2016 Video Games Recap: App Trigger Reviews Of 2016

June

• Umbrella Corps (2.5/10) – “Umbrella Corps is a real messy stinker of a game, and even talking about it makes me sad for its existence.”
• Mighty No. 9 (6/10) – “In the end, there’s too much poorly executed filler to save Mighty No. 9’s fun nucleus from banality. It falls short of becoming the spiritual successor to Mega Man that it was expected to be.”
• Deadlight: Director’s Cut (6/10) – “[P]layers would have to forgive the cliches, stubborn controls, and uneven pacing to appreciate the rare, exciting set piece and overall beauty in the art style.”
• Rhythm Heaven: Megamix (8.5/10) – “Though there aren’t a ton of new games [in Rhythm Heaven Megamix], this collection of “greatest hits” has plenty to do, including added challenges and multiplayer features.”
• Disney Magical Dice (6/10) – “If you are looking for something strategic or are used to other card collecting games, you may want to look elsewhere.”
• 7 Days to Die (6.5/10) – “This is not a good-looking game. Heck, it doesn’t even play very well either. But…7 Days to Die still remains an enjoyable experience for quite some time, despite its many technical shortcomings.”
• BoxBoxBoy! (9.5/10) – “You haven’t had this much fun stacking blocks since you were in diapers.”
• Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Wii U (5.5/10) – “Though the game works fine and looks nice, slogging through the same fourteen minigames, again and again, gets old fast. Enjoyable highlights like Rugby and Rhythm Gymnastics weren’t enough to earn Mario and Sonic a medal of any sort in Rio this year.”

July

• I Am Setsuna (8.5/10) – “Playing I Am Setsuna feels like visiting the grown child of a long-lost friend. Everything seems beautifully familiar, yet inexplicably different.”
• Inside (9/10) – “A day later and the game still hasn’t let go of its grasp on me, and I am itching to get back to my couch and run through the levels another time to see if there’s anything I didn’t pick up on.”
• ABZU (9/10) – “ABZU may have finally transcended this historic stigma with an experience that holds much reverence for the marvel of the ocean. If you’ll pardon the pun, this is a game not about the destination, but the journey itself.”

August

• Batman: Episode 1 (8.5/10) – “Episode one starts off the Batman series on a positive note. An engaging story which is mostly unfolded during your time as Bruce Wayne…makes up for some of the duller moments when in detective mode.”
• Hitman: Bangkok (6.5/10) – “Episode 4 features some memorable moments and one of the prettier locations we’ve enjoyed as Agent 47, but the game’s problems are becoming increasingly glaring with every new excursion.”
• Deus Ex GO (8.5/10) – “Although Deus Ex GO largely pushes the plot of the game aside, the gameplay that it chooses to favor is solid, boasting varied enemies with consistently challenging map layouts, and the rewards system plus updating challenge missions are a good effort from Square Enix to keep the audience returning to the game.”
• Metroid Prime: Federation Force (6/10) – “I was hoping Metroid Prime: Federation Force would be an example of how unfair expectations can create a false narrative that ruins the opportunity to explore interesting new ideas within an established franchise. Instead, the game insists on trying to be different while shoehorning everything you like about Metroid as referential, looking inward to your disappointing playthrough.”
• Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (8.5/10) – “Ambitious, operatic and downright sexy, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is a no brainer for anyone who enjoyed Human Revolution.”
• No Man’s Sky (6/10) – “There’s a vivid and interesting game here somewhere; it’s just not fleshed out yet.”
• F1 2016 (8/10) – “The career mode has returned this game to the top tier of sports titles, and allows Codemasters to build improvements throughout the rest of this console generation.”
• Chambara (6.5/10) – “Chambara is enjoyable but is limited to a few rounds before the fun starts to dissipate…A fun party game when you are having people over, Chambara can offer fleeting enjoyment with friends before it grows stale.”
• World of Warcraft: Legion – “I’ve only been in Legion for four days, but from my limited scope, the content seems to have some seriously long legs. Between dungeons, world quests, the upcoming raids, class halls, professions, quests, and PvP, the content almost feels on overload after the drought of Draenor.”