Examiner's Reviews
Overall Crimes and Punishments serves as a deliberate, well put together mystery game. It serves as a great change of pace from the shooters and action fodder out there now and that will undoubtedly follow in the coming months. Unfortunately, lack of a cohesive story, feeling of being on a set, and the overall vapid nature of those sets lead the game to a somewhat boring end.
"Styx: Master of Shadows" has something special inside it, but with muddy, ugly character models, control hindrances and A.I. issues, a lot of the fun will be lost on casual gamers. Those who love stealth action games will find it an immense challenge however and will be able to look past most of the game's issues to, at the very least, have it steal about a dozen hours of their time.
If, for some reason, you're not a "NBA 2K" guy or have an undying love for anything EA Sports, "NBA Live 15" can and will provide hours of fun. It's just so hard to recommend when the competition does everything better. At the same time, with a slew of innovative elements on offense, "NBA Live 15" is the little engine that could. Last year's game was pure D-League, but this year, they've earned their spot on the floor.
It's far from perfect, but at its best, it's uber playable, a wrestling game that thrives on recreating the entrances and moves of your favorite WWE Superstars and Divas. Just don't go into MyCareer and expect to be blown away.
There are some genuinely great things about the racing action, the beautiful environments, and the vehicles are incredible looking, but overall the physics bugs and frustrations outweigh the adrenaline and elation of winning.
Anyone who is able to look past the game's faults however will find it a rewardable zombie adventure that isn't perfect, but has plenty to do.
Revelations 2 has its moments as the game includes a lot of easter eggs for fans of the series. The Raid Mode is a fantastic and addictive game mode that is worth the price of admission alone. It tells a sufficient story, but the new characters do not really stick out. The cooperative A.I. is as diverse as ever, but the intelligence behind it has much to be desired.
The game isn't lengthy and will take most players only a couple of hours to complete. Regardless, Slender: The Arrival carries some truly notable frights. It's a powerful horror experience that will leave you feeling anxious.
As previously stated, there's nothing wrong with the game. It offers a decent racing experience and nothing more. But considering all the high-profiled racing games on the market, it's a shame motorcycle enthusiasts have to settle for average.
While it's still a fun adventure, it's nowhere near as entertaining as the previous games in the series. At the same time, a weaker Telltale game is still a good one, but this time around, "Sons of Winter" will be most enjoyed by those who are in love with the series and not anyone looking for something different.
Deadlight Director's Cut packs a good game in a shinier package – a solid platforming survival (not zombie slaughter) game that emphasizes staying alive and moving quickly while taking the high ground that now has refined visuals and controls. Overall it's a good package and certainly the best way to experience Deadlight but those looking for a ton of value packed or incredible voice acting might be left a little disappointed. In the end, it's a good game, great experience, and we can't wait to see what Tequila Works brings us next.
Marrakesh provides the most complexity to the Hitman formula yet, and its design and setting make players work harder for success now more than ever before. Overall, Hitman Episode 3 is yet another amazing addition to the series this year and I can't wait to get lost in its fourth episode.
With no game like Tropico 5: Penultimate Edition available for Xbox One, fans of the genre should definitely give the game a look. It makes for a good summer game as you build and develop an island colony during your downtime and prepare for your presidential run in 2020.
Far Harbor is Bethesda doing what they do well, extending the longevity of the product and prolonging the players want and need to explore more and more. I finished most of Far Harbor, but it’ll be weeks, if not months before I can say I’ve seen everything. The creepy atmosphere, new designs for everything from weapons to characters and buildings really make this DLC feel different. While there’s a hiccup in the action with the hacking/data theft section, it’s not a dealbreaker.
Shadwen is value-packed game that has a few hours of content in a more than reasonably priced package. The mechanics of rope swinging, grappling and zipping up, as well as chaining together the perfect kills while never being discovered or rarely touching the ground are entirely rewarding.
If you are a fan of the original Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and feel the need to embark on a new journey, there is certainly a lot here to offer with Blood and Wine. The large-sized new area, dying armor, and the incorporation of mutations present a sufficient amount of new gameplay elements to play around with. However, it is the thirty hours of new adventures tied in with the amount of new quests and point of interests that will get players back into the game. Blood and Wine even offers a dynamic point of interest system that will affect the number of enemies in a certain area based on your actions. With the game being standalone, it could sell by itself. Being able to import a previous character, however, will certainly bring a lot to the table for fans of the series as The Witcher 3’s core gameplay is still in tact.
Taking a step back and looking at the entire experience of Sapienza and Episode 2, this location is absolutely brilliant and beautiful. From the level design to the amount of depth found in each section of Sapienza, Hitman has yet another fine episode, even despite its once again thin narrative.
Fallout 4’s first DLC Automatron sets a good precedent for content coming out of Bethesda to support the game. There’s plenty here to not only explore once, but also to build multiple robots to take on adventures through the wasteland. If you’ve done literally everything else on the map, it might not keep you going for long, but for everyone else you’ve got a fleshed out and thorough reason to jump back in.
With its friendly pick up and play design, Hyrule Warriors Legends is an excellent fit for the Nintendo 3DS. The game is highly entertaining, offers endless replayability, and has enough new content to warrant a double-dip from Wii U owners. If you have a New Nintendo 3DS, Hyrule Warriors Legends is a must-own thanks to its highly entertaining gameplay.
Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is a short, but fun adventure that knocks a lot of AAA console games out of the park. The animation, gameplay, music, and style far outweigh any problems. Yes it’s repetitive, fairly easy except for a few weird puzzles, and the story and dialogue is hit or miss. Complaints aside, it’s a must play for sure.