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Metareview: Fuse
Fuse didn't light up Dave's life. He gave Insomniac's latest just two stars out of five in our review, deeming the game "satisfactory at best and frustrating at worst, and a bare-bones shooter without any personality or flair." Of course, we're not the only outlet you can wire into. Here's a brief meta-view of the mixed review-verse discussion sparked by Fuse. Escapist (80/100): "Some of Fuse's flaws, like the grindy boss fights and a storyline that takes itself a little too seriously at times, can harm the experience, but it's a well built third-person shooter that's fun to play solo or on a team." GameSpot (70/100): "Fuse is calibrated for people to play together, designed in such a way as to be merely serviceable for solo players, but solid fun for groups of gung-ho mercs." Polygon (65/100): " The core of a great third-person shooter is present in Fuse. The team-based insanity offers a unique take on the genre, and Insomniac's reputation for inventive weapons and creative combat helps too. But Fuse only comes together with three or four players, and even then, the late game combat design and boring-to-fight enemies stand in its way." Giant Bomb (60/100): "Fuse's bland art design and overall lack of personality are disappointing in the context of that initial reveal trailer, but under the hood it's still a generally well made third-person shooter with a clear emphasis on co-op and the imaginative weapons Insomniac is so good at dreaming up. But there are too few of those weapons, and a few too many irksome issues, to lift Fuse significantly above the many, many other cover-based shooters it's competing with." Destructoid (40/100): "Whether it's true or not, Fuse does feel every bit like another victim of the heavily focus-tested, leader following, perpetually terrified mainstream game industry. It's every cloying and desperate element of the retail console market, brought together -- fused, if you will -- to create a factory standard example of a game that tries to be everything the hypothetical mainstream consumer drools over, and ends up as nothing remarkable...That's Fuse in a nutshell."
Metareview: Metro - Last Light
Metro: Last Light doesn't sound appetizing with its "suffocating despair" and "gnarled monstrosities," but it's that kind of loveliness that made Ludwig enthuse about the Metro 2033 follow-up in his four and a half stars review. He deemed Last Light "an unusual, meticulously detailed shooter inextricable from its environment." Of course, Ludwig wasn't the only brave soul to delve into the underground sequel. Here are some other thoughts we dug up. GamesRadar (90/100): "Subtlety is what makes Last Light such an exceptionally immersive game. It nails the core tenets of a shooter, then forces you to react to enemies in ways outside of simply taking cover. It plops you in a post-apocalyptic world, then fills it with tons of minor but substantial details, like the shadows of once-living people now permanently nuked into stone walls. It strips you of hope, only to dangle a tiny sliver of it ahead of you like a carrot on a stick." Game Informer (88/100): "This sequel plays more like a shooter than its predecessor, but doesn't sacrifice its intricate narrative or creative vision in the process. Masochistic fans will appreciate the harder difficulties that recreate the grueling experience of the original, but no matter how you approach it, exploring Last Light's absorbing world is wholly entertaining." Giant Bomb (80/100): "By its very nature of being a sequel, Last Light doesn't feel as fresh as Metro 2033 did, but there's still nothing else like it. Few games generate immersion through gameplay and transport you to their world the way Metro does." Eurogamer (70/100): "Metro: Last Light is not a bad game, but nor is it a good one in quite the same sense as its predecessor. Metro 2033 was flawed but trying to do its own thing. If anything, Last Light feels like a regression. Similarities abound, but this is a more conservative FPS, one looking at the competition rather than itself, and one with some terrible missteps. So go in with low expectations, and you might be pleasantly surprised."
