Brett Claxton's Reviews
Graphically Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations is fairly poor but there's a certain charm to it, with the script definitely helping to boost up its score a tiny bit. It's far from a great game but it's an interesting base that will hopefully be built upon. The target audience is definitely younger gamers but there's enough of a challenge over the 6-10 hours of play time there for older gamers if they fancy giving it a go.
It's in these moments of fantasy that Football Manager 16 delivers like it does every year. Seeing your best laid plans come to fruition is wonderful. If you have enjoyed previous Football Manager games then you'll enjoy this. It's more of the same, which isn't a bad thing, but does mean people that bought Football Manager 15 might feel that the differences don't warrant investing in the new game.
Polarized is not the perfect ending that some might've hoped for but it's a very strong finale. It carries a lot of the problems the other episodes did but they are issues that feel small in the grand scheme of things. The issues addressed narratively are situations that not many games have been brave enough to explore. That's something that can be said for the game as a whole. For that alone Life is Strange deserves to be applauded.
It's hard to really pinpoint who will enjoy Blood Bowl 2 the most. Strategy, board game and American Football fans will all get something from it. Still, it's worth trying your hand at it even if you're not a fan of those genres. The main issue with the game is the steep learning curve and the length of the matches. If you're someone with limited time this probably isn't the game for you. If you do have the time for such a big commitment though, then you're in for a treat.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 could've been great. It's the first 3D skateboarding game of this generation and all it really had to do was deliver an experience a bit better than the likes of Proving Ground and Project 8, just modernised to 2015. It failed to do that though, creating an experience that feels like a step backwards for the series. There's still fun to be had, especially if you can grab the game in the sales, but it's a disappointing installment you'll probably soon put to one side.
SOMA is a game that will sit in the memory for a while despite its shortcomings. The sound design, world building and story deserve to rightfully become a footnote in videogame design. Frictional Games do so much right creating a science fiction story. It falls short at times when trying to be a more traditional horror, but the highs certainly outweigh the lows. It's an impressive console debut, and I can't wait to see what the developers create next.
There's replayability in going for high scores and playing through harder difficulties, but most will play this once and probably not want to go back. When a price drop occurs and you have a craving for a 3D hack and slash adventure maybe give it a shot, but until then it's hard to recommend the game to anyone that isn't already a fan of the series.
Hatoful Boyfriend is light hearted and definitely something designed to make you smile. It's not going to set the world on fire but it can be picked up for a small amount of money and is something that anyone can play due to its simplistic controls. Its style of humour may not be for everyone, but for those that do find the absurd hilarious it is definitely worth considering picking it up.
When it comes to immersive experiences Everybody's Gone to the Rapture is definitely one worth exploring and will leave you pondering it even after you've finished. It's a nostalgic, sci-fi mystery and is one of the finest indie games to grace the PlayStation 4 in 2015.
Dark Room is the strongest episode of Life is Strange. It leaves you wanting to see what happens to Max Caulfield and the rest of Arcadia Bay whilst also delivering a truly entertaining slice of gaming.
The PlayStation 4 instalment is the best version of Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster and although both games have their flaws and are a bit dated, they are still extremely solid JRPGs. The fact that you can now get the ultimate version of both games in something that costs less than £40 is great. Especially when you consider the 100+ hour's worth of gameplay the game has to offer.
It wouldn't be the first time that a MMO has launched flawed and then been reworked at a later date. However, it doesn't seem that the fixes that are needed to make Wander a game that is fun to play are a quick fix. The world is large but bland, the way to communicate with others is clunky and characters need a lot of work so they feel more natural to play as. Hopefully they'll get there.
Farming Simulator 15 is a fun game but not fun enough nor polished enough to warrant the £45 RRP on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It's a strong base that is strangely relaxing and hopefully the developers build upon this in future releases. It fails to be enough of a simulation to live up to its namesake, but if you're a fan of agriculture there is enjoyment to be had.
If you're a fan of the crime genre, whether it's in videogame, television, film or book form, this is definitely a game for you. It's easy to pick up but difficult to put down and will leave you wanting to discuss and analyse it even when you're not playing.
The continued development of Max and Chloe as a crime solving duo is handled in a way that really makes you care for both of them. Time travel and its consequences are also being explored brilliantly, with the weight of each decision requiring you to really think things through.
White Night is likely to be a game that only the hardcore survival horror fans enjoy due to its old school survival horror design but it is definitely something worth considering if you fit the target audience. Just don't go into it expecting an all out action extravaganza. This is a slow and methodical game that, if you take your time with it, has a unique charm.
Life Is Strange is on an interesting path at the moment. Its second episode throws bigger decisions at you than the first and it will leave you racking your brain to try and figure out what the outcome will be in future episodes. Whatever may happen Life Is Strange is looking to be the kind of game that you will go back to more than once, just to see if you did something else would everything be OK.
Flame Over shows that the world of fire fighting can make for a very good game. It piles on the panic of battling a fire, but keeps it fun for all thanks to its style and presentation. If you have been wanting to attempt a roguelike game, you consider yourself a veteran or you just want to put out some fires and save some cats, then Flame Over is well worth picking up.
If you're a fan of teenage dramas like Rushmore, Juno and The Breakfast Club and happen to also have a love for games like The Walking Dead, Beyond: Two Souls and Heavy Rain, this first episode is well worth your time. It's not a game that everyone will enjoy, despite it being easy for all to pick up but, for those it does click with, they won't be disappointed.
Akiba's Trip: Undead and Undressed on PlayStation 4 is a far better game than it probably has a right to be. With a unique combat system that works well and a story that has some genuinely laugh out loud moments, it is an enjoyable ride whilst it lasts. It is a more enjoyable experience if you take your time with it and explore some of the side-missions and the Toybox mode where everything is unlocked from the start is great fun.