Edd Harwood
An attempt at resurrecting the horror genre from a top-down perspective that has gone horribly awry. Terrible controls, frustrating visual effects and limp action result in Outbreak being a barely functional game.
While not as genre-bending as perhaps one might expect a video game portrayed as a interactive theatre show to be, Knee Deep does provide an entertaining, if rather silly, distraction while it lasts.
With its incredible level of customisation Planet Coaster is the pinnacle of theme park management games, however be warned that this depth comes with a vicious learning curve.
Perhaps the most polished and enjoyable release of any in the series, only let down by a baffling AI and some hopefully resolvable niggling issues.
A framework for a game without any real follow-up or entertainment to be had.
Bewildering at first, but with time you can discover a surprising amount of depth and originality. Sadly this PS4 version is rather unnecessary with poorly optimised controls and no mod support.
The blending of genres, those perfect Moments and the beautiful pace of each game make Blizzard's new IP a must.
If you’re into numbers there is much to love about Offworld Trading Company. It is all about the bottom line and getting those figures to add up. The novel use of money not just as a resource but as liquidity for your company allowing you to purchase all the other resources you require is initially confusing, but ultimately rather wonderful when you fully understand it. The trouble is that all these numbers begin to feel rather heartless after a few hours.
The only fault one can aim at Dark Souls 3 is its lack of originality, everything else is perfect.
A wonderful experience only marred by its brevity.
There's little to recommend. The presentation is wonderful, but it is let down by everything else.
An almost perfect sequel, only spoiled by some frustrating bugs.
While better on PC, the PS4 release brings this remarkable game to a new crowd.
In the end the Old Hunters expansion is just as an essential purchase as Bloodborne itself.
You can praise them for all the wonder and beauty they have created, then damn them for the illogical or irrational design choices they make elsewhere, but it is yet another diamond in the rough from Bethesda.
If you want a brilliantly designed logistical puzzler then so many other games offer so much more.
A fantastic sandbox for experimentation, yet this framework is not backed up by a rich environment. It is screaming for more involving missions, plots and choices to make you feel like this is a game from this millennium rather than a mere tribute to those from the previous. It certainly does a superb job of revitalising Syndicate for this generation, but it feels like it could be so much more.
Going backwards from Bloodborne feels almost archaic, and it takes some time to settle into that once familiar gameplay. However Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin offers the chance to revisit that still fantastic and familiar world with a slight twist to proceedings and a respectable face lift. The addition of the DLC makes this package more than worthwhile for any fan of From Software's catalogue, but those that already own the content on another platform may find the investment too high.
It is still utterly fantastic to play. It is still one of the best action fighting mechanics in gaming. It still invokes that deadly and intense sense of failure matched with the heady highs of success that few other games (if not any entertainment) can match. It is still enriched with the uniquely mysterious touch of Miyazaki and From Software and that is all that it really needs to be.
While we're sceptical about the rather rushed out nature of this remaster, it has to be said that Homeworld is still a fantastic Real Time Strategy game and should be in the library of any one with an interest in the genre.