Hardcore Gamer

• PS4
• VITA
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

It's possible to argue that the release of Sword Art Online -Hollow Realization- is a bit much. After all, Lost Song came out relatively recently and reuse of assets gives off the stink of a rush job, something to put out on the market while the series is still popular. This perspective ignores how much work went into the title from so many other angles. The updated, and finely tuned combat, keeps the action exciting while the story gives fans of the series a way to spend more time with their favorite characters while not rehashing the established history. Indeed, the game version's biggest strength lies in the fact that the lore has been radically changed. This is simply a must play for Sword Art Online fans. For those interested in the world and action, the narrative does a decent enough job introducing returning characters, with the option to skip the reintroduction for returning players, allowing Hollow Realization to serve as a perfectly fine entry point into the series. Overall, this is easily the best Sword Art Online game yet. Hopefully, the trend will continue into the future.

• PS4
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Although not long by typical game standards, taking most explorers between four and eight hours, this is a serious amount of time for virtual reality releases. Adventuring around Tyson III is beautiful, and sometimes even breathtaking, and as such, it would have made more sense to focus on these high points instead of forcing players to drudge through puzzles or deal with sometimes finicky climbing mechanics. Even so, it’s incredibly appealing to visit the world of Robinson: The Journey within a VR headset. Barring that key aspect, it would be just another exploratory title with dinosaurs and adequate gameplay.

• PS4
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered had a tough job to complete. Not only did it have to match player’s nostalgic expectations, but also remain fun after nine years, and in some ways, it's successful. The campaign resonates today as much it did nine years ago, the Multiplayer is still a blast, and the visual overhaul is the best any remaster has ever received. What Raven has accomplished is impressive, but it has its limits. Their strict dedication to not tampering with the original formula means that the flaws from 2007 are clearly visible. Issues that were fixed in later Call of Duty titles are left unchecked in Modern Warfare Remastered, and it can drag the experience down. In the end, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered is a solid remaster that enhances the original game with beautiful new visuals and a little bit of extra multiplayer content, but Raven Software may have stuck to the original a little too much. A few tweaks would have gone a long way to fixing some balancing issues, but for those looking for a blast from the past, this works just fine

• PS4
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare has had to overcome more public opinion adversity than likely any game before it, but it’s accomplished that in spades, blowing a planet-sized raspberry to all of its naysayers. Just because it takes place in the future doesn’t diminish its merit and in fact allows it to introduce several unique aspects to the series. With the help of Naughty Dog alumni, the story is one of the most comprehensible and well-rounded in recent series history, even if it can falter due to a lack of backstory. The multiplayer is a strong effort and introduces the neat Combat Rigs, although it can sometimes feel a bit like the little brother of Black Ops III. Likely the area of most concern turned out to be the highlight, with Zombies in Spaceland so triumphant that it would be a shame not to spin it off into its own series. It may not take Call of Duty to the heights of its galactic setting, but Infinite Warfare is out of this world.

• PC
• 5 / 5
• États-Unis

If Shovel Knight was the best game that late-era NES never had, Owlboy is the best game that late-era Super NES never had. But aside from just being one of the best indie platformers or retro throwbacks in recent memory, it's easily just one of this year's best games, period. Aside from playing like a dream and having flight-based gameplay that's an absolute delight, it evokes the old quote of "You'll laugh, you'll cry" through an absolutely astounding and moving story with several lovable characters and a fascinating world to discover. In fact, if you're reading this, odds are I'm still playing it in an effort to see everything it has to offer and to forage for every possible secret. To repeat: Owlboy was worth the wait. Eight years well spent, and then some. Bravo!

• VITA
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

In a fall where the Final Fantasy related news on everyone’s mind is how the ten-year-in-development Final Fantasy XV will turn out, World of Final Fantasy is comfort food for any traditional JRPG fans. What it lacks in some key aspects, it makes up for by leaps and bounds in the design and charm put into its nostalgia-tinged landmarks and characters. World of Final Fantasy isn’t going to be the Final Fantasy related experience people remember from 2016, but it’s a fine ode to the classics that have been with us for almost 30 years.

• PS4
• 3 / 5
• États-Unis

Anyone looking for a simple game to introduce their children to virtual reality with may find Wayward Sky a good choice. It fits the bill thanks to the easy to grasp gameplay control and kindness of puzzles. Nothing about the game (even its brief first person segments), however, proves the necessity of playing within VR. My hope is that Wayward Sky is eventually released as a standard 2D experience on PS4 or even PC. The game is a fun, brief romp and might in fact be dampened by PSVR’s shortcomings with regards to control and visual fidelity.

• VITA
• 3 / 5
• États-Unis

Valkyrie Drive- Bhikkhuni is a one of those titles that takes awhile to get going, something that many folks will not be able to tolerate. From an overlong tutorial to the failure to properly contextualize the fan service before wetly dropping it on the player, it's almost like it defies its audience to enjoy it anywhere but alone, in the dark at the start. Those who give it time, to set itself up, though, will find themselves enamored with the plot and silliness that goes along with the top-notch fighting. The pacing issues aside, the only thing holding this title back is the technical issues. A glitch here and there is understandable, but averaging a full crash an hour isn't something to be taken lightly. When it works, it really works. Until a patch becomes available, though, it is advised that a purchase be very carefully considered.

