Sequels, Please! - Games That Need Another Entry (Back to School Edition)

Sequels in media are a common practice, and in the world of video games it's no different. However, rather than just focus mostly on story, video games need far more than an interesting tale to get people to purchase the next game in a franchise. I'm talking things like new features, improved gameplay, a new gameplay hook, an evolution or even a revolution in the series' basic design, and so forth. There are good reasons why many mainline Mario games are so vastly different from past installments to the upcoming Super Mario Odyssey on Switch (save for the presentation of the New Super Mario Bros. series). They may be sequels, but they do so much to change how each entry plays and possess some kind of unique hook that distinguish them from one another

Then, there are games like the ones on this list that either stopped receiving sequels or haven't received a sequel period. That's what "Sequels, Please!" is all about, this reoccurring article series on SuperPhillip Central. Seven more games I desire to see sequels for turn up on this edition's list.

When you've seen my latest selections, let me know if you agree/disagree, or simply which games you can't wait to get sequels for!

World of Final Fantasy (PS4, Vita)

Many Final Fantasy games released these past few years, and many were disappointing for one reason or another: the game was incomplete, the execution was off, what have you. One game that reminded me of the good old days of the Final Fantasy series (from the Super Nintendo to early PS2 days) in an extremely wonderful way was World of Final Fantasy. The game was a whimsical take on the formula with a dash of monster-collecting thrown in for good measure. We didn't have edgy heroes, boy band rejects, or anything of the like -- it was pure, distilled Final Fantasy goodness that had one thing the series has been missing for a long time now, charm. Thankfully, it was more than just whimsy and looks that were appealing to me. There was the robust combat with which monsters you used and which level of stacking (a unique feature within the game) was the way to go about devising a strategy. Exploration offered plenty of opportunities for discovery as well. All in all, World of Final Fantasy was divine, and I hope Square Enix has another chibi style adventure in development.

LittleBigPlanet 3 (PS4, PS3)

The concept of LittleBigPlanet was a mind-blowing one: one part platforming adventure, another part creator studio of level-making capabilities (yeah, yeah, PC gamers, you already could do that years ago -- don't rain on our parade!), LittleBigPlanet was a series that engaged players, charmed the pants off players, and allowed them to create pretty much anything they wanted. Further sequels would add more complication to the creation tools (though quite helpful for innovating designs) and more gadgets to play around with, but by the third game, LittleBigPlanet as a series was running on fumes. It didn't help that other side entries on PlayStation's portable offerings quickly turned a refreshing series into a "please, no more. We've had enough" type of affair. On top of all that, LittleBigPlanet 3 released with some downright frustrating bugs and glitches, including save file wipes. However, once the game received a fair share of patches, LittleBigPlanet 3 offered the most potential for budding creators and happy gadders alike.

Ape Escape (PS1, PS2, PSP)

I want to continue our PlayStation theme here with a series that debuted on Sony's original console. However, unlike Crash Bandicoot, PaRappa the Rapper, and Hot Shots Golf (now Everybody's Golf) that released recently on the PlayStation 4, Ape Escape has been out of action for its mainline adventures since the PlayStation Portable, and that game was merely a handheld version of the original Ape Escape. My argument here is that Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy lit up the charts and received positive feedback from both players and critics alike, so it would be very nice to see some other classic PS1-era franchises see returns in the present day aim to do the same -- PlayStation franchises from yesteryear tickling longtime PS fans' nostalgia bones. Obviously, Ape Escape was never the unofficial mascot of the first PlayStation like Crash Bandicoot was so it wouldn't be as well known, but aren't we due for another game to go bananas over, Sony Computer Entertainment?

Ridge Racer (Multi)

We often take for granted how much we loved a franchise when it's finally gone. For generations, a new PlayStation system launch meant a new Ridge Racer, and we'd get replies of "but of course it's a launch title!" Regrettably, that's no longer the case because of two stinkers released back-to-back within the series: the Need for Speed: Underground wannabe Ridge Racer: Unbounded and the small on content, big on DLC PlayStation Vita launch title, simply known as Ridge Racer. Both games were the catalyst of the Ridge Racer franchise's fall from grace. Gaming fans miss you, Ridge Racer. We just want to see Kaz Hirai come up on stage and proudly bestow us with one more rally cry of "RIIIIIIIIDGE RACER"! We joked about it back then (but it was just one piece of the pie that was Sony's entire E3 press conference), but now we're sorry. Namco, do something. What I wouldn't do to take those turns like a pro with a exquisite drift in a new Ridge Racer game.

