Last month, Apple dazzled us with the unveiling of its thinnest, most beautiful MacBook yet, called … MacBook.
Yep,
it’s thinner, lighter, and boasts a larger screen than the latest
entry-level MacBook Air. It also comes in a gold version. (Finally?) But
even with all of that, is it good enough to drop your current laptop
for?
Here’s our roundup of what expert reviewers across the Internet are saying about Apple’s new MacBook.
MacBook (2015)
“Apple’s
design of the new MacBook’s full-sized and backlit keyboard, Force
Touch trackpad and integration of a Retina display and an Intel Core M
processor make the experience ‘feel’ more like a much larger notebook. I
think you’ll be surprised at just how many things you’ll be able to do
with it versus larger devices and maybe even smaller devices like an
iPad.
“…I
highly recommend the new MacBook for anyone looking for a premium
experience, premium priced, ultra-thin notebook experience who dislikes
the downsides that come with most reduced form factor devices.”
“This
new MacBook is the future. All laptops are going to be like this
someday: with ridiculously good screens, no fans, lasting all day. Just
like the original MacBook Air defined a generation of competitors, this
new MacBook will do the same. It, or something inspired by it, is what
you’ll be using in two or three years. It’s that good.
“…You
see, the problem with the future is that it isn’t here yet. Instead we
live in the now, and the now doesn’t have the ecosystem of adapters and
wireless peripherals I need to use this laptop with its single port. The
now doesn’t have the right processor to power through the apps I need
without ruining battery life. And right now, this laptop is far from
cheap at $1,299.”
“As
a longtime user of the MacBook Air line, I look at the MacBook with a
mix of excitement and trepidation. This is the future of Apple’s thin
and light laptop line, as well as a warning that we’re about to enter a
transition period for devices as Apple begins to embrace USB-C. And
ultimately that’s the trade-off here: To get the cutting edge
technology, you’ve got to deal with the incompatibilities and
limitations that go with it.
“People
who are willing to deal with the pains in order to get their hands on a
product like this, you know who you are. It’s waiting for you. The rest
of the world will catch up, in time.”
“Much
like that first Air, the new MacBook is for the future. It’s a vision
of our next computer, the one we’ll buy when our Airs or ThinkPads can’t
keep up anymore. The MacBook is a work in progress: The processor and
the battery will improve, and the price will drop. It won’t take long.
The future’s getting here faster than you think.“
“The
Apple MacBook is certainly an excellent choice if you travel frequently
and want to run desktop apps instead of settling for mobile versions.
It’s lighter and much slimmer than the latest Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch,
and its battery lasts longer. However, the latter holds on as our
Editors’ Choice high-end ultraportable laptop because at the same price
as the 12-inch MacBook, it is still faster at most tasks, and it has
much more versatile connectivity options. That said, the new MacBook is
still one of the slimmest and most powerful ultraportables we’ve
tested.”
“If
money is no issue for you, you want a significantly smaller laptop and
you don’t mind being limited by a lack of ports, then maybe upgrading to
the new MacBook makes sense for you.
“But
if you rely on USB ports and SD card slots, this MacBook’s single port
for charging, storage transfers and other functionality will really bug
you.”
“It’s
nearly impossible not to be seduced by this MacBook’s beauty, its
dazzling screen and perfect trackpad. But don’t give in. Like the original MacBook Air, introduced in 2008, there are too many key compromises — in battery life, speed and port access — for the early-adopter price.
“I
expect the new MacBook to follow the same path as the Air. Over the
next few years, it will improve, and become an affordable, indispensable
tool for life in the future. But here, now, in the present day, there
are more practical slim, everyday laptop choices. The MacBook Air is the
best option all around, the MacBook Pro Retina 13 is a great step up,
and PC users can do no better than Dell’s latest XPS 13.”
“Much
like the original Air, the new MacBook is expensive, and it’s not for
everyone. In particular, it’s for well-heeled shoppers who demand the
most portable machine possible, and who also don’t want to compromise on
screen quality. That might not be persuasive to would-be Windows users,
who have several compelling alternatives, many with equally sharp
screens and a bigger selection of ports. But for loyal Mac fans who
wouldn’t dream of switching, the new MacBook is by far the
lightest-weight machine in Apple’s lineup, especially with this caliber
of screen. It’s not for everyone, especially not right now, but if it’s
anything like the Air, it might one day become the standard.”
