As you may have gathered, it is all thoroughly enjoyable.
There are speed runs, challenges and endless survival modes to add longevity, but it takes a special kind of game to provide such a lean playtime with such self-assured verve. That is Superhot all over: stylish, confident and perfectly formed.
This exploration of Volterra and its practices by first-time Italian developer LKA is a gruelling, uneven but ultimately worthwhile trek through the peeling corridors of an all too real place. The story follows Renee, a young woman who was committed at Volterra shortly before World War II, as she returns to the hospital's abandoned husk decades later. While Renee herself is a fictional creation, her experiences are a patchwork of real-life patients pieced together from director Luca Dalco's extensive research. You are tacitly cast as a voice inside Renee's head, whom she talks to and questions as you explore the hospital, trying to piece together and make sense of her experience.
It would be easy, and not without justification, to suggest glazing over the narrative chutzpah and just enjoy the game. But Quantum Break's narrative and gameplay have a habit of bumping into each other. This is a game with plenty of good ideas. Too many, perhaps, with none given the room to flourish in what is a lavish, clumsy but often entertaining cacophony.
[T]his is when Star Fox Zero is at its best: a thrilling, fleeting and flawed joyride.
Signed-up members of the Uncharted club will allow themselves a smirk as Drake quips "hey, this isn't my first lost city, y'know?", but Naughty Dog --now one of the most respected developers in the world-- are careful not to leave newcomers behind. All you need to enjoy the yarn is here: set up by a script written with warmth, humour and confidence; delivered by a skilled and willing cast.
Blizzard has made all the right noises about being committed to building on Overwatch, providing new heroes, maps and gametypes for free across the game's lifespan. With a tremendously successful start, there is no reason to believe this is a promise that won't be followed through on.
The major difference between this prequel and the cult 2008 original, is that the City of Glass is open-world. It initially seems counter-intuitive for a game about tight design and linear running lines to throw itself open, but DICE makes it work. Firstly because Glass isn't much like the bustling open-worlds you might be used to. Its rooftops are sparse with people, its architecture a gleaming minimalism splashed with vivid, communicative colour that guides your way.
While it results in brevity, there isn’t an ounce of fat here. Inside is a game to be devoured in one or two sittings, then, but its impact will be something to savour.
The Devil's Daughter is an enjoyable thriller. Albeit one that doesn't always know its strengths.
Its appeal lies in its delightful story and colourful cast, a compelling bunch that would indeed give the Pokédex a run for its money. If only it could find the mechanics to match.
Hardcore PC platformer 10 Second Ninja was a delicious, if slight, slice of twitch gaming.
Overcooked is the best chaotic, co-operative culinary game you've ever played
While the narrative is getting a juicy setup, the dialogue is altogether more whiffy, full of ‘sometimes you need a monster’ naval-gazing from pretty much everyone.
Since the excellent Madden NFL 15 corrected a wobble in EA’
The annual football game clash has been fired up again in recent years, with Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer's huge improvement on the pitch finally giving FIFA a sturdy challenge.
Forza Horizon 3 is what happens when a serious racing game lets the brakes off.
If nothing else, this is certainly the most fascinating FIFA in years.
Its thrilling, opulent campaign is tempered only by a lingering sense of familiarity and hesitation to capitalise on some interesting new ideas. While its online offerings feature all the bells and whistles you would expect of Gears of War. There is some work to be done for The Coalition to make Gears their own, then, but as the first page of a new chapter for the series? It is a helluva place to start.
Titanfall 2 shines when it is, as Alavi says, doing things that other shooters do not. Whether it is in the surprising invention of its campaign, or the busy ebb and flow of its multiplayer modes, this is a shooter that should not be overlooked.