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Is it worth returning if you already played last year's Original Sin? I think so. Even a year on, Divinity is still one of the best roleplaying experiences of the decade, particularly if you enjoy the old school stylings of a pulled back camera and heavy dialogue. There are some strange design "improvements" that will hopefully become optional in future updates, but overall this version of Divinity is a stellar improvement on an already excellent game.
I've put over 30 hours into Fallout 4 already, and I'm nowhere near finished with all the game has to offer. I plan on taking my time and working my way through all of the wasteland beyond the final main story mission, because the game allows that to happen seamlessly. DLC and future content updates are bound to come, and I can't wait to see what the mod community does to this game either. There are bound to be two camps this year. One who loves the Witcher 3 with all of its heart, and one whose love belongs to Fallout 4. For my part, I'm torn between the two. But for what it's worth Fallout 4 has certainly topped its predecessors as my favorite game in the series and sets a new bar for what to expect from a Bethesda RPG in the future.
Tales of Zestria is a solid addition to the "Tales of" series by Bandai Namco. While this is not an excellent game it is far from being one deserving of being tossed onto the scrap heap. If you are looking for a game with a solid combat system that is not the run of the mill turn based or active time based system then this might be the game for you. However if you are looking for a game that provides a solid and consistent narrative experience you may be put off.
Heart of Thorns may not be a perfect expansion, but it's definitely something I think every fan of the game should check out. Just be prepared to rove about Maguuma in a pack, you're going to need some help to get the most out of the jungle.
Even with its short falls Xenoblade Chronicles X is a strong candidate for game of the year on the Wii U and is easily the best RPG. While I'll stop short of saying you should run out and buy a Wii U just for this title if you already own a Wii U and are a fan of RPGs this is a must have game for your collection. There is also multiplayer content for X that fans of MMOs might like that I'll talk about in more depth next week after the game's been live. We'll alter our score then if this should change how we feel about the title.
One good thing I can say about the game is that I didn't feel like I was constantly walking around with its hand in my pocket. I was put off by the fact you had to pay in game gold to change the chat font color however. All said I cannot find enough redeemable qualities about the game that would make me want to play it for an extended period of time.
Devilian is free to play, and is infinitely better than most other imported MMOARPGs on the market right now. If not having an MMO world isn't a deal breaker, you might be better off with Diablo 3 or Path of Exile. But if you've always wished TERA and Diablo would just make a baby and let you have a Corgi pet, then this is the game for you.
All in all, FIVE: Guardians of David is a very solid, well-priced ($24.99 on Steam) ARPG that will give players a lot of satisfaction and many hours of enjoyment. Fans of ARPGs will find a lot to like here as there is no question that it stands alongside the likes of Diablo, Torchlight and Titan Quest in a very favorable way.
Overall, if you can get over the "janky"-ness of the visuals, then you will definitely find an engrossing action RPG with some great systems. The story is a bit bland, but can be made up for with strong combat, excellent controls, an interesting class system, and a wide variety of interesting enemies.
As much as I wanted to love Bombshell, and in some ways do despite its flaws, I cannot recommend the game in its current state.
What makes Darkest Dungeon a fascinating experience isn't the rich character progression and overarching strategy, but the way it manages to make each character feel like a living, breathing human before asking you how much you'll ruin them to increase your bottom line. There's pockets of subtext that I continually filled with my own moral struggle. Spaces left ingeniously blank where, when I allow myself to reflect on my actions, I realize that the greatest evil isn't waiting at the end of a dimly lit crypt. It is sitting right in this chair, typing these words.
I've had fun with my time in Blade & Soul, but my desire to log in is waning as I sit at the cap and realize all that's left to do is more dailies and grinding for better gear… I'm pretty sure I've been here before. I'd be all about the world PVP if it was more meaningful, just as I'd play the arena PVP if I was at all good enough to make a go of it (I am not). In the end, Blade & Soul just feels like a game that's not for me and that's OK. It's still a very good game, quite competent at achieving its goals. It sometimes feels like its big MMO features are just tacked on to give people something to do between the next arena match, and that's OK too. If League of Legends or SMITE had a big open world campaign, I'd wager I'd play them more too. Blade & Soul can be content in having some of the best combat in MMO history, and I'll be content to pop my head in on the game from time to time to see what's new.
If the developers went back to the drawing board and designed a strategy RPG from the ground up and implemented the systems present in PXZ2 they would be off to a great start. However an overly long introduction that becomes boring after a few hours distracts from what is otherwise a decent game. If this game had a tighter story, trimmed up the dialogue, and improved upon its technical performance by reducing slowdown, it would be something special.
Hats off to Obsidian Entertainment for creating and curating a fantasy world I can care about again, and here's hoping for many more adventures in the future.
There is no question that Grim Dawn moves along familiar lines: Base classes, a tragic world inhabited by monsters in a wide variety of flavors, nearly constant loot drops, action-oriented combat, somewhat "lite" yet interesting story, etc. Somehow, though, Grim Dawn just does it better than any other ARPG in recent memory.
In many ways, Trails of Cold Steel’s JRPG trappings and gameplay struggle to remain relevant in an evolving genre. Yet, paradoxically, it’s the game’s conventional approach that makes it appealing, a reminder of the formula that has made JRPGs so popular, with several ease-of-use additions here and there to make it more accessible in the contemporary milieu. If you’re looking for something new to play on your Vita or PS3, you’d be hard-pressed to do better.
Even with its blemishes the Division establishes itself nicely as a new tent pole for Ubisoft and the Massive Entertainment studio and lays the foundation for future expansions to come.
Dark Souls 3 is the great game everyone expected it to be. There's no denying that. Two late game bosses are absolutely off-the-wall fantastic. But in hindsight having played it, I can't help feeling that there's not much room for the series to go if From Software insists on such a breakneck pace with sequels. Much like Bloodborne just felt like Souls in a different place, Dark Souls 3 feels like "more of the same" a little too often. Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing, and I worry that another quick turnaround on a Souls game will make the series feel stale. Here's hoping whatever comes next shows us that the From Software still has more tricks up its sleeve.
Listen, I've rambled on for about 1500 words here, and several thousand more in preceding weeks. You don't need me to tell you any more about this game than what you can learn by simply picking it up. I will say this though: so many of us here clamor for something new and unique to hit the market. It's here now. Black Desert Online is one of the freshest takes on the MMO in years, and it deserves to be played.
As long as you aren’t looking for the deeper meaning of gaming life in your games, I think you’ll find Tree of Savior to be an acquired taste that’s worth having every so often in your gaming diet, or as part of a fullcourse meal of action MMOdom.