Ben Skipper's Reviews
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.
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.
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.
One of the better remakes of recent years, stifled slightly by bugs that should be squished in future patches. The signs are good for Gears under The Coalition.
An enormously enjoyable bit of fun for the summer months. A multiplayer cult classic in waiting.
A plentiful array of excellent puzzle-platforming morsels given vitality by Nintendo's renowned knack for superb animation and design. Perfect for youngsters with just enough for grown-ups to enjoy as well, but it's marred by a lack of depth.
Remarkably fun and boasting a bold, lively and completely mad style, Splatoon is an unbridled joy. Another gem for Nintendo's Wii U.
As important as it is terrifying. A worthy successor to Scott's original vision and definitive proof that survival horror is back with a force.
A fine evolution of the Far Cry 3 formula, and an improvement in every way, but all without that same wow factor.
The Telltale style, successfully applied to an original, supernatural coming of age story. It's now up to Dontnod to continue the fine quality over three more episodes.
Not perfect, but one of the most absorbing, challenging and fun games of the year so far, which makes the fact it was developed by just one person all the more astounding.
Celeste is an beautiful, optimistic game about how triumph can outweigh any number of failures . It's about reconciling your pain, frustrations and defeats. It's about getting better, in every sense.
It's quite literally everything the first game was and more, which might not mean more revolutionary features but does mean a greater depth and variety of options for the new players it is sure to ensnare. With free updates promised for the best part of a year, the game will only improve, and this time it'll have the audience it deserves.
Rime is a beautiful ode to life, loss and childhood that's as much a pleasure to behold as it is to play. Genteel puzzling and exploration make for great bedfellows in a memorable adventure only let down ever so slightly by some minimal frame rate stutter and a final act that while emotionally resonant provides little challenge or escalation in terms of gameplay. Nearly four years on from its much-hyped debut, Rime proves itself to be have been absolutely worth the wait.
This is a sequel that refines a formula rather than shaking it up, and while that does the job for now, the focus will soon shift to what Bungie can do to keep Destiny moving forward.
IO Interactive's new, episodic Hitman is a triumph. The developer knew how to revive its ailing series and did so with aplomb, crafting a robust set of core mechanics and designing superb levels around them. Reminiscent of everything Blood Money did so well, from its focus on gameplay over story to its cold, sardonic presentation and dark sense of humour, this is Hitman as it is and always should be.It falters when the game leans too heavily on optional Opportunities, but counter to this hand-holding system are Elusive Targets – a fantastic test of any Hitman player's abilities. While these one-chance contracts are only available for a few days at a time, IO's consistent, quality support of the game ensures many more will follow this first season's physical release.
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.
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.
With The Phantom Pain Hideo Kojima has realised his Metal Gear dream.
The best in the series, and another Naughty Dog classic.