Hardcore Gamer

• PS4
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

At its core, Dear Esther represents an exploration (or walking simulator, if that’s one’s preferred assessment) title for exploration fans. While it lacks the same emotional presentation of games like Journey, or the same consistently compelling narrative of games like Gone Home or The Stanley Parable, Dear Esther’s exceptional writing and soundtrack help the title overcome these flaws, providing a worthwhile journey for those willing to take it. Those that are will be rewarded with a dark tale that proves that, much like the game itself, sometimes loneliness can be a powerful asset.

• PC
• PS4
• XONE
• PS3
• X360
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

To this date there has never been a football sim that has handled gameplay the way PES 2017 does. The gameplay, however, isn’t enough alone to save PES from feeling a bit outdated at times. If you’re willing to overlook the lack of official licensing and entry level mode diversity, then the act of playing football in PES 2017 can’t be matched. From responsive goalkeepers who each have play-styles tailored to their real life counterparts to the way atmosphere are brought to life by the dense crowds that fill up the Camp Nou, the experience of playing PES 2017 is as perfect as a football can be. It’s sadly everything around that experience that drags PES down.

• IOS
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

60 Seconds! is a blast (groan). The bulk of a playthrough is a fairly simple visual novel where choices do have consequences on the outcome. The combination of the correct choices that lead to the happy ending is something I have yet to figure out at the time of this review, but I am told said combination does exist. The randomly generated nature gives it great replay value. It may get old if played daily, but I have gone through it a few times since I learned about it and spreading it out helps maintain the entertainment value. Having a darker sense of humor is somewhat of a prerequisite to truly appreciate this title, but for people possessing that attribute there is much fun to be had within 60 Seconds!

• PC
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

BioShock: The Collection successfully brings three of the best games from the last-generation to the current-generation, but not without a few hiccups. Everything you loved, or hated, about the originals is still intact. The gameplay, art style, engrossing plots and the wondrous cities continue to provide plenty of incentive to give back into the ocean or fly into the skies. While Blind Squirrel Games has done a good job remastering the original BioShock for a new generation, it is disappointing to see the effort put into each entry decline. With so much attention-to-detail put into BioShock, it’s a shame to see BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite put on the back-burner. BioShock: The Collection is still the best way to play these classics and those who missed these games the first time are in for a real treat. Those who have played all three games will find the visit back to Rapture almost as endearing as the first time, just don't expect that sense of endearment to carry over to BioShock 2 or BioShock Infinite.

• VITA
• 3 / 5
• États-Unis

MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death is a good though unremarkable game. There are better dungeon crawlers available for the Vita, but fans of the genre will likely enjoy MeiQ in spite of its flaws. Being able to build up the Guardians and the elemental system are good ideas, but because of the simplistic nature of combat, neither idea lives up to its potential. The characters and Guardian designs are interesting though most of the common enemies look rather generic. I would recommend this game only to people who cannot get enough of dungeon crawlers or just happen to love everything Compile Heart creates.

• PC
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

In 2016, Dead Rising is fantastic nostalgic trip that benefits from the higher resolution, frame rate and graphical options greatly, despite the overall textures and models not being as magical as they once were. While the opening parts can be a slog to get through, and this is before the innovation of combo weapons, cutting through hordes of undead is still incredibly satisfying, not to mention fighting the creative psychopath bosses. This all tied together with the wacky humor we have come to love creates a rather charming adventure. Capcom has been good at re-releasing their biggest and best games as of late, and Dead Rising is a solid example of how to do it right. If you missed this classic zombie slasher ten years ago, there’s no better time to catch-up.

• XONE
• 3 / 5
• États-Unis

Despite its problems, it’s not hard to envision a world in which a few changes along the way could have turned ReCore into a cult hit. Without the progress gating and fewer technical issues, we’d be left with a shorter, more intense action-platformer featuring a solid movement system. There’s something slightly enjoyable about ReCore‘s color-switching combat mechanic, despite it taking place in such a lock-on heavy shooting system and the friendship between Joule and her robot pals Mack, Seth and Duncan can be charming. While not lackluster enough to be considered a bad game, there are enough stumbles and hiccups here to prevent this effort from Armature and Comcept from living up to its potential. It remains to be seen whether or not there’s going to be enough love for this odd exclusive to get a sequel, but considering the foundation in place, a ReCore 2 wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

