470°

Three Games the Single Players Should Look out for In February

OnlySP: February brings with it the end of the post-holiday release lull most years, and 2014 is no exception. Having been left with little to choose from for the past six weeks, publishers begin to kick the machine back into high gear and there are three very promising titles scheduled to launch over the course of the next month, among a number of slightly less exciting games. Those big three are:

Alex_Boro3729d ago

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze should be there. DK Country returns is one of the best 2d platformers of all time.

thezeldadoth3728d ago

i bet the disagrees haven't even played it. that game is amazing in so many ways and tropical freeze looks to be even better. As an added bonus, the guy that did the soundtrack for the SNES donkey kongs is back for tropical freeze.

hduce3728d ago

Most of the disagrees on this site are from the haters that will not play anything that's not available on their favorite console of choice. These people campaign and go against games as if rival gaming companies that they like are actually paying them from their marketing budget. I am looking forward most to the new Donkey Kong Country game more than any that are listed. I thought the first Castlevania Lords Of Shadow had a lot of potential but it fell short of my expectations. Maybe Lords Of Shadow 2 will be a better game.

starchild3728d ago

@hduce

I agree with the first part of your comment, but strongly disagree with the last part. Lords of Shadow is in my top 5 games of the generation.

But,hey, it's ok to disagree. I'm not going to pound away furiously at the disagree button or debubble you like so many people on this site do.

Hozi3728d ago

I am a strong SONY supporter because currently SONY makes the kinda games I truly enjoy and I simply love PS Brand.

However, Marios, Donkey Kong, Metroid, Zelda, Banjo Kazooey, etc...those games are all legendary. Can't hate on the games the defined gaming yo.

thezeldadoth3728d ago

@hozi. Its ok to have your own taste in games, thats what gaming is about and having an opinion on them. Its not ok to rabidly hate on the games other people like, and wish the downfall of those companies. Why try to force people to have the same opinion as you and play the same games as you? Thats why this site has a terrible community.

Army_of_Darkness3728d ago

I disagreed because I don't have a wiiU and don't plan on getting one just for that game. I'm sure it's good considering I enjoyed donkey kong country for the snes way back when I was in high school, but now I prefer LOS2 :-)

erathaol3728d ago

I agree with both Alex_Boro and thezeldadoth, mainly cause I've heard only positive things about the new DK game.

If you have a Wii U, its worth checking out.

Beastforlifenoob3728d ago

Really... maybe the disagress are there because they well "disagree with him". This is hard to grasp at first but it means people have varying opinions from person to preson.

(let me make this process easier for you by giving an example)

Two people one named Jerry and one named Tom. Jerry dislikes DK:TF but Tom enjoys it very much so. This is called personal opinion and is most likely why they disagreed with him.

Picnic3728d ago

Or maybe some of the disagrees were huge fans of Rare's original SNES games and perhaps the new games doesn't feel as mindblowing now.

Tzuno3728d ago

the SNES ones are far better that this new ones and by far.

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 3728d ago
starchild3728d ago

That should be a fun game. Personally, Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2 and Thief have been on my most-wanted list for a long time.

psman0123728d ago

I remember playing DK Country on my gameboy color back when I was 8 or so...so many good memories with that game!!

TheRacingX3728d ago

Donkey Kong Country Tropical freeze should be there...DKC returns was a game of the generation and this one looks even better, the level of detail and animation looks amazing and even deeper gameplay. Not trying to take anything from the the other games....I want Castlevania too, it looks great. I think because its a Nintendo game, it gets quickly overlooked.

DualWielding3728d ago

DK Country returns 3D is one of the best platformers of all time..... Vanilla DK Country Returns was an abomination that should have never existed..... really who came with shaking Wii Motes to do barrel roll, that killed the franchise until the 3DS version revived

Mr Marvel3728d ago (Edited 3728d ago )

DKC Returns was awesome.
One of the very few Nintendo highlights since the Wii/Wii U era started imo.

(Excluding 3DS though. Plenty of highlights there.)

d4sholil13728d ago

For the Super Nintendo days I would say definitely. Loved that series then.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 3728d ago
CocoWolfie3729d ago

yeah... im actually surprising interested in theif, i wouldnt say im too hyped but.. the deus ex studio behind it, the fact you can have multiple ways of finishing levels really interest me to want it the same way i wanted deus ex :3

Mr Marvel3728d ago

...the fact that it's a new retail release for PS4.

That's the only reason I'm giving it a chance.

