Like seconds of a good meal, add-ons for video games can sometimes be more of a good thing, sometimes just more of the same, and sometimes just too much.
Thankfully, it’s the former category that we find Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways, an add-on for the recent and excellent remake of Resident Evil 4.
Given how 2017’s Resident Evil 7: Biohazard was called a “return to form,” it should come as no surprise that the sequel would try to follow in its footsteps. But rather than rest on their laurels, and spend their time sipping Mai Tais as the money rolls in, the good people at Capcom have instead decided to progress once again by making Resident Evil Village (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, Stadia) essentially Resident Evil 7 crossed with Resident Evil 4 for a game that — yeah, you know — goes up to 11.
Released in 1998, the original Resident Evil 2 was, at the time, one of the better survival horror games ever made. But times change, and if 2015’s faithful remake of Resident Evil is any indication, the original Resident Evil 2 wouldn’t hold up today. Thankfully, the good people at Capcom have gone a different route with this new edition of Resident Evil 2 (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC), which not only boasts modern-style controls, but reworks other aspects to make this feel like…well, not a whole new game, but certainly a revived one.
Kotobukiya have announced that they’ll release statues of characters from Batman comics, The Defenders, the upcoming Black Panther movie, the Resident Evil video games, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi this summer.
Like so many Resident Evil games, Resident Evil Revelations has been repeatedly rereleased, with an updated version for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, WiiU, and PC coming just a year after it debuted on the 3DS in 2012. Now it’s been upgraded again for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, with still another version for the Switch coming later this year, with that edition including a voucher for a copy of Resident Evil Revelations 2. But while this new edition doesn’t add enough to make it worth buying a second time, or a third, for fans of this series who missed this installment before, this is yet another chance to be the gun-totin’ hero in a horror movie.
Funko have announced that they’ll release a series of POP! toys for the Resident Evil video games this January to coincide with the release of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, which will be out on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on January 24th.
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.