Overall, the Dead Rising Triple Pack is a great value bundle for newcomers of the series. While returning fans will certainly feel the sting of not being able to enjoy the ‘definitive’ Dead Rising experience due to the lack of DLC inclusion, the Triple Pack is currently the best way to acquaint yourself with the series before Dead Rising 4 launches at the end of the year.
So then, Tales of Zestiria, senpai knows you tried really hard, but maybe with a little bit more time and polish, you could've done a lot better. Better luck next time.
The Surge is a game you'll play for its innovative targeting system and fun combat. If you're still mourning the end of the Dark Souls series and are yearning for more punishing, action-heavy games, this should help to alleviate some of that pain.
If you're hungry for more of that classic gameplay that involves backtracking, hunting down statues and keys to solve cryptic puzzles, and exploring enclosed spaces with fantastic horror movie camera angles, Resident Evil 0 will satisfy that hunger. It's a wonderful Resident Evil game with a few drawbacks.
Mirror's Edge Catalyst seems to suffer from the exact same shortcomings as its predecessor. It has a weak supporting cast, a forgettable story, and it simply doesn't know how to engage its players on a narrative level.
After completing all three story acts, I found that I enjoyed the journey the game took me on, but I was also overwhelmingly relieved that it was finally over. At the end of the day, We Happy Few leaves me feeling conflicted.
And in case you were wondering, yes, you do get to fire a rocket launcher at the final boss. After all, it's not a Resident Evil game without that timeless weapon.
Overall, Minecraft Legends is a simple, yet effective introduction to the RTS genre for newcomers like myself. While I don’t necessarily see myself sinking a ton of time into the game going forward –primarily because RTS games still aren’t my thing– I do appreciate Mojang’s effort in expanding the Minecraft universe and experimenting with different genres to see how creative they can get with the IP. Slightly janky controls aside, Minecraft Legends is a solid adventure to experience with friends, and it’ll keep you occupied for hours on end. Just don’t go in expecting a ton of single-player content you can enjoy on your own time.
At the end of the day, Fire Emblem Engage ends up being a rather middling experience that wasn’t afraid to try a few new things as far as combat is concerned, but couldn’t come close to the heights that its predecessors have set for the series.
I can’t recommend New World to anyone who isn’t already 100% invested in the idea of faction politics and PvP, but there’s a solid foundation here. Give it an expansion or two, and this could turn into something truly special.
By and large, though, Humankind is still an exciting evolution for the genre. Its dedication to historical authenticity sets it apart from its largest competitor, and the new systems like war support and shifting cultures feel like the very first steps leading to something that’s potentially greater. It’s not quite the ‘Civ-killer’ it wants to be just yet, but hey, give it a few more iterations and it just might be.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin will serve as a great game for welcoming series newcomers into this vast and vibrant universe, but it might not be your cup of tea if you’re already invested in the mainline series.
Ultimately, Watch Dogs: Legion’s main mechanic feels like an incredibly ambitious move that almost pays off for Ubisoft, but not quite. In favor of cramming as many playable NPCs into the game as possible, Legion ends up sacrificing story and character investment. Ubisoft’s vision of near-future London is a beautifully realized sandbox world that I loved spending time in, but it’s also forgettable and not one that I see myself returning to anytime soon.
Fans will love everything that Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition has to offer; Future Connected is a solid epilogue, and the quality-of-life improvements in the main game help make it a more palatable experience. But for the newer players, unless a good, solid combat system is all you need for your JRPG experience, this might be a tough one to recommend.
If you can look past that, though, there are new story elements here that help to enhance and develop its existing characters to make them feel more relatable. If not, well, at least the puzzles are awesome.
The World Ends With You: Final Remix is a solid port overall. Still, unless you're an absolute diehard fan of the game who has to see the new story content, I have a hard time recommending this to anyone who's already played it on the DS. And for newcomers, if you can push past the awful touch controls, The World Ends With You provides a gripping tale that will consume you from start to finish.
For Souls fans, there's a lot to love about Death's Gambit. There's a multitude of secrets to be found, shortcuts to be unlocked, and lore to be read from the cryptic item descriptions. When the game isn't being held back by the weird boss and level designs or technical issues, it can be charming and sincere in its own right.
Having fun in Sea of Thieves is a slow burn at the moment. Most of the game involves you just chilling on your ship while looking for other pirates to steal from, or for the raids to start.
Dead Rising 4: Frank's Big Package still comes with all the flaws and warts it had during its original release, but if you can look past that, and deal with some laggy multiplayer connection problems, there's still a fun and varied story experience waiting for you here.
Putting all of this into perspective, Fire Emblem Warriors isn't for every Fire Emblem fan. More specifically, it's a terrific crossover for those who've enjoyed the modern releases, but much less so for fans who might have been hoping to be reacquainted or properly introduced to the old heroes of yore.