All in all The Last Autumn is a fantastic addition, both in lore and in gameplay, to the Frostpunk base game; capable enough for newer players to jump in and get a solid feel for it while having more than enough content for seasoned players, The Last Autumn is worth every penny. While I would like to see better optimization in the long haul, The Last Autumn is still an engaging and gorgeous experience. Managing the new mechanics in lieu of managing your settlement's temperatures is smartly done, the new buildings are gorgeous and help with the overall narrative, and as its base game before it, provides players with a weird sensation of both relaxation and tension. The Last Autumn smartly expands the lore of Frostpunk and is a must-play expansion.
When I first caught wind of The Surge a year or so ago I was immediately intrigued; after all Deck13 are the minds behind the success Souls-like pseudo-clone, Lords of the Fallen. Returning to the difficult twisted-dungeon crawling action-RPG genre, Deck13 brings us The Surge, a title steeped in high science fiction and it works. While I am a huge sucker for GrimDark fantasy of the Dark Souls games, the High Fantasy of Lords of the Fallen , the Cthulhu-esque setting of Bloodborne, or the Edo Period-esque world of Nioh, taking that same type of gameplay and placing it in a hard science fiction setting had my eyes alight with a ravening desire to play. After what seems to be an eternity, The Surge has released and goes to show that From Software and Team Ninja are not the only two that can do a punishingly good action-RPG.
If anything, TASTEE: Lethal Tactics is beyond excellent; sure work could be done to add more models, characters, skins, weapons and assets, but what is there is excellent. Fast, for a turn-based title, challenging gameplay yet simple execution, something very rare in a strategy title. TASTEE: Lethal Tactics keeps its light-hearted antics first and foremost, backed by solid gameplay, which puts it into the rare pile of "pick up and play any time you want" strategy titles. It is a certain keeper.
God Eater 2: Rage Burst was a surprisingly well-ported and robust action RPG that contains an interesting story, plenty of mild fan service, and some stunning graphics. Add to it the robust voice-over and solid background music that mixes well with the mission-based style of gameplay and the light crafting and RPG features, and you have a faithful port that does not exactly feel like a port at times. Snappy action with plenty of options, even if it is lacking a lock-on, yield hours of Aragami-devouring fun while not being a tiresome slog.
Ruiner has been on my radar for months and how I came about it was a bit different for one being in the games industry. Rather than receiving a press release regarding Ruiner, I actually found it while doing some animated GIF searches for "cyberpunk" and I was instantly hooked. Set in the year 2091 in the fictional cyber-metropolis Rengkok, Ruiner game is a brutal isometric shooter that immediately reminded me of a gritty title pulling influences from sources like Super Smash TV, the Contra series, A Scanner Darkly, and a handful of different Anime. What Reikon Games gives us though, is far, far more than just a run-and-gun action title set in the corporately-run underbelly of a future megalopolis, but rather a wild ride through the mind of someone that has had enough of a corrupt system and aims to bring it all crumbling down.
State of Decay 2 excels as survival sim with zombies strewn about a decaying world and really does provide near endless hours of grinding zombies down, hunting and scavenging for more resource, destroying Plaguehearts in hopes of finding a cure, and managing communities. In more ways than one, State of Decay 2 is the pinnacle of zombie survival, successfully melding numerous genres into a dismal world nigh devoid of hope. Amidst the overwhelming tide of darkness lies a small ray of hope within your community.
Vampyr is to date, 2018's most interesting and ultimately satisfying release. Stunning world-building, detailed and interesting non-player characters, enjoyable RPG level-building mechanics, and an intriguing story mixed with the district management features have yielded an excellent action RPG title that is a bit deeper than your atypical affair. Moody and brilliant, Vampyr is a must-have for any fan of the non-sparkling vampire variety.
The comical aspects of Two Point Hospital are a convincing camouflage for a deep and almost tactical hospital simulation game. That very comedic façade can be misleading and is often dangerous as you may find yourself enjoying the humor and being focused on the actual people a little too much, and spending far too little time in the financial sliders of Two Point Hospital. Though it can be challenging, in no way have I found any intentional malice or downright brutality and that is a fine line to walk with simulation titles. Fortunately Two Point Hospital takes itself serious enough that diehard simulation fans will find some enjoyment in it while those new to the genre will be gradually introduced to the finer enjoyments of a deep simulation title.
Given the countless possibilities within each campaign of Stellaris: Console Edition, I foresee it reigning supreme as the pivotal example of how to bring strategy to consoles. Well done Paradox.
If the PlayStation 4 will continue to get priority from Gust I would like to see more attention spent on careful animation and getting away from the amateur-level animations and syncing that I see in Sophie. However, their writing remains top notch, their choice of seiyu and English voice actors remains some of the best in the industry, and their addictive blend of resource gathering, crafting, and more traditional JRPG goodness is masterful when it is at it's worst. Atelier Sophie: Alchemist of the Mysterious Book is a powerful entry into one of the best JRPG franchises to date.
