Platform: PC

INSIDE

Post author By James Sheppard
Post date August 3, 2016

Limbo was a runaway success for Playdead in 2010, back when the term ‘indie game’ actually meant something. Thanks to the growth of digital distribution and early access programmes, of course, video games are now more often ‘indie’ than not.

INSIDE is Playdead’s sophomore effort, a long-awaited return to the industry they helped shape amongst the likes of Braid and Super Meat Boy. It’s a technical progression from its spiritual predecessor, Limbo, and oppressively atmospheric. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always result in something that is fun to play.

Tags 2.5D, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, Indie, Inside, Journey, LIMBO, Platformer, Playdead, puzzle platformer

Total War: Warhammer

Post author By James Swinbanks
Post date July 23, 2016

Creative Assembly have been making Total War games for about fifteen years at this point. That’s a lot of time, not only to refine the core of what makes your game good, but also flesh it out with other ideas. When combining that many years of experience with a narrative and universe as richly detailed as that of Games Workshop’s thirty year-old Warhammer series, it’s okay to expect something good.

I’m certainly no old hand when it comes to Total War, having only dabbled with Shogun 2 a few years ago, but this Warhammer iteration ticks a lot of boxes thanks to large-scale battles that require a deft tactical touch, meaningfully different factions and engaging mechanics.

The campaign provides two distinct layers of strategic gameplay that are probably deep enough to have an entire game focused around them. Having them together, working as cohesively as they do, is something special and makes Total War: Warhammer another must play for strategy fans, in what’s turning out to be a bumper year for the genre.

Tags Creative Assembly, real time strategy, rts. strategy, Total War, Total War: Warhammer, Warhammer

Battleborn: A Post-Overwatch Review

Post author By James Sheppard
Post date July 4, 2016

If there’s one genre in vogue right now, it’s the hero shooter. Whilst we have Paragon, Paladins and Lawbreakers to look forward to later in the year, we’ve just been hit by two big ones both vying for our attention: Overwatch and Battleborn. If you follow video game news at all, you’ll know that one is ‘winning’ by a large margin – and it certainly isn’t Gearbox Software’s effort.

Releasing two similar, competing AAA games within a short timeframe is typically suicide for at least one. Battleborn hails from the developers of Borderlands and had the advantage of a slightly earlier release, but it didn’t stand a chance against the indomitable might of Blizzard and the hype train which had been steaming behind Overwatch for some time.

Reasons for comparison are clear. They’re both first-person shooters set in a fantasy universe with a diverse roster of heroes to choose from. To the uninitiated, they’re practically the same game. In reality, this could hardly be further from the truth. And whereas Battleborn is far from perfect and falls short of the refinement present in its adversary, it’s a distinct experience of its own which warrants a look.

Tags Battleborn, Blizzard, FPS, hero shooter, League of Legends, MOBA, Multiplayer, Online, online battle arena, Overwatch, PC, ps4, SMITE, Team Fortress 2, Xbox One

Salt and Sanctuary

Post author By James Sheppard
Post date June 28, 2016

As with any entertainment media, the video game industry is endlessly derivative. From the platformers which tried to ape the success of Super Mario through to the post-Modern Warfare first-person shooter genre, imitation and inspiration is evident off the back of any popular franchise.

Just like Terraria liberally borrowed from the monolithic Minecraft whilst dropping a dimension, then, it’s no surprise that a ‘Dark Souls, but in 2D’ would rear its ominous head sooner or later. Salt and Sanctuary is the inevitable conclusion, developed by a mere two-person outfit called Ska Studios.

Unlike many past imitators, however, Salt and Sanctuary not only reaches a level of quality somewhere near the same league of its inspiration but is also a worthwhile experience in its own right.

Tags 2D, action rpg, co-op, Dark Souls, fantasy, From Software, PC, Platformer, ps4, roleplaying game, salt and sanctuary, ska studios, Steam

The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine

Post author By Tim Henderson
Post date June 28, 2016

If forced to sum up the second and final piece of DLC for The Witcher 3, Blood and Wine, with one word, you could do a lot worse than ‘skies’.

Grammatically speaking, just ‘sky’ would be more appropriate, as this is all still one marvellously intricate, interconnected world. But it would be so far removed from the aesthetic and emotional crux of the sort of splash that the early moments of Blood and Wine makes as to actually feel like a cheekily misleading untruth.

Tags Blood and Wine, Geralt, The Witcher, The Witcher 3, Wild Hunt

Overwatch

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date June 20, 2016

Do you ever have it where three or four games all merge into one in your mind? For the longest time, Overwatch, Battleborn, Paragon, Lawbreakers – it all became too much and turned into white noise for me. I simply stopped paying attention to them all.

This stopped for me when the review code for Overwatch landed in my e-mails, so I had no choice but to take an interest. This was lucky for me as it turns out Overwatch is an outstanding multiplayer shooter, though there are some caveats that I need to discuss.

Tags FPS, Mercy, Overwatch, team, Team Fortress 2, Tracer

Hitman – Marrakesh

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date June 17, 2016

You should all be aware by now that Hitman is releasing a new level every month. If you didn’t know that – you do now. I’ve had the pleasure of playing the previous two so it made sense for me to have a look at the third one too. This time it sees Agent 47 visit Marrakesh, which is new, and his job is to kill two targets. Which isn’t new.

Strutting through the crowded markets, making your way to the rooftop of the bazaars before finally entering the Swedish consulate, it’s a real journey that Agent 47 goes through, but is it a journey filled with intrigue and suspense or is it a dull trek past a bunch of stalls selling tat on a hot day?

Tags Agent 47, Hitman, Marrakesh, ps4, review

Dark Souls III

Post author By Dan Moore
Post date May 30, 2016

What’s the first thing you do after being away for a few days? If I was to take a guess, you’re like me and crawl into the warm comfort of your very own bed, pull the covers up and drift off into a nice slumber – safe in the knowledge that this is the bed that had been calling to you all weekend.

Dark Souls III is much like that bed after a few days away. It provides the safe, warm comfort of pitch-perfect gameplay and challenge the series is known for. This time round there are a few changes thrown into the mix, as well as it being a breathtaking visual feast.

Tags Bloodbourne, Dark Souls, Dark Souls 2, Dark Souls 3, From Software, Playstation, playstation 4, ps4

Hitman – Sapienza

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date May 13, 2016

It’s safe to say that I’ve had my fill of Paris. I’ve spent time pretending I’m a model, making poisonous cocktails and offing fashion designers that weren’t my target but were too annoying to ignore. In fact, so much time went by that I was starting to worry that Hitman wouldn’t be able to meet its deadlines after promising us we’d have a new level every month.

Luckily, slightly more than a month later, we arrive at Sapienza. A quaint and seemingly quiet Italian beach-side town. You’re greeted with a fantastic view of the piaza, a splendid church and a briefing that tells you there’s a deadly pair of scientists to murder and a deadly toxin to destroy. Sorry Agent 47, this is no holiday. The only break here is the one in your target’s neck.

Tags Hitman, ps4, review, Sapienza

DiRT Rally

Post author By James Swinbanks
Post date April 25, 2016

It’s almost nine years since Codemasters introduced the DiRT name with the fantastic Colin McRae: DiRT, a game that is remembered well for two reasons. One is that it was both ambitious and enjoyable and set a new bar for rally titles, the other is its release the day before a tragic helicopter accident took the life of Colin McRae, his son and two others.

Since then, Codemasters had not only dropped the use of the Colin McRae name but switched focus from the traditional style of rally entirely. The results were DiRT 2, 3 and DiRT Showdown. These three games, whilst really good in their own right, all had a general focus on the less traditional forms of off-road racing like Gymkhana and Rallycross. They included point-to-point stages, but they were short and typically low in numbers. As a bit of a purist when it comes to a few facets of motorsport, I enjoyed the last few DiRT games to an extent but always felt like Codemasters had lost their way just a little.

Fast forward to a year ago and you can colour me, as just about everyone else, surprised when a Codemasters title named DiRT Rally popped up on Steam Early Access. It was the first case I could remember of a large AAA developer using Steam’s Early Access as a platform for an already established franchise, and I had to jump in on it. I bought into it, and as the months rolled by I watched as the game slowly had content and features added, as well as how engaged the developers were with the community about their development plans going forward. Not only this, but they seemed to be heading in a very good direction. More focus on point-to-point rallying, with long and open stages, as well as Hillclimb, Rallycross and a host of online features. Throw in a focus on simulating real-world handling techniques and vehicle dynamics, and DiRT Rally showed more promise on this front than we’d seen from the previous DiRT titles combined.

It was only a few short months ago in December that DiRT Rally was released properly on the PC, so the wait for it to head to the modern generation consoles hasn’t been a tense nor long one. After spending hours sliding, rolling, spinning and crashing as many rally cars as possible, it’s easy for me to tell you that whilst DiRT Rally redefines console rally games – once again cementing Codemasters’ position at the top of the racing development pyramid – its brilliance shines heavily on the areas it falls short, holding it back from being something truly special.

Tags co-driver, Colin McRae, DiRT, DiRT 2, DiRT 3, DiRT Rally, Rally

Tom Clancy’s The Division

Post author By James Sheppard
Post date April 20, 2016

Tom Clancy’s The Division has been on the radar of many for a long time. Touted as a potential Destiny-killer, it’s the newest entry in the increasingly popular new-gen pseudo-genre of adding MMO mechanics and persistence to everything – in this case, a third-person shooter. With Ubisoft proudly stating that it’s the fastest-selling new IP ever made based on week one sales – yes, even beating the aforementioned Destiny – there’s no doubt that it’s been a commercial success at the very least.