“It’s
undoubtedly cutting edge, and not everyone is there yet. Those with a
bag full of peripherals will find the single USB-C port restrictive, and
anybody with more ambitious plans than browsing, writing, watching
videos, and a little multimedia processing will probably find the
processor and graphics a bottleneck. Fair enough: the MacBook Pro fits
that niche with aplomb.
“As
someone who spends half his life — or more — on the road, however, the
2015 MacBook has been an eye-opener. Incredible design that’s also
highly usable; lengthy battery life and enough speed to deal with most
of the challenges I encounter; and all at a price that, when you take
into account the breadth specifications, sounds more and more
reasonable. It’s a traveller’s dream, and that’s why it’s become an
essential in my bag.”
“With
the new keyboard and trackpad innovations, lust-inducing industrial
design, and impressive downsizing of internal components, the MacBook
feels like an important next step in the evolution of portable
computers. But this machine isn’t for everyone, particularly those who
expect extremes from their devices. Still, if you prioritize style, need
something ultraportable, and don’t mind trading power for a crisp and
clear Retina display, then the perfect computer may have arrived.“
“It’s
true that for users who treat their notebooks as their sole computers,
and who like to plug a lot of things into those computers as a result,
this probably isn’t the best option. But for people looking for a mobile
Mac to complement their desktop machine, and for those who aren’t
spending their whole day on their Macs for work (meaning likely the vast
majority of general consumers), this is a future-oriented notebook that
is just as effective in the present, too.”
“My
dream machine would have everything the new MacBook has but in a
slightly larger size with one more port. But if you’re ready for an
all-wireless future, the MacBook’s sheer portability and utility per
square inch make it worth the splurge.“
“The
most important thing about the new MacBook, to me, isn’t necessarily
what it is now, but what it represents. In five years, the sea of
MacBook Airs and MacBook Air-style machines we see now at Starbucks will
be replaced by machines that look more like the new MacBook.
“Ultimately
the new MacBook feels like a first-generation product — a very good
first-generation product, but a first-generation product nevertheless.
It’s got some promise and a couple of major shortcomings and you don’t
need to be the first person who takes the leap into the Brave New Future
it represents. I use an iMac as my primary computer and a 13-inch
MacBook Air when I’m sitting on the couch or in a café or on a plane,
and perhaps 90 percent of the time this MacBook can replace the Air
without issue. If this is going to be your main computer or only
computer or if you’re one of the bare handful of people who use
Thunderbolt for something, it’s hard to recommend.”
“This
is the 2008 MacBook Air. Today, the MacBook Air is frequently cited as
the best laptop on the market — but the first model, in 2008, was also
called overpriced, underpowered, and amazing-looking. In the same way,
the 12-inch MacBooks of 2016 and 2017 will lose their flaws, enter a new
era of USB-C compatibility, and seem much more at home in a more
wireless world.
“Even Apple is allowed to start with a 1.0 version. But you don’t have to buy it.”
Don’t take that the wrong way. I don’t mean to say that the new episodic Game of Thrones
adventure series ($5 per episode) from Telltale Games is in trouble,
because it isn’t. It’s off to a good start as a fan-pleasing sidebar to
the spectacular HBO show on which it’s based.
I mean it’s not going to end well because nothing in Westeros ever
ends well. Just ask Eddard Stark, or Catelyn Stark, or pretty much any
other Stark or friend of the Starks or anyone else in George R.R.
Martin’s depressing fantasy world. Things just have a tendency to go to
hell in the Seven Kingdoms.
The
first thing you should know, if you haven’t guessed already, is that
this game is very much for people familiar with the show and/or books.
Unlike The Walking Dead or The Wolf Among Us — both of
which were perfectly playable without any prior knowledge of the
broader franchises — a firm grasp on the major players, plot points, and
political climate of Game of Thrones is pretty much required for entry here. If you don’t know your Freys from your Tullys, you’ll be lost in the Whispering Woods.
Set at the tail end of Season 3 of the show — that would be right around the Red Wedding — Iron from Ice
is the first of six episodes that comprise Season 1 of this adventure
game. Typical of any pilot, it introduces us to the world; specifically,
House Forrester. Mentioned only in passing in the novels, House
Forrester is seated at Ironrath, a Northern stronghold surrounded by
iron-like trees and located a couple of clicks away from the Stark home
of Winterfell. House Forrester are bannermen to the Starks, which also
means they’re at odds with the Lannisters, which means you’re playing
with fire from the moment you press Start.