Metareview: Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
Turn your brain off and let Far Cry 3's standalone expansion Blood Dragon bathe you in neon and take you away to a decade long past. Are you thinking about it? No, wrong! What did we say? Brain = off. We called Blood Dragon a "hilarious, accessible dollop of nostalgia, coated in the mechanics that made Far Cry 3 great" in our review. Eurogamer (90/100): "I still don't really know what Blood Dragon is, or how it relates to Far Cry 3, but more to the point: I don't care. If only more blockbusters had this much fun with their legacy." Game Informer (85/100): "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon has the potential to alienate people with its crass sense of humor and repetitive one-liners. But if you long for an era when smart-mouthed badasses were more concerned with making things go boom than catering to social sensitivities, Rex Power Colt is your man, and Blood Dragon is your game." GameSpot (85/100): "You don't have to love the decade of Rubik's Cubes and Pac-Man Fever to get a kick out of Blood Dragon. But if you do, then all the better: this action-packed shooter will strike all the right synth-pop power chords." Edge (70/100): "This isn't Far Cry 3 at its best mechanically, but it's definitely the game at its most charismatic. Because as a bunch of well-worn VHS tapes at Ubisoft Montreal undoubtedly prove, the '80s knew how to do personality." Destructoid (70/100): "I'd rather have Blood Dragon exist as it does than not exist at all. A game this delightfully stupid can only make the world a better place, and I sincerely hope this isn't the last we see of Rex Colt."
Metareview: Dead Island: Riptide
Dead Island: Riptide, the pseudo sequel to paradise-gone-wrong simulator Dead Island, shares one clear trait with its predecessor. No, not zombies (but, yeah, those are in there). It's that reviews are all over the place for the game's launch. The original Dead Island entered into a similarly hostile critical climate, but went on to sell 5 million units globally. Our Riptide review will be available later this week. Game Informer (80/100): "Riptide's flaws are many, but they couldn't hold me back from having a blast. Few games nail the visceral feel of melee combat and co-op fun like Dead Island. At its worst, an annoying hiccup breaks the immersion of the grizzly trek through a zombie-infested paradise. At its best, Riptide hits the same high notes as the original." IGN (72/100): "Technically, it's done nothing to build itself into a great game. Rather than fix the graphics and the performance problems that plagued the original two years ago, Techland slightly modified the setting and delivered a new character and more content. It's a fun time, but there are no surprises or killer new features to make it an impressive package." Eurogamer (60/100): "What makes that so sad is that this feels like a series only a few great decisions away from being really good. A better script with a sense of humor, a bit more imagination in quest design, more coherent inventory management and character development... These things shouldn't be unattainable goals for a developer that must be flush from the unexpected success of the first game." VideoGamer (50/100): "On the whole however Riptide is yet another missed opportunity, and just too painfully average, wonky and padded out with filler to truly recommend." Gamespot (40/100): "Riptide is dumb, and mind-numbingly slow, and somehow manages to make the art of zombie-slaying feel like utter tedium. And if slaying zombies isn't fun in a game that's all about slaying zombies, why bother? "
Metareview: BioShock Infinite
It's a good day for the team at BioShock Infinite developer Irrational Games, with the game receiving nearly universal praise. Our review couldn't help gushing either, saying Infinite is "undoubtedly the finest game crafted by Irrational Games" and "one of the best told stories of this generation. It simply cannot be missed." Eurogamer (100/100): "BioShock Infinite doesn't blur the lines between your reality and the game's to quite the same extent as its predecessor, but it's a more complete and polished story, and that's the thing you'll remember. " Game Informer (100/100): "Infinite is more than a new setting, story, and characters; those elements are seamlessly integrated with complex themes, a mysterious plot, and entertaining combat to create an amazing experience from beginning to end." PC Gamer (91/100): "Elizabeth herself is nice. I liked her. If you were hoping for something more – perhaps even the fabled Strong Female Character™ – you might be disappointed. When you're together, she's relegated to the role of caddy, limited to passing you a new weapon when you run out of ammo, and only ever using her own abilities when you command her to." Edge (90/100): "Sadly, as the combat opens up, the story begins to slowly unravel. There's no golf club moment, no singular twist around which the tale turns. Instead, Infinite provides a series of revelations that have you replaying earlier sections with a more enlightened, inquisitive eye." VideoGamer (80/100): "It is fascinating, and also boring. It is important, yet forgettable. Its world is enticing and unappealing. It attempts to move things forward, yet is in places stuck in the past. For a game that has the potential to open the franchise up to a multitude of different ideas and interpretations, BioShock Infinite can feel curiously limited."