Initial sales for an MMO are only the first battle of a long war, however. Have Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment laid down a solid enough framework to build on with new content and expansions over the coming months and years? Will the endgame keep players satisfied long after reaching the level cap? Is this even a world you’ll want to spend your time in, anyway? After investing a good chunk of time into The Division since launch, I’m not convinced that I can give a wholly positive answer to any of these questions.

Tags action, co-op, Destiny, Massive Entertainment, MMO, Multiplayer, Online, post-apocalypse, Shooter, The Division, Third Person Shooter, Third-Person, tom clancy, Ubisoft

Far Cry Primal

Post author By James Swinbanks
Post date April 8, 2016

From the moment it was announced, Ubisoft’s decision to make Far Cry Primal was met with intrigue and more than a few questions: How well would a Far Cry game work without guns? Is fighting with stones and sharp sticks going to be as satisfying as with a flamethrower and grenades? Some of my friends thought it was a ‘brave’ move, and all I could ponder was the vast scope of great stories that could be told from that era of human life.

After 30-odd hours of skull-bashing and crouching in the reeds, I feel confident in saying that Far Cry Primal is not really brave, but it does put forward a big AAA take on primitive tribal life, all the while remaining true to the series’ recent direction.

As Takkar (or as his people call him, the Beast Master), it falls to you to explore the land of Oros and reunite your people, the Wenja tribe. Along the way you’ll take on other enemy tribes, hunt down and be hunted by animals and beasts, light giant bonfires and explore a vast and lush wilderness that is as arresting as it is threatening. It’s an inviting mix on the face of it, but ordinary melee combat, stale progression mechanics, a complete lack of co-operative multiplayer, and a narrative that lacks any kind of meaningful hooks make Far Cry Primal fade into history without making any significant impact.

Tags far cry, Far Cry Primal, Mammoth, Primal, Sabretooth, Takkar, tribes

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4

Post author By Dan Moore
Post date April 4, 2016

What’s the antithesis to the idea that modern games are devoid of colour? Put simply, CyberConnect2’s latest Naruto game, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4. This is a game that will bathe you in bright lights and pretty colours for as long as you chose to spend playing it.

If you like Anime, love Naruto, or just want a surprisingly solid fighting game, then this is the game you want to play. It’s not without flaws, but I was genuinely surprised by the way it drew me in, even if I had my fill without extensive play of the other modes.

Tags anime, Bandai Namco, CyberConnect 2, Namco Bandai, Naruto, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, Naruto Shipuden, Playstation, playstation 4, ps4

The Crew: Wild Run

Post author By Andy Buick
Post date March 30, 2016

The Crew was a slightly odd proposition, taking Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry open-world formula and applying it to a driving game. Now with Wild Run, we’ve got a number of additions that add both graphical touches and a few changes to the existing formula in the guise of The Summit.

Does it hit its peak, or is it running on fumes?

Tags Driveclub, driving, Multiplayer, Online, Open world, racing, The Crew Wild Run, Ubisoft

Street Fighter V

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date March 26, 2016

The Street Fighter series has been a constant comfort in my life (regardless of my fluctuating skill level over the years) so, like many others, I was massively hyped when Capcom announced Street Fighter V as a PS4 and PC exclusive at last year’s E3.

It’s finally here, and while its focus has certainly shifted away from single-player content – if only for now – Street Fighter V’s quality ensures that the series remains the best competitive fighting game experience that money can buy.

Tags capcom, Chun Li, F.A.N.G, Nash, Rashid, Ryu, SFV, Street Fighter, Street Fighter IV, Street FIghter V, V-Skill

Hitman

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date March 18, 2016

They say that practice makes perfect and it’s clear that IO Interactive believe in this saying. They’ve been making Hitman games for decades now, as this is now the sixth ‘main’ Hitman game. IO have also taken this idiom as a starting point for Hitman’s structure. This is a game that expects you to play through each level multiple times, finding the multitude of ways that you can complete each mission.

I say ‘each level’, yet this is a game that currently only has one full level and two tutorial levels to its name. This is because Hitman is now an episodic title with new missions being released every month. This somehow isn’t a problem and might even prove to be a real strength, assuming future levels are as strong as this first offering.

Tags Episodic, Hitman, IO Interactive, ps4, review

SteamWorld Heist

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date March 15, 2016

I really don’t play my 3DS nearly as much as I should. I don’t think this is all my fault, though, as a lot of developers keep on making huge, sprawling epics rather than bite-sized chunks of joy that I actually have the time to play. If developers could bear in mind those of us that have full-time jobs, significant others and interests other than gaming in mind, that’d be great.

I say all of this because I’ve found that SteamWorld Heist is a perfect package in just about every way. It’s a perfectly accessible, turn-based strategy game, meaning I didn’t have hours of tutorials to work through. It’s perfectly suited to the 3DS, taking advantage of the layered 3D effects. On top of this, it’s the perfect length, meaning ten hours later and I’d seen and done mostly everything, leaving me completely satisfied.

Tags 3ds, image & form, review, SteamWorld, Steamworld Heist

Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders

Post author By Dan Moore
Post date March 11, 2016

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be Hercule Poirot, star of Agatha Christie’s long-running detective series? If the answer is yes, then here is your chance; just pick up Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders to become the detective himself.

Except, don’t do that. The latest game from developer Artifact Studios does a terrible job of making you feel like a detective at all, let alone one of the most famous fictional sleuths of our time. Add to that poor design, technical issues and some of the worst voice-acting I have ever encountered and it is simply not worth your time or money.

Tags ABC, Agatha Christie, Agatha Christie The ABC Murders; ABC Murders, Artifact Studios, Hercule Poirot, Microids, playstation 4, Poirot, ps4

XCOM 2

Post author By James Swinbanks
Post date March 9, 2016

It’s 2035, 20 years after the aliens successfully invaded earth. The XCOM team couldn’t hold back the threat of occupation, and were ultimately betrayed by the same countries that had once entrusted them with their protection. XCOM is but a shade of its former self in terms of resources, but it still has plenty of fight left in it. It’s taken up the lead in the resistance fight against the alien’s new world order-cum-government, ADVENT, which has in the years post-invasion managed to convince a fair share of the population that it was in fact Earth who started hostilities, and that the aliens actually came in peace.

We, of course, know this to be a massive load of bollocks. The aliens not only showed up with their massive guns pointed firmly at our heads, but they started pulling some War of the Worlds type shit by harvesting humans for all sorts of nefarious purposes – there may have even been probing. Nevertheless, the resistance is now fighting back, and it’s up to us to stop the aliens one turn at a time.

There are plenty of bumps and a few sucker-punches along the way, for both the soldiers and in terms of XCOM 2‘s technical performance, but it’s still an excellent game that is as challenging as it is rewarding.

Tags Aliens, Enemy Unknown, Firaxis, PC, Sci-Fi, Steam, Strategy, Turn Based, Xcom, xcom 2

Firewatch

Post author By Dan Moore
Post date February 26, 2016

What is Firewatch? That question became a bit of a joke since its announcement, but now Firewatch is with us and I can categorically inform you it is indeed a game; a game about two people, and no destruction, no shooting and no aliens.

Set in the Wyoming wilderness, Firewatch presents an intriguing tale set against gorgeous scenery. Not everything fully works in its gameplay, but if you are in the mood for a sedate and well written story, this could well be for you.

Tags Camp Santo, Delilah, Firewatch, First Person, Henry, map, PC, Walking simulator, Wyoming

Oxenfree

Post author By Dan Moore
Post date February 18, 2016

You know how it is: Your best friend lets you know about an all night drinking sesh on a remote island, you agree, bring along some friends and a new step-brother, and of course think it will be a barrel of laughs. Then you get to the island and realize not all is what it seems, and those spooky caves feel spooky for a reason…

This is the basic setup of Oxenfree, the first game from developer Night School. It’s a heavily scripted side-scrolling adventure, with some decision-making thrown in and a good dose of artistic expression and atmosphere. It doesn’t always get it right, but as a first game for Night School, Oxenfree is a great start.

Tags Adventure, for pc, Night School Studios, Oxenfree, PC, Side scrolling, spooky, supernatural

Rainbow Six Siege

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date February 10, 2016

We’ve all had moments when playing a game where a plan comes together. There’s nothing more satisfying that setting up a trap or carrying out an attack that works flawlessly. This feeling of accomplishment is only multiplied when carried out in a team setting and you get to see everyone doing their bit to complete one goal.

Rainbow Six Siege tries to evoke what Left 4 Dead and, to a certain extent, Payday has done before: Give you a tough task and a team, and force you to work together. Sadly, Rainbow Six Siege is totally unforgiving, meaning the moments where your plans work are amazing, and the more common moments where they don’t are a real buzz kill.

Tags Oh wait you're dead, ps4, Rainbow Six: Siege, review, Tango On Your Six

Pony Island

Post author By James Sheppard
Post date February 8, 2016

It’s rare that a game is so heavily crafted with surprises that it’s physically difficult to even write a review about it without giving everything away. It’s for this reason that Pony Island is a first for me in not only the experience it provided whilst playing it, but the challenge it set in summarising and evaluating it for you, dear reader.

I’ve honestly tried my best to avoid specifics wherever possible, but please be aware that the mildest of spoilers are contained within.

Tags experimental, fourth wall, Indie, Platformer, pony island, Puzzle, review, The Stanley Parable, weird

That Dragon, Cancer

Post author By Dan Moore
Post date February 5, 2016

This is probably one of the hardest reviews I will ever write. Not because That Dragon, Cancer is a bad game, or that I have put so much onto it that it can’t live up to expectations, but because of what it’s about.

It is an autobiographical game focusing on Joel Green, a four-year-old diagnosed with cancer. The game was made by his parents, and tells the family’s journey during Joel’s four-year battle. Brave and bold, it is a game that everyone should play.