Game of Thrones is
the first Telltale joint to feature multiple playable characters.
They’re minor players, all members of House Forrester, and each is in
danger. Seeing the plot develop from different viewpoints is appreciated
and works well to mirror the storytelling style of the show. Telltale
even animated the famous intro sequence.
What
it hasn’t done is change the mechanics much. You’ll spend the bulk of
your time choosing dialogue options and occasionally dodging things in
quick-time events. This gameplay system dates back to The Walking Dead’s first season in 2012, and despite some changes to the engine, it still suffers from some weird texture pops and glitches.
It’s
a bit of a cut-and-paste job, but to its credit, Telltale wrings a ton
of intrigue out of its formula thanks to great writing. Even the most
innocuous decision seems to carry weight. It’s grueling, as any Game of Thrones game should be.
You’ll
bump into a few familiar faces, too, but while the likes of Tyrion
Lannister and Margaery Tyrell are voiced marvelously by their TV actors,
the appearance of such powerful figures only dulls the appeal of your
bit players. House Forrester is clearly outmatched by these forces,
putting you on your heels from the get-go and turning many conversations
into diplomatic Hail Marys. There’s only so much you can do as
Margaery’s handmaiden, and even a turn as Ethan, the young Lord of
Ironrath, leaves you feeling more like a foolish boy than a potent
ruler.
It’s
hard to fault Telltale here, because as a licensed game shadowing an
already-established plot, the wiggle room is pretty minimal. Keeping the
canon intact while keeping players guessing is a highwire act, and the
developers do a fine job toeing the line while explaining the
motivations of House Forrester within the grand scheme of things. But
compared with The Walking Dead’s Lee (tasked with protecting a child in a post-apocalyptic world) or The Wolf Among Us’s Bigby Wolf (the Sheriff of Fabletown), the three playable characters in Iron from Ice lack the authority and charisma to really drive the story. Instead, they’re often reacting to it.
But at times the game just totally nails the twisted tension of Game of Thrones politics. A quick chat with Cersei is brilliantly excruciating, and a run-in with Ramsay is memorable, to say the least. When Iron from Ice tosses you into the deep end of a Game of Thrones conversation, with Telltale’s timed dialogue tree quickly counting down, it’s riveting, hand-wringing stuff.
Where it goes from here is anybody’s guess, but as a big Game of Thrones geek, I’m mostly pleased with Iron from Ice.
Though it’s workmanlike in tone and a little wooden in its
characterization, its strong script and authentic feel set the stage for
a fun, disastrous side trip through Martin’s war-torn world. I have a
bad feeling about it, and that’s a weirdly good feeling to have.
What’s Hot: Looks and feels like the show; tense conversations; good match for the gameplay system …
The most useful item I used while playing Dragon Age: Inquisition?
A bottle of eyedrops.
I
probably should have used a few bottles, actually, because I don’t
think I blinked more than a handful of times during the dozens of hours I
spent saving the land of Thedas from demonic hordes in the latest
role-playing masterpiece from genre kingpin Bioware. Marrying the best
bits from the first two Dragon Age games, it’s a must-have for gamers with plenty of time on their hands.
It’s a daunting proposition for those new to the franchise, though. Inquisition is the third Dragon Age game, and while Bioware wisely tossed together a handy website that
lets you quickly whip through the biggest decision points in the first
two games to set up a “World State” for the new one, you’re probably
best off playing through at least one prior Dragon Age before diving in.
It’s not required, however, as Inquisition
features a standalone story and casts you in the role of a brand-new
character. You’re the Herald of Andraste, the unlikely survivor of a
calamitous explosion that tore a hole in the sky and killed off a
collection of world leaders. That hole was just one of many, and through
these breaches pours a steady stream of toothy unpleasantness. So off
you go, gallivanting across the land as a member of the fact-finding, world-saving Inquisition in
an effort to heal old wounds, unite warring factions, plug up the sky
holes, and find out who — or what — is behind the apocalyptic mess.