Metareview: SimCity
Well, it's been two weeks since the calamitous launch of the SimCity reboot and the game currently has a Metacritic score lower than the abysmal Resident Evil 6. A small blessing for developer Maxis? SimCity dodges being the highest profile stinker of this still burgeoning year thanks to the dishonor of the utterly broken Aliens: Colonial Marines. GameTrailers (80/100): "Aside from some issues with its online requirements, bugs, and restrictions on city size, it's still a satisfying and addicting simulator that will grant dozens of hours of entertainment with one well-designed city alone." GiantBomb (60/100): "And while I expect many will fall head-over-heels in love with this SimCity's cooperative design, at its best, the game feels more like a really thoughtfully designed multiplayer mode for a larger, single-player capable game that, sadly, doesn't exist." Gamespot (50/100): "The bugs will probably be fixed, the wrinkles smoothed, and the online problems sorted out. What hurts most, though, is that it didn't have to be this way. SimCity's makers looked to MMOGs for ideas on how to bring players together, but didn't absorb the lessons MMOG developers learned long ago on how to implement practical online play." Eurogamer (40/100): "There was a time, perhaps eight or nine hours in, when I wondered why SimCity was so easy. Nobody ever complained about the air pollution, while using my depot to sell my recycling netted me endless profits. I kept playing because, back then, I kept having fun, I kept trying new things and I kept convincing myself that I was a good Mayor. Now I know that it was never really down to me." Destructoid (40/100): "I wanted to like this game, I really did. At first I started to enjoy it, but soon all I found was frustration. I can't recommend this game to anyone, and I don't want to play it anymore myself because I am afraid of seeing all my efforts lost due to server issues."
Metareview: Gears of War - Judgment
Today is Judgment Day for Gears of War - or at least it's the day when reviews of the series' latest entry start popping up online. Once you've read our findings on how People Can Fly fared with Gears, check out some other evaluations and what they had to say. Destructoid (90/100): "OverRun alone is worthy of praise, but there's just so much stuff going on in this package, there's something for all followers of the series. A few of Judgment's experiments may not be as fondly received as others, but overall it's hard to complain about a game that tries so much, and succeeds in almost all its endeavors...This is Gears of War back, unquestionably, on the winning path." EGM (80/100): "While the emphasis on fast-paced replayability and a more intimate, nuanced narrative do wonders for Judgment's single-player campaign, the game is ultimately held back by its surprisingly meager multiplayer offering." Eurogamer (80/100): "Even with the pall of over-familiarity lingering over it, Gears of War: Judgment is a timely reminder that ruthless focus on gameplay, generosity towards players and good old-fashioned design craft can still pay dividends at a time when big-budget action games are at risk of fragmenting into splinters of mindless busywork. Sometimes, being a bloody good shooter is all that's required." Giant Bomb (60/100): "There's just enough exposition there to keep things moving and just enough of a gameplay tweak to make you wish they had made these changes two games ago. It's a fun but feature-light shooter for people who already enjoy the basic style of Gears of War. Nothing more, nothing less."
Metareview: Ridiculous Fishing
Clone victim Ridiculous Fishing is angling for attention and, as we noted in our review, it is certainly ridiculous. We aren't the only ones who think so. Touch Arcade (100/100): "Ridiculous Fishing is such a complete package that it's an effortless recommendation. It totally captures that gameplay niche of a game you can load up and play for a few minutes while providing a feel of progression that also makes the title suitable for substantially longer play sessions." Edge (90/100): "This is, ultimately, a simple little smartphone title, modest in its ambitions. That isn't to say it's a minor release, merely that it's a much smaller game than the story surrounding it." IGN (80/100): "Ridiculous Fishing could have probably been made even more ridiculous. The four fishing spots don't really feel distinct from one another. The geometric, almost cubist design is absolutely gorgeous, but it contributes to the feeling that you're seeing the same sights repeatedly. Lure and gun upgrades spice up the gameplay somewhat, but they don't really change the fact that this is a simple arcade experience with beautiful audiovisual design." Eurogamer (80/100): "And the moral of the story? A great game design can always be ripped off, sadly, but talent will out in the end. You can't cut-and-paste the artistry and attitude that Vlambeer has brought to this extravagant bit of disposable nonsense. You can't copy a true original - even before it's out."