Tags cancer, for pc, numinous games, PC, surreal, that dragon, that dragon cancer

Teslagrad

Post author By Andy Buick
Post date January 26, 2016

If you’re wondering why a Teslagrad review now, it’s semi-recently come to the PS Vita, so I’ve had the pleasure to take a look at it on the handheld. Having read reviews from when it had released on Wii U, I was quite looking forward to giving it a try, and in the main, am glad I did, with some minor reservations.

Tags Dishonored, Indie, Nikola Tesla, outland, Teslagrad, The King

Just Cause 3

Post author By Dan Moore
Post date January 22, 2016

I admit, I haven’t played any of the Just Cause games before, so when the hype began for the third game my interest was definitely piqued. I had always heard of the sheer joy you could experience in Just Cause 2 by running around and blowing stuff up, finding creative uses of the tether and generally having fun. It sounded like the perfect dumb sandbox, so I went into Just Cause 3 hoping for much of the same.

Tags Avalanche Studios, Just Cause, Just Cause 2, Just Cause 3, playstation 4, review, Rico Rodriguez, Square Enix

Blood Bowl 2

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date December 24, 2015

Let’s start this off by saying I’m a big fan of Games Workshop. They have produced a number of great worlds and amazing miniatures which I appreciate even though they’re expensive and I’m crap at painting anything smaller than the walls of my flat.

Despite my keenness, I’ve never actually ‘played’ any Games Workshop game. They take ages to set up and are full of dice rolling which is a little slow and a lot tedious. This is where Cyanide’s faithful recreation of Blood Bowl comes in. Its biggest strength is that it’s a streamlined version of the somewhat clunky to play miniature game with some nice visuals. Its biggest weakness is that it’s a streamlined version of the somewhat clunky miniature game with some not so nice bugs.

Tags Blood Bowl, Blood Bowl 2, fantasy, NFL And The Hobbit Had A Baby, ps4, review, Xbox One

Need for Speed

Post author By James Swinbanks
Post date December 11, 2015

Having grown up a fan of the original Need for Speed series since its early days on PC during the mid-nineties, I was one of those that watched the series’ transition from exotic, high-performance sports cars through to the Underground, tuner-era Toyotas and Nissans with disgust. That dash of car-related elitism, combined with my rather cynical view of the typical EA blockbuster formula, put me off many NFS games since. Of the few that I did actually play, I was put off even further by the feel of the driving, which is a failure to nail the most integral feature in any car game.

I’ll completely admit it: I came into this expecting the worst. Let’s be honest here, it’s really easy to be cynical about Need for Speed. Ghost Games decision to use story through live action footage has been endlessly dissected before release, and with good reason: It’s bloody terrible, but I’ll unpack that more in a moment or two. Plus, how many times have we seen the term “reboot” become associated with under-realised potential?

In many ways, my preconceptions were entirely unfounded; in spite of some spectacularly poor design choices that hold it back from being something truly special, Need for Speed nails the fundamentals vital to an arcade racer.

Tags Build, Crew, need for speed, Outlaw, racing, speed, Style

Star Wars Battlefront

Post author By Jasper Pickering
Post date December 4, 2015

A long time ago, in a galaxy not too far away from this one (because it is this one) I, like many Star Wars fans, got very excited at the prospect of playing a new Battlefront. The series was, in my opinion, one of the best Star Wars franchises to come out of Lucas Arts, and their dissolution came as sad news to all that were hoping the rumours of the in-development Battlefront III would become a reality. When EA took up the mantle of the White Knight to ensure a Battlefront release on DICE’s Frostbite 3 Engine, people were rightfully excited.

Since that initial announcement however, EA did what it does best by slowly and surely letting down its user base with news of less maps, less game modes and lower player caps. The final product has me mimicking my reaction to the to the Star Wars movie prequels: A sense of awe at once again being immersed in the Star Wars Universe, but also an uneasy hollowness, as it only digs superficially under the surface of the immense source material…

Tags Battlefront, Boba Fett, Darth Vader, Lightsaber, Luke Skywalker, PC, ps4, Star Wars, Xbox One

Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate

Post author By James Swinbanks
Post date November 26, 2015

Whether you love it or hate it, Assassin’s Creed has been coming and going on a yearly basis for a little while now. After the abysmal time Ubisoft had with the launch of Assassin’s Creed: Unity, it looked like the series might have started going the way of its once-beloved Desmond Miles. Alas, Ubisoft Quebec have done a pretty good job of helping pull the series back up on its feet, but sadly it’s still wobbly in some of the usual places.

Tags Assassin's Creed: Syndicate, Assassins Creed, Blighters, Evie, Jacob, london, Rooks, Syndicate

Transformers: Devastation

Post author By Dan Moore
Post date November 20, 2015

“A cursory evaluation of Decepticon capabilities indicates a distinct tactical deficiency.”

Perceptor calls that out to Ultra Magnus during the attack on Autobot City in the 1986 classic Transformers: The Movie, and it pretty much sums up the war between them.

Optimus Prime and company took on a superior force, one that has no regard for sentient life, and won every time. Yes, it became predictable, but Transformers hasn’t become a classic franchise for nothing. The brand may have been diluted with the recent Michael Bay movies, but Platinum Games have just released Transformers: Devastation; a G1 inspired game that ticks all the right notes for fans of the bearer of the Matrix, but it might leave more casual fans, especially younger ones that only know the live action movies, a little cold.

Tags Bumblebee, Megatron, Optimus Prime, Platinum Games, playstation 4, ps4, Transformers, Transformers Devastation, Wheeljack

Football Manager 2016

Post author By James Swinbanks
Post date November 13, 2015

According to my Steam library, I have spent a collective 690 hours on Football Manager games since I first discovered the series back in 2008. Make no mistake though, in Football Manager terms, that’s as casual as you can be. Die-hards can put in well beyond 1000 hours of playtime – that’s per game, mind you – and you can be assured that every one of those hours will be filled with the same heart wrenching and fist pumping moments that we love about football. Despite it being a few years since I last spent heaps of my spare time with Football Manager, I not ashamed to say I’m well known in my apartment block for my over-enthusiastic reaction to a screamer from 30 yards out.

Football Manager 2016 is now available, and I’m happy to say that the folks at Sports Interactive have seemingly worked hard to keep the most ardent of fans enthusiastic, whilst not making newcomers (or those who have been away for a while) feel too overwhelmed by some of the busier, more menu-heavy areas and the depth of squad management. Football Manager 2016 sees a return to the more iterative improvements that refine this already well-defined and unrivaled series, and is a worthy update for anyone that wants to try their hand at being the next Pep Guardiola.

Tags FM, Football, football manager, Goals, Management, sports interactive, Tactics

Masochisia

Post author By James Swinbanks
Post date November 2, 2015

Masochisia is a self-described 2D horror game by developer Jon Oldblood that deals with some pretty heavy themes. Its opening is not only accompanied by a warning, but it also has a dedicated link in the main menu encouraging those suffering from thoughts of depression and suicide to seek help.

This sets the tone for what is a short, unflinching and powerful narrative-driven point and click game that will only take two or so hours to complete, but it’s one that will remain firmly in your thoughts for days and weeks after it’s done.

Tags Abuse, depression, Hamilton, Masochisia, Mental Illness

Bedlam

Post author By Jonn Blanchard
Post date October 23, 2015

The premise behind Bedlam is intriguing. Taking its cue from a book that itself is a love letter to gaming history, the game is an first person shooter that jumps around a few genres. Unfortunately, this grand idea is let down by some very poor execution.

Tags Bedlam, Christopher Brookmyre, first person shooter, halo, Pac-man, quake, Space Invaders

Pro Evolution Soccer 2016

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date October 22, 2015

There was a time when Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) used to be the unrivalled king of football games. Sure, FIFA’s always had the official licenses and had the privilege of using real footballer’s names but PES was always better. Having my beloved Arsenal be referred to as North London Reds was a price worth paying.

Notice I said ‘was’. FIFA is now not just the official product of the officially corrupt governing body of world football, but EA’s games have been absolutely cracking for the last six or so years and as such, PES lost its crown and has been nothing more than an also-ran in the race for football game supremacy. This year? It’s safe to say that this is a beautiful rendition of the beautiful game.

Tags Become a Legend, Football, Football Life, Master League, Pes, PES 2016, Pro Evolution Soccer, Pro Evolution Soccer 2016, Soccer

FIFA 16

Post author By James Swinbanks
Post date October 9, 2015

In terms of football games, with the exception of the excellent (and infuriating) Football Manager series, nothing really matters outside of the realms of FIFA and PES, right? As things have panned out for the past several seasons, FIFA has had the upper hand both on and off the virtual pitch. Whilst I agree largely with that sentiment, I’m not so sure that’s going to remain the case with FIFA 16. Off the pitch, FIFA is still number one with all the licences and the high-end production values that you’d expect from an EA title. On the pitch it’s a different story though, with very little change overall from last year’s entry.

Tags Beautiful game, Fifa, FIFA 16, Football, Pes, Women's Football

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Post author By Jasper Pickering
Post date October 5, 2015

After confirming the identity and location of an injured prisoner from a Soviet Compound in Afghanistan, I could make my escape. The prisoner in question is an expert in biomechanics and extracting him to my offshore military base would allow me to develop the technology to increase the durability and power of my prosthetic arm, making enemy close-quarter takedowns more time efficient. Unfortunately, his injuries won’t allow him to sustain the shock impact of a Fulton extraction, so he would have to be carried out of the base to a safe distance where the support helicopter could land without sustaining heavy damage and pick us both up.

