Holiday Haul

2015 has come and is basically gone at this point. The holiday season is over and all of the major games are out. This holiday season I decided to embrace my old hobby and really try to get back into playing some video games. I'd like to think it was a successful endeavor. What follows is a short list of what I've picked up since September and a quick little snippet of what I thought of the games.

Halo 5: Guardians - Halo 5 was what started it for me. I picked this up after a long internal debate and I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed the campaign of the game, and the multiplayer has been a lot of fun. The 60fps speed is really snappy and helps make the experience feel a lot more sharp. I'd recommend Halo 5.

Star Wars: Battlefront - Here's a game I have some mixed opinions on. On the one hand, it's Star Wars: Battlefront! On the other, it's a very shallow (basically) multiplayer only shooter. The level design works for the game, however there just aren't enough environments to play in. Player progression is pretty limited also. There's only 11 main weapons, and a handful of gadgets to set yourself apart from your competitors. The other unlocks are only cosmetic for your character. The mechanics work very well though, and the game is absolutely beautiful. Star Wars: Battlefront is a lighter version of Battlefield with a Star Wars skin slapped on it. I'd say if you can get it on sale, go ahead. But don't expect a super deep and enthralling game.

Fallout 4 - Fallout 4 is an expanded Fallout 3 plus Skyrim. The world is great, the characters are wonderful. There's a host of new mechanics in the game that make it a lot of fun. Fallout does have a good number of technical issues, which are all standard Bethesda problems at this point. Civilization building is a blast though. The gunplay has been significantly improved as well. I would very much recommend Fallout 4.

Lego Dimensions - This is the one I have played the least out of my purchases. Lego Dimensions is your completely standard Lego game. Break stuff, get money and collectibles, and do this until everything is done. Lego Dimensions takes the Skylanders route though where you buy the mini figs and little vehicles separately from the main game and can use those characters in game. It's fun, looks great, sounds great, and has a lot of customization for being a Lego game. I would recommend this one if you like the Skylanders business model and enjoy the Lego games.

Still on my list to hopefully get this year is Just Cause 3. I've seen a handful of videos from the game and I really just want to see if it's as great as it looks. Rainbow Six: Siege looks like it could be fun, but I'm going to wait on that one for a while.