I was a big fan of a Dishonored though, so maybe I'll like it.

H0RSE3728d ago (Edited 3728d ago )

The original Thief games were excellent. Thief 2 is among one of my favorite games, and even today, remains one of the greatest stealth games I ever played. It didn't rely on character gimmicks or abilities, that eventually turned you into a "super thief" that could see through your opponents eyes, jump from rooftop to rooftop like Batman, or sneak past people in broad day light...

It relied on using the shadows and avoiding noise, along with using simple gadgets. It was a very "bare bones" approach to the stealth mechanic, that allowed for players to rely more on "natural skill" than relying on special abilities or even expectational training, like breaking peoples necks or martial arts. It put you in the role of more of a Thief (hence the title) than an assassin, so avoiding combat and even detection, was key. I'm hoping the new game stays true to this gameplay.

Moncole3729d ago

Two of those are releasing on my birthday.

CrossingEden3728d ago

NOPE, according to the laws of disagrees, two of these games are in fact NOT releasing on your birthday, DERP

nope1113729d ago

Can't wait for Lords of Shadow 2.

DevilishSix3728d ago

me to will probably be my last last gen purchase.

Double_O_Revan3728d ago

South Park is in March. And I've been waiting over a year for that game. It sucks its suffered so many delays, but I'm grateful it's actually coming out.

fattyuk3729d ago

All abut march for me!

Need infamous and soth park

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90°

The Epic Games Store Has Two Freebies for You This Week

From outer space to stealing in Europe, The Epic Games Store has two free games you might like.

Read Full Story >>
terminalgamer.com
140°

Thief - Taken From Us Too Soon

The Thief game series has had many ups-and-downs, and 2014's reboot showed a great deal of promise nearly a decade ago.

Notellin265d ago

This would be such a great franchise to reboot. A darker game than Dishonored, but focused around stealth and large scale heists from an oppressive monarchy.

That's probably my dream game. I love immersive sims and stealth!

Noskypeno264d ago

People say they hate forced stealth sections in games. But a game focused on stealth with good mechanics and level design feels refreshing from the guns blazing games which I also enjoy. I really enjoyed playing Splinter cell, a game that not many try to mimic today. Not too many games let you shoot lights out, or throw cans or bottles to distract guards. Sure there are games with stealth options like the new Wolfenstein but it doesn't feel necessary to play it that way. Hitman might be the only game that has that feeling, except for that Korean game that may or may not ever come out.

isarai264d ago

You should try the Sniper Elite games, so good, especially with coop

Notellin264d ago

Same here. I'm glad there are some other people who enjoy these types of games!

@isarai I tried Sniper Elite 5 and ended up really enjoying that one. Went back and played 4 as well!.

ModsDoBetter265d ago (Edited 265d ago )

The last one was a trainwreck and has been in the bargain bin since just after launch. If they bring it back, they need a massive change in direction.

Inverno264d ago

only direction they should take is putting it in reverse and going back to what the originals did. I couldn't finish this game, and I made a choice to never play it again. I watched a video about the og Thief and Deus Ex games and the current AAA standard will forever hold back these games. These 2 games alone had already solved so many problems with modern gaming that I don't think they'll get a chance at something great unless they're made by a dev that actually give a damn.

monkey602264d ago

Jesus the last installment sells at about 2 euro and even that is over paying for it. Absolutely diabolical game

SimpleSlave264d ago

Ups and Down? More like Up, UP, Pot Hole, Free Fall into the Abyss...

Rutaprkl264d ago

Thief Deadly Shadows remaster would be awesome.

280°

The Final Fantasy XIII Trilogy Deserves a Remaster

Final Fantasy 13 was first introduced to us back in 2009, almost four years after Final Fantasy 12 was released, and fans had been eagerly anticipating the next installment. But when it finally arrived, there were mixed reactions, including complaints about its linearity, the lack of towns and NPCs, and the limited control over the characters. At the time, Square Enix kept its game production behind closed doors and didn't take in a lot of feedback — especially from Western fans.

The game has been revisited by many different Final Fantasy fans since then, and some, like myself, have come to love it again. Almost all staple entries in the series have found their way to modern consoles, so it's about time that the FF13 trilogy gets a remaster

Read Full Story >>
dualshockers.com
shinoff2183323d ago

I've been thinking about this. I agree. While I really disliked it at first I never played it again. After hating ff15 so damn much I just think it can't be worse then 15 and if I'm not mistaken atleast it's turn based. I need more of that in my life.

nitus10323d ago

I actually finished FFXIII and on the second playthrough found I actually liked the game.

