Richard Walker's Reviews
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham sweeps away any doubts we might have had about TT Games' well-established template growing tiresome. It might start a little slow, yet the game is nothing but an absolute pleasure to play throughout. Pow!
Assassin's Creed Unity makes me sad. Boasting moments of excellence, it falls way short of being the new-gen Assassin's Creed game that I wanted. Regrettably, it's no French Revolution. It's still fun, but screw it. Off with its head!
One of the best Call of Duty games in a while, Advanced Warfare is a triumphant effort from Sledgehammer Games, whose storytelling nous and risk-taking in introducing the Exo pays off in spades. It's not the jaw-dropping reinvention that Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was back in 2007, but Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is the shot in the arm the series needed.
A wonderful throwback to the 90s shooter, Shadow Warrior is a fine remake that doesn't purport to offer anything more than a rip-roaring blast through hordes of demons. Shadow Warrior is bloody, wilfully daft and rather brilliant.
2K Sports and Visual Concepts takes NBA 2K15 to the next level for another year, but stops short of introducing any sweeping changes. The on-court action has been refined and MyCareer is arguably better than ever, making NBA 2K15 another fine basketball game. It's just a shame that the online facet of the game is so poor. Despite this, NBA 2K15 is still well worth checking out.
A throwback to survival horror's heyday, The Evil Within's story is daft and convoluted, featuring a mad scientist who might as well be Krieger from Archer. Frustrating and entertaining in equal measure, The Evil Within falls short of offering any proper scares.
Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition is the perfect chance for newcomers to give United Front Games' open-world caper a go. Stuffed to the gills with content, it's a generous package, and one that even those considering a second trip will enjoy.
At a glance, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor seems like an ill-inspired Tolkien action game. Delve deeper beneath the surface and you'll find an exciting game with fantastic production values, thoroughly enjoyable gameplay, a good dose of variety and a killer hook in the Nemesis System. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is simply the finest Tolkien game we've played in quite some time.
Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes takes the first game, bolsters the Toy Box, crams in a bunch of new stuff and introduces some of Marvel Comics' finest characters into the fray. Any self-respecting Marvel fan is going to get a kick out of it, and the figures are fantastic, but repetition and slightly shoddy mechanics make the game a bit of a chore. The real longevity is in the Toy Box, where the only limit is your imagination. As well as your wallet and patience.
Destiny is fun, despite an utterly disposable story and a lack of content in a number of departments. For now, the fun factor is enough to keep us coming back for more, but Destiny's long-term prospects once the initial shine has worn off altogether, don't seem particularly inspiring. It's not quite the epic space-faring journey we were expecting, but for the time being, we'll sit back and enjoy the ride.
A fresh start for MMA fighting games on consoles, EA Sports UFC is a solid second crack at the sport for EA that still has acres of room for improvement. It looks remarkable, but it's a pretty face with a big black eye. EA Sports UFC's lack of options and gameplay finesse mar the overall package, but we can't wait to see what EA Sports UFC has in store next year.
Throwaway macabre fun, Murdered: Soul Suspect will likely keep you hooked until its only partially predictable conclusion. The game does a decent job of throwing up red herrings, before delivering its ending, but the journey to get there is a largely uninspired and inconsistent slog.
If you like Worms, you'll still love Worms Battlegrounds. Deathmatch and Forts modes are still fun when played with friends, but single-player feels like an interminable grind. Here's what you need to know, in a nutshell: it's a Worms game. Pure and simple.
Achtung! Wolfenstein: The New Order ist ein sehr gutes spiel. That is to say, it's a really good game. MachineGames has done the series the due service it deserves, delivering a thrilling and immensely entertaining Nazi smashing shooter that demands to be played and savoured.
A retro-style shooter that's both funny and fun, Super Time Force's temporal twists and turns are what make it well worth playing. It's unlikely you'll have played anything with the same kind of unfettered energy either. It's time you gave it a go.
Essentially picking up where the last game left off, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 does little to push the series forward, instead choosing to play it safe and reheat the same gameplay structure. That said, there's still a fair bit to enjoy here, especially if you missed out on the first Amazing Spider-Man. Thwip.
Ubisoft Montreal has conjured a fairy tale world that you'll enjoy spending time in, a wondrous RPG adventure with its own line in rhyming. Child of Light is a glorious game, short and yet sweet, memorable, gorgeous; an incredible feat. And for the small price you'll be paying, Child of Light is definitely more than worth playing. So buy it.
As relentlessly bastard-hard as ever, Trials Fusion coaxes you in with its easy and medium events, before kicking you square in the balls with its later hard and extreme tracks. It's still utterly brilliant, but takes no prisoners. In conclusion: Trials Fusion – good but hard. Just like the other games. Buy it.
Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut isn't a bad game, it's just not a particularly great one. If you're screaming out for a space combat game in the Colony Wars mould, however, this will certainly fit the bill. Just don't expect to be playing Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut for a particularly long time after you've beaten the missions the first time around.
On paper, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes sounds like an elaborate demo. In reality, it's a bigger game than it initially seems. Spend five hours with the game, and you'll be lucky if your completion is even nearing 25%. Play for eight or more, and you'll still be wringing juice out of Camp Omega. Be warned, at face value, this game is small, but there's much more to Ground Zeroes than meets Big Boss' one eye.