To be able to read the emotions of computer-generated characters, rather than having them spell out their feelings through dialogue, is a rare achievement in games.
Dark puzzler one of the best games of the year
Amsterdam-based studio Guerilla Games, best known for PlayStation's grim but visually impressive Killzone franchise, spent more than six years on Horizon Zero Dawn, and it shows: in the beauty of the game's visuals, the depth of its backstory and the tightness of its design. Hopefully this isn't the last we'll see of this high-tech savage land. (Horizon Forbidden West, maybe? Please?)
Would it have been great to see Ubisoft crack the conundrum of delivering open-world freedom with an equally unforgettable storyline? It would, and I challenge them to do exactly that with the inevitable Far Cry 5. But until then, this trip to Kyrat is well worth taking.
It's tough to recommend for PS3 players who have already played the game, as the $55 price is a bit steep for some enhanced visuals and a bit of added content. But PlayStation 4 owners who haven't yet experienced The Last of Us absolutely owe it to themselves to pick up this modern classic, and take a journey with Joel and Ellie across the heartbreakingly beautiful ruins of our world.
So many itches. And right now, a little voice tells me it's time to stop typing and go scratch.
Still, Batman: Arkham Knight is a game that shows what can happen when an insanely talented development studio is completely invested in a fictional universe and has mastered the technology to bring it to life. We've become the Batman before, but never quite like this.
If you were on the fence about Dying Light when it first came out – and even if you're still suffering from undead overdose – now's the time to jump in. This is a zombie game that truly deserves its following.
Twitter: @stevetilley
Still, it's so very refreshing to find a true gem in the ever-expanding rockpile of retro-influenced games, and Shovel Knight is a wonderful love letter to some of the classics that many of us grew up with. You will dig it.
It's tough to get excited by video game zombies these days, but by blending a detailed open world, cool parkour moves and a satisfyingly deep system for character and weapon customization, Dying Light has clawed out a novel space in this crowded genre. Long live the undead.
True to its name, Unity is a cohesive collection of the fundamental elements of the Assassin's Creed experience, and feels like a much-needed reset for a franchise that was starting to become bloated and scattered. It may not be a revolution, but vive l'unité all the same.
[I]t will fray your nerves and test your mind. But won't hack its way into your heart.
Fans of Lego games will find more to love with Lego The Hobbit, as long as they're not growing weary of this increasingly familiar formula. There's nothing unexpected about this journey, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable.
[Q]uibbles aside, Infamous: Second Son is a game that truly showcases the PS4's impressive technology, and succeeds in ushering one of Sony's best exclusive franchises into the next generation. It's by far the most impressive and enjoyable of the three Infamous games, and marks an evolution not just in visual presentation, but in the scope of things that can be done in an open-world superhero game.
Clever, colourful and weirdly comforting – there's little to dislike about The Lego Movie Videogame, even if it feels assembled from the same bricks as its predecessors. Not everything is awesome, but it comes close enough.
There are a few other niggling issues, like occasionally problematic camera controls, the baffling lack of an instant replay feature and some overall rough edges in the presentation. But for that narrow subset of players who like racing, puzzle and construction games – and who have a slightly sadistic streak, to boot – Screamride is not to be missed. It's almost enough to make you forget high school physics. Almost.
Still, a big part of me wishes I'd waited for Act II and played Broken Age in its uninterrupted entirety. It's smart to always leave the audience wanting more, but when a book is snapped shut in the middle of a story, there's a danger of the reader getting his fingers pinched. And mine, frankly, feel a little bit sore.
Yoshi's Woolly World doesn't do much that we haven't seen before in Nintendo's long history of these sorts of games, and its exceptional cuteness factor helps overcome some of its slightly derivative design. But in a season so focused on doing vicious harm in virtual worlds, its lovely to take a whimsical stroll with this delightful dinosaur daredevil.
But that's OK. Sunset Overdrive is a welcome response to the gritty, drab and deadly serious shooters that make up the majority of this genre. It sometimes tries way too hard to be funny, but more often than not it's a riotous riff on things that gaming holds dear, and an intoxicating action saga in its own right. As long as you can survive the woozy cough syrup hangover the morning after.