Dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov once said, “Fundamentals are the building blocks of fun.” It’s something I wish the good people at Remedy Entertainment had heard before they started working on their new third-person sci-fi shooter Quantum Break (Xbox One, PC) because the game’s flawed fundamentals are what keep it from being as much fun as it could’ve been.
Another day, another old game getting a makeover. This time it’s Shadow Complex Remastered, which is bringing an upgraded version of the 2009 side-scrolling, sci-fi shooter Shadow Complex to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. But while it doesn’t add enough to make it worth a double dip, the game does hold up rather nicely, especially for fans of the Metroidvania genre.
One of the great things about the current and previous generations of video games is that you can not only get tons of old games for new systems, but you can also get new games in old genres. Case in point: Lumo, an isometric arcade adventure being made by Triple Eh? Ltd., which Rising Star Games will release on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Vita, and PC this April. To find out how it fully embraces the spirit of those ’80s games, but with modern tenets, I spoke to Game Director Gareth Noyce as he played his way through the opening rooms.
Funko have announced that they’ll release a series of POP! toys based on the upcoming Blizzard shooter Overwatch this May.
In his 2008 novel The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman wrote, “If you dare nothing, then when the day is over, nothing is all you will have gained.” It’s something I thought about a lot as I explored the vast wilderness of Far Cry Primal (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC). Because while this continues what was done in 2008’s Far Cry 2, 2012’s Far Cry 3, and 2014’s Far Cry 4, it also dares to add new some new elements to this open world, first-person action series.
Back in the day, before every video game console was connected to the Internet, people who wanted to play games together actually had to sit next to each other. I know, crazy, right? Well, the cartoony, top-down action game Wondershot — which is coming to PlayStation 4 and PC via Steam on February 18th and Xbox One on the 19th — is bringing that kind of action back. While it does have a single-player challenge mode, the centerpiece of the game is its multiplayer, which is local-only. To explain how it all works, I spoke to the Leikir Studio’s Aurelien Loos, the game’s Creative Director, as we and some pals played a few rounds.
Last year I put together a story about all the pinball tables I really wanted to see for Pinball FX 2 and Zen Pinball 2 — including Indiana Jones, Robot Chicken, Resident Evil, Game Of Thrones, and the BioShock games — and why none of them will ever be made…probably. And wouldn’t you know it, I was right. So far, none of these have been made into pinball tables. So I thought it would be fun to think about what other tables I’d like to play…and why I’ll probably never have the chance to play them, either.
Though it was clearly delayed to avoid spoiling the film — what, Han Solo has turned into a silver metal ball!?! — Zen Studios have finally released their Star Wars The Force Awakens Pack for Zen Pinball 2 (PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Vita), Pinball FX 2 (Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC), Zen Pinball (iOS), and Zen Pinball HD (Android, Amazon), which includes two tables inspired by the titular film. Though it may be a spoiler for the next movie that the better table is the one that embraces the Dark Side.
While there were some great games in 2015, there were also a bunch that weren’t so great.
And then there was the following bunch of crap that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, even if they stepped on my foot and didn’t say “Sorry.”
Here now, in no particular order, are the worst games of 2015.
The Order: 1886
Developers: Ready At Dawn
Publisher: Sony
Systems: PlayStation 4
While much was made about this game’s length, or lack there of, the real issue was how it wasted that time with dated mechanics and way too many cutscenes. But my biggest problem with The Order: 1886 was that it took a cool idea — a Gears Of War-style shooter set in a proto-steampunk London — and squandered it.
SCORE: 4.0/10 (read my full review here)
Helldivers
Developers: Arrowhead Game Studios
Publisher: Sony
Systems: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Vita
What should’ve been a fun and frantic arcadey, top-down, sci-fi shooter was instead a frustrating slog thanks to a lot of little problems that included, but were not limited to, pointless mechanics (I mean, seriously, what kind of a trained soldier doesn’t know to reload their weapon), bad graphical choices, and a wildly inconsistent difficulty.
SCORE: 3.5/10 (read my full review here)
Godzilla
Developers: Natsume
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Systems: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3
Caught somewhere between low-budget and low-rent, this game is not only overly simplistic and repetitive, but it also has counter-intuitive movement that makes this more frustrating than fun.
SCORE: 6.5/10 (read my full review here)
Resident Evil (HD remake)
Developers: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Systems: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
This game isn’t so much bad as it is a waste of your money. I would’ve loved a new version of this classic 1996 game with upgraded graphics and better controls. I can even understand why someone would want a faithful recreation of the original game with the original controls and the original graphics. But what we got instead was the 2002 remake of the game that Capcom put out on the GameCube, but with that game’s awkward controls and the original graphics in HD. And why would I want that? Oh, right, I don’t.
SCORE: 3.0/10 (read my full review here)
Onechanbara Z2 Chaos
Developers: Tamsoft
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Systems: PlayStation 4
While it would be easy to condemn this game for being overtly sexual but not all that sexy, it actually has bigger problems than just being potentially offensive. It’s terribly redundant, which makes it rather tiresome after a while, and I say that as someone who really likes hack & slash games you can just button mash to victory.
SCORE: 6.5/10 (read my full review here)
Afro Samurai 2: Revenge Of Kuma: Volume 1
Developers: Redacted Software
Publisher: Versus Evil
Systems: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
As someone who liked, but still saw the flaws in, the original Afro Samurai game, I was encouraged when the people behind this sequel said they weren’t happy with the original either, and we’re striving to make something better. Which makes it even more sad that they failed. Miserably. Not only was it a bad game, but it was so flawed and buggy that the publisher gave everyone refunds and cancelled the other two volumes.
SCORE: 2.0/10 (read my full review here)
So, what were your least favorite games of 2015. Let me know in the comments below.