The Last of Us Remastered
Revisting The Last of Us has been a revitalizing experience. I don’t know what I expected this time around with this game, but it definitely wasn’t to fall back into the multiplayer hard, which I think is one of the best aspects of this Remastered version.
The thing is: The Last of Us already looked incredible. It already pushed detail to what we expect from this current generation of hardware, and looking better isn’t a feat it really needs to do. If you were expecting a huge upgrade, this isn’t it. Joel and Ellie already looked gritty in their gorgeously realized world, and yes they look better here, but don’t expect your brain to melt out your ears, just expect the incredible masterpiece that you got the first time around. That’s more than enough.
Here is my original review if you missed it last year.
~~~~Alex
A full year later, it’s a miracle this game has yet to be spoiled for me. For those who don’t know, I was unable to play The Last of Us on PS3 and after a couple months I just decided to hold out for the off chance this would come to PS4. My prayers have been answered and my mind has been blown. My mom recently walked in on me playing and asked, “what movie is this?” That’s when you know you have a gorgeous looking game.
Though my playtime is limited because I only play when my cousin is in the room because he’s watching it like a movie as well, I take my free time to the spectacular multiplayer, something I never touched on PS3. Needless to say, I am very impressed. The stealth and crafting elements carried over as hoped and they still manage to create a tense atmosphere wrapped around a great cooperative experience.
~~~~Aneudys
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition
I’ve already gave my glowing thoughts on Guacamelee over a year ago, and on how I felt it was a super fun platformer. Now it’s back again and redone with enhanced visuals and some extras. The additional levels mostly just explains Tostada’s backstory, which was never explored in the vanilla game, along with a new boss fight with a new character. With having all the DLC from the previous game and enhancements to the presentation, this is the definitive version of Guacamelee that no one should pass up if they are a fan of action platformers. It indeed is the Super Turbo Championship Edition.
~~~~Nabeshin
The Wolf Among Us Season Finale: Cry Wolf
A satisfying and conclusive end to one of the best game story arcs this year, Cry Wolf did a lot to both bring closure and new revelations to the twisted tale of Fabletown. Bigby gets his man, but thats only the beginning of this chapter, which quickly becomes a sounding board for all of the consequences for you actions. Jacob reviewed it and loved it, and I summed up the entire season’s overall quality (also good). This game brings console adventure titles to the next level, as far as story telling is concerned.
~~~~Jarrett
Abyss Odyssey
I wanted to love this game, I really did. It has a beautiful art direction that melds traditional horror elements with Chilean lore in a way that is very much unique in the industry. It’s built around a complex combat system, taking its roguelike platformer elements and turning it on its head. But as you can read in my review, there’s nothing this game really nails. Even its strongest points are marred by a lack of polish that should have definitely been touched up before going gold. Procedural generation is a useful tool and a popular, trendy gaming convention nowadays, but sometimes things can be too random, and there are too many points in Abyss Odyssey that speak directly to that problem.
~~~~Jarrett
Rogue Legacy – PS4/PS3/Vita
The quintessential modern roguelike, Legacy leads the subgenre as far as quality is concerned. And even a year later, after wandering into the Playstation ecosystem, Legacy finds a way to be a fresh and addictive experience. Exploring the castle is a game of inches, getting ever so farther each time before croaking in some dramatic fashion, leaving your heirs to pick up the pieces. The additions of genetic traits add a layer of randomness and uniquity in every run. Coupled with the random classes you are given to choose from, and the customizable gear and skills you can perform, the amount of experimentation and replayability in this title is seemingly endless. It’s gameplay first mission statement harkens back to the Super Metroid days, and its sense of humor is something that never gets old. I will never have anything bad to say about Rogue Legacy.
~~~~Jarrett