Hardcore Gamer

• WIIU
• 3 / 5
• États-Unis

Fans have waited a long time for Rodea the Sky Soldier, but unfortunately the final experience never comes within range of Yuji Naka’s past masterpieces. The issues begin with the fundamental mechanics of flight and persist into its pacing, controls and stability, ultimately tainting even the most joyous moments of freedom afforded by Rodea’s affinity for the open air. There are moments of bliss that shine through the mess, but the pure celebration of flight that Prope set out to deliver on Wii has lost many of its most important features during the transition to Wii U, and in the end, Rodea the Sky Soldier fails to live up to its lofty ambitions.

• PC
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Wrestling fans have been waiting for a truly great game for their sport of choice for years, if not decades. All that waiting has mostly paid off as WWE 2K16 is a strong game that can stand well with the genre's heavy-hitters without looking too out of place. WWE 2K16 isn't without its flaws, but it's the most feature-rich wrestling game to come along in a while, with a right massive roster, a good deal of likable modes and well-fleshed out main attractions in the domains of 2K Showcase and MyCareer.

• PS4
• XONE
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Perhaps the best compliment that one could pay Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition is that it is absolutely Divinity: Original Sin in every sense of the name. Sure, it is probably a better idea, given the option, to play this insanely deep RPG with a mouse and keyboard instead of a controller, but those without a gaming rig will be able to get the full experience without losing anything. Thanks to the combination of smart button-mapping, fully-voiced non-player characters and a core game that is deserving of its universal praise, this is one title that the most hardcore of console gamers absolutely have to have. The real question is, will this be the title that starts a full-fledged wave of hardcore PC titles crashing their way onto consoles? Could we see games like Pillars of Eternity make their way to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One? Time will only tell, but one thing is for certain: Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition has positioned itself as a great example of a PC-to-console port done right.

• 3DS
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

• PC
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

It's tough for an outsider to look at the praise Tales from the Borderlands is receiving without thinking it's a bit hyperbolic and overblown. Rest assured, Telltale's best game shows us exactly what it means for a game to be fun, as its wonderful writing seems to play on just about every emotion you have. If you thought that this studio would never top the first season of The Walking Dead, you're sorely mistaken, as the title the world thought would be mediocre highlighted the shear wealth of talent over at Telltale. Rhys and Fiona are a pair for the ages, and the utter nonsense that will invade your screen is as dumb as it gets, but in the best way possible. Tales from the Borderlands is a reminder of the lunacy that draws that child inside of us over to our controllers, keyboards, mice and touch screens, so anyone without a sense of humor or a flair for the dramatic need not apply. If the gaming world doesn't talk about Tales from the Borderlands as one of 2015's best offerings, then something has gone horribly, horribly wrong.

• VITA
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

• PS4
• 2 / 5
• États-Unis

With all of the wasted potential and the abuse of a cult-classic property found here, Overlord: Fellowship of Evil is not good. It is entirely possible to glean some enjoyment from the tone here, and the action can be a decent way to turn off the brain for anyone who just wants to whack things. For anyone else, there are many better options. For folks who want an action/RPG on a budget, try Torchlight or The Adventures of Van Helsing. For people who want to be evil, try voting for Ben Carson. Finally, for fans of the Overlord series, go back and play the original two again. If those have been played to death, check out Dungeon Keeper on Good Old Games (speaking of franchises where the latest title completely missed the point).

• PS4
• XONE
• WIIU
• X360
• PS3
• WII
• 2.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Just Dance 2016 should (and probably will) be the franchise’s last physical release. While the core gameplay remains fun despite some questionable choreography, the overall package reeks of complete and utter apathy. Basic Kinect features have been stripped, there’s an unnecessary focus on smartphone use and only eight licensed songs of the over forty included in total are from this year, which is a huge issue considering that the series has devolved into a glorified track pack. There’s no point in releasing this series annually if there’s not an effort put forth to capture the current music scene. Ubisoft blatantly realizes this, considering the introduction of a subscription-based Just Dance content delivery service, which quite frankly should have been expanded upon and released instead of this debacle.

• PS4
• 3 / 5
• États-Unis

By no means is Tales of Zestiria bottom of the pile, yet as far as all around quality goes -- by which the many cogs keep this latest entry circulating; moving with swift, relevant engagement -- Zestiria is perhaps the point wherein Bandai Namco really do have a franchise on one hell of a tipping point. If future installments can banish this belief that elements like characters, progression and World-building are some kind of temporary prop, the series could become relevant again. There's salvation in the combat, especially when it makes the player feel -- if briefly -- like they've mastered the art[es] of strategy, and gameplay will indeed trump anything plot or visuals may throw. But these grand adventure-types have always been about more than just the momentary, short-term victory, haven't they?

