Shadow Warrior's fun factor is off the charts, its swordplay is entertaining and the game's story explores so much more than you might think at first glance. Repetitive level design and technical issues do hinder the experience somewhat and make the later levels a bit of a drag, but then Lo Wang and Hoji will crack a joke and everything is almost forgiven. If you're looking for humor and a bucket load of fun in this busy gaming period, then look no further than Shadow Warrior.
EA have struck pure gold with Fifa 15, the series is back where it needs to be following the few setbacks of Fifa 14, and this year's additions have taken it to a whole new level. The improved Premier League experience and commentary gives the player a real sense of purpose and occasion as they soak up the atmosphere from the fans, and then the teams take to the pitch where Fifa 15's new dribbling system can be enjoyed to its fullest. We hope that EA brings a little customisation to the new tactics and an improved defence system with next year's iteration, but these are only minor flaws in what is an utterly fantastic game. If you like Football, you must play Fifa 15.
Flockers is a decent game and although it doesn't do anything new its gameplay is mostly enjoyable, with a few frustrating parts here and there. The game's humour and replayability are evident from the outset. The chance to compete against friends and the Angry Birds-style star scoring marry well with the zany premise, but the gameplay is lacking in variety. A dearth of innovation as you progress through Flockers only serves to hurt it, and by the time you reach the closing levels the game has already far outstayed its welcome.
inFAMOUS: First Light is simply more inFAMOUS; if you enjoy the games then we recommend you pick this up, however if you're not a fan then First Light won't change your opinion in the slightest. We enjoyed learning more about Fetch's past and her neon power in the game, however the battle arenas felt a little tacked on and there only to fulfil the role of adding a few more hours to your playtime. Fetch is one of the best things to come out of the two inFAMOUS games this year, and seeing her take centre stage in inFAMOUS: First Light proved how good of a character she really is. Fans love her and in turn will love inFAMOUS: First Light too, a game that we recommended to anyone with an interest in the series.
CounterSpy has a lot going for it, its unique take on the Cold War is one we very much enjoyed and the cel-shaded art style definitely caught our attention and demanded we admire it. However, a few too many annoyances got in our way of truly enjoying the game, such as the occasional awkward placement of an enemy and the unfair situations you can find yourself in when you are overwhelmed with guards. If these flaws had been refined and tweaked with just a little during development, CounterSpy could have been something truly fantastic.
The Last Of Us Remastered absolutely deserves a place in your PlayStation 4 collection, despite whether you've played it before or not. The improvements this remaster brings only helps to show you how much of an incredible, beautiful, emotional and downright amazing game this is.
Overall, One Piece: Unlimited World Red feels like a game made for fans of the series, and ultimately, they're the only people we can consider recommending this game to. Anyone unfamiliar with One Piece will have a tough time completely understanding what is going on and who every character is, and this really hinders its accessibility. While the character models and the variety in locales are real high points for the game, the combat and repetitive level structure make the game a complete bore to play through by the halfway point. Fans of One Piece may get a kick out of One Piece: Unlimited World Red, but newcomers should look elsewhere.
Despite its shortcomings, Entwined is a visually stunning game that gives the likes of Rez and Child Of Eden a real run for their money. The gameplay is interesting enough that it will keep you captivated throughout the nine levels and the challenge mode gives the player that little bit of extra content. The soundtrack is one that will long stay in our heads because of its beauty and the way it interacts with the levels themselves, setting a certain mood for every level. The freezes at the beginning and within levels were an annoyance, but they weren't enough to upset our enjoyment of the game. Entwined blends its gameplay, visuals and soundtrack into one beautiful piece of art that should be experienced by anyone who has the chance to play it.
Transistor gives players a dazzling world to explore, a customisable combat system that anyone could find pleasure in, and a story that can pull on even the toughest person's heartstrings if engaged with. Transistor is a worthy follow up to Bastion and it shows that Supergiant Games aren't finished with bringing truly jaw-dropping worlds to the videogame industry. The linearity and confusing opening hour do hinder the game somewhat, but as you come to understand Transistor, you'll be swept away by its charm and beauty.
Bound By Flame had potential, its excellent crafting system and skill trees are a good basis for any RPG, but the unbalanced combat system doesn't do a good job of exploiting them. The characters and story are hard to care for when most characters lack any emotion and expletives are used in every other sentence. If you are desperate for an RPG to play in your wait for The Witcher 3, then Bound By Flame could satisfy your needs for a short period of time. Bound By Flame doesn't bring anything new to the RPG genre, nor does it improve on any existing elements. A short play-time combined with an uninteresting story and unbalanced combat makes Bound By Flame tough to recommend, it frankly just isn't a good game.