Dominic Sheard's Reviews
Grey Goo is perfect for fans of 90s real-time strategy games and is one of the best RTS games in recent memories not to be called StarCraft II.
[T]he game, despite some of the shortcomings with its combat, is fun and charming that scratches an itch for people who like levelling up characters to take them through the difficulties, and as for what is available on the platform, you can do much worse than Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds.
Anyone who enjoys the series will find things to enjoy in Saints Row: Gat out of Hell, but as long as you don't go in expecting a long story backed by great mission design, you should get on just fine with this uninspired bite size, but familiar, addition to the Saints Row family.
Dokuro features some crafty and creative puzzle designs to stump your brain and a dark presentation that is different, making it stand out in a packed fill genre, and is a fun game to spend time with, but it might be better to play the Vita version instead of this barebones PC edition.
It's more exciting to play with a friend, as playing solo spoils some of the magic that comes with games aimed for a group of people, but either way, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is a good game for anyone into arcade twin-stick action, platforming and fun, but unpretentious, puzzles.
Tales from the Borderlands: Episode One – Zer0 Sum is a brilliant start to the season, showcasing a strong cast of characters, speedy pacing, while managing to sustain the Borderlands tropes without hurting what people like about the cinematic adventure genre.
Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham is another solid and humorous jump into the world of Lego and the DC universe. It has issues, such as sloppy AI and a sluggish start, but that aside, the game is packed with references pouring out of its ears.
FIFA still has the style and the flair of bringing an authentic looking presentation, but if you want great football on the pitch, then there is only one choice this year, Pro Evolution Soccer 2015.
I had high praise for Valkyria Chronicles when it first came out on PlayStation 3. Even now, I feel that Valkyria Chronicles is a game that deserves to be played by everyone. It's innovative, refreshing and blends different mechanics from other genres exceptionally well.
This year's Football Manager game feels a bit like the current state of Manchester United. The series has previously brought meaningful and well thought out advancements to improve the game, but this year the impact on the game comes across less aspiring and more awkward, as the company strives to make the most complete management experience a player can have, even if this means bringing along some of the boring parts of the job as well.
If it wasn't clear from my introduction, then it should be now. Samurai Warriors 4 is Omega Force taking the series forward by recalculating its understanding of the franchise and adapting it to be better at what it does best – supplying none stop badassery, frantic, fast action with improved mechanics to the core gameplay and plenty of content to explore, which in turn shifts the title for best entry in any Warriors game to date into this warlord's castle.
There is potential in the future for the franchise to grow its ambitions, but as it stands, Lords of the Fallen is a title I can see people forgetting once Bloodborne arrives, but until then, Harkyn's adventure is worth a view for anyone wanting something to slow down their craving for death until February comes around.
While The Evil Within won't make as big of an impact on the medium of video games as its spiritual predecessor, there's a few design choices that hold the experience back and the story is more on the side of "what the hell" than offering a satisfying tale, it's still a great game for a trip back to that atmospheric, tense, semi old-school horror that manages to stand out in this current age, because big budget action horrors aren't created anymore and no one creates an action horror like the father of the genre, Shinji Mikami.
It won't blow your socks off mechanically, but people looking to just pick a car and drive in an exotic location without any complications will find fun here, it's just a huge shame that Driveclub could have done with more work before being released in its the current state.
Endless Legend offers one of the more refreshing entries in the genre, and it will destroy your sense of time and disrupt your sleeping pattern. This should be a sign to anyone that Endless Legend is not only a successful turn-based strategy title, but also a great game.
Some fans will find things to like about Ancient Space, but its gameplay isn't as infinite as the depths of space that surrounds us.
Defense Grid 2 is more Defense Grid, meaning that this is one of the better entries in the genre that you can currently pick up on Steam. It brings back everything fans liked about the first title, while coming up with mechanics that ease the stress of failure that can come with the genre.
Simply put, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is the best game based on The Lord of the Rings licence that brings solid combat, good sneaking mechanics and joyful side content, but above all, brings an innovating mechanic to the table that is so often hard to do in this current gaming climate.
Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate allows newcomers to see the start of the improvements to the Warriors series, which at one point was suffering from its own lack of ambition, and turn itself into a worthwhile hack and slash addict's wet dream.
If you have never played the games, then this is outstanding value for money for two great first-person shooters with an amazing setting, brilliant atmosphere, fantastic graphics and solid gun combat.