POCG WRITER
Kevin Meloche
Writing for POCG since 2013
23
Reviews
ReviewAscend: Hand of KulAscend: Hand of Kul mashes God of War combat, Dark Souls soul management, and asynchronous multiplayer into a free-to-play package that has no right being this engaging. The servers are long gone, but when it worked, it worked.→ReviewBioShock Infinite: Burial at SeaA return to Rapture that ties BioShock and Infinite together. The gameplay is strong and the story catching, but the dimensional knot leaves you lost.→ReviewDead Rising 3The least distinctive, most technically unremarkable Dead Rising, saved by ridiculous weapons, grotesque characters and great co-op.→ReviewWatch DogsWatch Dogs promised a next-generation hacking experience and delivered a buggy, shallow open-world with AI that defies comprehension. A colossal failure.→ReviewKiller InstinctA dense, addictive fighting-game reboot with a superb combo system, launched with only a handful of characters and modes. Content-thin, but excellent.→ReviewBatman: Arkham OriginsA solid Arkham prequel with a phenomenal young Joker and a riveting, if short, story, marred by a buggy launch and clunky multiplayer.→ReviewLEGO Marvel Super HeroesOver a hundred lovingly detailed Marvel heroes in TT Games' funniest, most refined LEGO outing. Fun enough to win over non-gamers.→ReviewRyse: Son of RomeCrytek's launch showcase is jaw-droppingly pretty and brutally satisfying at first, but a short story and skin-deep combat wear thin fast.→ReviewFighter WithinA Kinect-only fighter the hardware can barely read, reducing every match to luck and flailing. Broken, unplayable and best forgotten.→ReviewAssassin’s Creed IV: Black FlagA strong, fun pirate adventure with thrilling naval warfare, even as the recycled mechanics show the Assassin's Creed franchise weakening.→ReviewBattlefield 4Big-scale, vehicle-heavy multiplayer at its glossy best, with Levolution and Commander Mode, hampered at launch by an unprofessional pile of glitches.→ReviewCall of Duty: GhostsA competent but by-the-numbers Call of Duty with an easy, messy campaign and the usual reliable multiplayer. The fast food of gaming.→ReviewGrand Theft Auto VRockstar's three-protagonist crime epic overwhelms with scale, character-switching and mind-blowing heists. A few narrative missteps aside, a masterpiece.→ReviewLost Planet 3A competent if unoriginal third-person shooter that doesn't fit the Lost Planet mould. Better than its reviews suggest, if you ignore the franchise name.→ReviewSaints Row IVA gloriously absurd superpowered sandbox that's a blast, but plays like Saints Row: The Third with cheats enabled. Wait for a price drop.→ReviewTom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: BlacklistA solid stealth-action entry with great Spies vs. Mercs and three playstyles, hurt by shaky firefights and a Sam Fisher who's lost Michael Ironside's edge.→ReviewPayday 2A dynamic, endlessly replayable co-op heist shooter that's a blast with friends. Thin solo content and rough edges, but huge promise.→ReviewThe Walking Dead: 400 DaysFive well-acted survivor vignettes bridging Telltale's Walking Dead seasons, undercut by brevity and an ambiguous, low-stakes payoff.→ReviewDeadpoolAn Arkham-style brawler that's exactly the imperfect, loud, fourth-wall-breaking Deadpool game fans wanted. Hit-or-miss for everyone else.→ReviewState of DecayA terrifyingly tense open-world zombie-survival sim built on permadeath, morale and scavenging. Clunky combat and thin guidance hold it back, but it grips.→ReviewThe Last of UsA beautifully made, savagely tense survival journey with superb AI and storytelling. A contrarian take: brilliant popcorn, not the artistic masterpiece some claim.→ReviewFuseInsomniac's co-op shooter is fun with friends and miserable solo, a slightly unambitious shell of the beloved Overstrike it started as.→ReviewRemember MeA hidden cyberpunk gem with a riveting Neo-Paris story and a striking style, undercut by frustrating cameras and combat that lets you coast.→