Hardcore Gamer

• PC
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Finally, Final Fantasy X and its sequel have breached a platform outside of the PlayStation family and it comes with positive tidings. While the frame rate is capped at 30fps, something that seems heavily tied around the game itself, the various graphical and keyboard remapping options allow for this to shine brightly. It may feel like a by-the-books port in some respect, but seeing a remastered version of a nearly fifteen year PS2 game running so smoothly on PC is a great outlook for what we can expect from Square Enix moving forward. Considering the significantly lower price point at launch and the hundred plus hour package, Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster for PC is a joyous occasion that allows for an additional audience to dig their teeth into the classic.

• PC
• 2 / 5
• États-Unis

While Homefront: The Revolution had potential to be great, its mediocre gameplay, lackluster story and myriad of technical issues make it one of the biggest disappointments of the generation. The PC's iteration's disastrous framerate and texture streaming follies take what could have been a halfway decent game and make it a pure test of patience on the part of the player. Even without all of the bugs and performance issues, Homefront: The Revolution's moment-to-moment gameplay feels dated, and in a month where so many dynamic first-person shooters are launching, this stands out even more. You have to hand it to Dambuster Studios for at least being able to get a 1.0 build out the door, considering all of the hardships surrounding Homefront: The Revolution's development, but unfortunately that's not enough considering the state of the launch release. While it was nice to see another crack at bringing the Homefront name to prominence, the low quality of the series' second title will likely mean the end of the Homefront franchise for good.

• PC
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Although it has some minor drawbacks and can be frustrating at times, Alienation sucks you back in quickly with its beauty and incessantly fun gameplay. Players who love the grind and the challenge of a hard game will lose many hours to Alienation's repetitive but rewarding missions, and players who just want to shoot aliens will still have a good time running through with friends. If you know and love Housmarque games, Alienation is arguably one of their best; it feels great, sounds great and looks great, and that makes the twenty dollar price point extremely reasonable. In a world of game that take themselves too seriously, Alienation is simply fun, and it's a game that I can see myself coming back to when I need just that.

• PS4
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Battleborn has done what I would have previously thought was impossible: it has kept me interested in its multiplayer. I typically grow bored with adversarial multiplayer after about an hour or two, yet I have spent so much time with this title already and want to keep going. That there are a couple of less than stellar design choices when it comes to the campaign is easily forgiven. There is so much to do, perks to unlock and skins to find, that it will be a long time before this one is sacrificed from my hard drive.

• PC
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Outside of its disappointing final battle, The Banner Saga 2 is a masterpiece of storytelling and engaging turn-based strategy combat. The combination of a dedicated sense of player agency and a stark moral dichotomy between the two sides of the narrative make for an experience that will immediately prompt thousands to start a countdown until The Banner Saga 3. Whenever a sequel is announced for a phenomenal title, there’s always a sense that things could go horribly wrong and ruin the general perception surrounding the original game. Not only does The Banner Saga 2 meet every expectation that one could have following the first game, but it exceeds them in a number of tangible areas. Oh, and let’s not forget that it’s one of the most gorgeous animated games that the industry has ever seen and that has to count for something. A firm early nominee for story-based end-of-the-year awards, The Banner Saga 2 is an absolute must play for anyone with even a passing interest in high fantasy or strategy games.

• VITA
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Ray Gigant takes some risks in game design to create a unique JRPG experience. Some of these are executed better than others, but the overall game is solid. It does take about two hours to really show its potential, but the payoff is worthwhile for JRPGs fans. Depending on how long a person's gaming career has been will factor into what various games show their influence, but the developers were able to combine the influences and create a fresh experience. The storytelling emphasis may seem excessive to some, but it was able to hold this reviewer's interest who generally has the attention span of a squirrel on massive amounts of stimulants.

• VITA
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Despite the fact that the PlayStation Vita’s low install base could potentially hinder Severed‘s success, DrinkBox’s gamble on Sony’s struggling handheld will likely pay off. First and foremost, the Vita’s current user base has established that it will purchase everything that it can from the Vita’s digital storefront, so the idea that a hefty portion of the audience will dive in on day one is certainly not outrageous. Second, when you consider that arguably the best exclusive to date is arriving at a time where the handheld is desperately seeking quality hardware, it makes sense that anyone looking to play something on their Vita will flock to Severed. After all, it’s a marvelous dungeon-crawler whose touch-based combat never shies away from being responsive and intuitive, which allows players to gain more and more confidence in their abilities as the campaign progresses. Of course, a brilliant combat system is just one of the factors that makes Severed a can’t-miss game for Vita owners, as DrinkBox’s patented art-style and focus on smart level-design are nothing to shake one’s head at. If Severed does turn out to be the Vita’s swan song, Sony can hang its hat knowing that the Vita’s last hurrah was a grade-A banger from a premier independent developer.

• PS4
• 2.5 / 5
• États-Unis

• PC
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Final Fantasy IX for PC is surprisingly well done for a sixteen year old port. Square Enix could have simply just thrown together something with little effort, but instead what we’ve received is a far better experience. With that said, it’s still not a perfect port as we ran into at least one controller related issue, and the pre-rendered background art can be hard to look at at times. The story of Final Fantasy IX still holds up today, feeling more like a traditional Final Fantasy than anything in the last twenty years, and the gameplay, while a bit slow at times even for turn-based standards, brings back memories of when the series was revolutionary. Even though the original release has been out for so long, Final Fantasy IX for PC still finds a way to feel fresh.

