Quick Note: The touch controls will turn many away from this fantastic game, but don't be fooled: Severed isn't a shallow recreation of Fruit Ninja or similar, simplistic titles. Beneath the surface Severed has a deep battle system that requires timing and skill from the player, which is joined by the wonderfully sparse, yet emotional, story the game delivers to make an instant classic for Sony's handheld.
Touch screen gaming has built up a bad reputation for itself. Much like the dreaded motion control scheme, the mechanics of using one's finger to deal damage to the opponent or move the character on screen has been tainted by the hundreds of games that use them all wrong. Though there is nothing inherently wrong with touch controls, most 'hardcore' gamers won't come anywhere near a game that uses touch screen mechanics as a staple to gameplay. If Severed has taught me anything, it's to not be so judgemental about a game using mechanics I do not prefer. Severed uses touch controls so well I can't imagine playing the game any other way.
Quick Note: The puzzles are simple, yet entertaining, making them perfect for puzzle game players and newbies alike. The transition from 3rd person action/stealth to puzzle gameplay is seamless, and fits the franchise perfectly. Whether you regularly play puzzle games or are brand new to them, you're going to have a great time with Hitman Go: Definitive Edition.
The transition from console platforms to mobile is often not pretty. There are countless games that are meant to be played on a TV with a controller, and even though some of them work well enough, such as the numerous Final Fantasy games, the games just feel off. When Square Enix announced the move for the Hitman franchise to hit mobile platforms, it was a hard pill for many gamers to swallow. However, the game has been successful on mobile platforms, and now Square Enix has triumphantly brought the puzzler to consoles.
Quick Note: Take the Metroid formula and condense it down to about 3 1/2 hours of gameplay for the perfect bite sized play through. The retro styled graphics and sound design bring back memories of yesteryear, as does the difficulty curve, so if you're not a fan of backtracking or higher difficulty, stay away.
Metroid and Super Metroid helped create a unique blend of exploration and tension that was then refined with Castlevania: Symphony of the Night later on the PS One. This style of discovery that requires back tracking with new powers to open up more pathways in old areas has been adapted over and over again, often times to great success. Xeodrifter is the next game in line to take this patented formula and use it perfectly in a small, digestible experience of roughly three to four hours that left me feeling complete, and honestly, wanting to just play more.
Quick Note: Everybody's Gone to the Rapture is a fantastic story-driven experience. With a slightly creepy atmosphere and a world full of narrative tidbits and mystery put together by the player, there's a real joy in exploring every aspect of the game. The collectibles for trophies can be off putting and the running speed isn't very fast, so patience is required, but definitely rewarded.
Some game locations are great for their escapism, dragging the player to far away places that are hard to reach in our own world, such as a fantastic castle in some fantasy kingdom or a gigantic space station in the middle of the universe. It's this escapism that draws us all in, enticing us to explore a world we couldn't see any other way. Everybody's Gone to the Rapture captures that similar power of bringing the player to an escape, but this diversion is a small, seemingly mundane English village, and if that sounds odd, it's because it is. But the oddities are what make Everybody's Gone to the Rapture so charming and hard to put down.
Quick Note: Toren succeeds at being a unique, artistic look at the concept of time and a hero's sacrifice. Watching yourself grow older and seeing the numerous sacrifices made is interesting, but the wonky combat controls and the sparse details to story can make the two hour experience feel jagged at times.
Ico has long been revered as one of the best examples of minimalist story telling in a AAA video game. Dropping players into the shoes of a mysterious little boy with no backstory and no narration, the game is excellent at telling the game's story without beating players over the head with narration or even text. Surprisingly enough, this format hasn't been emulated all that much in games, possibly because it's very difficult to balance. Toren is a great attempt at using the world to build a unique and whimsical story, but the game falls short of the well designed game it is influenced by.
Quick Note: Though the Batmobile can be hit or miss at times, the city of Gotham has never been bigger nor felt more alive. Whether beating up thugs or tearing up the streets in the car, it feels good to be the Bat. A few story beats fall flat, but this is by far one of the best Batman stories told by Rocksteady and one of the most fun open world experiences out there.
At the start of development of Arkham Knight, Rocksteady set out to make the largest, best Batman game the studio thought possible to end the trilogy with a bang. After reaching 100 percent completion in the game and letting the ending movie and credits wash over me, it dawned on me just how successful the studio was in creating that game. Though Arkham Knight has a few misses, this is the perfect game for Rocksteady to go out on and the perfect game to make you feel like you ARE the Batman.
Quick Note: Mechanically sound with an interesting premise, Whispering Willows fails to elevate itself above a generic adventure game. The ability to Astral project is a great mechanic, and the story has all the makings of an exciting tale, but ultimately the game comes off as bland and forgettable.
