Video Game Reviews

Thief

Eidos Montreal/Square Enix

Reviewed on: PC

Street: 02.25

Thief seems to have been created as a stealth game for people who hate stealth games. Assuming the role of a master thief named Garrett, the player is presented with a dark, plague-infested city that is filled with all kinds of valuables that are ripe for the taking. The dreary environments are beautifully rendered—I could almost smell the rotting wood and stagnating rain gutters as I hopped from rooftop to rooftop. In addition to the game’s graphical prowess, the controls are intuitive and fluid—which was helpful for a stealth game neophyte like myself. Since the game begins with Garrett’s master thief status already established, the player has access to a wide range of skills that make slinking through the shadows feel natural. Though playing through the game’s campaign was enjoyable on its own, I found myself drawn to the distinctive twinkle that indicated something valuable lying around for me to snatch and pocket—a necessary evil, since these small acts of kleptomania give Garrett the necessary gold to purchase skill and weapon upgrades. Though games that require sneaking around aren’t typically my cup of tea, I found Thief to be an accessible representation of the stealth genre. –Alex Springer

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition

Square Enix/ Square Enix

Reviewed on: Xbox One

Also on: PC, OSX, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, Playstation 3

Street: 1.28

This game completely caught me by surprise. I had never really jumped into any of the franchises’ other titles, but this, Lara Croft’s origin story of sorts, is a complete knockout. An engaging mix of action, puzzles, exploration, all presented in a cinematic fashion, this game will make you keep coming back over and over again, because it always feels fresh. Back to the presentation: between the gorgeous graphics and vistas, excellent voice acting and sound effects, and perfect pacing, you feel right away, like you’re in the middle of a great action film. The only negative thing I can say is, at times, the cutscenes can sometimes appear too frequently, but that’s just a minor annoyance in what is an incredible interactive experience that the team at Square Enix should be exceedingly proud of. -Blake LeszczynskiTrials Fusion

RedLynx/ Ubisoft

Reviewed on: Xbox One

Also on: PC, Playstation 4, Xbox 360

Street: 04.15

My rider isn’t a real person, know that, but I still cringe at some of the brutal crashes that I put him through. And then I grumble, hit the restart button, and do it all over again. But that’s what the Trials franchise, now on its third title (on Xbox, and countless others on other platforms), is all about—frustration, sweet, addicting frustration. And with Fusion, the fine folks at RedLynx have nearly perfected it. First of all, the art and graphics are bright, shiny, and just great to look at all around. The gameplay will feel very familiar for veterans of the series, but with a bit more fluidity mixed in with brilliant track design. The best feature about Trials has always been the competitive aspect of it. Racing against the best times of your online friends has been there since at least Trials HD, and it has been improved in every way in Fusion. On top of that, it features local multiplayer for up to four players, which is rare these days, and it’s a lot of fun. For 20 bucks, this game is an absolute must buy.  -Blake Leszczynski