Ben Skipper's Reviews
You can certainly see a learning curve with 343 Industries. With Halo 5 their clear understanding of the series has yielded a great game, but not the classic they're capable of making.
With Rise of the Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamics has made a stellar sequel, but hasn't yet reached the full potential glimpsed in 2013's reboot. It is visually fabulous, boasting stunning environments, and improves the core exploration and combat gameplay, but there's still room to improve further. With even bigger open worlds, dialled down violence and a stronger script, the inevitable next instalment could really be special. There's no doubt that Crystal Dynamics deserves the chance to make that happen.
Star Wars Battlefront is a work of remarkable craftsmanship from developers DICE, and it being a more casual shooter is exactly what the game needed to be to find its place in the crowded online shooter market. There should be more on offer, particularly when it comes to single player modes, but in short bursts Battlefront is a force to be reckoned with.
WWE 2K16 is the best WWE game for a while, but largely by default. Every successful tweak to the gameplay edges it closer to the license's former greatness, and makes this particular entry a fun multi-player wrestling game for a short time at least. Eventually however its limitations present themselves and – like the real thing – you're left frustrated that not enough has changed.
In Oxenfree, Night School Studios has used simple mechanics to great effect establishing and building on its small cast of characters, and keeping players engaged with its creepy tale of paranormal dread. It's a shame then that it doesn't quite stick the landing, seeming to rush to its conclusion without offering a sufficient pay-off. A small number of minor (dialogue for the wrong character playing) and major (two complete crashes) glitches also hold it back. It's undoubtedly a stylish and unique game however, that we hope does its part to usher in a wave of games that take a similar approach to storytelling.
Firewatch is a simple game that tells a simple, far from impactful, tale, which approaches greatness thanks to superb writing, acting and design work. Gameplay is kept light and straightforward, but is always engaging – befitting a game that revels in the unique storytelling potential of games. This is a new studio's debut title, but it bears the quality of a product made by a team of veterans who have a great deal more to offer.
Unravel is an ode to cherished memories, but doesn't create any of its own. It is gorgeous to look at and listen to, but its repetitive, sometimes laborious and frustrating, puzzles undermine the game's relaxed tone without offering much in the way of a challenge.
After a decade of uncertainty for the Hitman series, and one sizeable misstep, Hitman 2016 is nothing short of a triumph in terms of being a course correction. Purely in terms of gameplay it is perhaps the best the series has ever been, so what will define this latest Hitman is how IOI handle the remaining episodes, and smooth out the glaring problems with server connectivity and load times.
When Star Wars Battlefront first launched it was criticised for lacking maps. DICE has done a great deal to address this in free updates (to date, three new large scale maps and one small), putting rest to any notion that these paid expansions are a cynical cash-in. It may not be exactly what people want – that's sure to come later – but the Outer Rim DLC offers a good package for fans of a game once criticised for not having longevity, but which on this evidence has a bright and long future.
Neither evolutionary nor revolutionary, Ratchet and Clank is gorgeous trip back down memory lane that reinvigorates a passion for a genre which never really should have gone away. Hopefully it paves the way for the future of the series on PS4, even if the film proves not to be successful.
Once free of the arduous and obnoxious trappings of its main mode of play, Superhot is nothing short of a delight. At its core is a gameplay mechanic that deserves to be revisited, only next time we hope it's all held together significantly better.
This fault only prevents Hitman Episode Two from achieving near-perfection, it is still an exceptional example of the series at its very best. IO's strong start is becoming a hot streak, and all eyes will be on the third episode, set to be released in May.
The best in the series, and another Naughty Dog classic.
Inside is a worthy successor to Limbo, that improves upon it in many ways. It's visually richer, less obtrusive with its puzzling elements and tells its evocative, grim fairy tale with a greater panache.
Battlefront's Bespin expansion is let down by some functional but uninspired map design, inhabited by the location of choice. New mode Sabotage also feels like a misstep. DICE's next expansion will finally take Battlefront to the Death Star – and the developers will absolutely need to up their game to match what will be very high expectations.
Abzu is well beautiful and well put-together, but cannot escape its self-inflicted sense of déjà vu. Matt Nava and Giant Squid Studios have played it safe. Too safe. There is an obvious artistry to Abzu however, that we can only hope is put to better use in whatever comes next.
No Man's Sky is about cutting your own path through a galaxy teeming with possibilities. It is a playground in which to let loose the human urge to explore and discover, supported by a deep crafting system that keeps players engaged in their journey. Improvements could be made, new features could add greater depth, but Hello Games' achievement here is nothing short of incredible.
Reigns is a Python-esque text adventure rougelike played out with the swipe-mechanics of Tinder. If that sounds at all appealing, then Reigns is absolutely worth the small investment. Light and undemanding, it offers short, great bursts of play perfect for the mobile platform.
Like so many indie platformers before it, Hue takes a great core concept and turns it into an admirably inventive game buoyed by some vivid design, a genteel story and a lovely score. That core concept doesn't stretch quite as far as the developers would like to think, but if you like puzzle platforming then Hue is a game that you should certainly pick up.
If this review appears overly-critical, it's only because Pro Evolution Soccer is so close to being a complete product on and off the pitch. With the base gameplay seemingly nailed down, Konami should be capitalising by improving other elements of its beautiful game: chiefly its presentation, style, and game modes. Whatever shortcomings it has before and after the whistle blows however, the pure footballing experience of PES remains second-to-none.