Examiner's Reviews
If reviews of Battleborn were conducted maybe six months from now, this experience might be more fleshed out, particularly on the competitive multiplayer side of things, and I hope it is. However, as this game stands now, Battleborn is a brief game that largely stumbles at the hands of a thin competitive multiplayer and grindy progression systems.
This game will not be heralded as a classic in the same vein as Mega Man. However, the original Mega Man isn't the best either. Fans debate back and forth between Mega Man 2 and 3 as their favorites (MM3 for this writer's money). Another example is the first Assassin's Creed. Great concept, failed delivery. The point is, despite its flaws, Mighty No. 9 is a good step toward reviving the Mega Man style in all but name. Hopefully the team will learn from their mistakes and make the next game the classic fans want it to be.
The new Need for Speed does a good bit of justice towards the original Underground games, it falls a bit short on the new aspects it tried to incorporate. The open city aspects and the way you start races might feel familiar to Burnout Paradise players. It honestly seems to share the same setup, which isn't a bad thing. The cars are certainly the focus, as they should be, but the tacked on story and constant interruptions hinder the experience. Add to this the A.I. uses rubber band aspects. The racing is solid enough, and it is pretty cool to see other people on your server completing challenges across the bay, live.
Homefront: The Revolution can be a great game, and maybe a few months from now Dambuster Studios will have fixed everything that's wrong with it. However, with the current state it is in now it's extremely difficult to recommend this game, even to the most ardent fans of Homefront.
Overall, for gamers who are thirsty for an experience that focuses on the story it is telling, Beyond: Two Souls has a tale worthy of your time. On the other hand, if you are someone who is looking for challenging a gameplay experience, all you'll find is a very basic set of gameplay mechanics that leave a lot to be desired.
If you are more interested in Quantum Break for its gameplay, you may want to hold off until a sale or rental fits your budget, but if you are looking for something that takes a daring step forward with how a video game can be made, Quantum Break is perfect for you.
If there weren't balances to these rather significant downers, the game would suffer greatly, but with the story picking up near the end, the driving being fun and the drive to customize both Max and the Magnum Opus being truly motivating, the game ends up being a fun, but not great experience.
While Assassin's Creed Rogue isn't the technical mess Unity seems to be, it's an uninspired title that seems to check the box of "get a last gen title out the door". There are some good elements here, but nothing that actually innovates or pushes forward. The game is a decent Creed game, and another great pirate game, but it's ultimately just more of the same.
The game shows off some truly cool concepts, and offers Oculus Rift support for those that want to see how the minimal UI and experience change, but at it's core is a good game hamstrung by a few lacking areas.
If you like playing as the bad guys in a fairy tale and have a love for real-time strategy games, Dungeons 2 is worth a shot.
Some gamers may be put off by the game's visuals or basic concept, but those that give it a chance will find an enjoyable game. It has a nice sense of challenge as you need to figure out the best way to collect the art supplies within the time-limit, while keeping Esteban from becoming Jake LaMotta (a raging bull, if you don't get the reference).
The adult rated Hatred will most likely not see the light of day on consoles, but it certainly has some addicting qualities to it and a little bit of strategy. The difficulty is certainly up there as you will find yourself overwhelmed by the police if you are not careful.
If you've never played "Year Walk" before, the Wii U version is just as solid, but it just feels like more could have been done to make it even more Wii U-friendly.
The core gameplay of Talos feels like a distant cousin to the Portal series. While the game is absolutely beautiful and challenging, it will feel like there is a lot to accomplish at first. But once you start progressing through the game, you will pick up on the aspect that it is not as open as you originally perceived. The emotion the game creates is fantastic, but you might not like or understand the story.
The Sims 4 is an enjoyable life simulator, and looking beyond its omissions is a fantastic game that keeps you entertained, for a bit. Ultimately The Sims 4 showed much initial promise, but the inclusions do not outweigh the omissions in this game, and the total package leaves us wanting.
With no real upgrades from the PC version and a dated look, as well as multi-player gameplay that never forces the issue, "The Elder Scrolls Online" is more a side quest for the series than something new and fresh.
It's an extremely entertaining time knocking around some goblins, and this game will even serve as a nice alternative to the typical shooters we saw at launch.
Even with the lack of depth, the game is still fun based on its difficulty and the fighting system.
Judging by the screens, people may think that Murdered: Soul Suspects is a survival horror title, especially with the pics of the demons. It is far from that, as it tells a solid story and is more categorized as a suspenseful thriller. The lack of challenge in the game and the redundancy really hurt the title in the long run. The game is more similar to the likes of Heavy Rain, as it seems like more of an interactive movie. While the game looks and runs great, it certainly will not be for everyone.
We just wish Destiny could captivate those same emotions a little better because if they were, we'd be hooked and ready for more. Instead, we're left hoping post-launch support will make the experience more enjoyable for all of those who believed in their favorite developer while we wait again to see what the future holds.