Actually I have liked most of the FF games (I have not played FFIX unfortunately) and I do agree with you with regards to FFXV. Graphically IMHO FFXV is excelent but for some reason I just could not get enthusiastic in playing it.

As for "turn-based", I prefer active and real time although to be fair "turn-based" is a real plus especially when confronting a difficult protagonist. I found this to be especially the case when playing FFXXII where you could switch rapidly between "turn" and "active" although having a resonable knowledge of simple Boolean Algebra is IMHO essential when playing this game.

322d ago
Levii_92322d ago

Ridiculous comment, first of all i think you should replay 15, second of all that game is 10 times better than the XIII games especially the royal edition. And third .. turn based combat is a dying (almost dead) style of gameplay and i personally wont miss it at all so don’t act like that is some sort of big plus because XIII has it.. it is not.

jambola322d ago

Somebody needs to learn about subjective taste

shinoff2183322d ago

Ff15

Sucked imo. I don't need to give it another try. Last time was the 3rd time and I had 34 hours into it. It just wasn't good imo

Chriswynnetbh322d ago

How is turn based dying or almost dead? Pokémon is one of the biggest RPGs in the world and is and has always been turn based. To some it is a plus especially when it comes to FF since the first 10 of them all are and are arguably better games than any FF to come after

CDbiggen322d ago

XV was rubbish, but understandable given the development hell. That overworld for me is the biggest example, so strangely designed and empty. And parts of the story awkwardly cut for DLC, most egregious being that prompto part where he's like "I'm a clone", or whatever he was (it was that forgettable), and the other guys basically shrugging it off.

Tapani322d ago (Edited 322d ago )

Turn-based is alive and well: Pokemon, Dragon Quest, XCom, Civilization, Homeworld, Age of Wonders, Total War, Original Sin, Baldur's Gate, Warhammer, Yu-Gi-Oh, Company of Heroes, Wasteland, Pathfinder, Disco Elysium, Octopath Traveler, Chained Echoes and many, many more great games, both new and old, franchises and new IPs are selling well, reviewing well and sequels are coming.

If you don't play the game, maybe the turn-based has just died in/for you, but certainly the genre has never been so alive as in 2023! Plus, when you look at Final Fantasy franchise, it started going down in quality when it left turn-based combat behind. FFXVI may redeem some of the glory (and FFXIV was great), but the turn-based games were higher rated and deeper in terms of gameplay and had more interesting things to do in the world.

DarXyde322d ago

I'd say Persona 5 is one of the best of the best games in a couple of decades.

I don't think you manage that with a dying gameplay format.

shinoff2183322d ago (Edited 322d ago )

Levii92

Turn based is way funner imo then just some hack n slash rpg. I like both but prefer turn based.

Far as dying I doubt it. It's also kinda funny cause the best final fantasy have been turn based. Ff still to this day can't top ff6 through ff9. Interesting.

Far as someone who brought up persona 5. I dislike the art style so I've yet to play it but I'd throw dq11 in there. Best jrpg I've played in fkin years. Over a decade.

Last I was a bit iffy on chained echoes because of the sp and no traditional leveling system. I recently bought it. Looks gorgeous, story is fantastic so far, but I cannot for the life of me get over how much I truly hate the leveling system. It's just flat out whack to me. I'm still going to finish it cause unlike ff15 atleast chained echoes doesn't feel like a chore

goldwyncq322d ago

The XIII series (especially Lightning Returns) has far better combat than XV, and you don't need to watch an anime and a movie to make sense of the story.

FinalFantasyFanatic321d ago (Edited 321d ago )

15 was only fun for derping about in the wilderness, at least FF13 had a better story and was more coherent overall (plot, characters, gameplay, world, ect...).

15 was just beautify garbage, so much wasted potential, the Duke Nukem Forever of the FF franchise.

I really loved Persona 5, can't wait for P6 to be announced, I'd love ports of the first few games (we already have P3P/P4G/P5R available on almost everything now).

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 321d ago
sadraiden322d ago

People act like XV killed one of their family members. It wasn't the best FF ever, but it certainly wasn't a bad game. You "hated it so damn much"? Chill.