Metareview: God of War: Ascension
God of War: Now With Multiplayer is what Ascension could have been called. Much like our review, other outlets found the single-player campaign satisfactory. It's in the multiplayer portion of Ascension where opinions begin to differ and scores diverge based on how much importance was placed on this evolution of the franchise. Destructoid (90/100): "God of War has never looked or played better than this. Kratos has never been as deep or interesting as this. They've set the bar so high that I have no idea how they'll be able to follow this one up. Sony Santa Monica should be proud. Series fans should be proud." Gamespot (80/100): "The single-player is where you should spend your time. No, it doesn't quite reach the audacious and rage-filled moments of God of War: Ascension's predecessors, nor does it move the series forward in any way, but it's skilfully put together, and wonderfully satisfying to play." GamesRadar (70/100): "Also somewhat disappointing are the newly added multiplayer features, which are held up by clever level design and strong game modes, but smacked down by uninteresting gameplay. It sounds great in theory, but in practice it turns out there's nothing less fun than being beat up by someone as powerful as Kratos." VideoGamer (70/100): "The multiplayer component is as fresh as the single-player is familiar. Ask yourself what you're after from a God of War game: if you desire only to step into the boots of gaming's most brutish, then you may find Ascension wanting. If, however, you're open to the idea of taking on the mantle of another Spartan hero, you'll find it a limb-lopping, head-popping delight. Just don't tell Kratos, eh?" Edge (70/100): "Consider our expectations defied: this is the star of the show. While this series' singleplayer template is showing its age, there's plenty in Ascension's multiplayer that deserves to survive the transition to PS4."
Metareview: Tomb Raider
There's nothing quite like the word 'reboot' to stir the catcalls of cynicism. Based on the critical acclaim. including that from our own Richard Mitchell. the latest adventure for one of gaming's oldest series is more than just a reboot; it's a rebirth. Digital Spy (100/100): "With a well written cast of characters, mightily impressive production techniques, sumptuous visuals, tight platforming and surprisingly enjoyable combat, Tomb Raider is most definitely a release to be treasured." GamesRadar (90/100): "Its expert sense of pacing, captivating setting, and dark tone create a truly memorable experience that's further enhanced by an immense level of detail. Lara Croft, the old Lara Croft, is dead. In place of a dolled-up gunslinger is a do-what-it-takes survivor - and we hope she hasn't had her fill of adventuring just yet." Polygon (90/100): "It's easy to point out the many ways that Tomb Raider borrows bits and pieces from other popular games of the last five years, but Crystal Dynamics has blended these disparate strengths into something remarkable. It's cinematic yet open, intense yet laid-back, fresh yet polished." GameSpot (85/100): "The single-player campaign here is the main attraction, and it is excellent. It doesn't try to rewrite the book on third-person action adventure games. But with its excellent controls, engaging heroine, thrilling combat, and fascinating setting, it doesn't need to." Edge (80/100): "Whether she's huddled up against the cold or sending five men to their doom with an explosive arrow, this is still Lara Croft, one of gaming's most distinctive heroes – and now she has a personality that extends far beyond the bounds of her bra straps. If the purpose of a reboot is to redefine a character and set them up for the future, then this is a job well done."
