Gaming Trend

• PS4
• 90%
• États-Unis

The Witness is a profound experience, unlike any other and certainly intimidating in its refusal to give away its secrets for free. However, those with the inclination to buy-in and delve deep will find a trove of excellence, in the way it utilizes simple mechanics to convey greater themes. One of the most cohesive and intricate releases you can find, but not for the faint of heart.

• PC
• 95%
• États-Unis

Crashlands is a charming cartoony story-driven RPG. The Adventure mode is a near flawless balance of story, exploration, combat, and crafting, but if you have a preferred playstyle or want to try something different after you’ve beaten the game, there are three other modes to choose from. With its convenient gameplay mechanics and detailed design, time easily flies while playing this enjoyable game.

• PC
• 95%
• États-Unis

While Blackbird’s HD update of the original Homeworld titles may have shipped with a few nagging bugs, this original and inventive prequel reinvents the series in way I hardly even hoped could be possible. It’s fresh but familiar. It’s Homeworld, but it’s something new. Like its story-chronological successors, Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is amazing -- there’s simply nothing else like it.

• XONE
• 80%
• États-Unis

Familiar series hang-ups lead to signs of aging, but Resident Evil 0 HD’s core gameplay and horror element hold up remarkably well. Updated visuals and controls make the return trip to Raccoon City worthwhile.

• PS4
• 70%
• États-Unis

Sword Art Online: Lost Song, while polished in some areas and definitely a great buy for a fan of the anime, is only mediocre in it’s own right. Its solid play mechanics and interesting characters are quickly overshadowed by a convoluted and self-referential narrative that only the most dedicated enthusiasts of the franchise could really appreciate. If you are just looking for an anime-like title to spend some time with, better options are out there. Sword Art Online: Lost Song was really only built with fans in mind.

• WIIU
• 95%
• États-Unis

Xenoblade Chronicles X is wonderful addition to Nintendo’s impressive roster for the Wii U. It takes the well-oiled RPG mechanics of its predecessor and delivers a vast and alien world so meticulously and passionately designed that it’s easy and fun to get lost inside of it. There are some grindy fetch quests and tiresome elements to the soundtrack, but these flaws become mere background noise once you begin exploring the incredibly immersive world of Mira that serves as the setting. It’s a rewarding gaming experience that should not be missed by any RPG fans, or by people looking for a good reason to own a Wii U.

• VITA
• 35%
• États-Unis

Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires fails to make the leap to portability, as it’s marred at every step by technical limitations and boring metagames. Lacking any of the endearing qualities of other Warriors titles, it’s hard to recommend it even to the most diehard musou enthusiast.

• PC
• 70%
• États-Unis

Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star succeeds at providing base-level fan-service, but in a way that doesn’t feel as particularly compelling or essential as the original. If you want more pigeons in your life, it’s pocket change for a few laughs - just don’t expect more out of it.

• PS4
• 90%
• États-Unis

Driveclub Bikes is a nice departure for the Driveclub franchise. This is an expansion that actually expands the game from a relatively competent title, in my opinion, to nearly a must own for racing fans. Others may feel they are adding a whipped cream dollop to their already delicious Driveclub pie. The gameplay mechanics and competitive A.I. make for the most interesting and challenging player vs. CPU racing that I’ve experienced in a long time. Driveclub Bikes is a highly recommended pickup, particularly for PlayStation Plus members.

• PS4
• 90%
• États-Unis

For the most part, The Old Hunters feels like a tight, good bit of content that fans of the original game will thoroughly enjoy. The Old Hunters ratchets up Bloodborne's difficulty quite a bit. But in doing so, the satisfaction of beating bosses only gets stronger. Found throughout the confines of the expansion are a host of new weapons and armor, all of which are welcome additions. The visual design is stronger than ever, as well. From Software has confirmed that there are no current plans for future Bloodborne expansions, meaning The Old Hunters is more than likely the bow on top of Miyazaki's 2015 project. If that is the case, it is a solid outing for one of the best games of 2015.

• WIIU
• 60%
• États-Unis

Typoman is a brilliant proof of concept muddied by messy mechanics, unclear prompts and a lack of meaningful motivation. While the wordplay is superb, the focus is never on that strength as often as I wish it was.

• WIIU
• 75%
• États-Unis

Nintendo’s best competitive sports title is just as thrilling as ever, but feels a little too familiar and light on content.

• PS4
• 35%
• États-Unis

Saint Seiya Soldier’s Soul is a quaint fighting game that has its small playability value robbed by a unique fatal flaw in the restart option that drags the action and frustrates the player. While the game has some interesting features, it mostly just drags through monotonous gameplay and a confusing story. Too many features are hard to understand, and while unlocking features, items, and stages reminds me of old school fighting games, the problems of Saint Seiya Soldier’s Soul makes the work to unlock them simply not worth the time and effort.

• 3DS
• 80%
• États-Unis

Stella Glow isn’t reinventing the wheel here, but to its benefit it’s not trying to. It’s trying to be a fun, engaging, and relatively brief tactical J-RPG that signs the end of Imageepoch’s tenor with a franchise they started. The story is anime-solid. The combat and social mini-games are enjoyable, and what few irritants the game does have are easily bested by any invested role-playing gamer. Stella Glow has a talent for keeping you engaged all the way through, which is a rare trait for the increasingly niche world of Japanese Role Playing games.

• PS4
• 90%
• États-Unis

While not revolutionary in terms of storytelling, Bethesda is still the king of interactivity. Fallout 4 delivers on that interactivity in so many forms, it’s mind boggling. Crafting, modification, and stronghold building trump a few nagging technical hitches. New enemy AI, coupled with an overhauled combat system, creates gunplay that feels better than ever before. Fallout 4 may be an iterative step forward for the series, but it is every bit what RPG fans know, love, and expect. Just play it on the PC, if you can.

• PC
• 75%
• États-Unis

Broforce is a fun game, but it’s overbearing and obnoxious tone made it difficult to play for more than an hour or so at a time. If you’re a fan of 2D action games, and have an appreciation for action flicks, definitely check it out. Seeing characters like Brobocop and Broblade in detailed pixel form wreak havoc on their enemies is a joy. There is just not much else that Broforce can offer you once you’ve cycled through the characters.

• 3DS
• 85%
• États-Unis

The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes can occasionally get tedious when playing alone, but the multiplayer is one of the greatest handheld co-op experiences around.

• PS4
• 60%
• États-Unis

The WWE video games were a bad installment away from becoming a laughing stock. Thankfully, WWE 2K16 introduced a strong new feature, as well as one of the best Showcase modes the franchise has ever seen. The MyCareer mode still needs a lot of work, but the basic premise is still one that can succeed. With the largest cast of wrestlers the franchise has ever seen, 2K and Yukes have done a solid job righting the WWE 2K ship. That being said, there is still a lot of work to be done.