Everybody’s sky.
The highlights of Akhil Arora’s first year—2016—writing video game reviews professionally.
FIFA 17: The Journey
“The trouble is that not only are the cut-scenes terribly scripted and full of clichés, they also do not have any long-lasting impact. […] The bottom line is that most aspects of [Alex] Hunter’s storylines are much easier to digest if you’re playing for one of the big clubs, even if the narrative itself plays out like slapstick.”
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI
“Firaxis has done a good job making its long-running franchise leaner than before, while introducing new things (such as Districts, Eureka and Inspiration) that make Civilization VI more straightforward, in a bid to appeal to a broader audience.”
The Turing Test
“Much of what the game shows or talks about has been discussed elsewhere in the past. That too in a better fashion […] Nevertheless, it’s present here in a well-packaged puzzle entry that is by no means revolutionary, but still manages to do enough to not come across as a poor rehash. Helped by terrific voice acting and accompanied by a tense soundtrack, The Turing Test is an admirable effort.”
Obduction
“Unsolvable moments are far too common with Obduction, and hence it’s best that whenever the game makes you want to bang your head against the wall, put it aside for the day. If there’s one trap the game falls into, it’s the puzzle maker’s most obvious fallacy. The logic, while apparent to the creator, can be quite opaque to the player.”
No Man’s Sky
“The largely solitary experience of No Man’s Sky is monotonous, easily frustrating and loses its charm way too early. For a game with the promise of all the wonders of the universe, it delivers so little.”
Total War: Warhammer
“Where the previous Total War instalments have tried their best to faithfully recreate 15th century Japan or 200 BCE Rome, Warhammer’s setting is a love letter to the devotees who painstakingly create miniature figures, infused into a game that combines high strategy and micro-management.”
Lego Marvel’s Avengers
“[Likely] to impress no one except diehard Marvel fans, ones that have adorned their walls with posters of Captain America and wear Iron Man costumes for Halloween. And if all you’re looking for is a bit of Lego-infused action, there are unmistakeably half a dozen better entries to choose from; the game’s own predecessor—2013’s Lego Marvel Super Heroes—one of the more entertaining options.”
The Witness
“Its insistence on not providing answers and straying away from the safety of regular rewards can be off-putting. The Witness wants to be more than a game filled with puzzles, but [Jonathan] Blow’s singular vision lets it down.”
I Hate FIFA and I Can’t Stop Playing It
“Both FIFA and PES are annual releases and [… by] now, they only tend to take small, evolutionary steps […] That is a combination of an insufficient development time stretching thinner over a hundred odd features and a focus on the more financially-rewarding online modes, such as Ultimate Team for FIFA and myClub for PES. With a reduced focus on offline play, the sense of progression you can get with the game without going online dwindles too.”