Marcus Jones
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is a great return to the game and I thoroughly enjoy MachineGames' focus on creating an excellent single-player experience. Fans of the series will definitely get a kick out of the game as well; it has the same charm and feel as last year's title while offering a short chance to kick some Nazi ass.
This 8-bit stylized game is a blast to play. Every level holds its own challenges and combined with the procedurally generated pieces, no party will play out the exact same way. The game may not necessarily be deep, but it holds a unique charm in its straightforward and fun gameplay.
Armello is definitely a game I'd recommend if you are a fan of tabletop board games. It manages to capture that unique spirit and presents it in a magical world full of color and vibrancy. Even with the prologue helping teach new players, there's a deep learning curve on the main game that may take a few attempts to fully comprehend everything. With that said, it's not necessarily a bad thing though since Armello rewards multiple playthroughs. The single-player portion isn't terribly long, meaning a single game can be finished relatively quick, depending on the situation.
Jotun is a beautiful game. The simple controls are easy to use, and the game's adventure is great. After each level, Thora monologues on her situation, expanding upon her backstory and her current situation. Fans of Norse mythology would be hard pressed to skip this game, plus the challenge from battling the Jotun is too great to pass up.
Fallout 4 is arguably Bethesda's crowning achievement in its storied history. It feels like a return to a game people know and love, but with all of the new doodads and gizmos attached that make it feel like an entirely brand new game simultaneously.
Mordheim: City of the Damned is a solid game. I feel those looking to get into a game of this type or just Warhammer, in general, will get turned off by the difficulty. I was under constant pressure to keep my warriors alive and healthy, but when you're facing down a massive Skaven beast, you know that's not always going to happen. Aside from that, it was nice to return to the Warhammer Fantasy universe with a self-contained RPG.
Nuclear Throne is an addicting game, especially given its simple, yet challenging design. Each mutant feels unique in their special abilities, and the levels feel like a throwback to classic 8-bit designs. I highly recommend it, especially as those capable of overcoming the main game can look into its co-op options or the daily and weekly challenges Vlambeer throws in for fun.
Mad Max is a solid game. There's a lot to do and barring looking through every piece of rubble like myself, the game's story is fun and keeps you entertained. Throw in some massive car carnage, excellent brawls with ten or more enemies, and beautiful graphics and it completes the package nicely. My only wish is there was more to do in the world than just driving to mission markers to look for scrap or other assorted items. Things like the warbosses were wonderful additions, but I felt like the bulk of my time was exploring old shacks and boats to find some scrap for upgrades.
Honestly, I'm thoroughly surprised at this little gem of a game. While the difficulty can ramp up quickly and without warning, it's a great challenge that goes with the game's excellent replay value. For fans of old Command & Conquer, this should be high on your list, especially with the added co-op missions. With future updates coming as well, expect the game to have a long shelf life, even for being a smaller indie title.
Aside from the early game difficulty I faced, my only other real chief complaint is we already have two other human warbands to choose from (three if you count Chaos). The skaven, a race of rat creatures, are the only truly non-human group in the game currently. Since Warhammer Fantasy has numerous races to draw from, including the undead, vampire counts, and more. Branching out from existing races would have added some new flair to the game. I'm sure given time, Rogue Factor will continue to deliver additional warband that further enhance the game's overall replay value.
Overcooked's colorful visuals, catchy music, and the simple premise is incredibly fun. It's a great party game that will offer some great fun while still providing a nice challenge to get three stars on all the stages. Since the game uses a three-star ranking system, there's a decent amount of replay value as you attempt to get a higher score each time. There are also nine different competive multiaplyer levels to play with your friends.
Overall, Worms W.M.D. continues to deliver a solid Worms experience.
Honestly, I enjoyed Metrico+. It's strange design and simplistic nature combined with the puzzle solving aspects make for a fun, if short game. Plus, the music is just great to chill with and listen to.
Even though Breach & Clear: Deadline released on PC initially last year, the visuals don't hold up on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. It's not a huge issue in these type of games, especially as long as the narrative and RPG elements were strong, but I felt like those pieces were just not enough to carry the game all the way through. It's not terrible, and I do enjoy many aspects of the game, but at the same time, I wouldn't exact anyone to rush home eagerly to play it either.
The Final Station is a very well made game and one I thoroughly enjoyed. The game is creepy, has a great world and story that I'm still eager to see more about. While it had a bit of a slow start at first, the game quickly ramped up and kept me moving. While the pixel art appearance may be a turn off for some players, I feel The Final Station has a great retro look and style that meshed perfectly with the gameplay.
Event[0] is definitely an experience. That's the best way to put it. It's in the same vein of The Stanley Parable, but without a narrator's guidance of chastisement. Instead, you get a quirky AI, a mystery to solve, and some great puzzles to figure out. It'll be even better if you love old school looking DOS computers and hacking.
Saturday Morning RPG is a solid title and worth taking a look into if you're either a fan of the 80's or RPGs. While the QTE aspects can tire out early on, the rest of the game is solid enough on its own with a decent plot. Toss in all of the references and callbacks to the 80's and you're in for a treat.
Space Hulk: Deathwing is a solid title. It's got a fun cooperative mode and a decent single-player storyline on top of it. It just unfortunately suffers from some issues, like semi-useless teammates and random online disconnects. The collection of weapons and sheer feeling of power stomping around the darkened corners of the hulk are worth at least a look for fans of Warhammer 40k.
Being a fan of Musou games isn't a must to enjoy Berserk and the Band of the Hawk. The hack and slash gameplay is certainly repetitive, but there is a certain enjoyment from mindlessly slaughtering thousands of enemies in outlandish ways. What I truly enjoyed about Berserk was well how it incorporated elements of its source material. It maintains the bloody aesthetics, showing the brutish rage of Guts, and uses excellently crafted segments of the anime to convey the story.
Andromeda is not a terrible game, but it's not what could have been. I applaud BioWare for what they've done with the game and their willingness to accept the original trilogy "as is" while branching out into a wildly different territory. The introduction of the Kett, the mystery surrounding the Remnant, and the new combat system makes this game a fun experience in its own right. Tossing in the extra baggage of tedious/pointless quests, annoying glitches (hopefully fixed by the first major patch), and a general empty feeling makes me wonder about what might have been.