Darryn Bonthuys's Reviews
It's pure Borderlands, with more than enough content to keep you going for some time. It's just a pity that the Handsome Collection didn't receive the technical love that the franchise clearly deserved as it jumped onto newer platforms.
Devoid of any real personality, Battlefield: Hardline's single-player campaign is cheesier than an 80's pick-up line. It is however saved by a superb multiplayer that is both solid and entertaining.
Ori and the Blind Forest doesn't add anything new to the genre of gaming that it was inspired by, but few other games can match the polished gameplay and humbling difficulty of this charming little fella.
It's Far Cry 4 simplified into a four hour experience of looting, exploring, climbing and injecting exotic herbs into your bloodstream all over again, in one short and sweet DLC expansion.
Surprisingly deep enough, flashy and cathartic, Screamride is its own roller-coaster beast, even if it is uneven at times. But thrill-seeking fans will be in for a treat with a game that will have your buttocks firmly clenched with vertigo-inducing action.
Dragon Ball Z is off to a solid start this generation, with XenoVerse. There's still plenty of room for improvement, but fans are going to find plenty to love with the latest chapter in this long-running saga that tells the same story but with a different spin.
Neither heavenly nor hellish, Saints Row: Gat Out Of Hell is an average standalone that is firmly stuck in Limbo.
Beneath the frustrating design decisions and pacing issues, there's a solid game to be played in Citizens Of Earth. It's a game that wears its Earthbound influence proudly, dipping into a well of nostalgia. It's going to have a term in office that is highlighted by grinding gameplay and oddball structure, but dammit, it's hard to not love the charm that Citizens Of Earth oozes.
WWE 2K15 is a slick product, but on closer examination it hides numerous problems and flaws. It's the game of tomorrow with the problems of yesteryear, a transitional game between platforms that feels like very little care has gone into crafting the ultimate simulation in sports entertainment. And that's the bottom line.
Far more than a simple remake, Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire returns players to the past, with all the new bells and whistles intact in this latest installment.
Lego Batman 3 is much of the same, but so much of it. A slow start quickly gives way to an entire universe worth of content that borders on the obscene. It's tried and trusted gameplay, but it certainly is time for the studio to get working on a new Lego experience.
The reality of war, hammered home through stark visuals and tight resource management, in a game where just surviving another day is winning.
Pinball FX2's take on the popular South Park brand is a smorgasbord of fan service. Neither table is an essential buy if you're a pinball wizard, but they're competent enough to at least give you a decent chuckle for your buck.
Massive, complete and nostalgic, Halo: The Master Chief Collection isn't just a greatest hits collection. It's a legacy that paves the way for what's still to come.
So what kind of a game is the Pre-Sequel then? If you said 'more Borderlands', you wouldn't be far off. But it is a Borderlands game that feels revitalised thanks to the new gameplay mechanics, enemies, humour and weapons. It plays out like a massive expansion pack, one filled to the brim with more secrets, ideas and a familiar gear-grind for better loot. And more Borderlands is actually a fun idea after all.
Bayonetta 2 is something new blended with something familiar, improved in every way possible. Few other games can top it for sheer audacity and ballsiness, and if this is the last time we'll ever see the leggy witch, then she's going out with one hell of a bang.
Flashy, brutal and deeper than you'd expect. Killer Instinct is back baby.
D4 is a darkly weird game, and one that boasts a fair amount of polish as it experiments with genres and controls. It's not for everyone, but the solid Kinect input and trademark Japanese madness make for one deep dive that you won't soon forget.
Ignore the starter pack effect, jump into the expanded social circles of The Sims 4, share your worlds and you'll discover for the most part that this game is a true sequel through and through.
Make no mistake, Surgeon Simulator Anniversary Edition is a joke of a game. But that's the whole point. It's meant to confuse players, it's meant to make you wonder if you should leave a power drill inside a lung cavity. But for folks who have already played the game on PC, it might be an old joke already. For newcomers, I'd highly recommend the madcap game, which is packed to the gills with extras and insane details resulting in grisly deaths on the operating table. For returning fans, it might be time to move on and leave poor Bob alone on the operating table.