ZTGD

Going into Resident Evil 7 I was skeptical that it would not fit into the series. It felt like a new direction that didn’t capture what I had come to know it for. After playing through it, I couldn’t have been more wrong. This game epitomizes what a Resident Evil game is, and has revitalized a series I grew up adoring.

Moto Racer 4 tugged at my nostalgia from the original PlayStation games, but it left me feeling cold and empty afterwards. I wanted it to be good, heck I would have settled for it being mediocre, but in the end it just feels like a game lost in time.

Even with the nostalgia factor, I really don’t think this game holds up enough for even the hardcore fans of Power Rangers. It quickly becomes a boring trek even with friends playing alongside you. It looks like a game for kids, but there’s no way it would hold their attention for long, and the adults that loved the Rangers as kids will find it far too repetitive to keep going.

While it’s not my favorite bundle they have released, it most certainly has some fun times in it. RPG and Kingdom Hearts fans should not shy away from this one. Still, seeing as how 2.5 HD had both Kingdom Hearts 2 and Birth by Sleep in it and this package only has a full game and a 2 hour episode, I would say at least wait for a slight price drop.

I had a really fun time with The Flame in the Flood. It was a difficult experience but one that felt rewarding at the same time. It is easy to get into for newer players, and a decent starting point for survival games if one hasn’t played them before. All for a decent $15 price tag. Even with its issues here and there, I highly suggest giving this one a shot.

In the end Batman feels like a rough start, and if I wasn’t such a fan of the characters, I am not sure I would come back for more. However, being such a huge fan I find myself wanting to see where it goes, warts and all, which is something Telltale seriously needs to address. This engine has been chugging along far too long, and instead of acquiring new licenses for properties, it might be time to take a break and build a new engine, one that can handle these grand narratives they are trying to build.

Yakuza 0 is a fantastic start to the new year of gaming. Fans of the series will likely love it, but for newcomers this is the best time to jump in. I am happy to have finally taken the plunge, and over time I can see myself returning to the series, especially with two more games already scheduled to hit PS4 soon. There is plenty here to enjoy, and I guarantee there is nothing else quite like Yakuza.

Rise & Shine looked like an early sleeper for 2017, but its design holds it back more often than not. I wanted to love it, but after banging my head against it for the short duration it lasts, it wasn’t worth the tedium.

Fate/Extella is a title that has a lot to live up to due to the immense popularity of the Fate series as a whole. However, it doesn’t do much to stray from the typical formula set forth by the countless other musou titles on the market. It sports a serviceable but unremarkable combat engine, along with a story that felt just as disposable as one of the tens of thousands of enemies I left in my wake.

The first two episodes kept me completely engaged, interested, and ultimately shocked. The reveal at the end of episode 2 and the implications of how that’s going to affect all the characters had my mouth drop. This latest entry has amazing potential to be the best Walking Dead game yet. Only time will tell, but so far A New Frontier is entertaining and exciting in the best ways possible.