Reviews Of The Year 2015 | GameSided Recap

July

• Tales From The Borderlands Episode 3: “Overall, despite my complaints this is still my favorite episode so far of the series.”
• Rocket League: “…one of the most addictive and fun multiplayer experiences on the market, with enough depth to ensure that it will be played for years to come.”
• God Of War III Remastered: “If you are new to the series, it’s hard to suggest picking up the finale first. If you already own God of War III, its launch price is too steep for a revisit right away.”
• Guild Of Dungeoneering: “Unfortunately, there isn’t much game here—and what is here is mediocre.”
• Game Of Thrones Episode 5: “You did it, Telltale. I’m hooked. I have to see how this ends.”

August

• Submerged: “Submerged was an interesting change of pace for a few hours, even if it wasn’t quite what I had envisioned.”
• Rare Replay: “Despite Rare Replay‘s massive collection, the real problem is still the huge missing gaps in their gaming history.”
• Life Is Strange Episode 4: “Reaching one premature cliffhanger while capping off another mystery altogether results in a muted stopping point, grinding momentum to a halt.”
• Mega Man Legacy Collection: “…it suffers from poor emulation, lack of cool extras and, most importantly, can’t even match much less surpass a similar collection from over a decade ago.”
• Lara Croft GO: “If you are looking for a well-designed puzzler, Lara Croft GO is the game for you.”

September

• Tales From The Borderlands Episode 4: “The events managed to transfer Tales from the Borderlands from being just an amusing side-story into full-on Borderlands canon.”
• Super Mario Maker: “Super Mario Maker is the perfect celebration of gaming’s greatest franchise.”
• Tearaway Unfolded: “A great game that everyone should try out, in one version or another.”
• Disney Infinity 3.0: “…this is the best version of the game to date, one that should appeal to a wide range of players and make Disney a whole bunch more money.”
• Forza Motorsport 6: “I would have liked more locations to race in, but this is about the total package, and Forza Motorsport 6 has it.”
• Mad Max: “If you peeled away the Hollywood franchise, you’d be left a terribly forgettable open-world game, but the stylized post-apocalyptic wasteland and adrenaline-fueled vehicular combat gives this game a pulse.”
• EA SPORTS’ NHL 16: “NHL 16 features a wide range of modes, smartly designed, and with plenty of longevity to last throughout the next year.”
• Senran Kagura 2: “…nothing in Senran Kagura is explicitly bad. It’s mostly just…average. Really, really average, and a bit niche.”
• EA SPORTS’ FIFA 16: “FIFA 16 is an excellent game, and its focus on balance across the pitch makes it one of the most accurate representations of the sport that has ever been created.”
• Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer: “Overall, Happy Home Designer leaves a lot to be desired. In fact, the game will only make fans crave a true Animal Crossing life simulation title even more.”
• World Of Warships: “World of Warships proves a solid, polished new title in the Wargaming franchise, sure to satisfy both fans of action games and tactical strategy.”

October

• Rock Band 4: “Recognize Rock Band 4 for what it is; the most concise version of the series so far.”
• Bedlam: “At under 4 hours, Bedlam is a breath of fresh air after a year of 100-hour games, but at $20 USD it’s a steep price to pay for the thrill.”
• Yoshi’s Woolly World: “Yoshi’s Woolly World is another stellar, family-friendly title joining the ranks of those like it on the Wii U.”
• Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 1: “It projects as safe; too timid an approach for what should be a monumental project.”
• Sword Coast Legends: “Sword Coast Legends tries to be a lot of things to a lot of people, and it does a reasonably good job.”
• Life Is Strange Episode 5: “Life Is Strange ends a fascinating, if uneven, season in an excellent deconstruction of the narrative.”

November

• Fallout 4: “Expect to find yourself lost for dozens of hours as you explore this wonderful wasteland.”
• Need For Speed: “While I commend Ghost Games’ ambitious nature, their eagerness to innovate in too many areas at once is detrimental to the experience.”
• Guitar Hero Live: “…once you have a handle on the six frets, it makes for more intense and intuitive gameplay than the old layout.”
• Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash: “That battle between the rushed effort and the fundamentally solid gameplay formula makes Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash so baffling.”
• Game Of Thrones Episode 6: “…the fact remains that with no other compelling gameplay beyond making those choices, Telltale’s left with little more than an interesting (if tragic), buggy, point-and-click adventure.”
• Animal Crossing amiibo Festival: “Stick to straight-up Animal Crossing, Nintendo. Your fans are waiting.”
• Bloodborne: The Old Hunters: “The monsters, the music, the remarkable detail to the environment; no part of the setting feels undeserving in its reverence.”
• SOMA: “SOMA sacrifices what could be a great streamlined story for a much choppier and overextended experience sulking around corridors as enemies stalk in circles for seemingly no reason.”
• Xenoblade Chronicles X (In Progress): “If you are a Wii U owner desperately seeking a meaty game that will take tens of hours, there’s a solid game under the myriad frustrations here you will most likely enjoy.”
• Just Cause 3: “…after playing the part of a wingsuited demigod for hours on end in a by-the-numbers open world sandbox, one can’t help but crave for a more substantive, narratively rewarding adventure.”

December

• Rainbow Six Siege: “It’s a different kind of Rainbow Six game that focuses on 5v5 online multiplayer online competitive multiplayer and succeeds at satisfying that destructive and/or tactical itch.”
• Star Wars Battlefront: “Star Wars Battlefront is a great experience for the Star Wars fan inside of you and your friends, but do not expect it to win you over if you weren’t already a fan.”