It’s
classic Dungeons and Dragons-esque stuff, letting players build a
dwarf, elf, human, or bull-like Qunari hero using a shockingly powerful
character creator. But where plenty of fantasy games let you cast spells
and swing swords, Dragon Age: Inquisition lets you do these things on a scale not seen since the incredible The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
It’s
not an open world, however; each of the game’s many explorable regions
is zoned off from the rest, though they’re all expansive and filled with
enough sidequests, lore, and random encounters to easily blow up a few
weekends. The frustrating linearity of Dragon Age II’s smallish
areas have been ditched in favor of big, unique playgrounds in which to
roam freely. The developers even saw fit to add a jump button,
encouraging you to leap off a ledge and scour the wilderness for
goodies. It’s a bit too clean compared to the glorious messiness of Skyrim, but it’s easily the best world-building we’ve seen yet in Dragon Age.
You’ll
spend the bulk of your time in the trenches, running missions, working
through conversation trees, wooing possible mates, and fighting,
fighting, fighting. The combat blends the fussy, pause-the-action
strategy of the first game with the button-mashy action of the sequel,
and it hums along nicely. Swapping between your four active party
members (pulled from a much larger stable) is quick and easy, though
most of the time you can just focus on your character and let the A.I.
handle your companions.
While
you don’t need to micromanage this stuff, you certainly can (and likely
will). I torched hours tweaking the gear, abilities, and even
artificial intelligence of my party. Learning the ins and outs of each
mage, warrior, and rogue is super helpful when you get into the bigger,
nastier fights. That dragon isn’t going to just let you whack it on the
foot for an hour, you know.
There’s plenty to manage in Dragon Age: Inquisition.
A war table lets you marshal spies, diplomats, and armies around Thedas
to gather resources and open up new areas to explore. As the
Inquisition’s influence spreads, you’ll gain permanent boosts and new
dialogue options. Every ounce of energy you put into this game gives you
something in return, and while it’s a little intimidating at first,
soon enough you’ll find yourself joyfully flopping around in its myriad
game systems like a kid in a ball pit.
Veering
off the main story is so easy, in fact, that it speaks to Bioware’s
trouble keeping the plot focused and sharp. While the game’s huge cast
of characters shines, Thedas’ complicated sociopolitical landscape
occasionally drags the narrative into the weeds. Some of the game’s
brightest moments — and most essential missions — lie off the beaten
path.
Dragon Age: Inquisition’s
sheer size also proves problematic, though I experienced relatively few
glitches playing the Xbox One version of the game (PS4 players have
reportedly had a rougher go). An interface stallout here or there
required me to backtrack to an earlier save. The old “Save early, save
often” refrain definitely applies here.
While it occasionally hiccups, Dragon Age: Inquisition
is, at times, flat-out gorgeous. The creature design is terrific,
recalling enemies from past games but dialing up the look and feel. The
first time you encounter a dragon — in this case, a big, irritated one
flying around, coughing up fireballs — you’ll marvel at its fluid
movements and intimidating presence. Then you’ll die, because it’s a
dragon, and you’re probably not ready for that yet.
You’re
also probably not ready to dive into the game’s multiplayer. Separated
entirely from the solo campaign, it’s a story-free cooperative
dungeon-crawling sort of affair in which you kill enemies and gain loot
and gold. It’s not bad, but it’s not enticing either. It’s a wisp of
weird icing on a 15-layer cake.
Besides,
you’ve got a land to save, a rogue to flirt with, a hole to fix, and a
dragon to slay. Big, meaty, and unequivocally fun, Dragon Age: Inquisition improves upon the first two games in just about every way. Grab some Visine and give it a stab.
What’s hot: Big and pretty; great combat; deep customization; epic scope handled well
Expert dinosaur dodger Jeff Goldblum might have some compelling theories about chaos, but fire up Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and his spiel about unpredictability and water droplets and butterflies sounds positively quaint.
If you want to watch chaos in action, try an eight-player Smash Bros.
brawl. Mascot limbs everywhere! Is that a hat? Punch it! Look out,
fireball! Duck that Donkey Kong uppercut, open a Pokeball, kick Kirby in
his fat face, grab a laser gun, carom off the Wii Fit Trainer,
roundhouse for the win. No butterflies were harmed in the making of this
chaotic masterpiece.
Nintendo pinned a lot of hope — and hype — on the big brother to its successful 3DS Super Smash Bros., and for good reason: This is a system-selling, laugh-out-loud riot of a fighting game, and one that anyone can enjoy.
