Battlefront 2’s five modes might look a bit sparse on paper compared to the 2015 game, but in reducing the amount of modes, they have become more focused. And as multiplayer is the biggest draw with this game, it’s a good place to start this off.
Galactic Assault has been the mode pushed in the advertising of the game since the big reveal at E3, with Starfighter Assault coming in later as the second big mode. For Galactic Assault, the action is mostly on the ground, with three phases split across four ‘missions’. In any one of the eleven maps, the attacking team will either hack systems, defend transports, capture and hold areas, or protect a charge from being switched off. It works well, and all of the maps feel different – both in terms of objective and aesthetic. Which is great work in a game that has almost two of every biome.
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The game starts with Sonic running through Green Hill on his way to stop another Eggman attack in the city. From this stage, it is clear what the game is presenting us with. The level looks great, but is undone somewhat by how it is designed – and that is pretty much throughout the game.
The controls of Sonic are stiff, with a homing attack lock-on that can’t decide whether it wants to work and visible shifts in speed instead of a natural flow. After beating the stage, Sonic stops the robots attacking, then royally gets his spiny blue tail handed to him by Infinite. And this cutscene shows how the rest of the story plays out. It is tonally confused, to put it mildly. This is Sonic getting knocked unconscious by his enemy, and starts with some powerful hits until it devolves into some comedic piñata pummelling. 2011 was the last time we had a LEGO Star Wars game. That one was different. It featured a TV Series and not any of the films. It also expanded what LEGO Star Wars was about.
It had larger hubs, bigger battles, and a neat concept that made it feel as though you were really in large scale battles, which many fans dubbed LEGO Battlefront. It also introduced a story switch mechanic, so multiple scenarios could play out at once with you able to switch between them on the fly. It is here then, that we get to this latest LEGO Star Wars game. This is our first home console Battlefront for ten years, and just like the fact we're also getting a first proper Star Wars film for ten years, fans have been hyped and ready to get their hands on it at last. From the alpha and the beta, I'd already put in well over twenty hours, with the EA Access trial boosting that up another ten hours.
With the full game now released, I still want to play more. Despite the modes being a mixed bag, the gameplay itself is fun. Despite a few minor niggles, the game itself is enjoyable. So let's get to it. This one is going to be short and to the point. Simply, the game is only worth your time if you like exploration games with speedy elements. Said it would be short, didn't I?
All joking aside, Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal is good, but still won't be winning any awards. First, we have the story, which - just like its WiiU counterpart - is barebones. Amy is fighting Lyric, then when he's knocked down, calls for 'help' on the communicator. Lyric then knocks Amy out. Sonic decides to gather his friends and go rescue Amy - and that's it. The cutscenes in the middle don't even matter. Smash Bros. on a console. Where most would agree it works the best. But after the 3DS version serving as a big slice of this generation's Smash Bros. pie, would the WiiU version be able to fight its way out of the shadow of its handheld sibling?
The answer leans more towards yes, and as such I'm not going to cut the review right this instant. Instead, I'm going to draw out some sort of comparison between the two - the biggest of which being how you like to play. On a big screen, Smash is in its element, and with that HD image quality, stages look better than ever. But for those that like to play on the go, the handheld version will be the obvious choice. Another big difference between the two is that new major mode added. Pokémon might look the same to outsiders, but there are numerous changes, whether big or small, that affect the gameplay in some way. Generation 6 of the Pokémon games made one of the biggest changes to the series - with the transition to 3D models instead of sprites, as well as introducing the fairy type - and Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, the next set of games in Generation 6, offer even more to change up the game.
Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are remakes of the Generation 3 main games - Ruby and Sapphire - a generation that gave us many new additions to the formula. And since these are remakes, there are numerous retro nods to the games they are remade from. When you first start the game, you'll think you've gone back to 2003, as the introduction starts with the exact same sprites and words from those previous games. The game that looked like a reinvention, but failed on all accounts. If you look up a list of all what was promised, you could probably count what was achieved on one hand. Though maybe that's an exaggeration. It certainly doesn't play like a Sonic game, doesn't have many of the elements you'd expect from a Sonic game, thus a reinvention. But in a worse state than better.
Let's just get to what all Sonic games are primarily about. The gameplay. Rather than sprawling levels filled with speed and exploration, we just have the exploration part. In the place of speed is combat, which is the most basic combat you can get. It works, sure, but isn't the greatest combat in existence. Not even close. What can I say about this series? It comes once a generation, and each one improves the formula in some way, though can oftentimes sacrifice other parts of said formula. This generation though, we have two Smash games - and for the first time on a handheld. The 3DS version handles the basics, but does it really have the power to handle the grunt?
First off, you'll notice the options. Smash, Smash Run, Online, Challenges, Streetpass, WiiU, Games and More. Smash is your usual go-to for regular matches. New mode Smash Run has you beating up enemies from a vast array of series to collect boosters which will help you come the final match. Lost in the World. Don't get me wrong. This game is good. But something is lacking within. It's a typical Sonic affair. Eggman's up to no good, and Sonic and Tails set out to stop him. Amy and Knuckles are in the game too, but Knuckles hardly does anything, and Amy is just for contact with the Earth below, and due to a very specific plot point, I can't say more than that.
The Lost Hex, where the action takes place, is home of the Zeti, who are under Eggman's control. The story has some interesting twists in it, but the end result can be predicted. |
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