ZTGD

Steep is a great game marred by odd design decisions that drag it down a few notches. With some tweaks and band-aids this could easily be one of the better games of 2016, but the nagging issues found here are enough to make me not want to play it for more than an hour or so at a time. That said, with so many other great titles hitting this time of year Steep is likely to be forgotten, but if they manage to solve its issues, and it gets a sort of fresh launch early next year, definitely keep your eyes out for it.

I’d really like to see what the developers do next, if it’s anything like The Little Acre, I’ll definitely be eager to play it. For new comers to the point and click genre, this is a perfect game to experience. Veterans of the genre, while not offering much challenge or length, can still find lots to love in everything else it brings.

While it won’t set the world on fire, Mekazoo is one of those games I could see taking off down the road when it hits a sale and word of mouth spreads. The performance issues will hopefully be cleaned up by then, and players will get to experience the joy the developers have crafted here.

Aqua Moto Racing Utopia scratches that itch I get every couple years to play a wave racing game. It is rough around the edges, and lacks a good collection of unlockables, but the core racing is fun. For those like me that are tired of waiting on Nintendo to resurrect the king, this is a great substitute.

Overall, this game is a complete pleasure to play. It’s evocative of older generations of theme park management sims in all the right ways, whilst having plenty of style and appeal in its own right. It’s a game that can be both a source of relaxation and a challenge, depending on the player’s mood. Planet Coaster is also poised to offer some excellent longevity via integration with the Steam Workshop. The possibilities are endless, and this reviewer is definitely on-board for the ride.

With such a lengthy and troubled development cycle, it was really anyone’s guess how FFXV would turn out in the end. Even though I’m relatively pleased with the outcome as the four friends carry the moment to moment gameplay with grace, the disjointed and lackluster storyline leaves an indelible mark on what is otherwise an incredibly well crafted RPG well worth experiencing.

While the Skyrim one was my least favorite of the bunch, it’s not a bad table by any means. It has some great ideas and many of them work. The Fallout and DOOM ones are really fun to play as well and each offers up something unique for the entire package. Expect a little more out of your pinball, and it just so happens The Bethesda pack has it. Any fan of pinball will have a great time with these and even some fans of RPG will get a little out of them. It really is an interesting bunch of tables that any Zen Pinball fan should add to their library.

I loved the diversity of characters and their abilities in battle. There are some truly interesting mechanics at play here. The bottom line though, is that it is rarely fun to engage in combat. I got frustrated at the useless AI, and starting over battles constantly was a real drag. The world of The Dwarves is interesting, and maybe with some patches down the road this can become a game I can get behind, as it stands now though, this is a tough sell.

Saying that the wait has been long to finally get our hands on the Last Guardian is the understatement of the century, but I can state without hesitation that the wait has been more than worth it. The awe-inspiring living creature that is Trico carries this title, which would have otherwise just been a good puzzle platformer into an instant classic that I’m sure to visit time and time again, just to say hello to my new best buddy, one more time.

Dead Rising 4 feels like yet another one of those games. I love the series, and DR4 will satisfy my thirst for yet another entry. It felt good to get back into Frank’s shoes, and the Christmas theme is fantastic. The lack of story co-op is the biggest offender, and I wasn’t a fan of how much the game seems to throw at players. This seems like a perfect example of less could be so much more, but as it stands Dead Rising 4 is a solid entry in the long-running series.