James Marshall
Refinement brings excitement, for newcomers and pros alike. Madden NFL 17 has the stride and the force - it's just a few minor quibbles that stop it becoming legendary.
Thrilling and polished, Infinite Warfare is a generously loaded game but one that does nothing new against its rivals.
A major improvement on past episodes, but the narrative arc is hard to distinguish and there's too much thematic crossover with the series. Game of Thrones looks and acts the part but lacks 'water-cooler' moments that shock and provoke discussion.
Based on the story so far, Game of Thrones is very much worthy of your time but has plenty to prove in the space of a handful more episodes to come. It also needs to find its own identity and move away from archetypes already covered in the books. Hopefully this will be the expository episode, with the tension ratcheting up as things continue to fall apart for House Forrester.
It might not be original but it's polished and practical; not the most effusive of compliments, but a recommendation nonetheless.
By no means a bad game, Shadow Fall instead feels consumable, there to be experienced and then forgotten. Enjoyment is there in spades, although each moment of awe is fleeting with no lasting impact. Killzone has finally become part of the Sony legacy - not as a franchise of compelling depth, nor in delivering iconic gameplay. Instead its legacy will be one of visual fidelity - a legacy that Shadow Fall attempts to rise above but to which it seems eternally bound.
Despite an increase in action, Game of Thrones continues to disappoint with a sidenote storyline.
A fun start, but there's a lot here to build on.
Bold concepts, but the experience never quite comes together. For all its potential, Battleborn feels dead on arrival.
The bugs still remain but Syndicate is saved by a wonderfully vivid London, despite everything else feeling dated.
Although a greatest hits in a sense ' what with chocobos, Moogles and more ' Lightning Returns can't shake the feeling of a track on repeat. Time is of the essence in real terms as well; time to move on, perhaps.
Like the red fella front and centre, Unravel lacks personality and ultimately feels, well, a bit woolly.
A flawed experiment, Steep is revolutionary in the most laid-back fashion and full of those charming Ubisoft follies.
If the thought of a long-range shot passing through the eye-socket of a Nazi appeals well, then, give it a shot.
Gratuitous in lieu of sense, Outlast 2 is unpleasant. Fans may lap this up but, while technically competent, there's nothing here to truly enjoy.
It comes across as a budget title - both graphically and thanks to the bugs that make it feel unfinished. This used to be acceptable - it was, after all, the epitome of a guilty pleasure, some gory ridiculousness to pass the time. Now it feels overstretched and too reliant on that gimmick, diluting the core sniper experience. In the shadow of Wolfenstein: The New Order, even shooting a digital Hitler (and, yes, even the legend that is Charlie Brooker) feels underwhelming. A greater focus on ballistics, not ballsacks, would serve Rebellion well.
The best part in being free-to-play will be that Neverwinter is there for those looking to try and there's certainly no harm in paddling in Cryptic's pool. The number of players encountered is a testament to its accessibility. However, veteran MMO players may find it too easy; newcomers may disagree with the payoff vs. time spent. Either way it's worth venturing in - just don't expect a tale for the ages.
Not quite the diamond in the rough, India is at times sumptuous but often shallow in almost every other way.
A disappointing end to a series with promise, Game of Thrones needs likable characters to engage emotion.
The flames of my attention are beginning to wane, my empathy draining, especially with the return of HBO's flagship show. The next episode will need to step it up, in terms of story and in finding a way for me to care about the Forresters again. As of now, this family is coming across as decidedly wooden, in need of a chop.