Metareview: Crysis 3
Do you really think Crysis 3's Prophet cares what a bunch of reviewers think of his game? Yeah, the guy in the multi-million-dollar Nanosuit is going to waste his time reading the opinions of some people on the Internet. Come on!But if you're not Prophet then why not take a quick glance at what those other reviewers had to say? And don't forget to read our review too, you scallywag! Game Informer (85/100): "This impressive graphical fidelity takes a serious hit in the transition to multiplayer. Though Crysis 3 has some of the better-designed maps in the series, the muddied textures are a far cry from the jaw-dropping visuals of the single-player campaign, especially on consoles." IGN (85/100): "It's not quite a next generation experience come early, but it's a superbly controlled, tightly paced and tactically flexible shooter with a satisfyingly focused story, and an excellent way to tie up the Crysis series... for now." Destructoid (75/100): "Crysis 3 attempts to strike a balance between Crysis and Crysis 2, but in doing so manages to lose a little bit of what made each game appealing. The result is a title that doesn't truly match the open-ended excitement of the first game nor the revelatory empowerment of the second, yet manages to provide enough of both to at least tantalize, even if it doesn't completely satisfy." GamesRadar (70/100): "A gratifying shooter experience. Even though the campaign is on the shorter side, there are a few visual hiccups, and some of the enemy AI is unbalanced, those small gripes get overshadowed by Crysis 3's tactical gameplay, beautiful environments, and superb online multiplayer. While not treading new ground for the FPS genre, Crysis 3 is a solid shooter." VideoGamer (60/100): "By the end of the game I was bored silly, and considering the scope of what was going on that shouldn't have been the case. Sadly, bar a few exceptions – a Jurassic Park-style hunting section in long grass, an open-ended assault on Ceph AA emplacements – I'd rinsed and repeated the same thing so much that I couldn't care less."
Metareview: Metal Gear Rising - Revengeance
By now you've probably read Liquid Ludwig's review of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, in which he doled out four stars to the tight gameplay and equally tight suits of Platinum's slice-and-dicer. While we appreciate Luddy's fondness for the game, the very thought of "seriously sexed up Fruit Ninja fan-fiction" is, frankly, more than a bit scary to us. Then again, sometimes love should be... terrifying.Moving on from fan-fiction concerns, other reviewers also had their say on Rising's unusual brand of Metal Gear. Here's a brief slice of their thoughts: Polygon (90/100): "Platinum Games has done something incredibly rare: honoring a beloved series while successfully broadening its reach into a whole new genre." Eurogamer (90/100): "If Revengeance didn't have camera issues this would be the easiest 10 I've ever given. As things stand it's still brilliant, staking out new territory in the genre and adapting certain Metal Gear characteristics so well that it makes the competition look outrageously bad. This is simply the ultimate one-man show, worth its ticket price many times over, an experience that improves exponentially as it gets faster and as you get better." Giant Bomb (80/100): "A thrilling and engaging experience. The swordplay is fun, and it's really fascinating to see the different spots where either Kojima's or Platinum's signature styles shine through. It also has a wild final confrontation that shows elements of both." Game Informer (78/100): "If you have any hopes for this story building on Metal Gear lore or giving you a chance to reconnect with characters you care about, you will be disappointed. The new characters are uninteresting and poorly developed, and the old characters are practically non-existent." OPM: (70/100): "Sadly, the combat doesn't have enough depth to trouble the genre's best (it certainly can't touch Ninja Theory's DmC reboot), and there's a disappointing disposability about the whole experience. This is a project that has been rightfully and respectably salvaged, but one that can't quite cut it at the top.
Metareview: Dead Space 3
Spaceman, I always wanted you to go into space, man. And now that Dead Space 3 is here, you can, again. But is it any good? The Joystiq Chief of the Astronaut Office certainly thought so, deeming the series' third main entry an "exciting, shocking, and mammoth adventure through the ghostly, unvarnished segments of space."But it's a big old universe with plenty of opinions floating about, and not all of them are so positive. Here's a sampling of a few that popped up on the meta-radar. Game Informer (98/100): "Dead Space 3 is still creepy, but this entry is more action-packed than previous games. That's a good thing. Isaac's intuitive new dodge roll makes avoiding the larger nercromorph attacks more manageable." Polygon (95/100): "Visceral hasn't just avoided screwing up its game with co-op - it has made it feel natural and at home, and has done it without impacting the single-player experience in any negative way. That alone would be enough to make Dead Space 3 an achievement. But the new crafting system and bigger, more open level structure join co-op to make Dead Space 3 one of the best action games in years. GameSpot (80/100): "This is a game rife with options and flexibility, building on the strengths of the franchise with clever new ideas that let you tailor the experience to your liking. It hits a few sour notes in its story and struggles at times when it steps away from the core combat, but Dead Space 3 is a thrilling and worthwhile sequel." Eurogamer (70/100): "Dead Space 3 is a contradiction. Gorgeous but scruffy; tightly packed yet stretched too thin; often frustrating, frequently thrilling and bursting at the seams with stuff, not all of which fits comfortably inside the boundaries the series has set for itself. It's certainly not a great game, except perhaps as a poster child for the kitchen-sink development mentality of a console generation in its twilight months." Videogamer (50/100): "Dead Space 3 is a let down because it's not a very good action game, and a really substandard horror game. It is devoid of ideas, hung up on laborious combat and obsessed with making even the exciting seem boring. In truth, it's a bit of a shocker."