The sun was rising and without the cover of nightfall, I was at risk of being spotted by one of the guards in the tower. With little time, I opted to ‘go loud’ to ensure the quickest optimal route. By taking out the base’s air communications satellite with a C4 charge, my support would be able to land close to my current location and evacuate quickly before the Soviets could effectively respond. It was a risky move. The helicopter sustained heavy fire but I was able to lay down suppressing fire with the chopper’s Gatling gun for just long enough to exit the hot zone. The mission was completed but I had lost points for raising an alarm and killing the guards as the chopper ascended to ‘Flight of the Valkyries’ blaring out of the speakers. Had I equipped myself with the appropriate camouflage for the rocky terrain or invested in a more durable suppressor for my tranquilizer gun before attempting to rescue the POW, I could have netted myself those extra points and a better mission rank.

Tags Big Boss, Metal Gear, Metal Gear Solid, MGS, MGSV, mother base, the phantom pain, venom snake

Rugby World Cup 2015

Post author By James Swinbanks
Post date September 21, 2015

When I think about it, sporting World Cups are pretty amazing things unto themselves. Millions of fans, usually from all corners of the globe, converging to the one place to celebrate the sport they adore and to watch the best players in the world battle it out on the field. The planning and dedication it takes from everyone involved in pulling these tournaments off is quite staggering, but it’s all done for the good of the game.

From the opening kick-off, it becomes flagrantly apparent that Rugby World Cup 2015 does not care for the ‘good of the game’. Not only is it poorly presented, with its bland menus and outdated looks, but it’s essentially a re-skinned version of the previously released Rugby 15. That, in itself, raises a whole bunch of issues in my book, but I won’t touch on them here. All you need to know is that Rugby World Cup 2015 is objectively, a bad game.

Tags 2015, rugby, Rugby Union, rugby world cup, Rugby World Cup 2015, Tries, try

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

Post author By Matt Best
Post date September 4, 2015

I’ve never been one to subscribe to the whole ‘video games as art’ argument. I consider it an attempt to unnecessarily legitimise our pastime to the wider community. Like any other media, games can leave us spellbound with an engaging story, breathless with stunning visuals, or riding the rollercoaster of emotions experienced by its characters. Sometimes they can leave us saying ‘I have no idea what I just experienced, but bloody hell it was awesome’. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter definitely falls in the latter category.

Tags Art, dear esther, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, Journey, Mystery, PC, ps4, Stunning, The Astronauts, Vanishing of Ethan Carter

F1 2015

Post author By James Swinbanks
Post date August 27, 2015

In the real world, the Formula 1 paddock is currently on its summer break with the teams and drivers all enjoying a well-deserved rest. The rest of us, meanwhile, are left wandering the landscape looking for ways to get our F1 fix. Is F1 2015 the best way to get that fix? Well… yes, but that’s also like describing Pastor Maldonado as a Grand Prix winner, which in fairness he is. But he’s still Pastor Maldonado.

Tags Codemasters, driving, f1 2015, Formula One, grand prix, racer, racing, Tracks

MotoGP 15

Post author By James Swinbanks
Post date July 31, 2015

Motorcycle racing, even just motorbikes in general, are pretty difficult to translate into a fun video game. Compared to cars, bikes are unresponsive and difficult to maneuver. This rings true in MotoGP 15, and being more a racing car guy, I found the transition from four wheels to two to be not only frustrating, but also challenging and rewarding at times. It’s not going to set the racing world on fire, but MotoGP 15 is a good representation of modern-day motorbike racing that fans will mostly appreciate, although it suffers a few technical setbacks along the way.

Tags 15, 2015, Milestone, MotoGP, Motorbike, Motorcycle, racer, racing, Sports, track

The Witcher III: Wild Hunt

Post author By Matt Best
Post date July 27, 2015

There’s not much that can be said about the latest instalment of The Witcher franchise that hasn’t already been said. Visually it is impressive, with an engaging story, set in a world overflowing with character, life, and humour. Having missed the boat with Dragon Age: Inquisition, it was nice to truly engage myself with this world and its inhabitants.

Tags CD Projekt Red, Fantasy RPG, Geralt, PC, ps4, The Witcher, Wild Hunt, Witcher III, xboxone

Her Story

Post author By Dan Moore
Post date July 22, 2015

Have you ever dreamed of being a detective? I’m not talking about the hyper-cool, one-liner spitting, guns-blazing ‘John McClane’ type of detective, but the guy who has to interview witnesses, record statements and use his brain to figure out the intricacies of a case.

If you have, then Her Story is the game for you. If you haven’t, but want to play something very different to the norm, then you should play Her Story. In fact, just play Her Story; it will only take you a handful of hours, and you will be immensely rewarded for your time.

Tags FMV, Her Story, live action, PC, Sam Barlow, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Steam

Heroes of the Storm

Post author By James Sheppard
Post date June 19, 2015

My experience with MOBAs is short-lived – it wasn’t until the release of SMITE last year that I finally learned to play and enjoy the infamously daunting genre. From there I dipped my toes into League of Legends, and I had fun for a time. But then I hit a couple of roadblocks. For starters, I never did fully get my head around the item shop. In the heat of battle, I had far too little experience to find and choose the perfect upgrades for my build. This was mitigated by researching build guides online, which always felt like a cop-out but at least let me be somewhat competitive.

What was more of an issue, as daft as it sounds, was actually devoting enough time to a full game. All-in, a match can take anywhere between half an hour to a full hour. Play an FPS online and you can happily drop in and out as you please without repercussions. Leave a MOBA game early, however, and you seriously handicap your team whilst incurring a penalty on your account. I tried my best to allow a full hour before committing to a match, but real life always managed to get in the way. The final straw was when I was forced to leave or go AFK several times within a short period, for reasons beyond my control, and I was hit with a seven day account suspension. It just wasn’t practical.

Imagine my interest, then, when I read about the features of Heroes of the Storm. Shorter matches spanning between 20 and 25 minutes. Completely reworked character system, swapping out the item shop for abilities and stat upgrades selectable as you level up. Otherwise very familiar MOBA mechanics, mixed up with a different objective for each map. It’s as if Blizzard had painstakingly designed a MOBA (or ‘Hero Brawler’ as they’re stubbornly calling it) just for me.

Tags dota, dota 2, hero brawler, heroes of the storm, hots, League of Legends, MOBA, Multiplayer, Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, Online, SMITE

Project CARS

Post author By James Swinbanks
Post date June 12, 2015

The rain is driving down hard at Watkins Glen International as the rolling grid moves towards the start/finish line. I’m starting well towards the back of the 36 car grid in my LMP1 Prototype, and I can hardly see a thing. The setting sun is heavily veiled by storm clouds as I turn my headlights and wipers on, but there is already such little visibility from the cockpit that there is almost no point. My mind turns to survival; I have to make it through the first lap, and from there I can build a rhythm.

“One corner at a time“, I tell myself as the field edges closer to the green flag. My race engineer barks loudly over the intercom. “We’re coming to the green… I’ll call it for you” he says. The tension rises as I roll towards the lights, waiting for the call.

“Green green green!”

Project CARS is a unique racing title brought to life by the experienced crew at Slightly Mad Studios (SMS), of Need for Speed: Shift fame. Funded via their unique, in-house WMD (World of Mass Development) Portal, SMS positioned themselves as such to allow player involvement from the very outset of development. The result is a broad-reaching, highly scalable simulation that succeeds in pushing the limits nine tenths of the way, only to sputter across the finish line.

Tags cars, driver, driving, Multiplayer, new-gen, next gen, PC, project cars, ps4, racer, racing, realistic, sim, Simulation, Xbox One

Not a Hero

Post author By Jasper Pickering
Post date May 25, 2015

Devolver Digital has been championing the indie video game scene as an underdog publisher for many years, and has recently seen a huge success in the Hotline Miami franchise and Broforce, to name a couple. These games have a distinctive lo-fi aesthetic and unquenchable bloodlust. Not a Hero definitely fits under this category and it seems to be an area that has grown in the Steam marketplace, which leaves itself open to accusations of mimicry. The question is, does Not a Hero stand on its own legs as a distinctly ‘Devolver’ game which can bring its own to the table?

Tags broforce, bunnylord, devolver, hotline miami, not a hero, PC, PS Vita, ps4, Roll7

Assassin’s Creed: Rogue

Post author By Jade Sayers
Post date May 20, 2015

As the famous saying goes, “There are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and a new Assassin’s Creed game every year.” At least, that’s how the saying could have gone, until Ubisoft decided to outdo themselves and launch two Assassin’s Creed games on the same day at the tail end of 2014.

With the world and his wife harping on about Ubisoft’s new-gen offering and those screenshots, it was easy to forget our reliable last-gen consoles were also ready to take us back to the sprawling world Ubisoft have carved out, and for the very last time.

Tags Assassin's Creed: Rogue, Microsoft, playstation 3, PS3, Sony, Ubisoft, Xbox 360

Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin

Post author By Dan Moore
Post date May 20, 2015

Let me get this out of the way up front: Dark Souls II isn’t that hard. Shocking, I know. Is it demanding? Hell yes. Does it require you to pay attention at all times? Definitely, but I do not consider it hard, just a game that requires you to think about what you’re doing and actually play it, and that makes it a bit of a revelation.

Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin is the updated and remastered version of the original Dark Souls II, this time including all DLC and with a visual upgrade to bring it to PS4 (the version I played) and Xbox One. I haven’t played any of the Souls games before, nor Bloodborne, but having put many hours into this remaster, I can honestly say I should have played them well before now.

Tags Bandai Namco, Dark Souls, Dark Souls 2, Dark Souls 2 scholar of the first sin, From Software, Namco Bandai, playstation 4, Scholar of the First Sin, Souls Game

Dragon Ball XenoVerse

Post author By Josué Cardona
Post date May 19, 2015

Dragon Ball XenoVerse is a love letter to fans of Dragon Ball. It’s not even really for just casual fans; it’s for the hardcore fans that have watched Dragon Ball Z in its entirety and are intimately familiar with its characters and story. Right out of the gate, XenoVerse welcomes you into a narrative that is well underway. If you are unfamiliar with what happened on the show you will be lost, and nothing in the game will make an effort to help you find your way.

