This engine may not roar as loudly as it did in Trials Evolution, but it's a solid entry in the series, nonetheless.
Wolfenstein: The New Order is a blast from the past that many will surely see as a breath of fresh air. While some archaic design choices and patience-testing difficulty spikes will attempt to compromise your enjoyment on occasion, the moments to follow generally smooth over any past transgressions.
In our opinion, Destiny is at its absolute best when the odds stacked against you require teamwork to overcome, and there's no shortage of those moments.
Fan service is what South Park Pinball does best, so if you're reading this because of your affinity for the television series, rest assured that this mini celebration of the brand totally delivers in that regard.
While we weren't particularly impressed with Battlefield Hardline's multiplayer offering, we did like the intense ride that the campaign took us on. The story might be fairly throwaway, but the environments, set pieces, and the gameplay scenarios you'll often find yourself in are memorable and make up for the clichés and nonsensical plot details.
We're still recommending The Handsome Collection because, despite its blemishes and the general shortcomings of the Borderlands formula, it's often an absolute riot of a time – playing with friends, whether local or online, is the way to go.
Yo-Kai Watch is almost a great game. In fact, in many ways it eclipses the effort GameFreak has put into Pokémon over the years, both in production and creativity. That alone should be commended. Unfortunately, there are a few oversights and missteps that ultimately detract from enjoying the many, many things Yo-Kai Watch does so well. The groundwork is here for a franchise that could thrive for a long while to come, but Level-5 needs to rethink a few design decisions and put more focus into plot before Yo-Kai Watch reaches its full potential. This is definitely a game that you should play if you're attracted to the concept, but there are caveats to bear in mind before hunting down spirits on your 3DS.
Penarium is one of the best arcade-style games we've played this console generation. The campaign doesn't last all that long, and more multiplayer options would've been appreciated, but all in all, there's a healthy amount of content for the price. If fast-paced gameplay and high-score chasing are your thing, we suggest planning a trip to this sadistic carnival. Just don't be surprised if you end up imprisoned, losing hours upon hours of your life to the addictive chaos.
Super Mega Baseball: Extra Innings is a fitting way to round out the baseball season and a great excuse to invite friends over for some local multiplayer action. While another mode and online functionality would've made this package an absolute grand slam, the core gameplay is so addictive and well-executed that it's hard to think of it as anything less than a home run.
Quantum Break's commitment to delivering a rich, layered narrative isn't always conducive to gameplay, but that doesn't diminish how engrossing this is an entertainment experience. The combination of intense time-bending action, gripping story, and cutting-edge presentation make this the kind of game that sucks you in and doesn't let go until the credits roll. While it's not quite as inventive as it thinks it is, Quantum Break is fresh, ambitious, and a heck of a lot of fun.
Mad Max's frame may be built from familiar parts, but that doesn't mean there aren't enough surprises under the hood to make for a furiously enjoyable ride.
While the multiplayer components are the best since Halo 3, the campaign disappoints in a few key areas. It's still enjoyable and exciting on the whole, but it lacks the narrative concentration and the memorable gameplay scenarios to stand neck and neck with the best entries in the series. Halo 5: Guardians still gets a massive recommendation from us for many reasons, though there's certainly room for 343 Industries to improve and evolve the campaign formula next time around.
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is anything but a lazy remaster. With a bunch of new content, a massive visual overhaul, mechanical improvements, and other subtle modernizations, Ultimate Edition has earned the right to be referred to as the definitive version of Gears of War.
Rogue Legacy does procedural generation right, offering countless hours of action, platforming, and exploration to anyone that's attracted to it. The amount of grinding that's present throughout the adventure does occasionally lead to stretches of monotony, but when every other facet of the game shines the way it does, it's not enough to massively damage its reputation.
We can easily recommend Shadow of Mordor to fans of either aforementioned franchise, action-adventure lovers, and to anyone that won't mind spilling gallons of Orc blood. It's one of the year's biggest surprises.
In the end, Chariot is one of the best cooperative gaming experiences we've ever had. It's immensely rewarding, abundantly creative, and the sense of accomplishment that it instills within the player will lead to high-fives being thrown around the room on a regular basis. You will harbor feelings of contempt when player two unintentionally pulls you off that hard-to-reach ledge that took five minutes to reach, followed by moments of utter gratitude when they latch on at the last second and save you and the chariot from falling out of view.
If you're on the market for an afternoon's worth of casually-paced entertainment and want to put your problem-solving skills to the test, then you should gear up for a bit of Unmechanical. It respects both the genre and your time, and for that — along with plenty of other reasons — there's quite a satisfying experience to be had.
Even though Mortal Kombat X has a few surface wounds that could use patching up, it's a superb fighting game that lives up to its hype and meets the lofty expectations set by its predecessor. This is the swiftest and most aggressive Mortal Kombat yet, and it's rounded out with fresh modes, gruesome finishers, and enough ingenuity to keep the series moving forward. If you're even a little interested in fighting games, this is one tournament worth signing up for.
For the past week we've been delving through the dungeon on a nightly basis, and we anticipate our interest in monster slaying won't cease upon completion of this review. That may be a bigger compliment than you realize.
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is one of the most addictive roguelikes we've ever played. It's the kind of game that might appear a bit rudimentary at first, but it becomes more and more compelling with each subsequent session. With unlockable characters and challenges, an insane number of weapons and abilities, and many other discoveries to be made, there are a multitude of reasons to keep coming back for another game. A few quibbles do keep Rebirth from even greater heights, but it's nothing that should deter anyone drawn to this type of twisted dungeon crawling, which works so well as a portable experience. Go ahead and bind Isaac to your New 3DS, just don't blame us should you disappear into the depths of his basement, never to return.