Metareview: Ni no Kuni
Level-5's Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch delivers that Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle) animation charm like it's tapped into a fascination factory. Reviewers were pulled into the game by its engrossing world, but the gameplay they found there is where things begin to vary. IGN (94/100): "I wanted it to keep going. That's because Ni No Kuni is just that special, and every RPG fan owes it to him or herself to pick it up and see why." Gamespot (90/100): "Ni no Kuni proudly joins that elite group of games providing such an enticing world that you can't imagine never having visited it. The only problem, of course, is that you may never want to leave." Eurogamer (90/100): "Ni no Kuni is rich yet breezy, classic yet modern, exquisitely made and completely sure of itself. Best of all, Level-5 and Ghibli's artists have worked together to create a gorgeous adventure that feels like it belongs to both of them." Game Informer (70/100): "Despite the adrenaline-pumping intensity, the battle system has its frustrations. Sometimes the window to defend passes far too quickly. Not only must you select defend for your character, you must also order the sub-par AI companions to protect themselves as well." Polygon (65/100): "I was charmed, but always by stuff surrounding the gameplay - never by the gameplay itself. Level-5 hasn't created a bad game but an inconsistent one that doesn't seem to understand its own strengths and weaknesses. The flashy look and cheerful tone will pull some people through, but at its core, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is missing a chunk of its heart that's hard to ignore. "
Metareview: DMC: Devil May Cry
Devil May Cry, under the new direction of Ninja Theory, has garnered positive responses – from reviewers, anyway. Our review found DMC "does action extraordinarily well and manages to make Dante look like the epitome of cool with every move." Giant Bomb (5/5): "Everything in this new game exists in service of making it a great game in its own right, not in stoking your nostalgia for the games you played over the last decade. As a character action game, it hits all the notes – fast, robust action, marvelous visual style, and a tremendous sense of attitude – you could want in this type of game." Game Informer (90/100): "I'm impressed by the sheer variety of Dante's moveset. Three guns, two angelic weapons, two demonic weapons, and one sword have unique abilities that you purchase. Because some moves are more useful than others (I still love the Stinger/Trillion Stabs combo), you can refund any spent points at no cost, encouraging you to experiment with the possibilities." IGN (89/100): "Long-time Devil May Cry fans unsure of Ninja Theory's treatment can abandon their fears. DmC hurls Dante into a newer, better world, complete with a glorious combat system and enough style to make old Dante proud. This is digital action at its finest, steeped in the blood of angels, spiced with gunpowder, and garnished with a middle finger." Edge (80/100): "DmC has a greater emphasis on story than the games that preceded it, then, which is just what you'd expect from the maker of the narrative-heavy Enslaved and Heavenly Sword. But its focus is absolutely where it should be: at the tip of Dante's sword. Playing true to its forebears' considerable strengths, DmC is still a game about crowd management and of making best use of its myriad systems to keep a combo going and maximise your style rating." GameSpot (80/100): "DmC succeeds both in its story and in its brilliant combat, and it looks the business too, despite a few minor glitches and the more color-soaked levels looking like they've spent a little too much time in an Instagram filter. Sure, you may baulk at Dante's trendy new haircut, or maybe even miss a little of that B-movie Devil May Cry insanity, but the heart of what makes the series so enticing and so much fun to play holds true here."
