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Despite what you might think of the source material's other incarnations, the Ultimate Ninja Storm series is where the world of Naruto truly comes to life. The story mode alone justifies the game's purchase, and the versus mode is a hell of a lot of fun...provided you're not going online to play. It gets kind of dicey at that point.
The game used in this review was a digital copy supplied by Square Enix.
All in all, Nitroplus Blasterz is profoundly underwhelming. The mechanics are there, but they're implemented poorly. The character sprites are well-designed, but not necessarily well-animated. The backgrounds are dull, the soundtrack is just there, and the game doesn't offer much to the player outside of frustration. There's no reason to pick this up unless you fit one of two criteria; one, you love Nitroplus visual novels and want to play the fighting game that features all their characters, or two, you're a fighting game player that will literally play anything handed to you. If you're that rare fusion of both, I'd say it's a must-buy. For everyone else who's not big on the source material or hardcore enough to play everything that the fighting genre has to offer, you'd be far better off dropping forty dollars on something else. Hell, Skullgirls is half the price, has just as much fanservice, and is a mechanically superior game by all measures. Go play that instead, because this...this just ain't it, although I will say that it isn't for a lack of trying.
Resident Evil 0 HD Remastered is essentially the same RE0 that I played back in the Gamecube days, a dated but enjoyable RE experience. The HD coat of paint gives the game a 2016 glow that truly impresses, and the modern control scheme improves the experience in ways that cannot sufficiently be explained, but the core game remains intact. I enjoyed my trip back in time, but I don't think there's enough here that would make me want to do it again.
Turok: Dinosaur Hunter Remastered is quite literally like finding an old toy you loved as a child, having a nostalgic moment with it when you pick it up, and putting it back down soon after that moment has passed. You're older, you're wiser and you've seen and done more advanced things since the time where that toy meant something to you, so the resonance you feel with it is fleeting at best. Most cherished, hallowed classics of the medium — Megaman, Mario, etc. —are considered as such because they never feel too old, but that isn't the case here. That's where I am with Turok. It's fun for a few hours or so, and going through the levels – especially the speed-run begging tutorial – was like hopping on the old bike and popping wheelies like I was 14 again. It doesn't take long for that feeling to wear off, and due to this, I can only recommend Turok to those who loved the old game so much that they feel compelled to spend money on it again. It's not likely to be worth the twenty-dollar purchase, otherwise. That said, it's still a very fun game and the remastered package is done quite well, so I'm going to grade the game based on the quality of the remastered port, with however bored I became with it notwithstanding.
Though slow in parts, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam is fun, funny, and simply feels good to play. A must-play for Mario RPG fans of all stripes.
This game was reviewed via a digital code provided by the publisher.
The story for the first episode of Minecraft: Story Mode is a little familiar, but it's solid and full of fun references to Minecraft lore. The puzzles are lacking, however.
I really want this game to work. I want it to be another breakout hit from a studio known for engaging and relatively-simple titles. I want it to be something I'll return to time and time again, to land the world's least reliable spacecraft, piloted by the world's most fickle space crew, upon the surface of Mars, and revel in the rush of victory felt when tremendous odds have been surmounted. It's a bummer, then, that it just isn't. Tharsis is a brilliant title that is ironically marred by its reliance upon dice rolls, and as such, I'm doubtful that many players will be able to reach through the game's thick veil of frustration to the genius that awaits just beyond.
Ultimately, even with the bugs and other issues, it was refreshing to get a chance to play a survival title that was more about the struggle against the elements instead of other players.
In order to keep this already long-winded review from balooning further, I'll simply sum it up at this: while Amplitude doesn't do much in the way of innovation, it does offer the strongest gameplay in the franchise thus far in terms of challenge. However, the weak track selection, questionable visual design choices and semi-botched implementation of the franchise's best gameplay methods add up to a very lackluster experience. I would be upset if I backed this on Kickstarter, not because I didn't get a good game out of the deal — which Amplitude certainly is, for sure — but rather, that the game doesn't seem as inspired as the labors of love that preceded it, which causes this particular pony to look like it's not even capable of doing its one trick nearly as well as it used to.
Rainbow Six Siege is tactical fun, but the lack of substance hurts the overall experience. It won't take you long to play everything Rainbow Six Siege offers, but what it does it executes very well. You may get bored sooner than you'd like, but you'll have plenty of fun before that happens.
The game used in this review was a digital copy supplied by the publisher.
But little moments don't sustain a whole game, and Among the Sleep deals with a real monster — just one it doesn't quite know how to talk about.
The game used in this review was a physical copy purchased by the reviewer.
It really is a shame because with a slightly more captivating story and deeper customization both in terms of characters and combat, this could have been the game that welcomed a new breed of SAO fans and gave renewed life to the series on the whole. What we are left with instead is a typical lite action-RPG set within the world of ALfheim and geared exclusively at people like me who can't wait to take another bite out of anything remotely Sword Art Online.
I almost wish Earth Defense Force 4.1 offered the ability to upgrade your weapons rather than crossing your fingers and hoping you'll get some good weapon drops after each mission. More bizarre, though, is the absence of any sort of mission score screen. Nobody seems to care how long you took, how many of your fellow EDF soldiers died alongside you, or how many pedestrians became bug lunch, although these factors seem to be mysteriously tied into what sort / caliber of weapon drop you get afterward.
Typoman dishes up pleasure as well as pain, which probably isn't surprising, given its scenario. It's a flawed game, but an interesting one nonetheless. If you get a kick out of word games and/or puzzle games, it's worth a look. Just steel yourself for frustration when it comes time to run.
This game was reviewed on a digital copy provided by the publisher.
Congratulations, Bethesda. After thirteen years of disliking your games, Fallout 4 has made a true believer out of me, and an ardent one at that. This is some damn fine work, guys. I have no idea how in the hell you're going to be able to follow this one up. Good luck with that.