In a way, Absolver turns a truth about the genre into a kind of design aesthetic and philosophy; the ultimate raison d'etre of this fighting game is for you to get better at fighting. When you click to this, it becomes a Zen-epic sort of proposition, as you wander around the gorgeous and melancholy Adal getting into lonely contests under dappled greenery and atop perilous ledges, sloooooowly learning the skills you need to better defend yourself.
When it's on song, the game is immersive and intriguing; at other times, it can be deathly dull. It's nice to see an RPG trying to do something a bit different and succeeding in many ways, but KC:D has an unfortunate "hmm, I wish this was Skyrim" vibe that many gamers may find difficult to shake off.
The Division is a great shooter that's primarily let down by glitches, drabness, repetition, and a thoroughly underwhelming first raid.
The Deer God has some wonderful ideas and attention-grabbing presentation, but it's mechanically underdeveloped and repetitive.
While Kinect Sports Rivals adequately demonstrates the improvements made to the latest model of Kinect, uninspired gameplay lets the overall package down.
World War Z is probably actually up there as film tie-in games go, and is capable of offering some nifty zombie action that can get your pulse racing. But once you've seen its tricks, it all gets a bit samey fast - faster because we've seen something very similar before - and it's hard to imagine it having much of a shelf life
8-Bit Hordes is a pleasantly diverting and fast-paced “blast”-style throwback to the heyday of the RTS, with plenty of charm. It's also easy to pick up and play. But its major lack of depth will turn off hardcore strategy fans, and several annoyances detract from what would otherwise be a polished product.
Far Cry: New Dawn offers fans of the series much of what they have come to like about it and does some good work as a direct sequel, but its reduced scope has led to some changes that are not for the better, and it definitely stands as a minor entry
Matterfall contains some welcome formula tweaks and the usual level of Housemarque polish, but it's much less inspired than the Finnish studio's better shooters.
Outlast 2 is more of an ordeal than the first, in terms of content but also gameplay. The story provides some momentum, but trial and error sequences will see many succumb to frustration (and many large pick axes).
No Man's Sky was never going to live up to the hype, but sadly even those with tempered expectations are likely to be somewhat disappointed. It is by no means a terrible game, it just feels unfinished and empty.
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.
Liberation is so-so, a cheap yet only moderately fulfilling title that throws back the curtain on the elderly systems of the Assassin's Creed franchise pre-Black Flag.
Space Hulk: Tactics is probably the best video game adaption of the classic board game yet, with decent presentation and some welcome additions. But the faithfulness of its adaption only highlights the limited "tactics" offered by the board game's basic setup, and its lower budget makes for a lack of polish in some areas. Strategy buffs may be diverted for a bit, but won't fall in love.
Star Wars Battlefront II's campaign is merely okay, and its multiplayer is hamstrung by an awful upgrade system. There's also the spectre of loot boxes hanging over it like a Lightsaber of Damocles. However, it looks and sounds amazing, and gameplay-wise delivers the goods.
Defect is an appealing and well-designed build 'n' destroy space shooter that lets you get creative, then challenges you to one-up yourself via a unique mutiny mechanic.
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.
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is visually appealing and excellently paced, but its frustrating controls and legacy assets peg this as a game released a little prematurely.
Strider is basic fare to snack on between larger courses in the release schedule. Double Helix has easily attained its unambitious goals.
Sniper Elite III sees the franchise creep closer to excellence. It doesn't quite get there, but nonetheless this is a solid title that has arrived in a particularly lean month.