• 3DS
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

All in all, the Sega 3D Classics Collection offers a great mix of titles to suit the tastes of many. Of course, it’s up to you to decide whether or not these games constitute a home run or not. In the case that only one or two are worth it to you, consider hitting them up via the Nintendo eShop instead. Sega diehards, however, really should pick up the retail release as it comes with a decal sheet of Sega-related logos to help show the world how much you still adore Sega. While I felt some inclusions were lacking, the overall package is a solid pickup for fans of classic titles.

• 3DS
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Hyrule Warriors Legends was designed to be a Zelda spin-off and not the next entry in the Zelda series. As far as Warriors games are concerned, this adds enough Zelda elements to it that set it apart from the other games Koei Tecmo has been pumping over the years. Even though it uses a familiar design model and is cast with a cornucopia of characters from one of gaming's biggest franchises, the end result is a unique experience. People who do not enjoy Warriors games will not be converted, but for those who enjoy it, Hyrule brings enough new ideas to the format that it will feel like a new experience. Graphic quality downgrade aside, the additional content makes the 3DS version overall superior to its Wii U counterpart.

• PC
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

• PS4
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Ratchet & Clank is more than just a mere remake of the 2002 classic as Insomniac Games took big risks and they paid off. This reimagining is the ultimate Ratchet & Clank experience, incorporating over a decade’s worth of weapons, mechanics and knowledge into a single forty dollar package. Unfortunately, not everything translated over perfectly as this is far from the most challenging game, and while there are plenty of gadgets to be found, few are used properly. Fortunately, the story changes feel natural and make the narrative refreshing for newcomers and old school fans alike. The addition of fan favorite weapons is sure to make any Ratchet & Clank fan happy and the presentation is strong enough to where it feels like you’re playing a Pixar film. Ratchet and Clank are back, and they’ve arrived on the PlayStation 4 in style.

• PS4
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

One notable little detail in Enter the Gungeon is that every time you return to the hub area early on, the four characters keep decking out the little corner they’ve set camp in with more and more decorations such as bunk beds and pizza boxes, eventually becoming increasingly comfortable even as they keep heading back into the carnage over and over. That’s a perfect metaphor for the game right there, as it’s a superb shooter with a terrific sense of humor, astonishing action, and style and charm oozing out of every corner of its pixelated world. An absolute blast at every turn and just pure concentrated fun overall, Enter the Gungeon is an absolute gem that is not to be missed out on and Dodge Roll should be congratulated for it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go back and hunt for that shark-launching gun…

• PC
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Black Desert Online is a beautiful game marred by inept tutorials and an impenetrable story. The gameplay is strong once you understand it, but that might not happen before your patience runs dry. Black Desert doesn’t have typical endgame raids like comparable titles, but instead offers its endgame systems near the beginning of your journey. It’s refreshing, but also hard to wrap your head around. At the end of the day, an MMORPG’s biggest strength lies in its longevity and the community that forms around it. These traits are something that a game simply can’t predict or create and Black Desert Online appears to have both despite its flaws.

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Whereas NBA 2K16 found a way to take a step back last year with additions that didn't feel wholly meaningful, MLB The Show 16 is a shining example of exactly how to make a great game even better. It's not without its warts, but when you consider the talent and work ethic present at Sony San Diego, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the menu navigation and server dropping issues ironed out over the course of the next few weeks. Still, technical issues notwithstanding, MLB The Show brings meaningful additions to all of its major modes, with Battle Royale and the quality of life improvements in the addictive Road to the Show being the clear standouts here. A combination of depth and accessibility in all of its modes, with the exceptions of Franchise and Conquest, allows for even the most jaded former baseball fans to enjoy a trip to the virtual diamond, and this is no small feat. Oh, and it goes without saying that, as of this moment, MLB The Show 16 is the premiere way to see the Chicago Cubs emerge victorious in a World Series, so if you're a resident of the South Side, you're going to want to get your hands on this title as soon as possible. Okay, perhaps ending on a cheap Cubs dig wasn't the best way to end this review, but let's face it, your team is probably going to win it all this year, so it can't really be that bad, can it?

• XONE
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Quantum Break has an identity crisis going on for itself, not knowing if it wants to be a TV show, action game or puzzle platformer. There are elements of everything here, but they're underdeveloped and improperly paced. For example, while the various powers Jack has been entrusted with make him feel like a superhero from the get-go, they’re all obtained in the first two acts, meaning the remainder of the campaign can feel repetitive. At the very least the story is compelling, and while the in-between show isn’t going to win any awards, it’s still better than expected. It’s also visually striking, especially with the various time warping effects going on around the environment, and it helps recognizable actors and actress signed on to fill the cast. Unfortunately, whether it’s the unremarkable shooting mechanics, questionable conclusion or the disappointing final boss, there’s a lot that weighs the experience down. Quantum Break is a great game at heart, but it comes with a lot of underutilized potential.