Dave Horobin's Reviews
The question isn't if Sledgehammer succeeded in breathing new life into the Call of Duty franchise, it's more a point of how the franchise will cope in the future without them.
Whilst the multiplayer falls short, the co-op and in particular the single player experience is once again brilliantly put together and something gamers shouldn't miss out on.
It's important to remember that being a standalone expansion, Saints Row: Gat Out Of Hell isn't meant to offer the same full experience we've come to know from the franchise previously. There are a number of features sadly lacking, the main thing being any real mission structure to the story, but the same mayhem-filled gameplay is still there on offer.For a mid-price game, there is more than enough gameplay to get your money's worth, including multiple endings to the story which will add replay value and a map full of collectibles and activities to take part in.If you've not played Saints IV previously, or have but wouldn't mind playing it again, I'd highly recommend picking up the bundle which includes both Saints Row IV: Re-Elected and Gat Out Of Hell to give you the full Saints Row experience. For everyone else, the price point of the title makes it certainly worth a purchase, just don't come in expecting a full blown sequel.
It's hard to knock a game that delivers on what it set out to do, and that's exactly what Zombie Army Trilogy does very well. It won't appeal to everyone's tastes, but for those of you that enjoy the frantic co-op action that games of this nature provide, you'll find that Zombie Army Trilogy is a competent shooter, that will keep you entertained for hours of zombie killing fun.
Battlefield Hardline is easily the most complete game in the franchise since Battlefield: Bad Company 2's release five years ago. The story makes you actually care about the characters and introduces some much-needed new gameplay with the addition of stealth and non-violent takedowns. It's not the strongest story you'll see, but the positives far outweigh any negatives that the stupid AI and cliched story provides.The multiplayer is genuinely refreshing, and whilst veterans of the franchise may notice the missing game modes and vehicular combat that they are used to, the majority of gamers will find the fast-paced and amusing action to be fun-filled.Visceral's first attempt at taking control of the Battlefield series can only be seen as a success, and whilst it maintains the unique feel of the series, they've added a fresh and new twist to every aspect. Just as Forza Horizon's differences perfectly compliment Forza Motorsport, EA may have finally found a winning combination to compete with Call of Duty.
It's clear to see that Milestone has set out with the best intentions in a genre that they clearly love. However, RIDE is adequate in most areas but doesn't have the same amount of polish and set of features that are found in other leading racing games. With a lack of online leaderboards to provide any challenge among friends, once you hit the number one spot in the World Tour, only the hardcore racing fans will find any reason to return to the game. The game features a large choice of stunningly recreated motorcycles to purchase and upgrade and there's enough here to keep hardcore racing fans and motorcycle enthusiasts attention for a while; ultimately, though, if you aren't a fan of the genre then RIDE will do very little to persuade you otherwise.
The gameplay available in Farming Simulator 15 is obviously very niche, but behind the actual subject matter the game offers an in-depth sandbox that allows you to decide exactly how you wish to progress using the various farming techniques available. Fans of games such as The Sims and creation and management genre games will likely find a surprisingly enjoyable experience if they can make it past the game's slow start.The new addition of forestry and more emphasis on animal husbandry do add to the experience found in Farming Simulator, but if you're simply planning on cultivating your crops there's not going to be a great deal of difference from the series' previous installments.Farming Simulator 15 isn't going to appeal to everyone, but for those of you who do wish to take to the fields you'll find a surprisingly detailed experience that can prove to be enjoyable once you get your production line in place.
Beach Buggy Racing doesn't do anything particularly ground breaking for the kart racing genre, but it does do everything it needs to. The addition of multiplayer would have been nice and taken away the feeling of grinding once you have won all of the available single-player races. With quite literally tens of hours of gameplay on offer in the career and championships alone, and even more if you want to earn all of the available achievements, the game's price point makes this a highly recommended purchase for racing fans.
Batman Arkham Knight is a magnificent and fitting end to the Arkham series of games in every possible way. The city of Gotham is a huge, spectacular playground for you to explore, the story sucks you in despite it's inevitable outcome, and the combat and stealth elements that brought Arkham Asylum to everyone's attention have never been better.The game does have its faults; a couple of times it completely froze after navigating to the dashboard, framerate drops occur occasionally, and the Batmobile whilst brilliant for navigating the city is overused and repetitive in tank battles, but that can easily be forgiven when the rest of the experience is as good as it is. For anyone who likes Batman, the previous releases in the franchise, or open world games in general, Arkham Knight is an absolute must play, and offers a genuine reason for gamers who haven't yet made the jump to the new generation of consoles to seriously consider making the switch.
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition stands as a shining example of how a remaster should be done. From the ground up the game has been redesigned to make it look and feel perfectly at home on the Xbox One, and The Coalition have managed to combine remaining true to the original game, whilst at the same time adding improvements. By staying true to the original Gears there are moments where the game shows its age, but they aren't frequent enough to spoil the overall experience, and you'll be more surprised by how well the story and gameplay mechanics stand up to today's standards, and quiet often over shadow them.If you're not a fan of third person shooters or the previous Gears of War games, there's nothing for you here, but for everyone else the name says it all, this is the Ultimate way to experience Gears of War, whether you're a newcomer to the franchise, or if you're looking for any excuse to return to Sera and chainsaw Locust's into tiny pieces, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is a must play.