• PS4
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Root Letter is a strange visual novel, but one that keeps players interested throughout. If you feel you’ve received a rather lackluster ending then that’s cause to play through four more times to uncover the final truth. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t make expedite subsequent playthroughs. Still, there is a lot to like about a visual novel focused on the lives of thirty somethings rather than samey love-struck teenagers. Hopefully future games in the Kadokawa Game Mystery series improve upon this first one. While worthwhile from a story standpoint, there is still more that could be done to improve playability.

• PC
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Yomawari: Night Alone is a game that will be remembered more for its tone and story than gameplay, but that’s enough to recommend it. The PC port is clearly unoptimized from the Vita build, with issues like having to shoo the cursor off the screen every time you fire up the game, but the adventure of a little girl wearing a big red bow and a bunny backpack going out again and again into a haunted town is instantly engaging, hooking the player completely within the first couple of minutes. The variety of weird Japanese ghosts makes for a fantastically unique cast of threats and there are even plenty of harmless jump-scares just to keep you on your toes. While a bit rough and unpolished, Yomawari: Night Alone is a wonderfully spooky adventure that succeeds on pure heart.

• PS4
• 3 / 5
• États-Unis

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is stuffed with all your favorite characters and painted with a lovely anime art style, but that’s all it has going for it. The plot of resolving time anomalies was conceptually fascinating the first time around, but it seems like the creative well dried up fairly quickly as the developers just reused the exact same mischievous two antagonists to go about altering events once more. Sure, there are differences to which scenes have been changed, but you can only replay the same old sequences so many times. It wouldn’t be so bad if the core mission structure for both the campaign and Parallel Quests weren’t so repetitive, as it usually involves taking down a set number of enemies or collecting items such as Dragon Balls. That tied with incredibly long load times into the hub area (at least on console) create nothing but a disheartening experience. With that said, the new Expert Missions mode is a fantastic addition to the formula, aiding to the decently entertaining cooperative scenarios. At the end of the day, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is, at best, a minimal improvement over its predecessor while sharing a lot of the same issues, but there’s just something so endearing about how it all came together.

• PS4
• 3 / 5
• États-Unis

Fans of the original games will find that Battlezone on PSVR rekindles their passion despite some definite divergence. Not only does it look perfectly like a modern iteration of the classics, it also provides fast, frantic tank gameplay. The single player mode gives a great space for players to practice before taking a shot at helping others out online. Unfortunately, an already middling amount of server activity makes this mode’s future worrisome. Still, there’s enjoyment to be had with Battlezone right now which might make it worth a pickup for some PSVR owners.

• PS4
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Titanfall 2 takes what works with the original and builds on it. The same addicting momentum-based movement system is back and it’s still fun to use. Built on top of this is a campaign that, while not the most original, manages to create a relationship that feels genuine with a unique mission structure that embraces the movement system to create unique gameplay scenarios. Then you have the multiplayer that may not have as many weapons as some other games, and a few maps that don’t play to the game’s strength, but still manages to produce hours of fun. Titanfall 2 breathes new life into the concept and has solidified it as a franchise. Now, let’s all standby for titanfall.

• PS4
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Job Simulator is not best played on PSVR, but Owlchemy Labs still did an incredible job translating the game to PS4. They managed to retain the core of the experience which means folks are still set to have fun playing. It’s just a shame that the technology currently paired with PSVR (Move controller and single camera) do not allow for the complete fidelity of play required to truly make Job Simulator an amazing virtual reality experience. Still, for those who only have PSVR, it’s an enjoyable look at the silliness that virtual reality is capable of.

• PS4
• 3 / 5
• États-Unis

Although WWE 2K17 didn’t need to be a strong step forward from its previous release, it’s still difficult not to be disappointed with how little has changed from year-to-year. The core combat is best at its most chaotic, whether online or with friends, but still often ranges from frustratingly inconsistent to annoyingly repetitive, and the desolate nature of MyCareer and WWE Universe don’t do much to help players forget that. Fans looking for authentic and customizable WWE action at the expense of up-to-date graphics will surely get a kick out of the impressive amount of options and realistic animations available, which may be enough look past some of the game’s other issues. But for everyone else, it’s getting increasingly difficult to rely on 2K to provide a quality modern wrestling game that the medium and its ever-expanding base of devotees deserve.

• PS4
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

• PS4
• 3 / 5
• États-Unis

• XONE
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Putting to rest any qualms about the World War I setting, Battlefield 1 is a true Battlefield game with everything you’ve come expect from the franchise. The multiplayer experience is top notch thanks to some well-designed maps, a solid amount of weapons and some quality game modes. It’s a pity that Rush feels like such an afterthought, but Operations more than makes up for it. Unfortunately, the single player campaign once again feels tacked on. It’s more like a glorified eight-hour long tutorial, training players for multiplayer by throwing them in tanks and planes rather than telling a cohesive story. In the end, it’s the multiplayer that matters most, and Battlefield 1 excels at giving players the Battlefield experience they love in an era they probably won’t be all that familiar with.