Red Steel 2 (Wii)

Being a launch title for the Wii, and I believe one of the first Wii games revealed, at least with screenshots, was Ubisoft's Red Steel. Unfortunately, the end result was nowhere near as appealing as the touched up screenshots used or the working motion controls shown via trailer. Red Steel was a travesty that sold over a million copies, but it turned many off of the Red Steel name instantly because they were burned by broken Ubisoft promises and the emptiness in their wallets where the $50 + tax for the game should have remained. However, the game's sequel, Red Steel 2, simply revamped its formula completely thanks to the help of Nintendo's new peripheral, Wii MotionPlus. You could charge into battle, aiming and shooting enemies down in your sights, pull out your blade to block attacks and sever foes in your way, or do a combination of both for one stylistic, cel-shaded Western adventure. Sadly, the toll was taken on Red Steel 2 by virtue of being a sequel to a game that pulled the wool over the eyes of Wii owners the world 'round. As foolish as this hope of mine might be, I'd love to see a pronounced evolution of the base gameplay and foundation featured in Red Steel 2.

Viewtiful Joe (PS2, GCN)

Capcom loves to kill its franchises after one entry doesn't perform to its usually unrealistic sales goals. Well, first they dissolved the company behind the game, Clover Studios and then Viewtiful Joe became such a franchise despite packing a lot of action, humor, novel gameplay, superhero combat, and 2.5D side-scrolling greatness. Through using Joe's FX gauge, our viewtiful hero could perform actions like slowing down time to gives his punches and kicks more power, assault enemies in a massive, fiery fury with Mach Speed, or zoom in for greater oomph in attacks. These abilities could be used in combination with one another, though the FX gauge would de-plenish much more quickly. The FX moves also assisted Joe with environmental puzzles in the game. Despite looking friendly to all players, Viewtiful Joe and its one mainline sequel as well as parts of its Nintendo DS entry were tough to get through. Unless, of course, you were a baby and needed to play Kids Mode. (Or just because you wanted to enjoy the game regardless!) Maybe enough time has passed for Capcom to bring back Viewtiful Joe from its vault with a newline entry. I know just the platform for it!

Pilotwings (SNES, N64, 3DS)

Along with the speedy, futuristic racer F-Zero, Pilotwings was one of the first Super Nintendo games using Mode 7 technology. At the time it was astonishing to look at and wonder how Nintendo could do that on the SNES. Now? Well, the visuals are dated, but the tricks that Nintendo used for the effect are still rather clever, especially when you consider what the team had to work with. The series would continue on Nintendo's next home console, the 64, serving as the series' first foray into real 3D. A launch title for the N64, the amount of freedom available in Pilotwings 64 was incredible for many a new Nintendo 64 owner. The most recent Pilotwings entry, Pilotwings Resort, launched with the Nintendo 3DS, and it featured a staple in the Wii area, the fictional Wuhu Island as its playground. Despite launching on the Nintendo 3DS, which still has games coming to it, that launch was several years ago, so it would excite fellow flyers and rocket belt wearers with a new Switch edition of the franchise. Just place in some new ways to play in the form of different vehicles and suits, even more ridiculous challenges and destinations, and I'm set!

The Unpopular Opinion 5: Games SPC Liked That Many Did Not

Opinions are like tadpoles... or something that rhymes with that. Anyway, not every opinion in the world is a popular one, especially when it comes to games, which is the whole focus of SuperPhillip Central! Over the nearly nine years SuperPhillip Central has been around, we've occasionally taken the road less traveled on our opinions. Now, it isn't done to rock the boat or be difficult. Sometimes, SuperPhillip Central just likes or dislikes a game that many love or hate just because that's how we're wired. The Unpopular Opinion series of articles hits its fifth installment, detailing more games that weren't widely well received, but ended up being games we enjoyed.

For past installments for your convenience, check out these links:

The Unpopular Opinion
The Unpopular Opinion 2
The Unpopular Opinion 3
The Unpopular Opinion 4

Star Fox Zero (Wii U)

Listed by some outlets and critics on their picks for most disappointing games, SuperPhillip Central had a different take on Star Fox Zero. Now, let's not lie here and say that the unorthodox controls are for everyone. You have to sometimes turn your attention to both screens, the TV and the Wii U GamePad, but many times you're just taking a quick glimpse at the cockpit view to get a beat on surrounding enemies or to quickly shoot at an off-screen foe. With practice, this becomes second nature, and if it didn't, then I wouldn't have acquired all of the game's medals through proficient play. Perhaps it's not the Star Fox game that many wanted, but SuperPhillip Central will be darned if Star Fox Zero was a fun experiment.

