James009

I believe that Civilization VI is likely to most rounded and solid Civilization launch to date. It has pretty much all of the content from Civilization V while also changing enough to keep it fresh. Many who are die hard fanatics of Civ V might not appreciate this new version or see it as a update to Civ V but I think this is a solid foundation for an amazing future game.

This is a FANTASTIC and charming little game. And when I say little I mean HUGE because there is quite a lot to do and explore. Each of the 12 classes feel unique with their own little story bringing a variety of gameplay experiences. You get to customize a character which is pretty deep for a 3DS game with a lot of options for appearance and selection of your stats as you level. Only thing it is missing is the ability to get married (like any Harvest Moon or Rune Factory game), farming, and being able to switch characters on the fly (where they exist in the same game world). Still, this game is a solid 9/10.

This game was supposed to be the spiritual successor to Supreme Commander but I have no idea how they ruined this game so badly. Firstly, the interface is lacking for a modern RTS, this is especially blatant when you have multiple planets and areas of operations. I feel that, given the scope, it is just too difficult to control everything as a solitary human.

So far removed from classics such as Red Alert and Red Alert 2 this game destroys the series mythos in favor of crazy units and far removed storyline.

Tropico 5 is not quite as good of a Tropico game as it's predecessors, however, it is a better city-builder. Tropico still maintains much of it's comedy and charm but, unfortunately, something feels like it is missing since Tropico 4. The new interface leaves much to be desired as much of the information that El Presidente's are used to is now either buried or missing. Want to know which buildings are profitable and full? Too bad. Want to know where the oil is? Use a magnifying glass! The lack of a Tropico 4 style interface leaves much to be desired and makes it difficult to get the information you need. It also seems that with the addition of the new interface we've also lost the fun faction interaction that we've come to expect. They do still exist but they've essentially taken a back seat to everything and are much harder to find with much fewer missions. The addition of the new dynasty system is pretty cool. Your new family members offer you some nice bonuses, more benefits, and you can use them as new 'managers' which help you run buildings better. You can even send them on fun little missions and storyline quests for more bonuses. However, with the addition of these new folks you also lose direct control of El Presidente himself. You can no longer tell him where to go, who to visit, and what store to promote. I used to LOVE that feature from Tropico 4 and it helped pass the time and improve production. Now all El Presidente does is wonder around like an NPC. Furthermore, you also have a lot less options in character creation when it comes to El Presidente and can no longer pick from a vast number of backgrounds, histories, bonuses, and penalties; now you pick ONE bonus and that's it. As I said, Tropico 5 is likely the best city builder of the series. The addition of the new grid or city layout system makes placing and organizing structures MUCH easier. Due to the new era system you also have building that grow and change as time passes. Farms, for example, get nice upgrades and then can be transformed into Hydroponic Farms which are much smaller and more efficient. Overall, I have been enjoying Tropico as a good city builder but I often miss the micromanagement, humor, and the style of Tropico 4. Everyone expects at least a dozen DLCs (ten confirmed so far) and I hope that future patches improve Tropico 5 back up to Tropico 4's level.

A fantastic expansion which adds an enjoyable amount of new content including missions, maps, enemies, buildings, items, customization options, and adds new storyline. The additions of the new enemy faction are a welcome relief from the regular alien squashing. Genetic engineering and the MEC labs are also enjoyable new addition which will change your previous badass into a superhuman killing machine. I hope they continue working on more content for XCOM because this just revived the game again.

Having been disappointed by games like War Z, Dead Island, and Dead Rising this one finally hits the mark that zombie games should be aiming for. State of Decay is a combination of a LOT of genres including survival, action, RPG, strategy, and simulation. While it doesn't exactly nail each of these genres in the gameplay it comes pretty damn close. SoD is a game that is not based about a singular character in a linear storyline but rather a community of characters in a dynamic sandbox environment. Yes, there are missions and quests but they seem to be optional and the player can play at their own pace (with some exceptions). That being said, the difficult does ramp up as you progress further in the storyline. This sort of gameplay is a unique and refreshing take on zombies and you'll be pressured to avoid combat rather then shoot your way through it. This game does feature permanent death so making mistakes can easily and quickly kill off your favorite character causing you to play as another team member. Characters in the game are mostly semi-randomly generated with the exceptions being storyline or plot characters and, for me, they are the core of the game. While they could use a bit more visual variety (mostly with the heads) they all have unique traits, skills, and abilities that make them valuable to your community. Furthermore, you have an outpost that you call home and can use resources to build additions, upgrade, and perform unique functions with it giving you distinct advantages. These choices matter and are hard; do you build a garden for food or a workshop to repair vehicles? With the pressure this game provides it is difficult to make these difficult decisions. Downsides of the game is that there are technical hurdles that I hope the developer will fix and the game does tend to become increasingly difficult making it difficult to survive. Some performance lag does occur when driving or when multiple enemies are on the screen at one time. I also find night time terrifying and wish there was an option to just sleep through it. It is also somewhat difficult to trade items and equipment as you must drop everything in storage, switch characters, and then pick it up. Lastly, there is no multiplayer (though the developers have hinted at wanting to do a co-op DLC). I feel that most of these issues can be addressed and resolved through patches, difficulty sliders, and a few game options. Anyways, SoD is looking to be a huge XBOX Live Arcade hit and is one sale for $18-20 or 1600 MS points. If you've been waiting for that "real" zombie survival simulator then give it a shot.

No idea why Dungeon Village is rated so low. It's an enjoyable game where you create a small town in a fantasy environment, attract heroes who fight monsters outside your town, and build up the towns infrastructure. There are some light RPG elements include a few stats (attack, defense, magic, HP, etc.) and character classes which make an impact on gameplay and town design. For example, too many merchants and you'll lack punch in a fight but too many warriors and you won't be able to pay upkeep costs. Furthermore, if you build too many buildings you will be unable to afford their upkeep (TIP: don't do this). It's not a difficult game as if you build at a good pace but some of the fights can be challenging. You also send your heroes out on quests to loot site and kill the monsters. Each monster they kill the heroes involved will gain XP and level up. Unfortunately, this system isn't deeper with most modern RPG systems offering interesting level up choices, perk and skill trees, or other rewards, Dungeon Village doesn't do this and I feel it misses some interesting gameplay elements here. There is some VERY light character customization, you basically pick a starting character's name and look. Over time you give them better weapons, armor, and items (only weapons cause avatar to change) and you can give them better skills by changing class, changing equipment, holding events, and giving them items. Nothing too fancy or advanced but it fits well with the iOS game. Anyways, Dungeon Village is another excellent and, this time, unique Kairosoft game. If you enjoy building cities and playing RPGs this game is for you, albeit, a bit too simplified and lacking in depth.