Tags dragon ball, fighting, ps4, Xbox One, xenoverse

Ride

Post author By Matt Best
Post date May 14, 2015

The last few weeks I have found myself engaged in a battle that has tested me like no other. Every time I think I’ve sorted it out, something comes along to knock me back down to size. All the while I’m wondering what is wrong with me, and why others don’t seem to have the problems I’m having. Maybe I’m just not strong enough to endure. Despite this pain, I keep trying, only to fall on my face again.

‘Yeah, but everyone struggles with Bloodborne, it’s meant to be a challenge’, I hear you say. That may be true, but this isn’t Bloodborne I’m talking about; it’s Ride, the latest motorcycle racing release from Milestorm Studios. I don’t think I’ve experienced a game that makes me question my gaming abilities so much.

Tags Milestone, Moto GP, Motorcycle, PC, PS3, XBOX360, xboxone

Pillars of Eternity

Post author By James Sheppard
Post date April 27, 2015

When you think of a role-playing game, what comes to mind? Skyrim? Final Fantasy? Dark Souls? There’s no doubt that the RPG genre has seen many forms over the last few decades. One of the earliest forms was popularised by the likes of Planescape: Torment and Baldur’s Gate: top-down, party-based fantasy role-playing games heavy on text and tactical combat. With more powerful systems at our disposal, we’ve long had a decline of this style in favour of more accessible first-person and third-person action RPGs.

A recipe for success on Kickstarter is to invoke nostalgia, however, and it’s through this that many older genres are making a comeback. Obsidian Entertainment proposed a return to classic RPGs with Pillars of Eternity, and with over 77,000 backers showing their support, it’s successfully launched. Pillars of Eternity is unquestionably a powerful nostalgia trip, but let yourself become immersed in its depths and you’ll discover that it’s so much more besides.

Tags classic rpg, crowd-funded, crpg, Kickstarter, Obsidian Entertainment, old-school, pillars of eternity, role-playing game, RPG

Life is Strange: Episode 2

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date April 9, 2015

Life is Strange: Episode 2 continues the tale of Max, a gifted photography student who also happens to have the ability to alter time. In the first episode, premonitions of giant twisters, drug-dealing students waving guns about and the rekindling of an old friendship were the main focus.

Episode 2 concentrates mainly on the re-united friends of Max and Chloe, as they see if their relationship is as strong as it was or if too much has changed in the intervening years. Like the previous episode of Life is Strange, it’s mainly a sedate adventure game that doesn’t have you making life or death decisions all the time. This episode goes a little too far with the laid-back tempo, however, and turns into a lazy afternoon with an annoying acquaintance rather than an engaging series of events.

Tags Episdoe 2, Life is Strange, ps4, review, Square Enix

Resident Evil: Revelations 2

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date April 2, 2015

It’s fair to say that Resident Evil has had an image crisis over the last decade. Having been removed from its survival horror roots, Resident Evil games have gone from light-gun games, to online shooters, to all-out action games. All achieving varying degrees of success, these games have made it hard to say what a Resident Evil game is or what the series even stands for any more.

Then along came Revelations. Returning to traditional Resident Evil values of tight corridors, limited ammo and shambling creatures, the handheld title found a lot of love (though I wasn’t keen on the PS3 version). So that’s why we’re here with Resident Evil: Revelations 2. Does that mean we’re dealing with a game that has some real bite, or has the series finally lost all of its teeth?

Tags action, capcom, Horror, ps4, Resident Evil Revelations 2, review, Shooter, Survival Horror

Zombie Army Trilogy

Post author By Dan Moore
Post date March 31, 2015

Sometimes, ‘by the numbers’ is a good thing. NASA checking off by the numbers before a shuttle launch is a good thing. Painting by the numbers is a good thing, assuming you have no talent that is. Stock market trading, by the numbers, is what it is all about.

When it is bad though, you make a game like Zombie Army Trilogy. The latest title from Rebellion is a perfectly working, competent game, ticking all the boxes it must to do exactly what it sets out to for a third person shooter. There just isn’t any soul.

Tags nazi zombies, playstation 4, Rebellion, sniper elite V2, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombie Army Trilogy

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date March 30, 2015

I learnt a lot about myself in 2014, but pertinently for my games writing, I learnt that it’s probably not a great idea to take on four reviews with a potential 350-400 hours combined gameplay at the same time. Dragon Age: Inquisition was ultimately the game that suffered the most as a result of a busy period that gave me an unprecedented writing and gaming burnout, something from which I’m only just recovering.

Out of the four games I was reviewing at the time, Inquisition was actually the one I started first and, at around the twenty hour mark, I found I just still wasn’t enjoying myself. It was weird, I liked the previous entries and it had all the hallmarks of a game I’d enjoy, but something just wasn’t clicking.

After consulting with some peers, I decided that I might have been the problem. I was possibly too obsessed with ticking off the quests as I would have – and have loved doing – in something like Skyrim, and wasn’t enjoying the structure as perhaps intended. I decided at that point I would have to accept that I’d be delivering a very late review regardless, take a break from it, finish other outstanding work and come back later with a fresher frame of mind. That time is now.

Sadly, time didn’t quite make the heart grow fonder in this instance, as while I can accept I had some failings coming in to it, Inquisition has enough of its own too…

Tags Andraste, Dragon Age, dragons, Fereldan, Herald, Inquisition, Orlais

LA Cops

Post author By James Swinbanks
Post date March 17, 2015

When I think of isometric shooters, my mind is cast all the way back to my childhood and a game called Syndicate by the since-defunct Bullfrog Productions. The developers of the newly released LA Cops actually cite Syndicate as one of their inspirations, and it’s no surprise; Syndicate was a wonderful game for its time.

What LA Cops is not, however, is a wonderful game. Its frustrating lack of cohesive gameplay, along with its poorly written and performed narrative, casts a shadow over anything it does right. That, unfortunately, is very little.

Tags Isometric, LA Cops, Shooter, Syndicate, team 17, Xbox One

Resident Evil HD Remaster

Post author By Matt Best
Post date March 13, 2015

I’m going to be honest. I’m a bit late to the party on the whole Resident Evil thing, my only foray into the franchise being Resident Evil: Revelations on the Nintendo 3DS. So when Capcom released a high definition version of the GameCube Remake, I decided it was about time I gave it a crack.

I’m glad I did…

Tags capcom, gamecube, HD, PC, PS3, ps4, PSone, Remastered, Resident Evil, Survival Horror, XBOX360, xboxone

Cities: Skylines

Post author By James Sheppard
Post date March 12, 2015

The general consensus is that city-building fans haven’t been very well catered for lately. A lot was riding on the 2013 reboot of SimCity to bring things back around, but to say it didn’t succeed would be an understatement. With a technically disastrous launch that was practically unprecedented at the time (although has sadly been matched since by the likes of DriveClub and Halo: The Master Chief Collection), it wasn’t off to a good start. Worse than this were the very unpopular design decisions, including an always-online requirement and cripplingly-small city sizes, which were a departure from what long-time fans of the series held dear.

Now the dust and rubble has settled, it’s time for something else to try and scratch that classic city-building itch. Cue Cities: Skylines from Colossal Order, the new kids on the block who aim to create a better SimCity than SimCity itself. The end result isn’t the most highly-polished or fully-featured city builder we’ve seen, but nonetheless a deeply satisfying return to what made the genre so great in the first place.

Tags cities, city builder, city-building, colossal order, PC, simcity, Simulation, skylines

Evolve

Post author By Dan Moore
Post date March 11, 2015

If you strip away the monsters, the sci-fi setting and the lovable rogues, Evolve – the latest game from Left 4 Dead developer Turtle Rock Studios – is about friendship, pure and simple. Assuming you actually have friends to play it with, Evolve will provide you with a great night of entertainment for all.

Tags 2k, 2K Games, Evolve, golitath, kraken, Playstation, ps4, turtle rock studios, wraith

Dying Light

Post author By James Sheppard
Post date February 23, 2015

I’ve never been too keen on zombie games. I’m a casual fan of Call of Duty but stay clear of the Zombies mode, and even the very popular Left 4 Dead doesn’t particularly float my boat. I can’t put my finger on why, but I rarely feel much more than apathy over most titles featuring the shambling undead.

Dead Island did not buck this trend: after a little while repetition started to set in, and I found navigating the map a chore. On reviewing its sequel, Riptide, I discovered the same problems. The flawed level scaling of the enemies left progression feeling meaningless too, as the zombies actually seemed to get tougher as you levelled up.

You’d expect that Techland’s next zombie game, Dying Light, would foster the same lack of enthusiasm in me. I’m pleased, and surprised, to say that it’s a very different story.

Tags action, Adventure, co-op, Combat, Dying Light, First Person, Multiplayer, next gen, Online, Open world, PC, ps4, sandbox, Shooter, The Last of Us, The Walking Dead, Xbox One, Zombies

Pix the Cat

Post author By Dan Moore
Post date February 18, 2015

There are certain aspects of a game that developers have to nail. Of course, what that aspect is depends on the type of game they are creating, but each has certain things that must be done well for it to work. In the case of fast-paced puzzle games, it’s the controls that must be nailed for it to be truly effective.

Pix the Cat is such a fast-paced puzzle game, but unfortunately the controls let it down. Having played it across PC and PS4 with two different controllers and a keyboard, it is a fundamental problem, seeing what could have been great remain merely okay.

Tags Pastagames, PC, pc gaming, Pix, Pix the Cat, Playstaton 4, ps4

Saints Row: Gat out of Hell

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date February 17, 2015

Are you tired of games launched on last-gen consoles getting re-releases? Well, I’ve got some bad news for you, because here we’ve got Saints Row 4 making its Playstation 4 and Xbox One debut. The good news is that Saints Row 4 was a hell of a game and this new version comes bundled with the Gat out of Hell expansion and a bunch of DLC.