Forza Motorsport 6 isn't for everyone and the chances are that you will know in advance if this is the type of game that you would like to try. For those of you that have even the slightest interest in cars or racing, you'll be treated to some of the finest, most immersive racing action that you can find short of doing the real thing. With a wide choice of assists and difficulties available, it's ideal for both newcomers and hardcore racing fans alike.There are certainly improvements that Turn 10 could make, such as dynamic time of day and weather and a less linear career mode that allowed access to better cars earlier. However, they are very minor annoyances that can be easily overlooked due to the quality of everything else that the game has to offer. With stunningly detailed visuals, sound and physics to match, a huge roster of cars to drive, and new wet and night races that add another dimension to the gameplay, this is a bigger and better Forza than we have ever seen before. Forza Motorsport 6 is a masterpiece of a racing simulator that really has to be experienced to be believed.
If you're looking for a rally game to play on the Xbox One, or if you follow the sport closely, WRC 5 offers a solid racer that has a nice balance between being accessible for all and offering a challenge to those looking for a more simulated experience. As with real rally driving, it's far from a smooth ride, with visual and gameplay bugs that will annoy you along the way, but if you're willing to look beyond them, WRC 5 offers good handling, a nice variety of stages and environments to race on, and does a solid job of capturing the spontaneous and concentration-filled essence of the sport.
Halo 5: Guardians is the game that 343 Industries needed to release to regain the confidence of gamers in both themselves and the Halo franchise. The campaign is a fast, action packed battle through a host of beautifully designed locations, that offers brilliant pacing and some stunning set pieces. The story may well be confusing – especially for newcomers – and many characters are sadly lacking in depth, but that doesn't detract from how fun shooting your way through the game's fifteen missions is when playing solo and even more so with three friends. The multiplayer stays true to the core elements that have made Halo what is today, whilst at the same time adding new mechanics that bring it in line with what you'd expect to see from a modern first-person shooter. The addition of Warzone alone will keep you coming back for more as every game feels different and unique.If you own an Xbox One and have any interest in first-person shooters, Halo 5: Guardians is quite simply a must play.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate is thankfully a fine return to form for the franchise. The combination of an interesting and diverse cast of characters and the entertaining and compelling story sit perfectly in the beautifully recreated 1860's London. It doesn't do everything to solve all the series' problems, missions can feel repetitive and there are some minor AI bugs that will shatter the sense of immersion occasionally, but by taking a step backwards and removing much of the excess baggage that the series has accumulated over the years of annual releases, Syndicate has become the best Assassin's Creed since Brotherhood.
This year's Call of Duty is a mixed bag that will polarize opinion depending in which part of the game you find the most enjoyment. All of the previous mechanics that have made the franchise what it is today are still there and they feel as good as ever. If you play CoD for the campaign, Black Ops III is a low point featuring a confusing and uninteresting story, poor pacing, cheesy dialogue and over-the-top voice acting that results in a story that resembles what the outcome would be if you dropped the cast of Team America: World Police on the set of Inception or Source Code. Zombies once again provides a fun alternative, and the setting and new gameplay additions are enough to keep it feeling fresh for fans until the next DLC pack hits. Multiplayer is as well balanced as it has been for a while and provides the same fast-paced experience that is known and loved. The addition of increased mobility adds a new way to traverse the world and even helps to bring new life into game modes that we have been playing off and on for the past ten years, but this is hit and miss as only some maps allow you to truly explore what it has to offer.Black Ops III's biggest plus points are that it's the most content-filled and best looking release in the series yet, and there are enough new additions to the gameplay across all game modes to help freshen things up for returning visitors. It's a good game for sure, but it does very little to stand out from what's already available and, in some areas, doesn't live up to the standards that the franchise has set over the years.
Just Cause 3 delivers in everything that it set out to do and doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not. It's a solid and light-hearted game that offers a sprawling open-world playground for you to explore and destroy in as many creative and humorous ways as you can imagine. There are bugs that need to be addressed, it lacks the depth of other games in its genre, and it can be repetitive over long periods of play, but in short bursts of a couple of hours or so there's no hiding from the fact that being given the freedom to blow things up to your heart's content provides some of the most chaotic fun you'll find on the Xbox One right now.
Outside of the officially licensed WRC franchise, Milestone's first attempt at the rally sub-genre does little to reinvent the wheel. However, Sébastien Loeb Rally Evo does offer a pleasant alternative to the previously rigid career modes found in similar titles by offering a wide range of different events in which to take part.
It might have taken a while for Rocket League to appear on the Xbox One, but the wait was worth it.
If the enticement of better loot and stat optimization catches hold of you however, there's a chance that The Division may well become your next addiction, especially if Ubisoft and Massive can keep a steady stream of updates and DLC coming.
As one Bethesda employee put it: "If you're not into violent, bloody games… DOOM's probably not a game for you". For everyone else, it's impossible not to recommend trying the title. The campaign is where DOOM really shines with its fast-paced, slick, brutally bloody and exhilarating action that mixes old-school gameplay with modern design. The multiplayer is solid if not spectacular, but that may change in time once the game's community begins to experiment with the creation tools in SnapMap. DOOM is back and it's hellishly good.