Ben Allan
Inside is absolutely astonishing – a prime candidate for game of the year. Avoid spoilers and play it ASAP.
Mirror's Edge Catalyst brings back a welcome second portion of high-speed free-running in a beautifully gleaming setting, but its concessions to modern AAA game design bloat let it down.
Despite a troubled development, Doom is a confident, cracking throwback that pays loving tribute to its much-vaunted forefathers while bringing the noise via cutting edge tech. In a world awash with sci-fi hitscan shooters, it's a breath of fiery air that will delight as it melts faces.
The Division is a great shooter that's primarily let down by glitches, drabness, repetition, and a thoroughly underwhelming first raid.
Superhot is a highly effective expression of the gamer's neverending desire to perform cool action, but it also manages to perform some nifty narrative tricks as well. A clever, minimalistic, and totally badass indie gaming highlight.
Darkest Dungeon is a tough, atmospheric and rewarding RPG whose sanity mechanic, narration, and indelible aesthetic set it apart from the pack.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is a big-budget title that delivers a breathtaking adventure with all the trimmings.
Lots of little details impress, like the specific way a Covenant jackal will beat off an attacking Promethean crawler with his shield if you watch them fighting, or the swoops of alien bird creatures screeching around the skies. And it all hums along at the high frame rates that certain sections of the gaming populace seem very concerned that it should.
Skylanders Superchargers provides what we've come to expect from the series: high production values, fun for all ages, and reminders that you could spend a whole lot more on additional toys to play with.
Armello is a solidly-constructed and enjoyable turn-based title that offers a unique setting and plenty of depth.
Super Mega Baseball is an enjoyable throwback to a time when sports games were for everyone rather than just enthusiasts.
It's fun to furiously trumpet and get to smashin' stuff as Tembo for a while, but before too long you're reduced to hoping he makes his way over to a better sequel – or possibly the Virtua Fighter roster.
Batman: Arkham Knight is a visual treat. This sets a high standard the gameplay and story largely match, and the result is a closing chapter that's easy to recommend.
State of Decay is a fun romp and so is this new-gen re-release. The lack of meaningful changes make it hard to recommend to those that own the older version, but everyone else should dive head-first into its zombie catastrophe scenarios.
Resident Evil Revelations 2 is a solid episodic survival horror that will appease fans, but few others.
Resident Evil Revelations 2 is a solid episodic survival horror that will appease fans, but few others.
The Deer God has some wonderful ideas and attention-grabbing presentation, but it's mechanically underdeveloped and repetitive.
The first two chapters of Resident Evil: Revelations 2 represent a sound but unremarkable beginning to the episodic series. What's here is unlikely to appeal much beyond fans of the genre.
The first two chapters of Resident Evil: Revelations 2 represent a sound but unremarkable beginning to the episodic series. What's here is unlikely to appeal much beyond fans of the genre.
Lords of the Fallen copies, but it does so from great sources in a mostly competent fashion, and adds in a few neat systems of its own.