Super Smash Bros.
got its start 15 years ago on the N64, and while it’s evolved a bit
over the years, the basics remain unchanged: Famous video-game
characters duke it out on hilarious, game-themed levels using their
fists, feet, and all sorts of crazy weapons. But where most fighting
games require complicated inputs and ridiculous reflexes, Super Smash Bros.
boils it all down to a couple of buttons and a few directions. The
result is a manic, fast-paced slugfest that doesn’t require an advanced
degree in Street Fighter II to get into.
Like its kid brother on the 3DS, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
stars a whopping 49 playable characters, the largest roster in
franchise history. It’s a who’s who of famous faces, from Nintendo icons
like Mario, Link, and Donkey Kong to Pac-Man, Mega Man, and even
longtime Mario rival Sonic the Hedgehog. Heck, the dog from Duck Hunt is
in here. The character list is staggeringly cool, particularly if
you’re a fan of Nintendo’s past.
Just
like the 3DS version, you can also create your own fighter using a
Wii U “Mii” avatar. You’ll choose one of three archetypes (brawler,
swordsman, or gunner), but that’s just the start. Over the course of
playing through the game’s many modes, you’ll earn items and abilities
that will turn your bobble-headed familiar into a lethal kung-fu madman.
It’s a role-playing game crammed into a fighter.
It’s
also a game about death. It’s about vile monsters smashing, slicing,
clawing, and chewing you to bits. It’s about horror, frustration, salty
language, and broken controllers.
What keeps you playing Bloodborne,
the incredibly challenging PS4-only role-playing game crafted by
demented developer From Software, is a spark. It’s hard to see, a
flicker in the darkness often obscured by the rage of yet another failed
attempt to kill a thing you are clearly in no shape to kill. But it’s
there, a glimmering beacon, a calm voice telling you that despite a
learning curve shaped like a wall and hours spent futilely jabbing at
creatures so hellish that you vaguely worry about the mental health of
the people who created them, you are going to be OK.
You are going to win. And it’s going to feel great.
Fans of From Software’s infamous Souls
series, which has rightfully earned a reputation as being among the
most difficult of its generation, know the value of hope in the face of
despair all too well. It’s the secret sauce that’s powered an
impenetrably obtuse video game franchise to the heights of critical and
commercial acclaim. It’s also what makes Bloodborne one of the best PS4 games yet.
Anyone expecting that Bloodborne would be something of a departure from Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls,
perhaps a bit more inviting and less grinding in its difficulty, should
prepare for the first of many disappointments. From its stressful
gameplay loop to its online mechanics to the bright red “YOU DIED”
message that mocks you roughly every 10 minutes, Bloodborne is Dark Souls 3 in all but name.
This
time, you play a hunter wandering the once-pleasant city of Yharnam,
now a gothic nightmare in the grip of an epidemic that’s transformed its
citizens into horrific creatures. Your task: kill the beasts and
restore order. Crammed with confounding religious overtones and steeped
in gore, the story isn’t the star here. But a cohesive narrative isn’t
the point of these games, and it’s all just absurd enough to keep you
marching straight into Bloodborne’s fiery video-game baptism.
At its core, Bloodborne plays like any of the past Souls
games. You fight your way through monsters in an effort to locate an
elusive progress-saving bonfire, though now it’s a progress-saving lamp.
Instead of acquiring “souls” by killing creatures, you acquire “blood
echoes,” and when you die, you still have to race back to your corpse to
retrieve them. Get killed on the way there and you lose your earnings
forever. The Groundhog Day, love-it-or-hate-it Souls gameplay flow — fight, die, run back to your cash, forge ahead, die again, start the process anew — is alive and well in Bloodborne.
But Bloodborne
carves out its own identity. For example, monsters can now pick up your
lost loot, requiring the additional step of killing whatever last
killed you to get your cash back. Activating a lamp takes you back to a
hub called the Hunter’s Dream, a safe haven where you can buy and sell
gear, repair and retrofit weapons, and boost your stats.
The biggest change, however, is found out in the field. Bloodborne is a faster, more aggressive game than Dark Souls II.
Hiding behind a shield as a 20-foot-tall ogre tries to turn you into
mush with a club the size of a Buick isn’t an option because you really
don’t have any shields (I found one; it was useless). Magic is largely
nonexistent, so you can’t stand back and lob fireballs.