The Muv-Luv series of visual novels have been around since 2003 and have a fairly massive following. In fact, the sequel to the first Muv-Luv (consisting of Muv-Luv Extra and Muv-Luv Unlimited), called Muv-Luv Alternative, received an interesting anime adaptation, called Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse. Now, I was first introduced to Muv-Luv via the Total Eclipse anime, and I loved it; while many anime aficionados may scoff at Total Eclipse, I found it to be quite interesting, compelling, engaging, and just genuinely great.
Outside of the wonky difficulty issues, NHL 17 is a fantastic hockey game that is able to brilliantly straddle the line between arcade game and hockey simulator. While the step up from NHL 16 might not be all that impressive, for those like me that skip years, there are a wealth of new and improved features. From the new World Cup of Hockey to a new Franchise mode, NHL 17 has literally everything you could need for a solid Fall/Winter epic hockey shut-in. NHL 17 is a must have for any hockey fan out there.
Forza Motorsports has been THE approachable racing simulator for over a decade now and Forza Motorsports 7 continues that trend. With an obscene number of cars (over 700!), Forza Motorsports 7 is not only the most advanced and graphically impressive, but also the largest and most varied. The downside to the massive scale is that there are a number of things that just do not make sense, which is unfortunate because Forza Motorsports 7 could be the best of the franchise, but a few puzzling decisions by Turn10 take it down a peg from "near perfect" to "good, but not the best…"
Finally. It has finally happened. In the past three or four years there has been a massive outpouring of support from development studios large and small for space-based video games. From the absolute juggernaut that Elite: Dangerous has become to the much maligned (but still not horrible) X-Rebirth release to a smattering of stellar 4X titles (pun intended) like Endless Space 2 or Galactic Civilizations III; space games have recaptured the world and every year more and more excellent titles are released giving the fans of space games more than their share of bodacious titles to play. Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock, minus a few balancing issues that Black Lab Games has assured us are being cleared up, is an excellent licensed turn-based strategy game.
Though the combat and in-game puzzles are none too deep, they are richly populated and fantastically presented in Omensight, and wrapped up in the gorgeous darkly cartoony aesthetic creates a must-have cult hit for any budding PlayStation fan. While it may be completable in a single playthrough, the time spent as the Harbinger will be an excellent one that will ultimately leave you satisfied and at about $20 USD, it is an absolute must-buy.
Pathfinder: Kingmaker is exactly what the roleplaying genre needed; an excellent evolution to one of the most respected and beloved genres in gaming. Though there are plenty of little technical oddities, the level of detail put into every single aspect of Kingmaker is something many other studios should take note of; if you are looking to create a rich world that is utterly encompassing, then look to OwlCat's Pathfinder: Kingmaker. With a world full of consequence, for good or worse, with tactical combat, extremely deep character customization and growth, and some of the best micro-stories I have seen since The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt, Pathfinder: Kingmaker is here to stay. Watch out Larian Studios, the Divinity franchise is no longer alone in its excellence. In fact with a little optimization, Pathfinder: Kingmaker can, and will, give you a run for its money …
There is little not to like and Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown has a little bit of something for everyone, franchise fan or not. Perhaps as the release cycle continues we will see tweaks, like the ability to turn down the overpowering and extremely loud background music or compare ships, but those are more quality of life issues and less game-stopping problems. Even as it stands, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is wicked fun that should be experienced by all.
Despite the orphaned feeling of the first half of the game, not to mention the snappier more responsive gameplay, Gears of War 4 is still a rock-solid third person shooter. Set in the broken world of Sera, humanity is trying to rebuild after the Locust (and later, Lambent) devastated the world and in doing, somehow turns into an Orwellian nightmare for the first few acts. Muscle through it, whether through single player, couch co-op, or online co-op, and you will be rewarded with a decent "next step" in the franchise that really ends on a cliffhanger worthy of a follow-up.
Halo Wars is a comfortable and appropriate evolution of the original and is a glowing successor to the original's daring attempt at creating a real-time strategy game for consoles. A new threat, an old friend, Halo Wars 2 fits into the entire Halo franchise quite well. The biggest complaint that I have with Halo Wars 2 is less about the game and more about the franchise. Time and time again it feels that 343 Industries has strung out the franchise with a carrot-on-a-stick, and that carrot is always "another splinter faction of the Covenant is haywire, go kill them all." While fun it has gotten old, quickly, and I would love to see something truly new come out of the franchise, but until that happens, Halo Wars 2 is an excellent spinoff series for Halo fans.
Not only am I a pretty big fan of Rebellion, but so is most of the staff here as back in 2014 Chris gave Sniper Elite 3 an excellent 8 out of 10 and a year later nearly every member here at CGR was able to get in on the action of slaying zombie Nazis in the Zombie Army Trilogy. Fun fact, I am so incredibly "zombie'ed out" that I actively avoid anything to do with them … except for Zombie Army Trilogy. When Sniper Elite 4 was first announced I could not wait; not only did I want to get back into the action to revisit World War II from a sniper's perspective, but I was itching for some good old fashioned cooperative play. Few titles in this day and age have engaging cooperative campaigns and much to my excitement, Sniper Elite 4 continues the excellent trend that Rebellion set in years past. Sniper Elite 4 is a fantastic example of how to refresh a franchise while staying true to its roots.