Author: Steven Kess
-
Review: Dead Island: Definitive Collection (Sony PlayStation 4)
Dead Island: Definitive Collection Publisher: Deep Silver Developer: Techland Genre: action/adventure Release Date: 05/31/2016 Welcome to Banoi, a tropical island paradise off the coast of Papua New Guinea. It has all the amenities you could hope for, including lush jungles, luxurious resorts, sun, surf, shade, and… zombies. Okay, so you probably don’t want to spend time…
-
Review: Odin Sphere Leifthrasir (Sony Playstation 4)
Odins Sphere Leifthrasir Publisher: Sega/Atlas Developer: VanillaWare Genre: action/adventure/RPG Release Date: 06/07/2016 When Odin Sphere was originally released in 2007 on the PlayStation 2, I was excited from the moment it was announced and followed its development consistently all the way through to its final release. When it came out I dove right in, and…
-
Review: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (Sony PlayStation 4)
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Publisher: Sony Developer: Naughty Dog Genre: action/adventure Release Date: 05/10/2016 In Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Nathan Drake and friends come to the end of their story. Is this final tale more of the same to satisfy fans of the series? Or is it something different that can bring in…
-
Review: Bridge Constructor: Trains Expansion Pack (PC)
Bridge Constructor: Trains Expansion Pack Publisher: Headup Games Developer: ClockStone Genre: Construction/Physics Release Date: 5/24/2016 If you have ever built contraptions and bridges out of matchsticks, string, and false hope; the Bridge Constructor: Trains Expansion Pack will likely bring back some memories, whether they are fond or not probably depends on how good of an…
-
Review: Rabi-Ribi (PC)
Rabi-Ribi Publisher: Sekai Project Developer: CreSpirit Genre: Exploration Platformer Release Date 01/28/2016 Right from the start, you know you’re in for something different, as Rabi-Ribi stars Erina, a bunny rabbit who has been magically turned into a bunny-girl and wakes up far from her home. As you try to find you way back to your…
-
Preview: Kôna: Day One (PC)
Kôna: Day One Publisher: Parabole Developer: Parabole Genre: Adventure Kôna: Day One is a first-person adventure/exploration game that takes place in the snow laden lands of a magical, faraway place known as “Canada.” Day One is the first chapter in the episodic Kôna series, tracking the adventure of Carl Faubert. Carl is set to meet…
-
Review: The Deadly Tower of Monsters (PC)
The Deadly Tower of Monsters Publisher: Atlas Developer: ACE Team Genre: Action/Adventure Release Date: 01/19/2015 I remember being a li’l guy, lying on the floor bright and early Saturday mornings, turning on the TV, and getting lost in fantastical words of sci-fi adventure. Whether it was the classics, the newer wave or any point in…
-
Review: Firewatch (Sony PlayStation 4)
Firewatch Publisher: Panic Developer: Campo Santo Genre: First-person adventure/exploration Release Date: 02/09/2015 It is the 1980’s, you have accepted a job in Wyoming. Upon reaching your destination you park your truck, take your pack, and trek through the woods until you come to a tower. You climb the stairs until you reach your new home…
-
Review: Punch Club (PC)
Punch Club Publisher: tinyBuild Developer: Lazy Bear Games Genre: retro/RPG/strategy Release Date: 01/08/2015 Punch Club could easily be renamed “1980’s Fight Movie Underdog Simulator 2016,” as it really embraces its ideas and drowns you in a deluge of ‘80s and ‘90s references. At its heart, Punch Club wants you to be the very best fighter…
-
Preview: Rabi-Ribi (PC)
Rabi-Ribi Publisher: Sekai Project Developer: CreSpirit Genre: Exploration Platformer Website: http://rabiribi.kano-bi.com Erina is a small little bunny who has been turned into a human, though she kept her long ears and her fluffy little tail. Ribbon is a scantily clad forest fairy with magic powers. Together they form our eponymous duo in Rabi-Ribi. Currently a…
-
The Art of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate Review (Book)
The Art of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate Publisher: Titan Books Author: Paul Davies Release Date: 10/27/2015 The Art of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate starts with a typo on the first paragraph of the first chapter. That is not a good way to set the pace. While the writing is never anything special, the art is the reason…
-
10 Thoughts On… Call of Duty: Black Ops III (Sony PlayStation 4)
I have logged a handful of hours in the newly released Call of Duty: Black Ops III. I have fiddled with single player and bot matches, and am having quite a bit of fun. Below are ten quick impressions of the game so far. 1. It is a bad idea to punch a robot in…
-
Sony PlayStation Press Conference at Paris Games Week 2015
Paris Games Week Sony PlayStation Press Conference Event Date: 10/27/2015 This year marked the 6th annual Paris Games Week, held at the Paris expo Porte de Versailles in Paris, France. It is currently the second largest video game trade show, after Germany’s Gamescom. This is Sony’s first press conference at PGW, having opted to skip…
-
Review: Downwell (PC)
Downwell Publisher: Devolver Digital Developer: Moppin Genre: Arcade Platformer Release Date: 10/15/2015 I always get a bit queasy when I am around large, deep holes in the ground, wells included. I can barely look down them, my knees get week, and I get a bit light headed. In Downwell, on the other hand, I don’t…
-
Impressions: Star Wars Battlefront Beta (Sony PlayStation 4)
Star Wars Battlefront Beta Publisher: Electronic Arts Developer: DICE Genre: 1st or 3rd person shooter Playable dates: 10/8/2015 until 10/13/2015 A beta test for Star Wars Battlefront was live on PlayStation 4 this weekend. I spent some time running around and shooting Rebels and Imperials. Fellow Die Hard GameFAN contributor Aaron Sirois joined in on…
-
Review: Toy Soldiers: War Chest Hall of Fame Edition (Sony PlayStation 4)
Toy Soldiers: War Chest Hall of Fame Edition Publisher: Ubisoft Developer: Signal Studios Genre: 3rd person tower defense Release Date: 08/11/2015 I remember being a little guy, way back when, playing in the sandbox or backyard with my action figures. Some summer days it kept me occupied from the first golden light until the sky…
-
Review: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 (Sony PlayStation 4)
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 Publisher: Activision Developer: Robomodo and Disruptive Games Genre: Skateboarding/Arcade Sports Release Date: 09/29/2015 The title Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland was used ten years too soon. I have never played a game that creates the feelings of dread, desolation, and hopelessness quite like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5; unfortunately, I do…
-
Review: Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain (Sony Playstation 4)
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain Genre: Open World Third Person Shooter Developer: Kojima Productions Publisher: Konami Corporation Release Date: 09/01/2015 I am Big Boss, now dubbed “Venom Snake.” It is midnight and I am staring out over a valley in Afghanistan, on the other side there is a mountain covered in a sprawling…