Metroid Prime: Federation Force (3DS)

Fools and children are the types of people who look at a list, see one or two games on it that they don't agree with, and then dismiss the opinion of someone immediately. These people probably shouldn't read SuperPhillip Central or sites like it, then (aka Stay off the Internet). Metroid Prime: Federation Force, like Star Fox Zero, wasn't the Metroid game fans were expecting, but unlike Zero, Federation Force wasn't like any traditional Metroid game. Instead, it was a squad shooter, best played with friends. Of course, playing the game by oneself was very much possible, and this reviewer actually did that to start, finding no problems with doing so. While Federation Force was not like Metroid at all, what it was like was a much more action-focused Metroid Prime game, having missions that rarely repeated their objectives. One you'd be luring ice titans into cages to lock them inside while another you'd be exiting your mech, stealthily entering a Space Pirate stronghold. The point here is that Metroid Prime: Federation Force wasn't what even SuperPhillip Central was expecting from Nintendo, but the end result was hardly an abomination. Instead, it was great fun.

Killzone: Shadow Fall (PS4)

Killzone is a tale of a video game franchise that had so much potential, but was marred with games that just didn't do anything too special. Though, if we're talking about the PlayStation Vita exclusive entry, Mercenary, then that's a totally different story. That game rocked. With the PlayStation 4 launch title, Killzone: Shadow Fall, what players got was more open-ended level design and pretty standard first-person shooting gameplay. Although much of Killzone: Shadow Fall was "been there, done that", a cool addition to the formula was that of OWL, a robotic buddy that could be used to temporarily stun enemies with a quick jolt, something to summon an electric shield, and a tool to create a makeshift zipline to access faraway portions of levels. The campaign was enjoyable enough to play through multiple times, even doing a no-death run, and the multiplayer wasn't too shabby either, though, developers, stop forcing multiplayer achievements and trophies into your games-- PLEASE. Anyway, Killzone: Shadow Fall might not astonish in any one area, but all in all, it's a thrilling game and fine initial showpiece of the PS4's hardware power.

LittleBigPlanet 3 (PS4, PS3)

Despite launching as a buggy piece of crap, LittleBigPlanet 3 eventually went on to become another enjoyable entry in the series. Introducing some new concepts to the aging formula (seriously, we need a shake up with the series!) like new playable character types, new gadgets, and multi-tiered levels that could stretch back 16 layers instead of just 3, LittleBigPlanet 3 continued to show off the creative tool set that Media Molecule originally created back with the very first LittleBigPlanet. Creating levels and other goodies can be as simple or as complex as a creator wants it, and the end result is something one can easily be proud of, sharing it with the still-very-active community. While there are still some bugs and glitches to be found in the game, LittleBigPlanet 3 is far from the monstrosity it was when it originally launched.

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U, 3DS)

The Mario & Sonic series always sees two of the most iconic characters in gaming history team up for some friendly Olympic fun*. (*Your results may vary.) While the latest Olympic release starring the portly plumber and the Blue Blur improves upon the formula in some ways, in others it wasn't so successful. Talking about the latter first, the lack of Dream Events, fantasy versions of Olympic events set in Mario and Sonic's various worlds, was very disappointing. The Duel events that replaced them weren't nearly as good substitutions. Regardless, the events play better for those who can't stand any type of motion controls. Instead, those were replaced with all analog controls, so instead of shaking a Wii Remote like a madman, you can mash on a button like a madman. Sure, some events weren't nearly as fun without motion controls, but they all still provided a certain level of fun. The local multiplayer allowed for up to four players to participate in solo events or the career mode, a nice, challenging change of pace, all adding up to a multiplayer game that remains enjoyable even long after the real Rio Olympics ended.

Mario Party 10 (Wii U)

ND Cube took over from former Mario Party developer Hudson Soft, who was swallowed up Konami. ND Cube has since tried to change up the Mario Party formula to varying degrees of success. With Mario Party 10, the formula from the Wii's Mario Party 9 continued with players sharing the same car, and depending on who was the driver, different actions would happen along the five major boards. While a traditional Mario Party experience would have been better (as seen in the Amiibo-compatible mode), there was a stronger focus on skill than usual, especially compared to Mario Party 9. The mini-games were a strong point, something that ND Cube continues to do really well with the series, and the addition of a mode where the Wii U GamePad player controlled Bowser changed things up for a nice side mode, though a short-lived one. Ultimately, Mario Party 10 was a worthwhile installment, although it's very easy to see why it wasn't liked by every player who came by to join the party.