• PS4
• 2.5 / 5
• États-Unis

• VITA
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness brings an established franchise into the visual novel world successfully. The storyline and characters are utterly compelling, regardless of your awareness of the source material. In fact, the story was effective enough to convince me to give the show a watch. The game does, however, end up missing a few of the convenience features expected from many other modern entrants in the genre. It also feels that the lack of text resizing done for the Vita leaves this version feeling a little iffy at times. Still, there’s nothing that beats the feeling of actually affecting a narrative in serious ways. Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness provides a successful entry into an awesome series as well as a new storyline for existing fans to consume.

• PC
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Mother Russia Bleeds succeeds in being a self-aware play on the edginess in video games. As interesting as its concepts, art design, themes and general aesthetic are, issues with its combat and AI hold it back from being the indie darling it clearly has the potential to be. Perhaps this would have been a game better suited for another genre, as there’s such a stark contrast between its peaks and valleys. Mother Russia Bleeds is probably the strangest 2D title since Dropsy, so if you’re the type of person who wants their pixel-art to be shocking, then this is the game for you. It’s a shame that so much of the moment-to-moment combat feels like an exercise in button-mashing, as there’s a weird dichotomy in such an interesting world playing host to somewhat uninteresting gameplay. Still, anyone looking for drug-induced 2D violence is going to have a hard time passing Mother Russia Bleeds up.

• PS4
• 3 / 5
• États-Unis

For what it’s worth, Jotun has its audience cut out for it. Those looking to explore a lore-filled world heavily inspired by Norse mythology and packed with gorgeous hand-drawn animations will be hard-pressed to find better. But with the limited scope for the interactive aspects of both the exploration and combat, Jotun never quite reaches the heights of Valhalla, instead providing a mediocre experience that inspires as often as it bores. While the genre Jotun falls in isn’t exactly jam-packed with other options, potential players who lack the right amount of Norse-based curiosity would most likely be able to find better experiences elsewhere.

• XONE
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

EA Sports has three different sports titles under their belt. Each one is built on the same engine and feel quite similar. Underneath that veil of uniformity, however, there is something that makes all of their games distinct and unique. In NHL 17 it’s everything that surrounds the actual gameplay of it. From the presentation to the deep franchise mode, NHL 17 has everything away from the on-ice action nailed down to a T. If the experience of playing the game fell into the same pristine category instead of being too overbearing for its own good, this would be a near-perfect game of hockey.

• 3DS
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

The atmosphere, music and overall writing of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice are spot on. While there are a lot of callbacks to previous games, it never feels like they are there just for nostalgic purposes, yet the experience seems reminiscent of the original trilogy in the best of ways. The game is not recommended to those who have never played the Ace Attorney series; while a new player could still enjoy it, many references and key character interactions wouldn't make sense to someone who had decided to start here. If you have played the previous games in the Ace Attorney series, however, you'll want to add this one to your game library.

• VITA
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

• PS4
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Madden NFL 17 isn’t leaps and bounds ahead of what EA Tiburon was able to accomplish last year, but it builds on a very solid foundation with only a few hiccups and annoyances to speak of. Hardcore fans will take kindly to the gameplay changes while newcomers will have a lot to learn in the tutorial sections as well. Regardless of your skill level, there’s something here for everyone. Football is a game of inches, and as the long running Madden franchise keeps inching forward each year, it leaves fans with hours of gridiron action to look forward to.

• PC
• 5 / 5
• États-Unis

When reviewing a game, it is vital to approach it with a critical eye as even the smallest flaw can be a deal breaker for some. I will readily admit that I was expecting to enjoy Livelock based on the previews and hands-on time I experienced, but even those didn’t quite show the full potential of this game. There simply wasn’t a detectable flaw found during play. Every moment is pure destructive joy, the likes of which absolutely must be played. It is something that I never thought would be seen again: a AAA isometric shooter. With likable heroes, overwhelming villains and engrossing story and gameplay, Livelock sets a new standard for the genre. No bugs could be found, either, with the exception of the mechanical ones that are supposed to be shot. Publisher Perfect World Entertainment proved that they knew what they were doing when they picked this up to release as their first non-free to play game. This is a masterpiece.