, and all of these are to its credit. Playing as the Huns does have its own nuance, while the accompanying historic scenarios help fill out the era. 'Attila' is not chock full of innovation and neither are technical achievements dazzling, but it does sport a reasonable price point at release, somewhere in between an expansion and full retail.
I am generally not a fan of mobile games as they currently exist, fraught as they are with paywalls and repetitive gameplay. 'République' has established itself as not just an exception to that trend but a very strong and thought-provoking game in its own right, and is even better now on the PC with its facelift. It is bookish but not boring, influenced but not derivative. If you like games that make you think, not just with their puzzles but with their script, you probably won't regret 'République.'
'Assassin's Creed: Rogue' is an adequate, if familiar, conclusion of the latest chapter of 'Assassin's Creed'. It adds enough to qualify as a full-fledged release and features a decent storyline. The bugs are tolerable and certainly not as distracting as its big brother 'Unity'. Gameplay wise it's perfect for anyone enthralled by the seafaring focus of 'Black Flag.' For anyone who hasn't tossed out their last-gen consoles quite yet, it's among the best 'Assassin's Creeds' to be found in that generation.
Like its forebears, 'Don't Starve: Giant Edition' on the Xbox One is a delectable survival experience, and the included 'Reign of Giants' content does a great job of growing the experience. The game is tough, and the permadeath can be discouraging if you have spent several in-game weeks or months on an epic crafting bender, but it is worth the pain.