Ben Tarrant's Reviews
The Fall takes inspiration from all the right games, merging Metroid-style platforming and atmosphere with Dark Souls difficulty and Portal writing. Its deep and thoughtful explorations into the technicalities of AI are intelligent and surprisingly thought provoking. It's unfortunately hindered by clunky mechanics and overly complicated puzzles that often border on the obtuse when it comes to the specifics required to finish them. Google will be your best friend when playing through this, but try and avoid cheating or giving up entirely; solving The Fall's conundrums is actually somewhat worth the hassle for once, proving to be a creative and rewarding challenge that shows creativity and promise.
Not as light on content as its predecessors, the core mechanics of Skullgirls continues to work beautifully on almost every level. Staggeringly good animation dolls up its unforgiving control scheme, while the bonkers roster provides innumerable strategies and play styles. It's brutish welcome is certain to dissuade many newcomers with unrelenting AI and unnecessarily obscure move lists, but those that make it past the opening trials will be rewarded with one of the most unique and charming 2D fighters in a long time.
There's lots of enjoyment to be had here, but it's also cruel reminder that the LEGO franchise needs something new to break out of its now conveyer-belt approach.
It's a superior game that plays brilliantly, and certainly stands in a league of its own in the Arkham line-up for the most part, but it simply doesn't leave your jaw agape like Arkham City seemed to manage with such ease and finesse.
Schrödinger's Cat and the Raiders of the Lost Quark's heart is certainly in the right place; for the most part it offers a weird and solid platforming experience in an original format only to become bogged down by bland level design and often unnecessarily complex gameplay mechanics. It's an admirable premise that certainly aims to offer insight and accessibility to one of science's most intimidating concepts, but loses focus and steam in all of the wrong places.
For all its promise of revolution, Evolve seems to consistently trip where its spiritual predecessor – Left 4 Dead – seemed to excel. The balancing is actually too good, causing it to fall apart when someone doesn't play correctly. The monster gameplay is pleasantly the best aspect, but feels undercooked anywhere else but Hunt mode. This is surely a game that'll only improve as its community stabilises, but right now it's hard to recommend unless you've got a group of willing friends.
Natural Doctrine's combat system is ingenious, but it's obstructed by its complexity, while the remaining aspects of the release just about fulfil their roles to the point of adequacy. Although the game's intricacies will instantly cut itself out of most of the market, it's certainly a fantastic strategy title in its own right, which will challenge even the most adept players. This is a must buy for genre fans, then – and a cautionary tale for newcomers.
Surgeon Simulator: Anniversary Edition's concept will almost certainly be lost on a few, but if you play with a combination of patience and trial and error, then you'll often yield positive results. The clunky controls are unforgivable, but its humorous attitude towards surgery is endearing, creating an experience that's as weird as it is funny. This isn't a game for perfectionists looking for a true simulation of a busy A&E department: it's more like a training ground for psychopaths looking to learn the ropes, shave a few eyebrows, and play with lasers.
VooFoo can chalk this down as another successful adaptation, as Pure Pool proves to be an enjoyable and astoundingly well presented interpretation of arguably the greatest pub pastime. The tutorials and help sections should get newcomers up to speed, while the 'Pro' difficulty will definitely test veterans. There are a few difficulty issues which prevent it from hitting a perfect break, but the stripped back interface and immersive atmosphere mean that it certainly won't be snookering you tonight.
If you've never played Drinkbox Studios' delicious platformer before, then this is the best place to start. And, while we'd never recommend double-dipping a nacho in real life, we certainly encourage it with this super-charged adventure.
MouseCraft is an excellent addition to the puzzle genre, which successfully draws upon the strengths of several classics, while differentiating itself at the same time. A unique take on the 'rat in a maze' concept, this is entertaining on all three of Sony's systems, and while it's not exactly a visual showpiece, it's charming enough to make you smile like when you're saying the word 'cheese'. In short, this is a fun little timewaster that you're likely to enjoy more than you anticipate – even if you're lactose intolerant.
It's not always entirely drab – a bit of mindless blasting is always entertaining in short bursts – but much like the weedy Ultra Magnus, this is still a shadow of the title that it's trying to replace.
With such a long-running pedigree, it's easy to see why Team 17 hasn't even attempted to re-invent the worm destroying wheel with Worms Battlegrounds. This is a competent game, but it's barely a refinement of a release that you've almost certainly already played. The dated gameplay, exaggerated British humour, and wacky weaponry mean that this will please if you're looking for more of the same – but while fans will simply be satisfied to see the series slither onto the PS4, newcomers may ponder how the franchise has even made it this far.
Outside of the new playable characters and patched up gameplay, Awesomenauts Assemble! does little to distance itself from its PS3 counterpart. Fortunately, it's still an enjoyable MOBA, with smooth – if a little slow – gameplay and a refreshing visual style. It's without a doubt the best and most complete version of Ronimo Games' excellent eighties homage to date – but it never quite does enough to make it worth a double-dip.