Dominic Leighton's Reviews
Being able to take this huge adventure with you everywhere you go is fantastic, and, if you thought that Skyrim took over your life before, now it actually can.
Despite it's flaws, I still found Need for Speed: Payback quite a likeable arcade racer. Just having a narrative sets it apart from the other, more serious offerings this year, even if it's not delivered with much panache. Sadly it's attractive visuals, and alternate take on the genre, can't disguise a gamut of poor design decisions, some of which serve to make the enjoyable racing less than enjoyable.
Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 is a fantastic Lego game. A fun narrative, a list of well-known characters a mile long, and further refinement on the series' classic gameplay mark this out as the best Lego game yet. Admittedly, it's still another game in a well-trodden franchise, and one which doesn't reinvent the (plastic) wheel, but few brands can claim the consistent quality on show here.
Episode Five brings the season to a positive close, and while we all like a happy ending, it does perhaps paper over a few of the more negative choices you've likely made. The character-driven aspects of the series have been brilliant, as has learning more about each of the Guardians' pasts, but it's still been foisted by Telltale's creaky engine and often dull interactivity. I'd still be excited for another season, or indeed for another Marvel property to be given the same treatment, but we need some real changes made to how you physically take part in the story to keep people coming back for more.
Super Lucky's Tale is a charming and sweet indie platformer that provides hours of retro platforming joy. It's probably had far too much weight put upon its shoulders as the Xbox One X's sole launch title, and is by no means perfect; a fact that's been amplified by the recent antics of a dungaree-wearing plumber. However, while the genre has undoubtedly moved on, taken on its own merit Super Lucky's Tale is simple, inescapable fun.
Disneyland Adventures is a terrible remaster of what should be an enjoyable family game. Running around hugging cartoon characters, taking pictures and grabbing autographs is what everyone would want from a trip to Disneyland, it's just a shame that this is the kind of trip where you miss your flight, the weather is terrible, and your hotel room is dirty.
Spintires: MudRunner is utterly unique, and as a driving simulator of a niche field it is basically unparalleled. However, the difficulty level and lack of pace are likely going to make it a very niche game, while the camera is an extra challenge in itself. Still, there's grit, determination, freedom and reward to be found here for those ready to wade in.
Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure is a gentle set of challenges set in six of the most beloved animated movies of recent times. For the younger members of your household it'll likely hit the mark, with attractive graphics and welcoming gameplay, but don't expect it to offer much, if any, replay value if you're past puberty.
There's something that just feels right about playing Fire Emblem Warriors on 3DS, and as the spiritual home of the Fire Emblem in recent years, it's nice to be able to indulge in some serious hack and slash action in this universe before the franchise moves on to pastures new.
Like its Hyrulean brethren, Fire Emblem Warriors is a joyous action packed romp through hordes of faceless enemies in the company of some well-loved characters and all the trappings of a Fire Emblem game. It's not going to convince anyone who's unsure about the well-worn Warriors template, and it's far from being a technical showcase for the Switch, but it is raw, unadulterated fun packed with bags of fan service.
It may not be the most action packed in the series thus far, it's certainly one of the most memorable.
The Lego Ninjago Movie Game does a great job of bringing the full film experience to your console and wrapping it up with the next step in Lego gameplay . It's fantastic to see a return to the style of the Lego Movie Videogame, as opposed to the Lego Batman Movie's half-accurate Lego Dimensions pack, but it's bittersweet when all of that good work is somewhat undone by last-gen technical flaws which have somehow found their way back in.
Forza Motorsport 7 continues the series' march towards motoring perfection, and graphically there is simply nothing close to touching it. What's even more remarkable is that it looks so good before we see the boost the Xbox One X will bring to both the visuals and the performance. There are some downsides to that fidelity, and on a standard Xbox One the load times suck a chunk of the fun from the experience, while the game's internal economy also looks likely to cause problems further down the line. Having said that, this is still a masterpiece of racing software, and undoubtedly it's set to become what its rivals in the genre will be judged against.
WRC 7 isn't perhaps the most exciting racing game out there, but while it lacks some of the drama of Codemasters' offerings, this is still a well put together and technically sound rally game. It's also another positive step forwards for the series, which shows that there is absolutely the potential there to turn in something special.
With an expanded roster that only improves on an already great lineup, fantastic gameplay, and an increased range of challenges and modes, Pokkén Tournament DX is true fighting game gold.
In some ways Everybody's Golf has been well worth the wait. This is still the same gentle and appealing brand of arcade golf that fans have come to know and love, and it's easy to get caught up in the sheer fun of it all. However, once you venture online you'll discover that the game is currently deeply unbalanced, with micro-transactions and mobile-esque grinding sapping any sense of competition from proceedings, while asking players to reach for their wallets in order to gain an advantage. In a game that's supposed to be all about the golfing fun, Sony have categorically found a way to put you firmly in the rough.
Knack 2 is a bright and breezy action romp that keeps up its breathless pace throughout its runtime. Its well-trodden gameplay beats are far from revolutionary, but it is undoubtedly accomplished, and redeems much of what the first game managed to somehow get so wrong. A surprise and a somewhat guilty delight.
Madden 18 is yet another triumph for the series, and this year's big success story is the game's Longshot narrative. It seems incongruous to be talking about heartfelt, well-acted storytelling in a Madden game, yet it's a perfect fit, hanging some drama off EA's rock-solid mechanics and fantastic visuals.
The storytelling sags a little in the middle, but just when you think you know where everything is heading, a little change of direction – and plenty of space brawling – brings things back around. Bring on episode four.
Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth sets a fantastic tone, and does an admirable job of capturing the era, setting and the characters of this iconic piece of fiction. It's a shame that at various points the game puts you off, whether through multiple loading screens, obtuse exploration, or a few other technical distractions. That being said, I can't wait to see how Book Two unfolds, and can only hope Daedalic find a way for the gameplay to match the presentation.