FinalFantasyFanatic321d ago

I agree, FF13 is better than FF15, but I don't think I can play through that trilogy again, I'd rather play one of the older games.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 321d ago
-Foxtrot323d ago

Not really

Let them move on and focus on good FF games

Hofstaderman322d ago (Edited 322d ago )

Thank you. A ton of FFXIII articles recently. Most of the people who like this game are not old enough to have played 4 to 9. Even 10 and 12 are vastly superior to this game. That being said a remaster would then make all the FF titles available on the PS platform.

jambola322d ago

Citation needed
Do you have some kind of official survey of ff 13 fans ages?
Would love a link
Also, all games are available on multiple systems, re released many times
"Not old enough" doesn't even make much sense

shinoff2183322d ago (Edited 322d ago )

That was part of what I was trying to say. I've gave 15 3 try ff13 deserves atleast a second. And like I said I could use some turn based in my life

I've also played through or played all of the ff games starting with ff1 way way way back.

goldwyncq322d ago

"Good" is subjective. I love FFIX but I know many fans who don't like it for the art style and the slow combat.

I_am_Batman323d ago (Edited 323d ago )

Recently replayed them and I agree a remaster would be great. The complaints about linearity are fair, but they only really apply to the first half of the first game and while I agree that it would've been nice to have proper towns, minigames and subquests, it didn't detract from the intriguing story, interesting characters, tactical gameplay and amazing soundtrack in my opinion.

XIII-2 fixes a lot of the issues of XIII and expands on the story in interesting ways. The combat and progression builds on top of the systems of XIII and the nonlinearity and discoverability of secrets is a big inprovement over the original game. It's easily the best game of the trilogy.

Lightning Returns was probably a bit too experimental for it's own good. It tried to reinvent the wheel for no reason. The solo party for most of the game and the outfit based combat felt like a downgrade over XIII-2 combat system. It does have a unique vibe, but the plot kinda goes off the rails and many of the story beats didn't land as much for me as they did in the first two games. The race against time aspect was an interesting idea, but it never felt like it mattered, because it wasn't much of a challenge to manage the remaining time even while doing all the subquests.

Eonjay322d ago

XIII-2 is one of the greatest games ever.

Snookies12322d ago (Edited 322d ago )

XIII-2 is by far the best of the trilogy. Went out of my way to get the Platinum trophy on it. Which is actually a fun one to go for. Didn't take too long, only about 70-80 hours to accomplish. Loved every second of it though.

Youngindy21322d ago

I don't think linearity is a fair critique, when every FF up until that point was fairly linear esp. in the first half of the game. People herald FF VII(including the remake), but it is just as linear as FFXIII was. The linearity complaints came at a time when open-world games were just starting to become a thing and people thought every game should be open-world, but now that every game is, people now want more linear experiences. Go Figure.

shinoff2183322d ago

Ff10 was pretty linear to. Haven't played through all of 13 but 10 was linear as fk until the end

I_am_Batman322d ago

Totally agree. I never fully understood why 10 was so universally praised when it had many of the same design philosophies xiii is criticized for.

CDbiggen322d ago (Edited 322d ago )

I felt the same for the most part except the LR combat system. I thought it was an upgrade on the party of three system the previous two games had as now you had more control over your moves with different sets being an L1/R1 click away, and could move the single character around in battle and attack limbs or tails of certain enemies, or reduce the distance between you and an enemy you're after saving ATB.

I_am_Batman322d ago

LR combat certainly has it's merits. I would've preferred it if it wasn't tied to the costumes which can make Lightning look quite ridiculous and out of place sometimes though.

But mainly I would've preferred to see an evolution of XIII-2 systems. Since they are so different it's obviously just a preference. Can't really compare them objectively.

CDbiggen322d ago

Yeah I get ya, and I can totally see why the costume part got to people. I'm someone that doesn't care what the character looks like as long as I'm happy with the stats (looking at Xenoblade). LR to me is just one of those odd games that I can't help respect for mixing things up, even if the outcome wasn't the best lol. But yeah too different to compare.

sadraiden322d ago

Why would a remaster be great? They exist in HD, on a console that is still compatible with modern televisions, and you just replayed it.

I_am_Batman322d ago

I replayed them on my PS3. I just think it would make sense for those games to be more accessible to Playstation gamers, which is where the majority of the modern FF fanbase is (due to the exclusivity deals of VII Re and XVI).

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 322d ago
gold_drake323d ago

yes.
remaster collection.

not sure why the hell we never got one.

sadraiden322d ago

Just dying to give SE money for nothing eh?

gold_drake322d ago

i enjoyed the games.
so it wouldn't be for "nothing".

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