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz (Wii)

A launch title for Nintendo's mega-hit Wii, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz was part of Sega's milking of the franchise, one that would see games on a wide range of platforms within a very limited range of time. Regardless, Banana Blitz saw multiple new mechanics to the Super Monkey Ball series, such as the motion control movement, which worked as advertised; the ability to jump, which made for some interestingly designed levels; and boss battles, engagements that delivered crafty encounters and heavy hijinks. While the multiplayer featured an overabundance of lame mini-games, the ones that did shine shined rather bright. Couple that with a colorful art style and one of the most infectiously catchy soundtracks on the Wii, and you have a Super Monkey Ball entry that wasn't perfect, but something that SuperPhillip Central ended up enjoying.

ModNation Racers: Road Trip (Vita)

Sure, the lack of traditional online play seems and was a ridiculous exclusion that would have made the game much more appealing, but ModNation Racers: Road Trip possessed some worthy qualities to almost make up for that. For one, the much more streamlined single-player campaign featured wonderful track design and an AI that was fun to race against and seldom overly irritating. The item progression and drifting to get boost or shield energy made for a fairer kart racing experience than many Mario Kart games. Then, you had the ability to create, share, and download custom tracks and racers, many showcasing the amazing creativity of the small but active ModNation Racers: Road Trip community. All of these aspects of Road Trip made for a PlayStation Vita launch title that was an enjoyable and deep racing experience.

Review Round-Up - December 2016

While Super Mario Run allowed Mario to jump into a pool of gold coins...

The final month of 2016 brought six reviews to SuperPhillip Central. It was mostly a month of platforming with some very big stars and some very big disappointments (well, one). Starting off the month of December was Review Redux of New Super Mario Bros. 2 which earned a B grade. A disappointment came soon after when I finished Mekazoo, a game which had a rocky second half, giving it a D+ grade overall. Then, we traveled to the LittleBigPlanet with LittleBigPlanet 3, hopping happily about with a B-.

Moving forward, the lone non-platformer this month, Aqua Moto Racing Utopia, amazed with its tight controls and its rivaling of Wave Race, earning itself a B+. Next up, two former rivals had two different games, each on the opposite sides of the sales success spectrum. First, Super Mario Run successfully converted 2D Mario to mobile in a smart way, getting a B+ for its effort. Secondly and lastly, Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice improved on the foundation laid by the first Nintendo 3DS Sonic Boom entry, Shattered Crystal, and it slid into a C+ for being a competent but not-too-special platformer.

Here's to a new year with new reviews for some awesome games!

New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS) Review Redux - B
Mekazoo (PS4, XB1, PC) - D+
LittleBigPlanet 3 (PS4, PS3) - B-
Aqua Moto Racing Utopia (PS4, PC) - B+
Super Mario Run (iOS) - B+
Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice (3DS) - C+

...His former rival Sonic didn't fare as well, though he did get a nice title under his belt (er, scarf) regardless.

BLTN Reviews: LittleBigPlanet 3 (PS4, PS3) Review

A Better Late Than Never review is deployed when a game I cover has been out for a while, and I'm only getting into it now. Usually this is reserved for games that are several years old. The next BLTN review subject is LittleBigPlanet 3, a cross-gen release for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3. The series is one of my favorites from the PlayStation brand, so let's see how this entry shapes up.

A lovingly sewn-together game with bugs that can tear it apart

When LittleBigPlanet 3 originally launched, it was plagued with bugs and glitches that severely dragged the experience down, as well as review scores and fan feedback in the process. Now, several years later, I have returned to the world that Media Molecule gave birth to, and now a cavalcade of new developers to the series have taken control of for this entry as Mm makes Dreams, an upcoming PS4 release. While a lot of the bugs have been "ironed out", as they say, the experience isn't totally clean, with glitched trophies, falling through floors, and other gripes.

The first level of LittleBigPlanet 3 introduces the controls to new and returning LittleBigPlanetians. 