Whilst we won’t be going over the details of Saints Row 4 again (go back and read our original review here), we will be looking at the Gat out of Hell add-on. A stand-alone title, Gat out of Hell is less of an expansion and more of a spreading of existing content over a new town. The question is, is it spread a little too thin?

Tags Deep Silver, Gat out of Hell, ps4, review, Saints Row, Volition

The Escapists

Post author By James Swinbanks
Post date February 16, 2015

Did you ever see The Shawshank Redemption? Ever wanted to know what it’s like to be Tim Robbins, carefully planning and executing an escape plan, years in the making? The Escapists is about as close as you’ll ever want to get to picking fights with inmates, chipping away at brick walls with forks, or tunnelling with plastic spoons.

Sadly, that can be as frustrating as it sounds.

Tags Prison, team 17, The Escapists, The Shawshank Redemption

Lords of the Fallen

Post author By Andy Buick
Post date February 12, 2015

Thanks to From Software and the Souls games of the past few years, a new sub-genre of the nails hard action RPG is gradually arising, with many enjoying the exceedingly tough challenge they present. Deck 13 Interactive and CI Games are the latest developers to give it a go with Lords of the Fallen, which owes more than a passing nod to the Souls games.

Is this a Souls-crushing victory, or a soul-crushing disappointment? The truth is somewhere between the two.

Tags Bloodborne, Dark Souls, Demon's Souls, Lords of the Fallen

Assassin’s Creed: Unity

Post author By Jasper Pickering
Post date February 11, 2015

The French Revolution was one of the most notorious and volatile periods of history that ushered in a new age of democracy and socialist thought. It was rife with famine, disease and ghostly spectres that passed freely through walls and floors.

This is the 18^th Century Paris that Assassin’s Creed: Unity sought to create. Otherwise, I can’t think of any other logical explanation as to why Ubisoft would ever want to retroactively adjust the last detail in the retelling of the famous setting.

Jokes aside, Assassin’s Creed: Unity had a rocky start to say the least. It was wrought with game breaking bugs, visual glitches and a drop in frame rate that made PC gamers everywhere cry out in anguish. We lowly console gamers had a rotten taste left in our collective mouths too, when Ubisoft announced the game would be locked at 30 frames per second on the next gen systems with a resolution of 900 pixels. It was a strong blow and hard to understand the justification when it had been touted as the ‘definitive next-gen experience’.

With that in mind, Ubisoft employees have spent their time since Unity’s release with their heads dragged along the ground, presumably to have the position already assumed when bowing in shame for being just the worst. Something happened however, halfway through reviewing this game… A four gigabyte patch.

With that in mind, I made my best efforts to revaluate my jaded view of Unity to see if any diamonds could be found in the rough.

Tags Arno, Assassin's Creed Unity, Assassins Creed, French Revolution

Life is Strange: Episode 1

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date February 4, 2015

Don’t you get tired of games that keep on asking you to save the world, otherthrow oppressive governments or take on entire armies? It’s nice to see that Life is Strange is a game that’s about life as a gifted photography student in a small American town. No frills, no fuss – wait – she can rewind time. Oooh…

Still, the first episode of Life is Strange is a relatively sedate and unique experience that sets up a bunch of questions and offers very few answers. Only time will tell if this is a series that will pay off but the main thing is that after my time with episode 1 of Life is Strange it left me wanting more. That’s about as much as you could hope for the first in a five part series.

Tags Dontnod, I love Remember Me, Life is Strange, Square Enix, time Travel

Far Cry 4

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date February 3, 2015

‘If it’s not broken, don’t fix it’. How much do you buy into that maxim? Do you seek games that present brand new ideas that aren’t available anywhere else? Do you bemoan AAA game development for the way it uses cookie-cutter templates to produce games that increasingly share their ideas. Are you tired of Ubisoft’s ‘Climb a Tower to Find Missions’ game design philosophies?

If you answered yes to the questions above, Far Cry 4 is not for you. It’s a game that treads old ground, wears its Ubisoft heritage proudly and never dares break any mould of any sort. It’s also a lot of fun, so you’d be kind of missing out. Kind of really missing out.

Tags EAGLES!, Far Cry 4, ps4, review, Ubisoft

The Crew

Post author By Matt Best
Post date February 2, 2015

Back in November I previewed the Beta of Ubisoft’s road-based RPG, The Crew, and had a good time with it. Now that it’s been released and its full suite of features are open, has my opinion changed?

The short answer is ‘no’. The Beta gave a taste of the huge playing field, complete with a plethora of activities, and I considered the experience good, solid fun – albeit with some flaws. This still remains the case. The Crew feels unashamedly like an Ubisoft game, but I strangely keep finding parallels with another, completely unrelated, title: Destiny.

Tags driving, PC, ps4, The Crew, Ubisoft, XBOX360, xboxone

Pro Evolution Soccer 2015

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date January 12, 2015

Go back a decade and, while you would still find the FIFA series a huge money spinner for EA, it was another that captured the hearts of game-playing football fans. Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer may have lacked the glitz and glamour of its bigger-budget rival, but through its design philosophy of gentle refinement year-on-year, it always delivered where it counted. PES regularly provided the most realistic game of football, with a pace and flow that FIFA development teams could only dream of.

Of course, during that last decade, things have gone topsy-turvy; FIFA has consistently been the better game, and PES has struggled to find its form, floundering between painfully average and downright ruddy awful. In a way, it’s been like watching my beloved Liverpool.

Still, after spending plenty of time with Pro Evolution Soccer 2015, it seems that someone at Konami or PES Productions has finally remembered what made the series a favourite all those years ago. After making the brave decision to skip the new-generation for the first year, this entry represents an amazing return to form.

So impressive is this return to form, in fact, that within minutes it’s apparent that PES 2015 trumps FIFA in the most important area; gameplay. In fact, I’m just going to outright say that in pure footballing terms, PES 2015 is a much better game than the very good FIFA 15.

Tags FIFA 15, Konami, Pes, PES 2015, Pro Evolution Soccer, Pro Evolution Soccer 2015

NBA 2K15

Post author By Phil Ubee
Post date January 2, 2015

For a number of years now, the 2K produced series of NBA games has been held up as the pinnacle of Sports Simulation and not without merit. The level of detail in the series is, quite simply, second to none and we find ourselves in a situation where all other sports simulators are inevitably compared in some way, shape or form to this masterpiece.

Last year was my first hands on experience with the franchise and, as a basketball novice, I found myself out of my depth on a few occasions during the review, but still managed to enjoy the experience overall; the love and attention paid by the developer to its subject matter was nothing short of amazing. With NBA 2K15, though, I find myself somewhat more overwhelmed despite that year of exposure, as developer Visual Concepts have taken that attention to detail to the nth degree.

Tags 2K Games, 2K Sports, basketball, My Career, My GM, My Team, NBA, ps4, Xbox One

Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition

Post author By Andy Buick
Post date December 21, 2014

When Sleeping Dogs was released on last-gen systems, it took me somewhat by surprise. Reviews were positive, not least our own here on TIMJ, but as it arrived during a glut of excellent titles, I missed it until it made an appearance on PS Plus. What followed was my “trying it out” turning into my ignoring a wealth of quality titles asI blazed a trail across Hong Kong, kicking ass and taking names in a style that John Woo would be proud of.

Now here we are on PS4 and Xbox One with the release of Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition, which packages a newly buffed and shined main game along with all of the DLC. This includes cars, clothing, and more importantly a couple of pieces of standalone DLC, but is this all enough to warrant another run as Wei Shen?

To cut to the chase and answer the question above, yes, but it’s difficult to recommend to anyone who’s already played it.

Tags GTA, Open world, Sleeping Dogs, Triads, Wei Shen

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

Post author By James Sheppard
Post date December 20, 2014

The Call of Duty franchise needs no introduction. Love it or hate it, it’s still a behemoth of the games industry regardless of its critics and dwindling year-on-year sales. Last year’s Ghosts was the first to really fall out of favour with many of its fans, and was the most poorly reviewed release to date. With a lack of innovation causing Call of Duty to stagnate, something needed to be done about it – and what better way than to put it in the hands of a newly-formed development studio and propel the series into the future?

Even from the title, it’s quite obvious what Sledgehammer Games are trying to achieve. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare – a less than subtle nod to the series’ fourth iteration, which launched its popularity into the stratosphere – is trying to recapture that lightning in a bottle, exploring a new frontier to firmly cement Call of Duty’s position on the new-gen consoles. As it turns out, Advanced Warfare is not the revolution it could have been. Yet despite playing it too safe, it’s still the most fun I’ve had on Call of Duty in a long time.

Tags action, advanced warfare, Black Ops II, Call of Duty, COD, Crysis, first person shooter, Futuristic, ghosts, Multiplayer, Online, Shooter, Titanfall

Escape Dead Island

Post author By Dan Moore
Post date December 9, 2014

Escape Dead Island is a strange game in almost all respects. It is set before the events of previous games, it’s a cell-shaded stealth action game, a stealth action game with zombies, and it tells a strange, psychological story.

Unfortunately, none of these things actually make it a particularly great game, with a few silly mistakes on developer Fatshark’s part, leading to frustrations that bring the whole thing down. That said, even if those were rectified, the story it is trying to tell simply isn’t written well enough.

Tags Dead Island, Dead Island Riptide, Deep Silver, Escape Dead Island, Fatshark, Zombie

Football Manager 2015

Post author By Phil Ubee
Post date December 8, 2014

The problem with annual releases, especially in sports games, is that incredibly thin line between continuity and repetition that means often it’s not until you look back at the previous iteration that you really appreciate the subtle changes. The Football Manager series is unquestionably one such franchise, with detractors claiming a new skin and updated squads is the sum of the annual update, whereas it often takes months to really notice the difference.

