Another high-quality first-party title for the Wii U.
Uninspiring, if solid enough.
It never hits the heights of Battlefield in its pomp, Call of Duty at its slickest or Titanfall in its explosive beta, but at its best Garden Warfare stirs the same emotions; the panic, the triumph, the tension and the elation. Whether anyone will stick with it once the Titans Are Ready is unsure, but PopCap has overachieved and delivered one of the most likeable games on next-generation hardware anywhere. Quite simply, I dig it.
Classic board games don't get marked down for only being playable with real-world humans, though, and nor should TowerFall Ascension. This is the type of game that creates memories and dissolves friendships, soundtracked by the pained swears of the defeated and the uproarious cheers of the victors. If that's not worth moving your life around for, then what is?
10 Second Ninja is a brief but expertly built piece of work; a game that offers the most hardcore of action-platforming but does so under the guise of simplicity and accessibility.
Until then, Expedition will satisfy those who've spent the past two months regenning, arc mining and "standing by", and is further proof (if any were needed) that Respawn is rather good at this whole first-person shooter thing.
EA Sports UFC is a game capable of brilliance. It's let down by some curious design decisions, signs of a team perhaps too interested in capturing non-essential moves seen on YouTube rather than nailing the essence of the sport. But when it flows against human competition, it offers beautiful destruction and glorious drama. Landing a picture-perfect head kick in the final minute of the fifth round of a title fight? Well, it doesn't get much better. And if that's not worth a fistbump, I don't know what is.
Still, it's hard not to be impressed. The fact Intercept is due for release as a standalone product later in the year suggests Guerrilla intends to offer continued support. The meagre number of maps means repetition soon kicks in, but the gorgeous visuals, frenetic carnage and demanding teamwork make for the tightest Horde variant since Mass Effect 3's. A surprisingly good time for all.
Strong, handsome and, at times, fantastic, but FIFA 15 still never quite feels like football.
A stunning and packed basketball sim, with a PC version finally on a par with consoles.
A triumphant return to the top for footballing's favourite son.
Havoc's a very decent package overall. As part one of the Season Pass, this is a strong chunk of content for the sharpest COD in years. It mixes fan service with proper map design, and gives those still addicted to that ADS snap more reason than ever to keeping plugging away towards that next prestige.
This is a shooter with ambition, designed with skill and craft, and rich with tactical possibility. If it had the punch and physical feedback of some of its less-intelligent genre mates, Evolve could have been a classic. As it is, we'll have to do with a monster with plenty of bark, but not quite enough bite.
A characterful and generous shooter, though its lack of balance is a thorn in its side.
Gearbox's blend of shooter and MOBA is generous and inventive, but the marriage of genres doesn't fully convince.
With noble intentions but scrappy delivery, Verdun is a bit of a mess.
In a banner year for first-person shooters, Respawn delivers what might well be the best.
David Jaffe returns with an obnoxious, sketchy shooter that packs a surprising - if not entirely pleasant - punch.
A misguided attempt at parody, underpinned by a poor sports game by anyone's standards.
LawBreakers is an inventive, electric and expertly engineered classic competitive shooter that deserves your time.