No, Bloodborne
requires you to get up close and personal, dodging, back-stepping,
staying just out of range of that Buick club as you dart in and out with
your sword/axe/cleaver/hammer. It’s a stiff challenge, requiring tight
focus and a steady eye on your stamina meter, but it’s also speedier and
intrinsically more pleasing than standing back and firing arrows.
From
Software also made a few concessions to keep you in the fight. You
regain some health by immediately attacking the enemy who last injured
you. You can also equip a gun as a secondary weapon, but don’t expect to
rip through Bloodborne with a bazooka. The guns serve mainly to
stun tougher foes, opening them up for a big “Visceral Attack” that
doles out huge damage. Good luck pulling it off regularly, though,
because the only way to nail the timing is to figure it out on your own.
Part of the problem — and this is obviously by design, so maybe it’s not a problem so much as a fact — is that Bloodborne
doesn’t believe in handholding tutorials. It walks you very quickly
through its mechanics and doesn’t care to re-explain itself. How does
the “Frenzy” work? Where do I go to I equip these runes? What’s the
secret to stunning foes with guns? It’s up to you to sort it all out.
While it’s unclear in its systems, Bloodborne
is sharply focused in its macabre sensibilities. The werewolves,
zombies, giants, and giant werewolf zombies are meticulously built and
thoroughly creepy, to a one. The game keeps upping the awful ante; after
a few dozen hours, you’ll duel snake-headed monstrosities,
acid-spitting octo-things, and a numbers of creatures so gross and
insane that despite decades spent ogling Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manuals, I couldn’t describe them on a bet.
Invariably, Bloodborne’s many
roads lead to epic boss fights. You’ll need to beat the bosses to open
up new paths and acquire new abilities — and true to form, the towering
white wolf demon and electrically charged bear-skeleton thing are as
wildly difficult as they look. But this is where Bloodborne really sinks its teeth into you.
If the multitude of regular monsters are weekly tests, Bloodborne’s
bosses are its final exams, and you need to study if you want to pass.
The first time you fight a boss, you’re going to die. But you’ll learn a
thing or two, and eventually you’ll learn enough to know that despite
the limited window to hit the beast in the foot, you can hit it in the
foot. You just have to go do it.
That’s
the hope talking, and when it all comes together, it’s intoxicating.
After a couple of hours spent banging my head against the game’s first
tree-limbed behemoth of a boss, I dodged, leaped, parried, and stabbed
it just enough times to kill it before it killed me. I took a victory
lap around the house, arms raised. True, beyond Bloodborne’s hills lie only bigger hills, but when you’ve climbed one hill, you know you can climb more. You want to climb more.
Most of Bloodborne
is spent this way: scouring its vast environments for hidden treasures
and secret paths, stumbling upon something terrible, getting killed by
it, and jogging back for a little revenge. It’s repetitive, to be sure,
and often the best way forward is to spend time farming the weaker bad
guys for cash. You’ll doubtlessly fling a controller across the room
when you do something stupid and lose 45,000 blood echoes. But you’re
not mad at the game so much as at yourself. You should have been
patient. You should have spent that cash when you had the chance. You
should have been smarter. Fools rush into Bloodborne, and death rushes back out.
Fools also forget that Bloodborne has a multiplayer component. You can leave messages for fellow hunters (another holdover from the Souls
games), and you can also invite players into your game to help take
down bosses. It’s still a little wonky — you need to ring a bell, which
costs yet another poorly explained currency called “Insight,” and then
wait for someone to (maybe) come join you – but it does work, and it can
be immensely useful when you’re out of ideas. If you also run out of
things to kill (you), Bloodborne offers cool procedurally
generated dungeons, which can also be played cooperatively. And for
gamers looking to show off their skills, the game lets players invade
each other’s worlds and go mano a mano.
It’s a big package, and Bloodborne
occasionally buckles under its weight. The game looks great, all dark
and gloomy and bloody and nasty, but the severe load times when you’re
respawning only serve to drive your failure home a few inches more.
Occasional frame-rate issues can hamper fights against larger groups, a
tall-enough order even when it’s running smoothly.
Suffice it to say, Bloodborne
isn’t for everyone. It’s unforgiving, repetitive, and bad for your
blood pressure. But it’s also mysterious, powerful, and good for your
soul — the best PS4 exclusive yet. What more could you have hoped for?
What’s hot: Huge, creepy world; fast, satisfying combat; impressive monsters; smart changes to Souls formula; amazing feeling of accomplishment.
