Colin Moriarty
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Writing For
IGN Latest Reviews
Back in 2012, I called Sleeping Dogs one of the biggest -- and most pleasant -- surprises of the year. Two years later, the surprise has obviously dissipated, but that doesn't take away from what United Front Games achieved here. Playing the Definitive Edition reminded me how much I enjoyed its excellent story and characters, combat, and city, but also made me pine for a true new-gen sequel. The differences here might not be worth paying for a second time, but if you missed out on this great open-world action game the first time, you shouldn’t repeat that mistake.
NHL 15 is a tough game to size up. I truly do believe that gameplay is king, and it's there that NHL 15 shines brightly. It plays extremely well, whether online or offline, proving why EA Sports' long-running series has been the king of the ice for over 20 years. But there needs to be a reason to keep playing, and it's there that NHL 15 falls short and feels somewhat vacant. The jump to new-gen hardware has left behind a host of missing features and options that we had last year, and that's simply not acceptable. A barebones Practice Mode, no Season Mode, gutted GM Mode and Be A Pro Mode, no Winter Classic, and missing online features are just as easy to count as what's still there, and that's troubling. NHL 15 is a blast to play, but it doesn’t have the staying power I expect.
I had a lot of fun playing Azure Striker Gunvolt, even if some questionable design decisions hamstrung it in some unfortunate ways. Inspired by Mega Man X -- especially in terms of its level design, visual aesthetic, and accompanying soundtrack -- Inti Creates still managed to craft something uniquely its own, especially when it comes to its novel combat. With just the right pace, an appropriate level of challenge, and some customization options that make it much more than just another old-school side-scroller, Azure Striker Gunvolt comes heavily recommended to those that want to relive a sliver of the platformer golden era.
CounterSpy is a good game with its heart in the right place. Its Cold War premise is brilliant, its art is beautiful, and its music is lovely. When it comes to gameplay, the stealth action sputters a bit in its inconsistent AI and inaccurate aiming, but it still delivers a fun experience. Cross-buy and cross-save between PS4, PS3, and Vita is a great bonus, but it's worth noting that the Vita version’s load times are noticeably long, and the framerate on the handheld can be less than desirable.
You can look at Metrico through two different lenses: the premise (and promise) of a puzzle game built for the PlayStation Vita, which is excellent, and the execution, which isn’t. To say that Metrico is novel is an understatement. There’s nothing like it out there, on Vita or elsewhere, and I applaud the small Dutch team Digital Dreams for… well… dreaming up something like this. But Metrico still suffers from too many drawbacks to fully recommend without caveats. Its technical shortcomings are somewhat baffling, and its control inputs seem like they were designed in a vacuum. This may be a satisfying -- even ingenious -- puzzler, but if you play it, go in with tempered expectations, because its promise doesn’t fully meet its delivery.
In 2013, I called The Last of Us on PlayStation 3 a masterpiece. The same holds true of its PlayStation 4 "Remastered" sibling. You can’t go wrong with either version, but with Remastered you’ll get a better framerate that smooths out gunplay, a prettier, sharper look, and a bunch of DLC content rolled into the package from the get-go (not to mention a whole fresh set of Trophies to earn again, if you have a whole lot of time on your hands). Whether you’ve already experienced it on PlayStation 3 or have no idea what you’re missing, The Last of Us: Remastered is worth your time and attention. PlayStation 3’s best game just became PlayStation 4’s, too.
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition isn't a vapid rebranding or a blatant cash-in, but a welcome infusion of the original game with new areas, monsters, and bundled-in DLC. I'd definitely recommend it even to those that already experienced it on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, or PC. Guacamelee! was one of last year’s finest games, and now it's one of PlayStation 4's, Xbox One's, Xbox 360's, and Wii U's best, too.
I absolutely love Shovel Knight. It doesn't only understand what retro gamers want; it also understands exactly what it is, copping plentiful inspiration from the past while forming it all into its own game. At seven or eight hours long your first time through (and a New Game+ mode once you beat it), it lasts longer than your typical throwback, and all of that time is well-spent, whether you're getting through a new stage, going back to an old one to grind for money to buy upgrades, or exploring its many secrets. It plays brilliantly, looks stunning, and sounds great. Shovel Knight is my favorite game of 2014 so far, and a true testament to the power of the old-school. Whether you were weaned on an NES like I was, or don't yet know what you missed in a time before you were born, Shovel Knight is an absolute must-play.
I started Entwined at the start of my work day, and -- after several pauses to write e-mails and attend to some other matters -- I was done by lunch. In that brief time, I came to appreciate its gorgeous aesthetics and moody soundtrack, but at the same time, I was never able to develop a rhythm playing the game itself. There's a wonderful nugget at its core, but the final product, when all features and factors combine, never shines enough to recommend it without a series of caveats.
Wolfenstein: The New Order is the melding of your typical, everyday shooter with quality writing and a cast of believable and relatable characters. Machinegames' more grounded treatment of the often way over-the-top alternate Nazi history is also a nice touch, and while The New Order is in no way, shape, or form a simulation of the real world, its 10-to-12 hour campaign can certainly make you stop and wonder more than, say, Raven's 2009's occult-centric Wolfenstein reboot. With an essential early-game choice that makes it worth playing through twice, the story at the center of Wolfenstein: The New Order props up its competent -- but mostly unremarkable -- shooting.