Last year, Assassin’s Creed took it right on the chin. Score one for the Templars, in fact. Unity was dogged by criticism even before release for its lack of a playable female character (Liberation’s protagonist, Aveline, not counting for much apparently) and various comments that didn’t play well in the media. Once it was out on the shelves, the flaws and bugs were so numerous that everyone couldn’t help but pile negativity onto the game thanks to the atmosphere that built up around it. While Syndicate isn’t quite a full redemption of the franchise on the level that I felt Black Flag was, it definitely answers a lot of the criticism of the past couple years and it also refines the classic gameplay just enough to warrant a look if you haven’t burnt yourself out on the series yet, or might even be a nice introduction to the franchise as it currently stands.
Read More

The Bethesda Fallout games are almost beyond reproach. In the vast, flawed game that is Fallout 4, you’re probably going to be impressed by the number and scale of things, not their quality. Not to say Fallout 4 is fundamentally bad, but there are plenty of rough spots along the way. For better or worse, this is still a Bethesda game.

If you’re looking for a strong argument for how Fallout 4 improves on Fallout 3/New Vegas, I’m not sure there is one. V.A.T.S. is almost identical save for a retuned critical hit system. The new features deliver what was promised – a voiced protagonist is a nice addition, but it won’t change Bethesda’s writing, stiff and flat as it is. The creation tools seem versatile, but the time investment for all the resource gathering is daunting.
Read More

Lara Croft is a character with distinguished lineage, both in the context of Tomb Raider universe, but also in the game industry at large. She was at the forefront of the PlayStation’s original success, demonstrating the innovation made possible with the advent of accessible 3D graphics on the console. But eventually a fall from grace with disappointing sequels required a reboot, one which Crystal Dynamics pulled off quite brilliantly in 2013, at least according to both critics and word of mouth. So it was a shock to hear from publisher Square Enix that it had not met expectations despite selling millions of copies. That’s probably why Rise of the Tomb Raider releases this year as a timed Xbox One exclusive, to arrive later next year on PC and PS4. While many are wringing their hands at this decision, if it helped offset the cost of making it, then it was more than worth it.
Read More

CONTEST ALERT! We are giving away a copy of Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden for 3DS to anyone in North America! Void where prohibited by law or affiliated with Gametactics, Namco Bandai Games and it’s promoters.

Simply LIKE the Gametactics page here (not a post, the actual page) http://www.facebook.com/Gametactics to be entered to win. You can also follow us on Twitter to get a bonus entry! http://www.twitter.com/gametactics A random Facebook follower or Twitter follower will be chosen on November 30th at 12:01AM and will be contacted via Facebook or Twitter (existing followers and likers of Gametactics are already entered, no need to dislike/re like the page). Now go enjoy the review of the game below.

While the Butoden series of Dragon Ball Z Fighting games have remained home in Japan. But this game in particular is but a Butoden in name only, as many of the things that made that series stand out aren’t fully represented here. It’s also the third DBZ game developed by Arc System Works, and compared to its previous efforts, it’s lacking. There are a few interesting features that still make the game stand out a little, but it’s only just barely enough to hold any Dragon Ball fan’s interest.
Read More

Ubisoft today unveiled some important details about what you can expect after Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege’s release in their latest video.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Official – Post Launch – Behind the Wall #5:

Given its strong focus on multiplayer action and giving players a dynamic, continually evolving experience, it should come as no surprise there are big plans in the works for Rainbow Six Siege after its launch on Xbox One, PS4 and PC on December 1.

Head over to the Ubiblog for the full post-launch announcement and further details on the above: http://blog.ubi.com/rainbow-six-siege-post-launch-maps-operators-modes

While last year’s Yoshi’s New Island was just decent to outright bland depending on who you talked to, There’s few that would be arguing against its art style being terrible. Good Feel, not content to leave their yarny takes on Nintendo’s IP’s with just Kirby, has moved onto the Yoshi’s Island series. Not only do they manage to make a game that’s infinitely more visually appealing than New Island, but they also make a game that’s more fun to play. Just don’t expect too much, as the game is just good, not amazing.
Read More

While Pokemon is still popular in the US, Nintendo and Level-5’s attempt to recapture that audience through Yo-kai watch is an ambitious one. Finally, the series has hit the West, along with an anime series and merchandise to boot. It’s a good thing that the first entry in the game series is a good one…although, there is room for improvement.
Read More

It’s been a year since Bandai Namco put out Tales of Hearts R for the Vita, and once again RPG fans have been awaiting this game since it launched earlier this year in January in its home country. Now it’s finally here, and it delivers a solid Action-RPG experience, despite having a less interesting story and characters. It does have some tweaks to the system which might make players a little overwhelmed though.
Read More

Leading and award-winning developer and publisher of digital entertainment Telltale Games, and world-renowned game developer Mojang, today announced that Minecraft: Story Mode – A Telltale Games Series is now available in stores across North America and will be available in Europe starting Friday October 30th. Also available starting this week, the highly-anticipated Episode Two: Assembly Required will be available for download on consoles, PC/Mac, and mobile devices.

Minecraft: Story Mode – A Telltale Games Series season pass disc is available at retail in North America starting today for the suggested MSRP of $29.99 USD or equivalent, and will be available in Europe on Friday, October 30th. Available platforms include Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 in North America; as well as PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One and Xbox 360 in Europe. The retail edition of Minecraft: Story Mode ships with the premiere episode ‘The Order of the Stone’ on the disc, and will grant access to the subsequent four episodes in the season as they become available to download via online updates, including immediate access to this week’s second episode, ‘Assembly Required.’
Read More

Codemasters and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. today released a new Behind the Scenes video for F1 2015, the official videogame of the 2015 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.

Absent from the FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP since 1992, the GRAN PREMIO DE MÉXICO (Grand Prix of Mexico) makes its grand return in 2015. Take an exclusive insiders look with driver Sergio Perez (Sahara Force India F1 Team) on-track ahead of the upcoming race held at the famous AUTÓDROMO HERMANOS RODRÍGUEZ!