Disney Magical World 2 on Nintendo 3DS is a fantastic game aimed at a younger demographic who would appreciate the work put into bringing each of the worlds to life. There is no greater thrill than interacting with the characters from some of Disney's greatest properties, and assisting them in defeating the evil ghosts is an enticing prospect. Decorating their own house with furnishings while running a café, while crafting new costumes to wear and planting seeds to grow new crops in the Hundred Acre Wood are just some of the ways that the game can be played. With lots to do, and daily missions that are constantly changing, this is one game that is sure to be a favourite for quite some time.
Darksiders: Warmastered Edition sees a refresher on the famed franchise, which upscales the visuals to look right at home on the PlayStation 4. While the gameplay elements that hindered the previous iteration of the game still haven't been fixed, this is still a great game to own. While fans of the series won't find anything new except a chance to port over their old library to the current generation, newcomers to the series will find this and the Darksiders II remaster a great entry point into the series. This is a brutal hack and slash adventure game, where War finds a range of new ways to rip enemies apart with QTEs, while employing the various abilities learned throughout the game, in his quest to restore order between the balance of Heaven and Hell.
The Rogue One edition of Zen Pinball 2 may not contain multiple tables, but the one that it does contain is a fun little excursion into an alternate Star Wars table. The open table leaves little room for forced errors, allowing for easy point multipliers and mission completion. Falling on the spectrum of one of the easier tables, this is a great way for newcomers to the pinball series to begin, while fans of Star Wars will find plenty of missions and mini-games here to let them relive the key moments from the Rogue One film. This great addition continues the trend of excellent tables that the developer has been creating.
Tangled Up in Blue is an excellent pilot that does a superb job in introducing each of the Guardians to new players, while remaining very faithful to their source material.
Mantis Burn Racing: Elite Class adds four hovercraft racers to the mix in their own unique season. Race around in the same old tracks, but with added bonuses, such as extremely high speeds, and not having to worry about the surface of the track influencing the tyres or turns. However, the same core mechanics otherwise apply to these racers, as the turned up dial makes the already-frenetic game even more out of control!
Batman: The Enemy Within - Episode 1: The Enigma is easily the best episode of Telltale's Batman story so far. While Season One put the wheels in motion, The Riddler's return to Gotham invites "The Agency" into town to make its presence felt, while Lucius Fox, Alfred, and Bruce Wayne are still trying to fully come to terms with the events of the first season. The story is a lot tighter, and the animations are well-polished and cleaner, setting the expectation for what to expect throughout the second season.
Episode Three: More Than a Feeling furthers the intriguing story and takes it to new grounds, thanks in part to the carryovers from the previous episodes' decisions and the heart-breaking story centring on Gamora.
After the up-and-down rollercoaster that has been this season of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, Episode 5: Don't Stop Believin' has managed to tie together an emotionally-investing story.
A Way Out is a phenomenal co-operational interactive movie that can be enjoyed both on the couch with a friend or spouse, or online. What makes the online aspect even better is that the partner doesn't even need a copy of the game, as they can join in easily. Vince and Leo have two contrasting personalities that see the calm meet the storm, as they both must put their differences aside to escape the prison they are confined to. With attention to detail within every nook and cranny, watching how their two stories diverge and converge at integral moments of the game is a fascinating experience that needs to be played through twice. Playing as both Leo and Vince will offer two unique story paths, as they both have different roles in solving puzzles, while narrative-forks provide a "Choose-Your-Own-Adventure" element to the story.
If the last few episodes have shown any signs, it is that the final episode will be the long awaited crescendo.
Pinball FX3: Jurassic World Pinball is a great addition for any pinball-lover who already has a huge collection of tables, or for someone starting out.
Batman: The Enemy Within is a blast of a follow-up season to Telltale's Caped Crusader, as Bruce Wayne plays a pivotal role in trying to bring down the villainous group known as the Pact.
Assetto Corsa: Ultimate Edition is an impressive display of technology. With a powerful graphical engine, the large assortment of vehicles sitting at the 178 figure provides plenty of racing variation. With each car feeling very different to each other, patience and paying attention to every little turn, while seeing how the car handles, is the ultimate decider between winning or losing a race. Unlike other racing titles, which have a low barrier-to-entry for newcomers for their more general sense of play, Assetto Corsa is made by professionals, for professionals who truly appreciate the display of the vehicles, while paying great respect to the tracks and the challenge ahead.
For those worried about the simple gameplay and minimal graphical aesthetics will be pleased to know that Lumines Remastered holds up quite well on Nintendo Switch. While the graphics themselves are not as beautiful as they were over a decade ago, the coloured-blocks still delivers a certain charm that is compounded by the foot-tapping background music that keeps the experience alive. While Tetris purists may shirk at this block-matching alternative that messes with the formula a little, Lumines is worth a try. Whether it's high scores on the leaderboards, completing strategic challenges, or just filling the void for a couch-multiplayer title, Lumines Remastered has something for all lovers of arcade-type puzzle games.
Madden NFL 19 is a sublime example of what can be achieved with a sports title. The "Real Player Motions" generates that feeling of not 'controlling' players, but rather living as the players instead. Seeing how lifelike all the players are within a match, and how they communicate with each other before and during plays, and then watching them seamlessly get into the next play, is freakishly uncanny. Franchise Mode is a huge mode to undertake with a large enough scope to get lost in, whether as a player, a coach, or a team owner, while Madden Ultimate Challenge is a complete time-hog due to the addictive nature of collecting player cards to boost the team. Finally, Longshot: Homecoming continues the story of Colt and Devin, and while it offers a nice little detour, it does not offer a lot more to the experience.
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is an acquired taste that long-standing fans of the franchise will happily drink from. The formula for killing monsters and turning them into better gear to take on the bigger monsters is an addictive loop that is only broken up by the mindless and annoying 'egg delivery' quests, and occasional battle control limitations. Whether playing online with a group of friends or in Solo mode, this is a menu-heavy experience that may easily scare away series newcomers who are used to Monster Hunter: World. While Ultimate is not a streamlined experience, beneath the thick and scary exterior is an extremely deep system-based epic adventure.
For fans of Lovecraftian horror, The Sinking City is filled with... fishy details and lore that is used to enrich the world that Frogwares has created. Private Investigator Charles Reed must voyage through the deepest and most disturbing parts of his mind, as well as Oakmont itself, to find a way to rid the town residents of their visions. Doing what he does best, Reed must investigate and solve crimes while battling the horrors that jump out from the dark. While it lacks a bit of polish, The Sinking City is an otherwise weird and mind-bending journey, bundled with all the ingredients for a great experience.
FarSight Studios has excelled in bringing to digital life five of the classic pinball tables. In their own way, each of the five tables break against the modern interpretation of the pinball tables.
Ghost Games has delivered a great new addition to the Need for Speed franchise, with Heat certainly bringing the 'heat' with its relentless cop pursuits that play out against a beautifully-looking Palm City.
WRC 8 is a fantastic leap forward from WRC 7, with a revamped career mode for aspiring drivers to sign a team, manage crew members and level up skill trees to become the best team in the dirt-rallies.