Alan Bell's Reviews
Rodea the Sky Soldier has the odd interesting idea, but numerous gameplay problems betray its troubled development.
Transformers Devastation is a loving homage to its '80s cartoon source material that features the slick and satisfying combat we've come to expect from PlatinumGames. Shame it's so bloody short, though.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 is a shocking game in every respect. It's not even bad-good. Avoid, or ask for your money back.
While it doesn't reinvent the genre or lend it much additional flare, Smite is still a worthy addition to the legions of MOBA games that are now available. In particular, it works pretty well on the Xbox One, where you'll never feel gimped by the reduced number of inputs available to you on the controller.
War Chest is an incredible disappointment given the strength of the series to this point, and the exciting licences within.
Rare Replay is an amazing collection of games at a bargain price, and shows what an incredible run the UK studio has been on for the majority of its existence.
Rory McIlroy PGA Tour plays well, but it's also intermittently ugly, and there's isn't nearly enough content here for the asking price.
Mortal Kombat X is a mechanically clean and visually grisly release that comes highly recommended for all fans of the fighting genre.
Unless you're a Final Fantasy diehard, Type-0 should be played in its original form on handheld, or not at all.
Travel the universe and meet hordes of interesting alien species, then shoot them repeatedly in the face - with friends.
Solid, if far from revolutionary, and well past its used-by date in terms of its treatment of women.
Super Stardust Ultra is basically a prettier and marginally expanded version of Super Stardust HD that can only really be recommended to newcomers.
What's here works well enough, but it lacks soul, and if there's any motivation to continue it's only that you want to see it through - a damning indictment for any game.
Warlords of Draenor is WoW at its very best, a return to and step beyond form for the behemoth MMO.
It looks like Zelda and plays like Dynasty Warriors. Yep, it does pretty much what it says on the tin.
As an Xbox One exclusive Sunset Overdrive is a real coup for Microsoft, a must-buy for anyone with the system, and for those without as good a reason as any to consider acquiring one.
Skylanders: Trap Team is packed full of clever ideas and sharp design. It's well presented and well executed, but be warned: if you let your guard down, it'll also crit your credit card for massive damage.
With around five hours of content and a more engaging story, inFamous: First Light is easy to recommend to players familiar with the universe. New players should consider starting elsewhere.
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Ultimate Evil Edition is a genre-defining experience on consoles. It's a must for console-owning fans of the franchise, and a highly recommended entry point for anyone interested in the action-RPG genre.
Magic 2015 is a step backwards for the Planeswalkers series, and could potentially prove a costly misstep for Stainless Games given the recent, celebrated arrival of Blizzard in the CCG genre.