Examiner's Reviews
In order to get the most out of Pokemon Picross, you have to appreciate both series. While it's a free-to-play game, it's an extensive puzzle experience designed specifically for those who want a challenge. If you don't fall into either category, it'll be hard to enjoy the game nearly as much as you could have otherwise.
Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam is a crumpled up discarded note, recycled into a paper-thin product. At its core, it's good. The dynamic combat system has never felt better, but the rest of the package is padded with poor mini games and excessive backtracking. As a die-hard fan of both series, this was a let down. Nintendo and AlphaDream played it too safely making Paper Jam feel like a reaction to Dream Team rather than an evolution. Based on this, one wonders if it's time to retire both franchises in the hopes of reinvigorating new RPG life into another classic Nintendo character. Again, it's good, bordering on great, but the issues, both big and small, keep Paper Jam from jumping any higher.
Although WWE, WCW and Lucha Libre legend Rey Mysterio has been confirmed for the game and there will be more characters and modes, 5 Star Wrestling ReGenesis still has bugs and wrinkles that will turn away casual gamers. However, if you live and die on wrestling games, it's a must-play that you'll have the most fun with in a multiplayer setting.
God's Acre is a very focused episode, with very little backtracking and can be completed just under 2 hours without collecting everything. The core stealth action is the same, and the reduced OMNI abilities never feel like a hindrance. God's Acre is less frustrating than previous episodes and does not overstay its welcome, but does not change the formula enough to stand out.
Shadow of the Beast is an average arcade brawler that offers a smooth combat system that has a surprising amount of depth to it. With a playtime of around 4hrs to complete, the game relies heavily on whether or not the player wants to trek through the dull levels for a second or third time to discover all the game has to offer. Fans of the original game and those who enjoy old-school arcade brawlers will enjoy their time with Shadow of the Beast.
Over the course of my seven hours with the game, it was an enjoyable, simple and easy experience. Unravel doesn't do anything special with its gameplay or narrative, though it does have a magnificent soundtrack and stunning visuals. If you're a person who is a hardcore platforming fan, you will most likely be very underwhelmed with Unravel, but if you're looking for a fun, easy and light experience, then maybe this game is for you.
With unforgiving difficulty, it's ultimately an experience that only hardcore fans will enjoy. Add in Capcom's unwillingness to make this collection best-suited for the 3DS and you have a half-dozen games mushed together on one cart with no redeemable qualities aside from the Challenge Mode and Music Player.
Crashes and glitching aside, the game gives a few scares, that feeling that you'll never truly be ok, and really delivers what can be boiled down to a solid zombie experience.
Despite these shortcomings, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash does offer a well-made tennis game. Mixing up your shot types, using the new jump, and balancing your use of Chance Shots to catch your opponent off-guard are essential for victory. Local and online multiplayer is competitive, fun, and the true appeal of the game. Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash has all the tools be an elite tennis game, but doesn't offer enough content to achieve that goal.
Grand Ages: Medieval attempts to do something a bit new in the strategy genre, offering a more economic and diplomatic take on building an empire. Unfortunately some rough cuts between a singular style, lack of context clues, and intuitive feedback, as well as a number-driven affair that becomes apparent entirely too quickly leaves the player feeling as though there just isn't a ton of variation here.
Although it's not a terrible game, the Wii U's edition of "Fatal Frame" feels awfully dated, with sloppy controls and the type of presentation you would have expected a few console generations ago.
Although it's beautiful and intuitive to play, Pokken Tournament's story mode, where the beef of your gameplay will take place, becomes tiresome and drags down what could have been a one-of-a-kind experience on the Wii U. That's not to say that there aren't redeemable qualities, but with a small roster of fighters and too many battles against the same faces, it loses a lot of luster, fast.
The focus that developer Omega Force may want is on the story itself, and potentially ruining the story with co-op might be understandable. But a game like this could easily have some sort of arcade or quick play mode where you just fight off enemies. This would add so much to this title. Overall, Dragon Age Heroes is a solidly fun action RPG experience on PS4.
Tales of Zestiria holds the series back in light of its upcoming 20th Anniversary in December. It's an uneven adventure filled with half-baked ideas. The fun, enigmatic cast and stylistic combat help Zesteria from completely falling off the RPG radar though. It's a good, but not great entry in the Tales franchise.
Just Dance 2016 gets the basics right. While that may be enough for most, it's in desperate need for an overhaul. It still needs a teaching mode and this writer isn't necessarily sold on the costly, poor execution of Just Dance Unlimited. Complaints aside, grab some friends, and Just Dance. It'll be okay.
There are flashes of greatness in Pro-Am and Rising Star, as well as deep customization and unlocks available, but they can't mount a comeback in the fourth for this one.
While Stories: The Path of Destinies certainly has some unique elements and beautiful levels for people to enjoy, unfortunately it turns out to be a mediocre RPG that truly struggles to provide any meat. This is a hard game to recommend, though if the price is right or is on PS Plus, it's worth a look.
Street Fighter V is a technically sound, and all around well designed fighting game. Unfortunately without being able to report on the online matchmaking in any mode at all, modes missing like a fleshed out story that makes sense and has closure, challenges, and inability to purchase or investigate prices for in-game currency make this a tough game to recommend as a day one purchase. Capcom has some great plans for a well supported 2016 for Street Fighter V, and the ability to cross-play between PlayStation 4 and PC might be an attractive option for some. At this point it's impossible to say that it's a must-own for the casual or much less than big fighting game fan collection, but will hinge on your trust in Capcom to refine, patch, and deliver content throughout the year for Street Fighter V.
Adr1ft is an absolutely stunning visual experience. It looks amazing and feels great to be in nearly at all times. That is until you progress to the point when you realize you're doing the exact same thing in a new sector of the ship, not even with different objectives or quick time moments to try to mask the fact that you're hitting enter to make yet another core and plug it in. The whole experience is relatively short, and while it's something to behold visually and feels good while in it, it might not be something for everyone.
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games has all the makings to be a strong multiplayer game for Nintendo 3DS, but it fails to stick the landing due to the misstep of not including an online multiplayer. With a robust offering of sport events, energetic soundtrack, and quality graphics, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is a great game for children who have friends or family members with a Nintendo 3DS.