As a fan of ’80s action flicks who saw actually some of them in theaters, I’ve always appreciated what Avalanche Studios have tried to do in their over-the-top, action-packed Just Cause games, even when I haven’t liked them. But while it has some new wrinkles and some old problems, Just Cause 3 (Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC) still manages to be as much fun as a flick from when Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson, and Bruce Willis weren’t too old for this shit.
Funko have announced that they will release a series of Fallout 4 POP! toys this February.
In a year that’s already seen such great open world games as Batman: Arkham Knight, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and The Witcher III: Wild Hunt, the idea of wandering around another vast landscape might seem like a bit much. But Fallout 4 (Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC) is such an engaging, addictive, sprawling adventure that it not only trumps them all, it’s easily one of the best games of the year.
When it comes to racing games, there are three elements you have to get right: the controls, the courses, and the competition. But while the new Need For Speed (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) nails the first two, it fails at the third, which ruins the game and makes this one of the year’s bigger disappointments.
Since its release in 2012, FarSight Studio’s Pinball Arcade (PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, iOS, Android, PC, Mac) has consistently added new recreations of classic pinball tables from the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, and even the ’00s.
Here’s a critical look at the ten tables they’ve released for Season Four.
For me, Sunday evening’s TV used to be all about watching the cartoons on Fox: The Simpsons, Family Guy, and so on. But while the network may have neutered the night by adding such non-animated shows as Brooklyn 99 and Last Man On Earth to the schedule, Zen Studios are bringing “Animation Domination” back with the Ball Of Glory pack for Zen Pinball 2 and Pinball FX 2 (PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, Vita, iOS, Android, Amazon), which features tables inspired by Archer, Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, and American Dad. Though after playing all four, it’s clear you’ll want to play them more than one night a week.
Given that it’s just an add-on to Disney Infinity 3.0, you might expect the arcadey racing game Toy Box Speedway (all systems) to be somewhat shallow. But it not only has more depth and options than you might expect, but thanks to its tight controls and twisty tracks, it’s a really fun Sunday drive.
If it’s true that imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery, then a lot of game developers should be flattered by Bedlam (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC), a first-person shooter that pays homage to classic games by recreating both their fun and their flaws. Though you’ll decidedly enjoy this more if you’re familiar with the classic games being honored.
For the last couple years, the Transformers games have mostly been third-person shooters. But by switching the combat to a hack & slash motif, Transformers Devastation (PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC) feels like a welcome change. It’s just too bad it sometimes feels like a redundant one as well.