By constantly running at breakneck speed, Velocibox takes a solid idea and turns it into one of the most aggravating games ever made. The cool art style and clever concept isn't enough to make up for the frustrating gameplay, unfair obstacles and cheap deaths. Velocibox is not meant for humans.
Knack is not only a miserably boring action game, but it features one of the worst heroes ever made. Knack is easy to kill, stupid looking and part of an adventure that will never end. This PlayStation 4 game is too difficult for kids and too generic for adults. It's a disappointing failure on just about every level.
Q*Bert Rebooted isn't without potential; it has a lot of content and some of the new ideas are solid. Unfortunately, any potential is squandered by an overlong campaign and a control scheme that often feels broken. Not being able to reliably move in diagonal directions makes certain levels near impossible. Q*Bert deserves better.
Even if you're not completely sick of the LEGO formula, you will be by the end of LEGO The Hobbit. This is a simple action game with light puzzles and an overwhelming cast of characters. It's also a disappointing retread of games you've probably already played. There are a few memorable moments sprinkled throughout this adventure, but this newest LEGO game covers too much familiar ground.
Based on the 2003 game of the same name, Crimsonland is a fun four-player dual-stick shooter with 60 levels and a nice variety of baddies. Unfortunately, it's also insanely dull. The levels rarely change and the weapon drops can lead to a lot of frustrating deaths. The few good ideas are overshadowed by too many questionable design decisions to count.
Slender: The Arrival is more frustrating than scary. The atmospheric locations are wasted in this boring survival-horror game where players do little more than search around for numbered items. The game goes a long way to flesh out the story and mythology, but it never makes a convincing argument for why Slender deserves to be a franchise.
Even with good looking graphics and catchy retro-inspired tunes, Spectra is disappointingly shallow. There are only ten stages to contend with, each looking exactly like the last. Worse yet, the simplistic gameplay and overused obstacles make this indie outing feel repetitive. And with no way to import your own songs or create custom levels, Spectra is a game destined to be quickly forgotten.
Badland: Game of the Year Edition is a great looking game with simple gameplay and a lot of charm. Despite all the things going in its favor, this brand new PlayStation 4 and PS Vita game left me cold. It's often frustrating for reasons outside of your control and the fresh ideas are stretched out over hundreds of stages.
After the success of MotoGP 14, MXGP: The Official Motocross Videogame left me cold. While the racing mechanics are fine, the boring progression is made worse by a number of questionable design decisions. Worse yet, none of the real world tracks stand out and the graphics aren't very good for a PlayStation 4 game. MXGP is a big disappointment.
This is not your typical Dynasty Warriors sequel. Empire plays out like a game of Risk, where fast-paced action sequences replace rolling the dice. Unfortunately, the developer doesn't take the novel concept far enough. Fans may enjoy the fast-paced action and emphasis on character building, but everybody else will be left scratching their heads at the outdated graphics and repetitive gameplay.
If you already love Devil May Cry 4, then this brand new special edition is everything you could hope for. It looks great, runs fast and is loaded with playable characters. On the other hand, new players may not be able to overlook some of the game's outdated designs, including fixed camera perspectives and tons of backtracking.
Whispering Willows is an engaging horror-themed graphic adventure starring a likeable hero and a haunted mansion. Unfortunately, the great presentation is undone by a predictable story and simple puzzles. Elena's journey may be full of ghouls and ghosts, but it fails to scare up much excitement.
From the creator of ToeJam & Earl comes a game about a robot searching for humanity. Doki-Doki Universe has players flying through twenty different planets, all in hopes of finding what makes humans tick. Meet more than a hundred characters and solve missions in this quirk, though terribly shallow, adventure game for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and PS Vita!
Blue Estate is a light gun game that doesn't use a light gun. Grab your DualShock 4, because this on-rails shooter uses gyroscope technology to take players through eight exciting stages. Too bad the jokes are awful and the gameplay isn't as accurate as needed, because Blue Estate does a great job of staging action.
Another World is one of the most important video games of all time. It started the ball rolling for cinematic action games with emotional stories, and it has never looked better than it does on the PlayStation 4. Sadly, the game's short length and barebones package keeps this from being a must own, but the low asking price and three-way cross-buy may make Another World: 20th Anniversary Edition worth considering.
Originally a homebrew Genesis role-playing game, Pier Solar and the Great Architects has made the leap from 16-bit to the modern age. While the presentation is spot on, the gameplay is marred by combat that seems to favor the enemies. Couple this with obtuse puzzles and an aimless story and you have an adventure game that is good, but doesn't stack up to the best games in the genre.
Lords of the Fallen is both a shameless Dark Souls rip off and a solid action/adventure game. With an easier difficulty and smaller scale, this PlayStation 4 game is a good way to ease people into the challenging sub-genre. On the other hand, the story is underdeveloped and the levels designs are too linear. This new City Interactive release is a real mixed bag.
If you can get past the stupid name, you'll find that #killallzombies is an exciting dual-stick shooter with a number of fresh ideas. Sure, you've likely seen this type of zombie game before, but the perk system and constantly changing stage sets this apart from similar titles. It makes a terrible first impression, but #killallzombies ultimately proves to be worth your time.
While not as polished as other racing simulators, MotoGP 14 does a good job recreating the exciting sport. With a dizzying amount of single-player modes and a worthwhile online component, this game will keep fans of motorcycle racing busy for months to come. Too bad the visuals look so outdated and the career mode lacks variety.
As a multiplayer-focused free-for-all, Starwhal is a lot of fun in short doses. Sadly, the game is too repetitive and the extra modes are bafflingly unbalanced. I can imagine this being a hit with large parties, but solo players need not apply.