This year, Sports Interactive’s number one seller looks to shake things up a bit with a number of more obvious changes that hit you right from the off. While this should keep the critics quiet for a little while at least, it clearly challenges veterans of the series in a way us sports games fans are not so used to.

Tags FM2015, Football, football manager, PC, Sega, Sii Games, Soccer, sports interactive, Steam

MX vs. ATV: Supercross

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date November 27, 2014

Now, more than ever, I find it’s important to take into account how much a game costs when commenting on how highly you’d recommend it. In MX vs. ATV: Supercross’ case, I’m pretty certain it’s important to note that this is a budget-price racer. Available for around £20, it’s only out on the PS3, 360 and soon the PC.

So, does this low price act as an admission of guilt or is it just good value for money? Well, it’s sort of a bit of both. MX vs. ATV: Supercross features thrilling races, challenging tracks and some decent visuals, yet is ultimately let down by its lack of content.

Tags atv, DiRT, MX, MX vs. ATV: Supercross, racing, Supercross

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution

Post author By Jonn Blanchard
Post date November 26, 2014

Naruto Shippuden

As a fighting game heavily aimed at hardcore Naruto fans, Ninja Storm Revolution is hard to get into for non fans. Yet, some perseverance reveals a fun, if limited, fighter.

I’m a bit of a fair weather anime fan and don’t really watch a lot, as such although I’ve heard of Naruto, I’ve never actually seen it and know nothing of its storyline or characters.

So it was with some trepidation that I approached Naruto Shippenden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution.

Tags Fighter, Fighting Game, Naruto, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2, review, Xbox 360

Randal’s Monday

Post author By Dan Moore
Post date November 25, 2014

What would you do if you found a ring with a mystical aura that causes you to relive the same day over and over? This is exactly what has happened to Randal, and he heads out to set some things right, especially since his best friend keeps killing himself in outlandish ways every time the day resets. He wants to be a good friend ya know?

This is the basic premise for Randal’s Monday, a new point and click adventure on the PC. For those of you thinking that the name Randal reminds you of the Kevin Smith movie Clerks, well you’re in luck. Jeff Anderson, who played the video store running douche from that film, also plays Randal here.

Tags Daedalic, Daedalic Entertainment, Nexus Game Studios, point and click adventure, Randal's Monday

The Evil Within

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date November 24, 2014

When arranging with the team who would be reviewing what during this year’s silly season, I had a choice between two horror games, Alien: Isolation and The Evil Within. It’s pretty obvious what I opted for as, well, I’m talking to you right now in a review titled ‘The Evil Within’ and Matt Parker has already delivered his thoughts on the former. I made my choice on one basis: The Evil Within was created by Shinji Mikami and his new studio, Tango Gameworks. Mikami was, of course, the lead behind the second best game of all time, Resident Evil 4, and more recently entertained me greatly with his campy collaboration with Suda 51, Shadows of the Damned.

Thankfully, despite the occasional hiccup, The Evil Within delivers another satisfying, brutal survival horror experience typical of its creator.

Tags Evil Within, Resident Evil 4, Ruvik, Seb, Sebastian, Sebastian Castellanos, The Evil Within

Never Alone

Post author By Jasper Pickering
Post date November 17, 2014

I booted up Never Alone to be greeted with a nondescript title card of a young girl and a fox staring out into a night-soaked tundra. There was little to go on from this imagery, as I had no preconceptions of what this game was actually about.

In the menu, there was a section entitled ‘cultural insights’, which featured a short film about the Inupiaq people, their culture and their small community. After watching that, I had a better sense of what to expect. The minute-long film I saw was one of twenty-four, with the rest being unlocked as I progressed through the short story. I was fascinated to learn more about a people I had little-to-no knowledge about, so I proceeded to start proper to find out more…

Tags co-op games, LIMBO, never alone, puzzle platformer

Wasteland 2

Post author By James Sheppard
Post date November 12, 2014

After an initial Kickstarter frenzy, it’s safe to say that the shine has been taken off the crowdfunding apple for some. Amongst numerous delays, games turning out unfinished or at a generally poor standard and, of course, a slew of outright cancellations, it would be fair to claim that the service has been a mixed success. Many developers have fallen foul of inexperience, over-ambition and sometimes unrealistic optimism involved with developing an entire game using a limited budget courtesy of numerous enthusiastic strangers.

Thankfully, however, Kickstarter has helped to bring some genuinely good games to fruition. I’m pleased to say that, on the whole, Wasteland 2 by InXile Entertainment is one of them.

Tags baldurs gate, Classic, crowdfunding, early access, Fallout, inxile, Kickstarter, old-school, RPG, Top-down, Turn Based, wasteland 2

The Sims 4

Post author By Jade Sayers
Post date November 6, 2014

With some eleven expansions packs, The Sims 3 could have kept going forever. For those who invested in even a small amount of the expansion packs, The Sims 3 was a whole new world and by the end, a far-cry from the basic world that the standalone game gave you.

Weather, pets, university, holidays, magic; EA seemed to live by the infamous Field of Dreams quote, “Build it, and they will come” and enabled us to fill our Sims’ lives with pretty much anything we could imagine, and even stuff we never even considered. By the end of The Sims 3‘s lifespan your Sims could live a pretty full, and interesting life.

Going back to a standalone pack was always going to feel basic after the plethora of additional goodies The Sims 3 gave us and, as pre-release details were revealed about The Sims 4 it became apparent that we were going to get less than the “basic” we had been accustomed to…

Tags Maxis, Simoleons, sims, Sims 3, Sims 4, The Sims 4

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel

Post author By Jasper Pickering
Post date November 4, 2014

Borderlands has never been a series that I’ve ever gotten to grips with. It’s as unclear to me as anyone else, as it has everything I could possibly want: a good sense of humour, a striking visual art style, solid gameplay, and a heap of extra content to keep me occupied well after finishing the main story. The Pre-Sequel was not the most sensible starting point for me, but it’s a starting point that I’ve enjoyed jumping on nonetheless.

Tags Borderlands the Pre-Sequel, Claptrap, elpis, FPS, handsome jack, Open world, pandora

Pro Rugby Manager 2015

Post author By Phil Ubee
Post date October 29, 2014

Rugby is a game that, historically, has not had the best of times in video game format (my favourite is still the official Rugby World Cup game of 1995). You could argue it’s unsurprising, given that it is a game that divides opinions unlike any other. Many fans of other sports will be predictably derogatory of the “egg chasing”, but even for fans there’s the division of codes to contend with. So with a number of mediocre rugby sims having tried and failed, Cyanide Game Studios have decided to give Rugby Union the Football Manager treatment for the first time in a decade.

It’s a brave step from a developer that has some good experience of the sports management genre through their annual Pro Cycling Manager series, and despite a few minor irritations there’s plenty to sink your teeth into if you’re a fan of the sport.

Tags 505 studios, Aviva Premiership, Cyanide, football manager, League, PC, Pro 12, Pro Cycling Manager, Pro Rugby Manager 2015, rugby, Steam, Top 14, Union

FIFA 15

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date October 23, 2014

FIFA made a pretty strong debut on the new crop of consoles last year, making decent use of the extra grunt without losing any major features in transition. Despite the new engine, however, FIFA 14 on PS4 and Xbox One only refined an already solid experience, never straying too far from the blueprints of its last-gen counterparts.

This year, however, we see EA Sports take a few more risks and evolve their systems a little more and while, realistically, you’re never going to see a drastically different game as long as the formula is this successful, FIFA 15 feels like a solid, natural progression.

Tags Fifa, FIFA 14, FIFA 15, FIFA Soccer, Liverpool

Styx: Master of Shadows

Post author By James Swinbanks
Post date October 14, 2014

Stealth games are cool, right? They offer us something different to the norm. Guns and rocket launchers are replaced by swords and throwing knives, and they require a level of patience over and above the likes of Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto, having you watching and learning the patterns of guards and slowly finding your way from A to B.

Such is the way of things in Styx: Master of Shadows. The World Tree’s heart is full of Amber, and Styx (a two hundred year-old Goblin and self-confessed fan of thieving and murder) is after it.

Unfortunately for him, it’s kept in the giant Tower of Akenash, a humongous castle. No small task for a tiny Goblin.

Tags lighting, Of Orcs and Men, shadows, Stealth, Styx, Styx: Master of Shadows

SteamWorld Dig (Wii U)

Post author By Neil Hickton
Post date October 13, 2014

I’m sure it will be of no surprise that SteamWorld Dig’s gameplay is based on digging. So within minutes of loading the game up, your avatar can be seen returning to a prospecting village, asking about the whereabouts of his father, finding him (spoiler alert) dead and taking up his fabled rusty and frankly knackered pickaxe. There’s very little time spent with your dead Dad, because in all honesty it is seemingly not in SteamWorld Dig‘s interest to.

SteamWorld Dig, simply put, is an explorative digging puzzle platformer, and it does it really well. It’s easy to pick up and play with its simple and familiar control scheme, and rewarding thanks to loads of upgrades and equipment, plus sneaky (but not mean) puzzles to solve…

Tags Digging, Indie, platforming, SteamWorld Dig

Starwhal: Just the Tip

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date October 7, 2014

It’s been a long time since I bought a game that was only multiplayer. It’s been even longer since I bought a game that was only local multiplayer. That was until Starwhal: Just the Tip entered the scene.*

Starwhal: Just the Tip is full of charm and it’s certainly fun, but it’s a little tricky to argue that it’s good value for money. On top of this, it certainly doesn’t hold up to any sort of prolonged single-player usage.