As always with the LittleBigPlanet series, the main attraction outside of creating levels is getting ideas for your own creations. This is where LittleBigPlanet's lovely little adventure mode comes in. The adventure mode of LittleBigPlanet 3 shows off developer Sumo Digital and friends' masterful ability to design spectacular and highly clever levels, each with their own theme and gimmick. Many of these levels utilize one of five new equip-able items that are gained throughout the adventure. One of these sucks and blows air to move certain platforms around, while another shoots out small balls that when they hit a specific green target, you're transported to it. This makes for some creative puzzles and dangers where you have to shoot a ball through a small tunnel that your Sackperson can't quite fit through. The ball goes down the tunnel, hits the green target, and your Sackboy or girl immediately transports to it.

Using this special gun, Sackboy blows out air to get this gear moving.

That isn't the limit of LittleBigPlanet 3's creativity in the level design. Adding to the roster of playable characters are three legendary heroes of Bunkum, each with their own special abilities to get through levels. The first is a dog-like creature known as Oddsock. He can run rather fast, jump off walls to gain height, and slowly slide down walls. Good levels featuring Oddsock showcase his extreme mobility and agility and put them to good use. Then, there's Toggle, whose name belies his ability to switch, or toggle, between his normal heavy form that can weigh down switches and a smaller form that can run through tiny tunnels and skim across water. Switching between the two forms at the right moments is the difference between clearing a level and coming close but no cigar. Finally, Swoop, a flying bird, is the last of the three heroes. He can of course fly, but he can also grab onto certain materials and objects, carry them, as well as use his titular swooping ability to perform a downward arc, perfect for slipping by certain hazards in levels.

Oddsock shows off his massive mobility in his introductory level.

LittleBigPlanet 3's adventure mode is all about bringing these legendary heroes of Bunkum back into the swing of things. This is done by collecting marbles, which are positioned at most levels' conclusions. Throughout the adventure, you visit three different hubs, another new feature in LittleBigPlanet 3. These hubs are not only home to the various entrances to levels, but they also house optional quests for players to complete. Many of these are completed in special challenge levels, again, not mandatory to beat.

The final hero of Bunkum, Swoop, soars onto the scene.

Despite having three adventure hubs and containing four books (or worlds), LittleBigPlanet 3's adventure mode is by far the shortest in the series's history on any platform. Still, I think the developers went for a more quality over quantity approach with the amount of levels, as most of the levels in LittleBigPlanet 3 are some of the greatest in franchise history. Each are packed with an abundance of Prize Bubbles, a collectible in the series that unlocks new goodies like costumes for Sackboy or Sackgirl and new objects and materials for the Create Mode the LittleBigPlanet series is most known for.

And yes, the Create Mode is the best it has ever been in LittleBigPlanet's life. The amount of options to create levels both small and large can be overwhelming, as you can pretty much create as complex a level you want (i.e. as big as you want, whether you'd like to use beginner-friendly "programming" to create more complex levels, make levels that aren't even platformers, make movies, and so forth). Fortunately, LittleBigPlanet 3 comes equipped with a much more entertaining tutorial system than past games. Sorry, Stephen Fry, but even your whimsical words grow tiring after having to sit through the umpteenth tutorial like in previous LittleBigPlanet games.

My older attempt at creating a level.

This time around the tutorials are interactive puzzle levels that teach you concepts of using LittleBigPlanet 3's tools to get the most out of your budding creations. These 3-5 minute levels have you interacting with pre-made gadgets and objects made to build levels, and then they have you make them yourself by the level's end. These are a great deal of fun, and the more interactive approach is much appreciated and welcomed.

The Popit Academy levels are interactive tutorials full of stimulating, puzzling scenarios.

LittleBigPlanet 3 has come a long way since its launch. While the game won't crash on you as much as it did, there are still problems with unlocking some trophies, some progression-based glitches towards quests, and other technical mishaps. The frame-rate isn't always cooperative in staying solid, sometimes chugging along to ridiculously low levels for brief periods of time, usually at the start of levels and especially when you're logged in online. The visuals themselves are pleasant to look at, but it's obvious that this was a cross-gen release. You won't be dropping your jaw at any graphic-related thing in the game. You'll save your jaw-dropping for some of the cool sections of levels that the developers have crafted instead. The voice acting is animated and energetic-- full of charm as well. The new tunes for LittleBigPlanet 3 aren't the most inspiring (though I love the ones featured in Shake, Rattle, and Roll), but they fit the moods of each level quite well.

SackerPhillip returns to save the day!

