Richard Walker's Reviews
Something of a return to form for the series, Assassin's Creed Syndicate is the perfect marriage of time, place and characters with an entertaining story and fun gameplay to match. London has never seemed so appealing.
A decent rally title, WRC 5 has its issues, but none of them are game-breaking. The online mode might be severely lacking, but the single-player experience is fully-formed, with Career Mode, Quick Rally and Quick Stage modes offering plenty of solo enjoyment. If you're after a good rally racer, look no further.
Don't be fooled by its simplistic, retro visual stylings. Crimsonland is enormous fun, and the perfect game to dip in and out of on occasion. Will you keep coming back for more though? Probably not.
Like a robot in disguise, Transformers: Devastation is a really good game that could have been potentially great. Sadly, there isn't more than meets the eye to Platinum's effort, but what is included is superb. It's just too bad there isn't a little bit more of it.
A game in which Batman rubs shoulders with the Stay Puft marshmallow man, where Gandalf solves puzzles at Aperture Sciences and Wyldstyle punches orcs, LEGO Dimensions is a smile-inducing mash-up that revels in everything that makes LEGO such a joy.
Not exactly a massive Air Jordan-style leap over NBA 2K15, this year's game is nonetheless a substantial enough evolution to warrant a closer look. MyCareer's Spike Lee Joint isn't as groundbreaking as it thinks it is, but proves engaging enough for a few hours. As ever though, NBA 2K16's vast number of modes and options, as well as its unparalleled and authentic on-court experience makes it a basketball game that continues to stand tall.
Simply a better game than Forza 5 and with a lot more content to boot, Forza Motorsport 6 is an endlessly playable racer that deserves a spot in your Xbox One collection. Go get it.
1337 & Senri's game is a great indie platformer that's a bit on the short side, but for $7, it's a steal. Challenging and enjoyable while it lasts, Leo's Fortune is well worth a punt. It's the best game starring a furry green testicle with a moustache that you're ever likely to play.
Mad Max is a solid, if slightly unremarkable open-world game that does a good job in replicating the atmosphere and tone of the movies, and the character's essence, but fails to provide any real excitement beyond its vehicle-based combat. Exploring the Wasteland can be a boring affair at times, but if exploring Max's relentlessly bleak world sounds like your cup of tea, you'll probably love Mad Max. Still, it's hard to shake the sense that this could have been better.
An improvement over the previous Infinity games, Disney Infinity 3.0 is the most definitive instalment in the series to date, putting Disney Originals, Marvel and Star Wars under one roof. Factor in the power and possibilities presented by the Toy Box, and Disney Infinity 3.0 would be almost impossible to resist if a little more attention had been lavished upon the core gameplay. As it is, it's a worthwhile upgrade and excellent entry into the 'toys to life' market. And the figures are still awesome too.
A celebration of everything that makes MGS so brilliantly unique, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain heralds a new stage in Kojima's stealth opus that might sadly be his last. Should the Metal Gear series continue without Kojima Productions, we'd be surprised if it's anywhere near as superlative as this. The Phantom Pain is sensational.
A solid first effort at Formula One on current consoles, F1 2015 is nevertheless hamstrung by a dearth of modes. The strength of the on-track action does bode well for subsequent F1 games, however, although F1 2015 feels like something of a stop-gap. That said, die-hard F1 fans will still love F1 2015 regardless.
A fine twin-stick shooter, Tachyon Project is good, solid entertainment that's worth whiling away a few hours with. Pew pew, and so forth.
Spectra is good clean fun, providing just the right amount of challenge without ever feeling unfair. Its chiptune soundtrack is excellent and the undiluted arcade experience it provides will keep you hooked for a time, until a sense of repetition will have you throwing in the towel. Still, for a very reasonable asking price, Spectra is a solid little arcade title that's well worth a look.
An uncompromising, visionary conclusion to Rocksteady's Arkham trilogy, Batman: Arkham Knight is the world's greatest detective in the world's greatest superhero game. Even the presence of an overused Batmobile doesn't dampen the experience. It's simply incredible, hitting you like a batarang square in the face. Be the Batman? Yes, please.
Completing an HD overhaul for the entirety of the Devil May Cry series, Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition is a definitive package that represents decent value for money for returning players, and is pretty much essential for anyone yet to play it. Grab it with your Devil Bringer arm. It's brill.
Addictive and entertaining, Sparkle Unleashed is a more than competent Zuma-style puzzler for Xbox One that's definitely worth a look. Go on. Get your balls out.
A remarkably pleasant, entertaining and pure stealth puzzle game, Spy Chameleon is one of the best games starring a lizard we've played in some time. Lick it up.
A must for casual and hardcore racing fans alike, Project CARS does practically everything right, providing plenty of options for players of all skill levels and persuasions. I'm not much of a racing sim fan, but I found myself completely immersed in Project CARS. This is a good thing. Project CARS is a good thing. The end.
Another Nazi-blasting triumph, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is the perfect companion piece to The New Order, and proof positive that MachineGames knows exactly what it's doing with the series. The Old Blood is more of the same, which is certainly no bad thing.