Adventure games have a long history, dating back to when games started to grow into a viable past time. Though there was a slow fade in the late 90's/early 00's where the genre seemed to be dying off, adventure games are alive today and more diverse than ever before. With games like the heavily narrative based Telltale's The Walking Dead, re-releases of classics like Grim Fandango, and brand new games built to emulate the classics, like Broken Age, it's really hard to recommend the bland and simple Whispering Willows over these examples and others like them.
Quick Note: Though it tries to emulate the same emotional experience of games like Flower and flOw, Entwined falls way too short of those artistic experiences. The control scheme is never comfortable and the arcade style levels clash with the calming art style. Unfortunately, if you're looking for a calming, emotional experience, keep on looking. Or go back and play Flower, because it's awesome.
Games have come a long way since the humble beginnings of vector graphics and pixel art. Today it's possible to pick up slow moving and emotional masterpieces like Journey, which stands alongside narrative driven experiences, such as Telltale's The Walking Dead or action oriented game play like God of War. The artistic approach to crafting games is an area that is growing rather quickly, but not all of these games hit the emotional core they are intended to strike. Despite all of it's efforts, Entwined stumbles out of the gate and never reaches the heights of the games it aspires to be.
Quick Note: The cute
aesthetic and desire to adventure into the world are mired by annoying
puzzles and lack of communication to the player as to what he/she is
supposed to do. Rather than feeling free, you'll often feel annoyed and
wondering what the hell is going on.
Game genres have morphed and changed so
much that it's becoming harder to simply classify them. This can become
an exercise in frustration at times, but ultimately it means that the
medium as a whole is growing and expanding, combining things we've come
to know and love into new experiences. Not all of these episodes culminate into something worth playing, and unfortunately, Hohokum is
one of those experiences.
Quick Note: Aspiring to be on the same level as other famous first-person exploration games, such as Gone Home, Ether One is a buggy disappointment that makes it hard to play and the story even harder to follow the plot. All of its potential can't help make this game good. I would recommend skipping this one.
As more and more tools become available for smaller developers to create and publish games to the mass audience, the first-person adventure genre seems to become almost as common as first-person shooters. There's a reason why these types of games are so popular: they put the person inside the game. There is a feeling of being involved that is harder to emulate when you create character for players to control rather than allowing the user to feel like it is he/she inside the game. Ether One is one of the newer first-person adventure games to join the fold, but it just doesn't live up to the greater options out there.
Quick Note: The fast paced combat satisfies, especially with the numerous options available to you, but the story falls off on the last chapter and the camera can make you nauseous. The combat makes it a great game for newbies and old fans alike, though not for the hardcore JRPG gamers.
Final Fantasy has been on a downhill slope for quite some time. Love them or hate them, the Final Fantasy XIII games have left a bad taste in a majority of fans of mouths (including this fan). Despite Final Fantasy Type-0 having more to like than the previously released games of the Fabula Nova Crystallis series, it's still lacking the punch of entries of yesteryear.
Quick Note: For fans of One Piece, there isn't a better adaptation of the tone and feel of the characters and the world. The combat can get stale outside of boss fights, but between the all new story, the ability to play your favorite pirates, and the extra content there's plenty of game here. Never heard of One Piece? You probably should stay away.
Anime translations to games don't always work out the way fans want them to. You would think that taking the impossible battle sequences or outlandish powers and bringing them to a medium where players can interact with them would be simple, but often times the transition leaves behind something special, making the game feel like it's glossed with the anime inspired coat of paint, but missing the heart of the source material. One Piece: Unlimited World Red is the opposite: as an adaptation of the anime/manga, it feels and looks amazing; as a game, it leaves me wishing there was just a little bit more there.
Quick Note: The Cartoon Network style graphics hide a simple, yet violent, puzzler. Great for players looking to play something in quick bursts or those who enjoy puzzles, but be ready for the difficulty spike with the last few levels.
Despite what many fans (and detractors) may think about the lack of big titles on Sony's handheld, the PS Vita is the perfect playground for smaller, independent games that are great for pick up and play sessions. MonsterBag joins this pantheon of games that fit so well on the Vita, though it falls just short of the greatness many more before it have reached.
Quick Note: Between the beautiful painting style graphics and the solid JRPG battle system, Child of Light hits all the right notes for any fan of a JRPG. Plus, it's short play time and simple play style makes this the perfect game for anyone curious in the genre. Child of Light is the perfect JRPG for pretty much anyone.
My favorite games have always been predominately Japanese RPG's. From starting with Pokemon and moving into Final Fantasy, the turn based battle systems and magical abilities have always been something I have been drawn to. The 90's and early 00's were the golden years for JRPG's, with hundreds of hours worth of great story telling, interesting characters and amazing combat. That all seemed to stop with the last generation. Sure there were a few gems, but the glut of JRPG's seemed to stop, especially with the large franchises like Dragon Quest, which was almost completely absent, and Final Fantasy, which fell down a hole known as Final Fantasy XIII.