Metareview: Far Cry 3
Far Cry 3 concludes the 2012 holiday review season for big budget games on a high note. Beyond explaining the game's excellence, our review of Far Cry 3 also held a valuable life lesson: "Goats ... are not to be trusted." Eurogamer (100/100): "Far Cry 3 is all the best things about open-world gaming. It's a glorious anecdote factory, where you manufacture brilliant new memories every time you wake up in a safehouse and head out into the jungle. ... And it always lets you play, but it also controls the tempo - sometimes a little heavy-handedly, but always with good intentions." Gamespot (90/100): "Stretches of unpredictable exploration and free-form hunting alternate with challenging pirate confrontations, sometimes culminating with a rocket blast to the helicopter hounding you from above. This is an ambitious and finely tuned adventure that gets better and better as you play." Game Informer (90/100): "After two remarkable but uneven offerings, Far Cry finally pulls everything together in the third installment. The diverse open-world action, compelling story, and an alluring environment that begs exploration are all high water marks for the series. This is an island adventure all shooter fans should experience. " IGN (90/100): "Far Cry 3 is important for the same reason as Far Cry 2. It's a shooter that considers shooters thoughtfully, both in the way they're designed and the way we play them, and then asks us to do the same. Should massacring hundreds be a great way to entertain ourselves? Maybe not. But it is. " Destructoid (80/100): "While riddled with minor gripes, there is no one overwhelming, glaring fault that threatens to drag the whole experience down. With the third installment in the Far Cry series, Ubisoft has managed to deliver a game that provides not one, not two, but three well-crafted experiences that may vary in terms of longevity but all manage to be of uniform quality."
Metareview: Hitman: Absolution
Agent 47 is back on the job in Hitman: Absolution, which we said in our review "abandoned some of the ideals of the original games in the series, but it delivers with its own formula." Let's see if others thought this was a hit, man. IGN (90/100): "Like Dishonored before it, it's actually a true pleasure to play a game that lets you tackle it from multiple angles. After several years of increasingly totalitarian games where you're very much following a pre-determined path, it's nice to have a game that doesn't just encourage improvisation; it requires it." Polygon (85/100): "Hitman: Absolution is a faster, more streamlined game than its predecessors, but that only makes it different, not bad. The dark humor has been toned down, but still peeks through. The same anti-hero menace and professional purpose remains. And more importantly, the core purpose and gameplay that's always driven the Hitman series is still there. It's not as cerebral as Hitman: Blood Money." Eurogamer (70/100): "Reloading some of its best levels, turning off the hints and watching and waiting, it's much easier to remember what it is that makes Agent 47 so special. Hitman is a series to treasure for those moments, even if Absolution isn't its finest hour. Hopefully it won't be another six years before IO Interactive gets another shot at showing us why." Edge (70/100): "Contracts redeems Absolution, but it doesn't absolve it. The game has taken a unique formula and diluted it, allowing the fashionable trappings of other stealth titles to intrude upon a series that has always confidently eschewed convention." Videogamer (50/100): "Occasionally you'll witness flashes of brilliance, glimpses that suggest IO could yet salvage something from this wreckage for its next Hitman game. And then you finish a stage with a tedious quick-time event, snapping the neck of a morbidly obese Danny Trejo-alike in a wrestling match watched by hundreds - astonishingly earning yourself a Silent Assassin rating in the process - and you shake your head sadly and wonder how it all went so badly wrong."
Metareview: Call of Duty Black Ops 2
Like a giant warhead hurtling towards a resigned bunny rabbit, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 explodes into the holiday season today. In our review, Xav lauds the multiplayer for "offering plenty of in-game and inherent rewards," but criticizes the game's "lackluster story that fails the ambition shown by the branching campaign." With Black Ops 2 being a fairly big deal, it turns out there are others who also have opinions on Treyarch's shooter. IGN (93/100): "Combined with the host of subtle and overt improvements to the array of other systems, the additions to make it more appealing to Esports, and the more fleshed out Zombies mode, this is not just a fantastic Call of Duty game, but one of the best shooters of the last decade." G4 (90/100): "A ton of work has gone into this game from top to bottom, and it stands as a real testament to the developers who didn't want to just coattail this one into the books. Nearly every system and aspect of the game has been tweaked or overhauled, and it certainly shows in the final product." EGM (90/100): "The first Black Ops put Treyarch on par with Infinity Ward; with Black Ops 2, they surpass them. This is the most impressed I've been with Call of Duty since the first Modern Warfare; aside from some problems with the Strike Force missions, this is a shining moment for the franchise." Game Informer (85/100): "For shooter fans that don't require as deep of a dive, Black Ops 2's multiplayer may feel like more of the same. No significant new match types are present, and the Pick 10 system doesn't drastically change the gameplay experience. Most of the changes to the Call of Duty formula come in campaign mode, and they are executed with mixed results. Despite some frustrations, Black Ops 2 is yet another massive, polished, finely tuned entry in a series that shows no signs of slowing down." GameSpot (80/100): "The campaign hits the same satisfying rhythms, the multiplayer captures the same frenetic intensity, and the cooperative zombies mode delivers the same stale undead-massacring action. Caught between striving for the future and remaining rooted in the past, Black Ops 2 finds solid footing, providing another great ride on the Call of Duty rollercoaster."
