Mario Golf World Tour offers a methodical 3DS sports title that fills a niche on the console more than adequately, and it would have been a compelling and satisfying golf game regardless of whether it built courses in the Mushroom Kingdom or not. One of the best plates of chips I've had in a while, regardless of the ketchup.
If you had issues with Dark Souls II on console then Dark Souls II PC will not fix them. If you were hoping that this would be the gorgeous next-gen Souls experience we were shown in that first video then, well, it isn't. But if you were holding out to find out just how the PC version of Dark Souls II performs then know, with full confidence, that it is far and away the superior version, and that's without the need to download any sort of fan-made patch. The cycle of death and success has never felt this good.
Kitties have claws, and kitties scratch. Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails certainly does this through its difficulty and unique controls. Yet cats also have a unique trait: for all their peculiar habits, their demanding nature and their tendency to puke in the hallway overnight, they're inescapably lovable because of what they are. Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails, with its strange design and riveting gameplay, echoes this side of the feline personality, too. Captivating stuff.
The Last Tinker: City of Colors blends the aesthetic stylings of platformers past with design concepts taken from modern classics. While this meeting of the times may not be a constant success, there's enough gorgeous art and frequent, snapshot ideas here to satisfy any gamer's dietary requirement of primary colours.
Five styles of driving all done justice with one of the most violent and emergent racing engines available make GRID Autosport a compelling title for both car enthusiasts and petrol heads alike. Even if your interest in cars is merely fleeting, GRID Autosport juggles realism and aggressive satisfaction to deliver an intoxicating mix somewhere between the joy of an arcade racer and the science of a true sim. Excellent.
Shovel Knight is a genuine success. While early play will entice comparisons due to its clear reverence of the past, the true mark of the game's quality is that, upon completion, you'll simply refer to it's many levels, bosses, and ideas, as Shovel Knight. The wonderful modern retro classic, Shovel Knight.
Abyss Odyssey is absolutely the sum of its parts. While its platforming and fighter credentials might not hold up individually, their combination alongside the roguelike sensibilities and community co-operation help elevate these lacking mechanics to be something more compelling than they would be alone. A curious experiment, and one that's well worth continued testing.
Back to Bed is an acceptable puzzle game with outstanding presentation. The gameplay simply leans too heavily on illusions to offer a top tier puzzle experience, but it's worth investigating simply for the dreamy combination of M.C.Escher, Salvidore Dahli and Monty Python. It puts my Rocky Horror styled nightmares to shame with ease, and is an artistic vision that will stick with you for a long while after you've cleared its short campaign.
Not all of the acting is perfect, admittedly, and the audio presentation won't be to everyone's tastes, but when it works Cloud Chamber is an absorbing, massive, occasionally unsettling, but absolutely compelling experiment in community narrative investigation. It will require dedication and perseverance to enjoy fully, but don't ignore it, Cloud Chamber is the most innovative slice of interactive storytelling in years.
GoD Factory: Wingmen may win the award for worst named game of 2014 thus far, but this naming blunder masks one of the smartest multiplayer team games of recent years. Layers of thoughtful design are married to tight, responsive, spontaneous space flight controls to make a four-versus-four online space shooter that's both thrilling and satisfying in equal measure.
Hyrule Warriors is a success. It enables Nintendo to explore the Zelda cast and world in large scale conflicts, while also offering fans an avenue for rampant nostalgia. The game only falls down due to the documented trappings of the Warriors franchise and the fault of being the first of its line, even though it does make some brave attempts to improve on the template with this. If you have a penchant for the world of Nintendo's Hylian hero, and don't mind the repetition of its design, then Hyrule Warriors undeniably offers an entertaining and satisfying way to engage in large scale quasi-tactical Hyrulian combat.
It's not feature rich, and it's not the perfect way to play Super Smash Bros. 4, but Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS does mean you can see if attacks link in training while in the queue for coffee. It means you can set a new high score in a home run contest while on the loo and save the replay to prove how you did it later. It means you can play Super Smash Bros. online without crippling lag, while waiting for pasta to boil, and then watch some replays of online Luigi players while you eat. It would be easy to sit and reel off a list of things Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS doesn't have, but it's better to focus on what it is. And what it is, is a functionally excellent, portable version of Super Smash Bros.
Wasteland 2 is a warm return to the RPGs of yesteryear. To quests that take hours to complete, to traps in every corridor, to desperate item foraging in light of dwindling ammo supplies. It's not a classic of its genre, but it is ultimately a beacon of hope for a certain style of RPG – the video game pen and paper style – that many thought had been lost in more recent years.
F1 2014 is a very iterative update, with no great new ideas, but it's still an expertly crafted testament to its source material.
Stealth Inc 2 takes brave steps to expand the formula and, despite a few stumbles, succeeds in sculpting a more varied precision puzzle platformer.
An interesting premise, but Rollers of the Realm struggles with its identity.
The multiplayer classic returns to its roots under a new name. If you have three friends to join you, online or off, Toybox Turbos is the true heir to the Micro Machines crown.
A traditional MMO expansion, delivering more World of Warcraft, while quietly improving its framework through cinematic touches, delivering greater variety in dungeon design, and adding compelling social game undercurrents.
Citizens of Earth is a quirky JRPG with a sense of humour that loves to make fun of American stereotypes. Destined for cult status.