Simon Smith
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GameLusterLatest Reviews
After much waiting with frustrating delays, Nintendo has finally released The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Breath of the Wild is an interesting Zelda experience as it never feels like typical Zelda. It could have been an entirely different game that Nintendo executives saw and insisted get reskinned as Zelda. This is not a bad thing – Breath of the Wild is one of the most refreshing and game-changing entries in the Zelda franchise in a long time.
We have come to expect a lot from the games that independent developers bring us. These developers are offered an opportunity that many bigger groups don’t have. They can develop deep experiences that enable the player to seep into a world and become absorbed in the world that they create. We can enjoy the depths of what these developers have to offer and enjoy the subtle commentary that waits for us to listen. With Night in the Woods, we get a very human story that begs to be listened to.
When Watch Dogs was first announced many were excited to jump into Ubisoft’s vast world of hacking delight, the first game envisioned a world that didn’t seem to farfetched but ultimately made promises that it could not keep. Certainly it was a fun game but ultimately failed to offer players the thrills that they were expecting, and due to this many hoped that the games sequel would fix the problems and develop the franchise into what it could be. For the better part Watch Dogs 2 creates a more enjoyable experience that seeks to try and fulfill the promises made by the original game.
In the world of video game crossovers, none seemed stranger then Hyrule Warriors back in 2014. Koei Tecmo took the fantasy adventures of Zelda and merged it with the Warriors franchise, a fast-paced hack-and-slash series that had players fighting to take forts and complete missions against waves of enemies. These two franchises seemed worlds apart, but it worked. Hyrule Warriors was a fun and frantic change to the traditional Zelda franchise, offering a different type of experience for Zelda fans.
It’s hard not to like the Rabbids. Their wacky antics and comedic style make for charming and simply silly games. Merge that with the lighthearted and fun world of Mario and you are in for a good time. These words are ones that you would think you’d never say, yet here we are: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle has to be the quickest turnaround in history for a game’s response, where one moment we are condemning its potential but the next singing its praises. Not only does the game look good in trailers but in action it’s a new classic.
Back in 2015 Nintendo brought a brand new game titled Splatoon to the world. It was a weird game where you blended shooter mechanics with squid transformations to fight for territory or a key item. For how weird it was Splatoon was welcomed by Wii U owners everywhere as a unique take on the shooter genre. This was Nintendo’s interpretation of a shooter: bright and colorful but interestingly deep. Now in 2017, Nintendo brings a sequel to the Switch that attempts to gain even more mass appeal.
Games like Dishonored and Assassin’s Creed have really boosted the stealth genre of video games, the methodical style lends itself well to those who want a game that is not simply about killing but working your way around a situation. Due to this stealth games have become a favorite for the thinking man to play, and Aragami is one of the latest to embrace this method of hiding in the shadows and planning your next move, but at the same time feeling a little too dull to ever truly shine.
We all need to escape our problems at time, get away from the world and ultimately be free to live with our own thoughts in isolation. Most of us have contemplated just getting up, packing a bag and venturing somewhere that we can be alone without any concerns, obligations, or worries, to be free and escape, and that is what Firewatch is mostly about.
In 2014, Ubisoft released what would go on to be considered one of the greatest licensed video games in South Park: The Stick of Truth. With the assistance of the South Park creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the developers at Obsidian Entertainment proved they understood the source material and built a classic, faithful game. Most fans of the franchise could agree Stick of Truth was rude, crude, but everything we wanted from a South Park game. They had struck gold.
The Bioshock games are undoubtedly some of the best games to ever come to the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360, and in this generation of remakes and remasters it was to be expected that they would surface to give a new generation of players a chance to experience the entire series. 2K brings us the series in the form of Bioshock: The Collection, which offers players the chance to venture back through the series history and enjoy all three major games in the franchise.