Nicholas Plouffe
This author account hasn't been claimed yet. To claim this account, please contact the outlet owner to request access.
Writing For
COGConnectedLatest Reviews
When MachineGames went back to Wolfenstein with The New Order back in 2014, they did the first-person shooter genre a great service. The follow-up DLC, The Old Blood, was a feather in their cap to celebrate their no-nonsense approach to shooting Nazis. Once more, this studio has struck Nazi gold with Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. Suspense, violence, and some damn fine shooting await anyone ready to take up the torch and fight for good ol’ freedom and equality.
Deck 13 gave us Lords of the Fallen in 2014, and while it had some cool ideas it was also bug-ridden and awkward. These developers have taken what they learned and molded it into something new with The Surge, ditching the gothic look for something a bit more futuristic in the process.
It’s been a long journey, but after nearly a decade Owlboy is finally here! Usually such a long development cycle results in tragedy, but D-Pad Studio seems to know how to play the long con. Amazing art, fun gameplay, and a memorable cast await you in this 2D platforming adventure game.
We previewed 12 is Better Than 6 back in September, when it was in a pre-Alpha state and seeking funding on Kickstarter. Ink Stains Games has since finished and released this top-down Western shooter, delivering a brutal experience that any Hotline Miami fan shouldn’t miss out on. You play as a Mexican man suffering from amnesia. There’s a bounty on your head, and you only know one way to get the answers you need: with a fistful of iron and lead. You’re crass, you’re mean, and you’ll do whatever it takes to figure out who you are and where you came from.
So the latest installment in the Anno series is out, going even further into the future. New tech, new climates, and a visual upgrade await in this AAA-priced building game, but is that enough to justify shelling out the big bucks? While Anno 2205 on its own is a very cool and well-constructed city sim, as part of the Anno franchise I’m sad to say it falls incredibly short.
Sometimes when you play a game, you’re left wanting more. It was good, but not quite what it could have been. Maybe one of the core mechanics didn’t feel right or some of the level design was underwhelming but whatever the reason, you’re not satisfied. Unfortunately this is the case with The Swindle. It has a lot of right things going for it, but ultimately what’s wrong with it will really drive you crazy.
Aside from some texture upgrades, Scholar of the First Sin boasts enhanced lighting, changed enemy/item positions, and all of the DLC previously released. While I was expecting bigger changes to enemy locations that what was delivered, I was ultimately very impressed with what was done to Dark Souls 2.
When Hotline Miami appeared on the scene in 2012, I was floored. It was brutal, fast-paced, and most importantly, fun. Containing a level of violence and brutality on par with Manhunt, players were instructed by eerie phone calls to go to locations and murder everyone inside. Kill everyone faster and with more variety earned you a higher score. Slip up once and you’re dead. With a storyline almost as confusing as Mullholland Drive to boot, a new cult classic was born.
Following their success with the Gauntlet reboot last year, Arrowhead has delivered another great 4-player co-op game in Helldivers, . While much of the core gameplay shares similar mechanics they’ve done a great job at using existing tech to make something different. Guns, aliens, and air support all change the actual play tremendously. Top this off with two of my favorite things, a magazine-based ammo system and friendly fire, and now you’re cooking with gas. Cooking bugs, that is.
I was happy to hear that Apotheon would be one of the free games this month for PS+ subscribers. Winning me over with the use of Greek mythology and an interesting art style, I was eager to check it out and see if it lived up to the trailer. While there were a few things that threw me off or dissatisfied me, overall it was a fun experience that took me longer to beat than I anticipated.