*please note: I didn’t buy this game. A review code was supplied. #Transparency

Tags Multiplayer, PC, review, Starwhal: Just the Tip

Ultra Street Fighter IV

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date September 18, 2014

When Ultra Street Fighter IV was first announced earlier in the year, reactions appeared to fall into two opposing groups: Those that felt Capcom were really milking it, and those that couldn’t wait for more characters, balance tweaks and system evolutions.

Me? I was – and still am – in the latter group. Street Fighter IV first hit five years ago as astonishing as that may seem and, as a regular player of fighting games, I’m extremely happy that they’re still supporting my favourite fighter with considerable DLC upgrades and offering me new ways to play.

Tags Akuma, Arcade Edition, Bison, capcom, Decapre, Dragon Punch, Hadouken, Ken, rose, Round 1, Ryu, Street Fighter, Street Fighter IV, Super Street Fighter IV

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare (PC)

Post author By James Sheppard
Post date August 18, 2014

It’s not uncommon for established franchises to diverge into a completely different genre for a spin-off, or even a permanent change of direction. We’ve had a Metal Gear Solid card game, a music rhythm Final Fantasy, and Dead Island as of late seems to want to dip its rotten toes into as many genres as possible. That said, it can still be alarming when a franchise we know and love takes a surprise step into unfamiliar territory.

It’s for that reason that when Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare was announced, I couldn’t help but do a double-take. Plants vs. Zombies – a touch-screen optimised tower defense game that helped pioneer mobile gaming – was now becoming a third-person, class-based console shooter? Garden Warfare invaded the Xbox family of consoles with moderate success earlier this year, however, gaining some detractors but also a lot of fans along the way. You can read Matt’s thoughts on that. Now the game has fully bloomed and crept its way on to the PC on which I’ve finally been able to try it for myself, and I’m pleased to say that PopCap has allayed my fears completely.

Tags action, class-based, Garden Warfare, Multiplayer, Online, Popcap, PvZ, Shooter, Team Fortress 2, Third-Person

Valiant Hearts: The Great War

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date July 29, 2014

Many games try and stand out from the crowd by being bigger and louder. In a day and age where a game’s resolution, polygon count and licensed soundtrack are scrutinised to death, it’s refreshing to see some games shy away from this ‘more is more’ mentality.

Valiant Hearts: The Great War does things differently. It can be best described as a 2D action-puzzle game, but that doesn’t quite do it justice. With a few ‘boss’ battles littered throughout and stunning visuals, Valiant Hearts is a game that contains plenty of touching moments, some simple puzzles and a couple of ropey set-pieces.

You might also learn a thing or two.

Tags puzzler, Puzzles, review, The Great War, Ubisoft, Ubisoft Montreal, Valiant Hearts, Valiant Hearts: The Great War, Xbox 360

Watch Dogs

Post author By Simon Weatherall
Post date July 26, 2014

Touted as being one of the biggest games to come in 2014, the hype leading up to the release of Watch Dogs was either going to doom it into oblivion or give us everyone’s game of the year. I wasn’t quite sure what I was expecting to get out of it, but hacking an entire city sounded like a decent concept. My biggest concern was simply whether Ubisoft would get it right following some recent missteps with the Assassin’s Creed series, though Black Flag did admittedly strike the right balance.

So, during my time with Watch Dogs, I had a lot of ups and downs. For everything I found that bugged me about gameplay and story, I also found something else to redeem it. Although it’s probably not the best way to present a game, it’s all I had to work with.

Tags Aiden Pearce, driving, hacking, Jordi, Open world, Watch Dogs, Watch_Dogs

Child of Light

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date July 17, 2014

Ubisoft hasn’t ever really been known for a prolific role-playing output, but after sampling Child of Light, it makes me wonder why the hell not. Using the always impressive Ubiart engine, Ubi Montreal has turned in a terrific RPG with a style and verve that suggests they’ve been churning them out for years.

Notably, of course, Child of Light is undeniably a visually striking game, but strong mechanics definitely lie behind its charismatic exterior.

Continue reading “Child of Light”

Tags Aurora, Child of Light, Ghibli, JRPG, Lumeria, Moon, RPG, Stars, Sun

Murdered: Soul Suspect

Post author By Simon Weatherall
Post date July 8, 2014

Murdered: Soul Suspect has been on my radar for quite some time. Let’s face it, what could possibly be cooler than a detective solving the ultimate murder; his own? It’s one thing investigating a murder in the first place, but that’d be positively boring in comparison to solving your own, surely?

Unfortunately, come the end of Murdered I was left a little let down by this story-focused, supernatural thriller. Yet, while it never hits its full potential, there is some enjoyment to be had in following the story through to its shocking conclusion…

Tags Death, Demon, Detective, Ghost, investigate, macabre, murdered soul suspect, Police, Salem, witch

Sniper Elite III

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date July 4, 2014

With a title like Sniper Elite, you could probably make a good guess at what the game’s about. With a title like Sniper Elite III, you could also make a good guess that what you’re about to play has been done twice before. To an extent, you’re right.

Sniper Elite III, Rebellion’s latest cranium-splitting ‘snipe ‘em up’ arrives with a bang. The series’ infamous ‘kill-cam’ is as gory as ever and those nasty Nazis are still absorbing your bullets in gloriously gruesome slow-motion. Now set in Africa, the levels you’ll be skulking around are larger than any previous Sniper Elite games and offer you loads of options on how to approach your target. The bigger levels, on top of enemies with A.I. that you can gleefully play with, easily makes this the most enjoyable Sniper Elite to date.

Tags Rebellion, review, Sniper, Sniper Elite 3, Sniper Elite III, sniping, Stealth, World War 2, ww2, Xbox 360

GRID: Autosport

Post author By James Sheppard
Post date June 29, 2014

Sometimes a new IP comes out of nowhere and blows everyone away, but then its sequel takes a step in the wrong direction and forgets what made the original great in the first place. Just take a look at Dragon Age, for instance.

The GRID series knows this all too well. After releasing one of the most highly regarded racing games of its time – pioneering superb driving mechanics, believable A.I. and the time-rewind Flashback feature – they followed it up with the merely ‘decent’ GRID 2, which took a more simplified arcadey route and alienated much of the fanbase.

Codemasters are determined to redeem their previous transgressions with GRID: Autosport, however. Boasting a back-to-basics, ‘true’ sequel to the original Race Driver: GRID, can Autosport recapture the magic or will it be another middle-of-the-pack result?

Continue reading “GRID: Autosport”

Tags Codemasters, DiRT, driving, F1, grid 2, grid autosport, racer, racing

Wolfenstein: The New Order

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date June 15, 2014

Wolfenstein: The New Order is something of an enigma for me. It’s a game of contradictions; a modern-day first person shooter that embraces old school design philosophies; a thoughtful, sometimes touching alternate history war story that also manages to be a stylish, dumb action movie. It’s tonally all over the place like this, yet somehow it comes together, resulting in one of the year’s most pleasant surprises.

Continue reading “Wolfenstein: The New Order”

Tags B.J. Blazkowicz, Blazkowicz, Deathshead, FPS, Wolfenstein 3D, Wolfenstein: The New Order

Bound by Flame

Post author By Simon Weatherall
Post date June 10, 2014

Having never played anything by developer Spiders I got a little excited at the thought of playing their latest game, Bound by Flame, especially since it’s in my favorite genre. I easily get sucked into the fantasy setting and tend to spend hours upon hours exploring, grinding and doing as many side quests as humanly possible.

The ‘inhabited by a demon’ premise was what really interested me in this instance, but unfortunately Bound by Flame didn’t burn all that brightly.

Tags Bound by Flame, Demon, Fire, Flames, focus home interactive, PC, PS3, ps4, RPG, Spiders, Windows, Xbox 360

Kero Blaster

Post author By Jonn Blanchard
Post date June 5, 2014

Kero Blaster continues the current trend for retro style shooters upping the difficulty whilst taking the graphics back to a blocky 8-bit style. Unfortunately whilst there is fun to be found, fiddly controls and a hefty price tag lower its value.

Tags iPhone App, Platformer, Shooter

Groundskeeper 2

Post author By James Sheppard
Post date May 26, 2014

It seems to be the case that with every passing generation, games try to give us more – sometimes because we demand it, other times because it’s a tick to add to the list of features or another way to monetise the game. So we receive bonus modes, enhanced graphical fidelity, increased simultaneous players, bigger worlds and weapon selections, extra DLC stages, and of course fancy hats and horse armour to buy.

Whereas it’s sometimes nice to have more content than we probably know what to do with, not all games need to take this approach. Take OrangePixel’s Groundskeeper 2 for instance, which eschews complexity in favour of a basic and claustrophobically small 2D arena which you’re thrown into along with hordes of robot aliens, your sole objective being to shoot them all and gather their remains. What decade is this, the 1980’s?

Tags action, addictive, Android, Free to Play, groundskeeper, iOS, Mac, Mobile, orangepixel, PC, Shooter

Sweet Lily Dreams

Post author By James Sheppard
Post date May 22, 2014

It’s all too easy to judge a book by its cover and make assumptions based on first impressions. That’s why when I heard the name of the next game I was set to review, ‘Sweet Lily Dreams’, I couldn’t help but groan. It sounded like one of those dreadful free-to-play atrocities you’d find on the App Store or Play Store, the type marketed towards young girls, with flimsy gameplay based around horse riding, dressing up or shopping. Not to mention frequent cues to nudge mummy or daddy to authorise an in-app purchase for a prettier dress or unicorn accessory. What all-but-affirmed this was the equally sickly-sweet logo seen above.

Or not. You see, it turns out that Sweet Lily Dreams is in fact an old-school PC RPG, and a pretty hardcore one at that, consisting of unforgiving combat and torturous puzzles. Although, there is actually a bit of costume changing and shopping involved. Even some interior design. Guess I wasn’t so wrong after all.

Tags 16-bit, Adventure, old-school, PC, Retro, RPG, RPGMaker, sweet lily dreams