Offering some new goodies into the mix like new gadgets, adventure hubs, and three new playable character types, LittleBigPlanet 3 is a game that successfully continues the winning formula that Media Molecule had laid down. It's just that the game doesn't do too much to stray away from that, which might put off some returning players to the series. If the idea of creating levels appeals to you with the easy-to-use Create Mode, then you'll definitely find yourself spending a great deal of time with the game. For everyone else, the pre-made levels from the developers are some of the best in LittleBigPlanet's history, and the online community continues to create some really special stuff. If you are cool with some occasional hiccups, then LittleBigPlanet 3 is a satisfying platforming purchase on a system lacking much in the way of family-focused games.

[SPC Says: B-]

Most Overlooked Current Gen Games - Part Two

The Most Overlooked Games series has been around almost as long as SuperPhillip Central has-- seven years now. With each entry, we take a look at five of the most overlooked, less talked about games on various systems, past and present. However, until the inaugural edition of Most Overlooked Current Gen Games, I hadn't covered underrated games from the PlayStation 4 as well as the Xbox One. Obviously I already had a list dedicated to the Wii U.

Regardless, it's now time for part two where we look at five more under-appreciated games from the current generation of gaming.

Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below (PS4)

The first game on this list actually sold well in Japan. It's currently the second best selling game in Japan. However, Most Overlooked Current Gen Games factors in sales from other over the world, and in the case of Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below, the game in the west did not fare too well commercially. This game that allows you to slay slews of famous Dragon Quest monsters in a much quicker pace than you could a traditional turn-based Dragon Quest features a Dynasty Warriors style flow to battle. The lack of notable sales in the west certainly made Square Enix's decision to not localize recent Dragon Quest games seem understandable. Still, with a sequel launching on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and the Vita, perhaps Dragon Quest Heroes will get another chance to make an impact on the Western market.

Transformers: Devastation (PS4, XONE)

Platinum Games has an impeccable reputation as a developer of action titles. It's no doubt why Nintendo, Sega, and Konami have contacted them for work on projects in the past, and it's why Activision hand selected Platinum to create Transformers: Devastation as well as the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game. The newest Transformers continues Platinum Games' stupendous tradition of terrific combat, incredible boss battles, and rank-based missions. Although the game is but five hours long, the addition of different Autobots to play as with different play styles in this 3D action game increases the replay value and longevity of Devastation greatly. It all makes Transformers: Devastation one of the best games starring the robots in disguise ever created.

LittleBigPlanet 3 (PS4)

Like Transformers: Devastation, LittleBigPlanet 3 is a cross gen release. Perhaps that's why it suffers from the most glitches and bugs out of any other LittleBigPlanet game. Not the best recommendation for the game so far, is it? Don't worry, though, as outside of the technical issues that haunt several aspects of the game, LittleBigPlanet 3 contains the same immensely open level creator, offering more options and ease of accessibility than ever before. The new characters give more variety in the types of levels available, and the single player mode, now sporting cute voice acting, is a joy to play from beginning to end. It may not be the technical marvel fans have expected, but LittleBigPlanet 3 delightfully delivers nearly everywhere else.

Rock Band 4 (PS4, XONE)

Containing a highly impressive library of over 2000 songs, most coming from past iterations of the franchise, Rock Band 4 launched on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with the reception of a missed note during the guitar solo of Freebird. Rock Band 4 was a return to form for Harmonix, who had been away from the series for a good three years. The studio and game's return to the limelight was met with great indifference. For all the goodness that is Rock Band, it seems the days of people wanting to collect a mishmash of plastic instruments and house them in their rooms are over. The game was met with critical acclaim but limited commercial success. A PC version of Rock Band 4 was on the table for development, but the campaign to get the game on there was nothing but a failed one.

Evolve (PS4, XONE)

No, in this gaming climate, having an original idea like the asymmetric multiplayer gameplay of Evolve isn't enough to guarantee sales. Whether that says something about the current state of gaming or the quality of Evolve itself is anyone's guess. The gameplay itself has four players, serving as Hunters, having a first-person perspective while the single player, the Monster, has a third-person perspective. The goal is for one side to take down the other. Certainly, the developers did themselves no favors with the grotesque number of different downloadable content available for the game. This aspect alone turned off many potential players and buyers of the game. Despite selling strong out of the gate, Evolve's sales suffered hugely in the following weeks, proving to have no sales momentum whatsoever. Perhaps the criticism from some corners of the net cut off the game's tail. Regardless, Evolve is an innovative experience like none other with highly competent gameplay and fun asymmetrical goodness.