Hardcore Gamer

• PS4
• 1.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Contrast is a mess. It’s ugly, tiresome, insipid and occasionally insulting. It aspires to be like other, better games, and wears that on its sleeve, but has nothing worthwhile to call its own. The story it tells is stale and overwrought, and the gameplay itself is shallow and uninspired. It’s currently free on PS4 for PlayStation Plus users, but it's still not worth your time. Let this one fade into the shadows.

• XONE
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Just Dance 2014 on Xbox One is the definitive version. The series has always played best on Xbox and gets a huge boost from the additional power of One's Kinect. Moves are recognized better, menus are easier to scroll through and everything feels that much more realistic. As a a bonus, the graphics pop from the screen thanks to the higher resolution and the music sounds crisper than ever. The only downside of buying the game on One is that you may be horrified to see how bad your dancing is in HD; but at least it gives you encourgement to practice. Unless it's a daily play, there's not enough differences between the versions for those who already own the game on Xbox 360 to upgrade, but if you've yet to join the party, now's the time to jump in.

• XONE
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Need for Speed Rivals on Xbox One looks and plays identical to the PS4 version, which is about the best we could have hoped for. It's blisteringly fast, not batting an eye at speeds over two-hundred miles per hour for a sustained period of time. Cars look realistic, environments are highly-detailed and the dynamic HUDs and interface are the best the series has seen. It’s raw, visceral, intense and boasts a ton of replay value thanks to over one hundred events and seamless online multiplayer. Even with Forza Motorsport 5 dominating the racing next-gen conversation, Need for Speed Rivals does about everything possible to divert attention with an addictive and exhilarating experience.

• PS4
• 5 / 5
• États-Unis

Making it a bit easier on the gaming budget, Flower is also cross-buy, so if you've already got it on PS3 or Vita, then the PS4 version is free. There's no gameplay updates, no level tweaks or new areas, but it runs at a better framerate and the 1080p is noticeably sharper than the original if you put them side-by-side. The real advantage of getting it free (assuming you already own it) is that it's good incentive to play through the game again. Flower is beautiful and relaxing, perfect for chilling out with, and replaying the full game from start to finish for the first time in years felt almost as good as playing for the first time. In an industry where four years is practically a lifetime, Flower hasn't aged a day. It's worth a replay if you've already got the PS3 version, and if you've never played it before, then there's no prettier way to inaugurate your new console.

• VITA
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Tearaway is the perfect launch title, though it missed the launch by two years. Just about every Vita feature is fully utilized and combined they offer a unique and engaging adventure. Unfortunately, the adventure is quite short and the replayablity isn’t there. Once you finish the game and find all the collectibles, the only choices are to start over or move onto the next game. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t experience Tearaway, but you might want to wait until it drops in price to do it

• PS4
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

• PS4
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Have you heard the one about the pirate and the Templar? It's not very funny, although it certainly has its moments. It's pretty exciting, through, and chock-full of sea shanty's, treasure hunts, good old fashioned assassinations and an overwhelming checklist of activities. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is the very definition of escapism, offering a mindbogglingly large amount of content. One could spend upwards of fifty hours exploring the world without completing more than a few introductory missions in the main story — which itself can offer over twenty hours of gameplay. It has its fair share of off-putting moments, a few gameplay issues that make an unfortunate comeback from previous entries and some stories that fail to fully-capture the pirate life potential, but Black Flag is by far the greatest title in the Assassin's Creed series, and likely the best game to feature pirates yet. While it was great on last-gen consoles, it's even better on the PlayStation 4, offering the same exciting experience in a more beautiful, smoother package. It's a piratical adventure unlike any before it, and one that even series naysayers will likely enjoy.

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

With Madden NFL 25 on PS4, the series is fourth and inches away from a level realism once not thought possible in football games. The movements are more authentic than ever before, the level of detail is higher and the game simply plays smoother. Character models aren't as realistic as we've seen in other PS4 sports titles and it's decidedly lacking the "wow" factor in its visuals, but it still easily surpasses the previous versions of the game. With fantastic commentary, great new additions like True Step and the smoothest presentation yet, Madden NFL 25 on PS4 is an exciting indication of where the series will go next.

• XONE
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Call of Duty: Ghosts is a stunner on Xbox One. It may not be the flagship title to demo in hopes of proving how superior next-gen gaming is to current-gen, but it's one of the finer looking launch titles on the console. The differences in quality will be instantly apparent to devoted players of the franchise and the Xbox One controller feels like it was built for the game. I haven't had enough time with the PS4 version to declare this the definitive version, but at this point it's my version of choice. While Ghosts is superb on the Xbox 360, future Xbox One owners would do themselves a great disservice for not investing (or upgrading to) this version.

• PS3
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

• PS3
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

• 3DS
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Pokémon X and Y makes the classic series feel brand new. I can remember the feeling I had when playing Pokémon Red for the first time and when I began this new journey and it instantly felt like I was ten years old again. For the first time in years, doing things like running into and catching Pidgey felt brand new. This is the kind of game you need to play to understand the full meaning of Pokémon. Developing friendships with strange creatures no matter how they act or appear is what makes someone a Pokémon Master. You can’t understand the game if you don’t love the friends you make along the way.

• PC
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Final Exam is a game that will appeal to a very specific type of player. It successfully takes concepts from games like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta and makes them work in a 2D setting with up to 4 players. By incorporating high scores into the core progression system, the game does a fantastic job of incentivizing higher level play, even on lower difficulty settings. Unfortunately, due to the relative lack of content and the flagrant recycling of what content there is, it's not something everybody will find a worthwhile purchase. There are better options available for those simply looking for a cheap sidescroller to play once and forget about. Those who can get invested in learning and mastering a deep combat system, however, will find a lot to like in Final Exam.

• PC
• 2.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Deadly Premonition is a mechanically stiff game that’s fortunate enough to have a compelling and intriguing murder mystery backing it up. Unfortunately, the PC port is mired with issues. It’s not the lackluster visuals, repeating animation or the slow and unappealing gameplay that’s the problem; it’s the multitude of technical issues that will push players away. Even with a butter smooth framerate, the Director’s Cut of Deadly Premonition ends up being a scanty attempt to broaden its fanbase without fully comprehending what the players want.

• VITA
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

The Metroidvania formula will forever remain one of gaming’s best, so whenever a modern 2D (or 2.5D in this case) version is announced, it’s cause for excitement. Blackgate doesn’t exactly do anything new and is derivative of practically every predecessor in its “genre,” but that doesn’t mean it’s not a whole lot of fun. It’s challenging, adds a few interesting gameplay mechanics and makes players use their brain instead of mindlessly smashing through villains. It’s a shame, then, how unpolished the whole effort is with some lazy puzzle solutions, cheap looking on-screen prompts and an absolutely horrible map that can’t even be navigated with the touch screen. The strength of the core gameplay and story told through beautiful motion graphic novel cutscenes make it well worth a playthrough, but its most challenging aspect may be shaking the constant reminder of missed opportunities.

• PS3
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Before beginning my time with Rocksmith, I couldn’t play a guitar. Hell, I didn’t even know how to properly hold one (the guy at Guitar Center jovially assisted me). But after a few hours with Rocksmith, my skills improved in the sense that I was no longer a guitar-virgin, and had a basic understanding of the dos and do nots. I won’t be sitting beneath an old tree on some college campus reciting pretentious hogwash to a bunch of promiscuous socialites with my trusty 6 string any time soon, but I’ll continue to learn, and eventually advance beyond the help of Rocksmith, grow horns and dethrone Jimi Hendrix as the greatest guitarist of all time. If I ever find the time, that is.