Metareview: Halo 4
Microsoft's 343 Industries, which inherited the Halo franchise after Bungie walked away, actually pulled off Halo 4. Actually, that's not fair. 343 didn't just deliver a competent game, it took the collective cynicism of the internet and created, as our review put it, "one of the finest shooters in years." Destructoid (100/100): "343 Industries have done a remarkable job at continuing the Halo legacy. They've gone all out, creating a fantastic sequel that brought forth a major focus on storytelling while upping the visual and audio direction to a level that will be tough for anyone to rival with these few remaining years of the current console generation." IGN (98/100): "Halo has been rebuilt. It has been redefined. And it has been reinvigorated. The Xbox's original king has returned to his rightful place on the throne." Game Informer (93/100): "343 Industries introduces an episodic cooperative experience with enormous potential to change the way post-release content is delivered in games. Spartan Ops brings a new cinematic episode every week, along with five connected missions. The large battles and objectives available in these missions are ideal for a group of friends, and at a little over an hour per episode, it's perfect for a weekly gaming meet-up." Gamespot (90/100): "Halo 4 is every bit the massive shooter package that its predecessors were, and it holds the series' standard high. The thrilling and emotional return of Master Chief and Cortana is the highlight, and the campaign breaks new ground in narrative quality for the franchise. The top-notch competitive multiplayer picks up where Halo: Reach left off, infusing the action with some mainstream elements while still remaining undeniably unique. Spartan Ops may stay a mere sideshow or prove its worth in the weeks to come." Eurogamer (80/100): "At the end of Halo 4's campaign, after the credits have rolled, 343 Industries posts a short message thanking fans for trusting the company with their beloved universe and asking us to remember that this is just a first step. It's a telling memo that reveals a certain nervousness about the task at hand: a plea that we understand the weight of responsibility these creators have felt in adopting Master Chief."
Metareview: Assassin's Creed 3
The head of the Joystiq order deemed Assassin's Creed 3 a "bold, uneven, occasionally brilliant, often frustrating action game." Other orders have had their say too. The Escapist (100/100): "Assassin's Creed 3 lets you jump into an intriguing point in history, and it succeeds on nearly every level with nimble combat, fun diversions and the chance to captain your own ship. Connor might not be an altogether likeable hero, but the New World he's fighting to protect is one you won't forget." Game Informer (95/100): "An overwhelming experience in its own right, Assassin's Creed 3 is the crown jewel on an already excellent series, and it sets the mind reeling about the potential for where the story goes from here." IGN (85/100): "Not everything about the game gels together convincingly and the missions' unnecessary prescriptiveness sometimes undermines the sense of freedom that the rest of the game works so hard to create. But it achieves so much that you can't help but respect it; no other open-world game has ever given us a setting that's as impressive to observe or as full of things to do as this." GameSpot (85/100): "Other games stimulate emotion with manipulative music and teary monologues; Assassin's Creed 3 rouses your mind and your heart by giving you a glimpse into its characters' souls and letting you judge them on their own merits." Destructoid (75/100): "Cohesion (or lack thereof) is the main issue with Assassin's Creed 3. There are dozens of secondary elements which make up the content of the game, but they offer little in terms of reward and rarely contribute anything to the Assassin/Templar conflict. While the game is often quite fun, beautiful to look at and empowering to the player, it doesn't offer much challenge beyond the endurance necessary to complete all of the single-player campaign elements."