To fill in the void, smaller, shorter JRPG's that fit better into a busy schedule have been popping up, and none of them are better than Child of Light. Built by a small team within Ubisoft Montreal, Child of Light takes the traditional story, combat and exploration of JRPG's and makes it fresh and enjoyable again.
Quick Note: Old school adventure game steeped in real history, Valiant Hearts is great for anyone looking to relax and learn at the same time. If you're jonesing for deep action and fast paced game play, look elsewhere, but this game is proof of how a fun game can be entertaining to the point you don't even realize you're learning something.
History is such a large and vast subject that it is so hard to dive into without skipping entire sections of it or glossing over details. So making a game aimed at one specific historical event is a daunting task for any studio. However, Ubisoft Montpellier has pulled it off with Valiant Hearts by focusing on the characters affected by the Great War while presenting the game in such a way that you learn something without even realize you're being taught.
Quick Note: Shadow of Mordor feels like the first true next generation game. The story is interesting and the lore deep, but the excellent combat and unique Nemesis system really brings the game to life. If you like open world games and combo heavy combat, look no further than this gorgeous game.
Ever since Peter Jackson's films The Lord of the Rings franchise has become infused in main stream audience. Any large fantasy film or TV series has been compared to it, and with good reason. With so much face time, it's interesting that the franchise can't seem to nail video games. Too many of them try to be like the books/movies, which often leads to fans having their hearts broken because the games just can't live up to the original source material. By crafting an original piece using the lore and world of The Lord of the Rings, it seems that Monolith Productions and WB have nailed the perfect balance of crafting a story that will cater to fans expectations without living in the shadow of the source material and make a great action game.
Quick Note: The Order is a game trapped in time. It's easily one of the most gorgeous games of this console generation and shows just how powerful the PS4 is. On the other hand, the gameplay and level design feel like it would have been fresh and interesting five years ago. If you're looking for an entertaining story with very typical shooting mechanics, it's worth a play through. If you're looking for a new and exciting shooter or a game to play over and over again, keep looking.
Video games as a medium are constantly looked at through a comparative lens with movies. This makes perfect sense, as movies have been around for some time, are common place and easy to relate to, and are viewed in a similar fashion as video games are: through a screen. Ready at Dawn CEO and creative director of The Order Ru Weerasuriya has taken this comparison to heart, hoping to create an uncompromising cinematic experience for the player to enjoy. While Weerasuriya and the team at Ready at Dawn has nailed the cinematic aspect of games, the team seems to have put aside the gameplay portion as an after thought, creating an entertaining, yet divisive exclusive for PS4.
Quick Note: Episode Two ups the action in increases the interactive portions of the game, but suffers from stilted pacing issues. That being said, the new characters are really starting to fit in with the old and Episode Two continuous to ramp the tension up perfectly.
Months have passed and the second episode of Telltale Game's Game of Thrones series is finally out. Though shorter than the first episode, the brisk pace and great characterization really help make Episode Two feel more like a Game of Thrones episode while also keeping players more engaged with the world.
Quick Note: Short, but straight to the point, First Light is the standard all downloadable story content should be held to. With a few hours of story and tons of challenges and arenas to take on, the package is well worth the $15 to dive back into inFamous and the neon powers that come with it.
inFamous: Second Son made a lot of promises for PS4 owners and early adopters. The multitude of powers and a real world location brought along some great change and, despite a few stumbling points with pacing and storytelling, introduced us to Fetch, a charismatic and emotional neon powerhouse that Delsin helps, in one way or another. Where as our time with Fetch was fleeting in Second Son, the woman's story and powers are front and center in First Light, and what a package they make.
Quick Note:
With a faster battle system and a unique thorn-grappling hook system, the
game play in Freedom Wars is rock solid. It will take a few hours for the game to click and the story can be disjointed, but taking down abductors, whether with
friends or alone, feels so damn good. A must buy for Vita owners
everywhere.
Years ago I picked up my
first Monster Hunter game on PSP. I had heard so many great things about
the game, and who doesn't like fighting dinosaur like monsters? After my first hour with the
game I was done. From the slow paced combat system to the non-existent
story, the game was just not for me. I tried over and over again with
different 'hunting' games, including the recent Soul Sacrifice, and
repeatedly failed to get into the games.
So when Freedom
Wars was announced, I was less than thrilled. Sure, the style of the
game looked cool, but did I really want to put money into another game
that I would play for two hours and put down? After rolling the dice and
taking the gamble, I'm glad to report that it was well worth it. Not
only is Freedom Wars a fantastic take on the 'hunting' style game that I
hope is repeated, it is also one of the best online experiences this
holiday and probably the best online experience for PS Vita period.