• VITA
• 3 / 5
• États-Unis

For series fans, Corpse Party: Blood Drive is simply a must play. The story and new revelations are thought provoking and deep; so much work went into expanding the lore and it just works on that level. The excellent sound design found here is probably the best to be found on the Vita. That all being said, this is a title only for the patient existing fans and story junkies. The limitations of the game and technical design makes the task of actually playing the thing just that: a task. Anyone who is actually looking for a good scare or creep out would be well advised to move along, because, in the end, there ain’t no party like a Vita Corpse Party, ’cause a Vita Corpse Party (Now Loading…)

• PC
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Prison Architect is a genuinely fun game that makes you think in unexpected ways. Apart from some slight campaign fatigue and an Escape Mode with plenty of potential but poor execution, it’s hard to put it down. A surprising depth of character draws you in and a depth of gameplay that keeps you there. If you love the Tycoon style of game then this is definitely for you. If that’s not your thing, then give Prison Architect a go anyway, you will be pleasantly surprised. Until you realize that it’s 3:23 am and you have work tomorrow, at least.

• PC
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Sword Coast Legends is a solid loot crawl with more options than most games of its kind. It may not be the Dungeons & Dragons simulator many were hoping for, but it works well as just a straight video game. There are some hiccups, mainly in the graphics, optimization and customization departments, but its host of modes, delightful story, clever writing and the ability to play player-run and -created campaigns solo or with others, on top of having a creation suite for those who want to play the part of dungeon master, all make for a content-rich experience. The combat and overall gameplay mechanics can prove a bit shallow at times, never offering the depth or tactical veracity of Pillars of Eternity, but as a hybrid of Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights, Sword Coast Legends is a game that mostly excels in all that it tries to do. Post-release will be an interesting time, though, as the limited and sometimes restrictive options are opened up and iterated on by N-Space. Until that time comes, however, it’s a good game with the capacity to be great.

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Guitar Hero Live is clearly the product of music lovers. Instead of exuding cheesiness like past titles in the franchise, Live is wholly contemporary. From the font, to the controller, to the song selection, down to the gameplay itself, Guitar Hero Live feels fresh, alive and something that’s not embarrassing to have out at a party full of even the snobbiest hipsters. The song selection is impressive, the FMV is well produced and the GHTV concept is incredibly exciting. While there’s still trepidation due the fact that much of its appeal rests on unproven promises and its currency system is needlessly complicated, the idea of new songs being added on a weekly basis could render Guitar Hero Live into a persistent experience for rhythm and music lovers alike. Time will ultimately tell how Guitar Hero Live shapes up, but it’s alluring enough to once again raise your plastic axe to the sky and rejoin the virtual rock god army.

• PS4
• 3 / 5
• États-Unis

With dozens upon dozens of playable characters, arenas, music and art pieces to unlock using currency earned in game, series’ faithful will have plenty see and do before they are done with Saint Seiya: Soldiers’ Soul. Other players will find themselves wanting something with a bit more teeth. With a fighting system as shallow as a conversation with a cat, the single player mode boils down to which will break first: a newbie’s interest in the story or their boredom with the actual action. Trying to keep a second player’s interest for multiplayer based on the systems in place might be futile. Still, after the debacle of previous games based on this show, “passable for fans” is a step up.

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance is a step in the right direction for the series, adding various new mechanics that help streamline the experience. Having the ability to move freely after an initial action is something the series desperately needed, as accidentally placing characters in the wrong location has been a common frustration. That’s not to mention the smartly redesigned class leveling system, no longer requiring players to reincarnate characters to reap their success. There’s just so much crammed into this one package, with the infinitely addictive Item World that’s better than ever and a Nether Research Squad that helps give those who weren’t able to make it into battle a little bit of purpose. It’s not without its faults, though, as the story somewhat falls apart at the end and the protagonist is a bit of a drag, but at least the supporting cast makes up for him. Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance implements some of the smartest choices the series has seen since its debut in 2003, making this not only the best Disgaea game to date, but one of the best Strategy-RPGs available.

• PC
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

If you're going to pick up an independent game to cleanse your palette before the torrent of massive Fall releases begins, you could do a lot worse than Broforce. Yes, a great deal of the players who would have been interested in Broforce have gotten their fill in the past eighteen months and moved on, but those who have waited for the end of the PC development cycle will be rewarded with a whole mess of fun. There's something primal about being a dumb dude blowing up other dumb dudes in a dumb game and Free Lives has found a way to tap directly into that. While the mechanics are not as tight as they could be, and there still is a bit of rust hanging around from Early Access, this that shows us that giving an in-development title your hard-earned cash isn't always a bad call. Perhaps with future content updates and tweaking, Free Lives can elevate Broforce from the good game it is to the great game it can be.

• PC
• 1.5 / 5
• États-Unis

So much of Armikrog feels neglectful and lazy, lacking anything to make it stand out. Even the claymation look of it doesn’t save it from the carelessness put into it. It’s hard to see where that million dollars went. All of that said, it isn’t terrible, but if you’ve never had the pleasure of playing The Neverhood, do yourself a favor and pick that up instead.