Sam Brooke's Reviews
In some ways it's a shame that Sapienza wasn't Hitman's first mission. With its excellent world-building, well-worked atmosphere, and beautiful setting, the sleepy coastal town is one of the best Hitman missions in recent memory, and it's quality – and quantity – of content should convince most to quit waiting and spaghett(i) this title already. Trust us, you don't want to look pasta this one.
Unlike its real-life counterpart, Eclipse isn't anything to get excited about. While the Verge and Knockout multiplayer maps have a lot of personality and are excellent fun, Rift and Spire are pretty dull. As for the zombie map, Zetsubou no Shima will prove rewarding for any dedicated Easter egg hunters and secret scavengers, but it's lost the heart of what CoD Zombies is all about, and it'll put many a player off. It's not a bad DLC – you just won't love it to (or)bits.
Coming from the mind of a Sound Shapes developer, you can really see the influences in LOUD on Planet X; the quirky, minimalist style, the simplicity of its gameplay, and the excellent soundtrack all echo its spiritual predecessor. Yet Pop Sandbox's console debut does plenty to distance itself from its competitors, and its blend of beats and battles makes it a must for any rhythm game fan and a good place to start for those who aren't. Simply put, this'll strike a chord with anyone.
While its competitor MLB: The Show swings for the fences, R.B.I. Baseball 16 is happy to bunt this year round – and that's okay. The controls are easy to pick up, the games are short and sweet, and the simplicity of it all is what makes this year's edition appealing to casuals. Still, its lack of innovation and modes mean that the title gets to second base – but not much further.
EA Sports UFC 2 certainly has a lot of new additions for fans new and old, but it still hasn't gotten the gameplay right just yet. The standing game is satisfying and has some real weight to it, but the floor and clinch mechanics are where things go downhill. This content-laden sequel packs a fair few punches, then, but ultimately doesn't deliver the knockout blow.
For all of its shortcomings, Sky Fortress adds a lot of enjoyable content to an already enjoyable game. The Bavarium wingsuit is out-of-this-world fun, making for plenty of chaotic and explosive scenarios, and the campaign – despite being rather short – doesn't have many low points. It may be hard to justify the price of this DLC if you're not a committed fan, though, but keep in mind that Sky Fortress really does make Just Cause 3 that much better.
At the end of the day, Hitman's buzzword is freedom. There are so many things to do – and so many ways to do them – that you'll never have to persevere to find something fun to do. It's all in front of you: a bloody, disturbing playground rife with opportunity. The trial and error gameplay brings back memories of older Hitman titles, while new ideas such as the excellent Escalation mode keep things fresh. Simply put, the Intro Pack is a great buy for old fans and new blood alike – there aren't many stealth games of this calibre.
Alekhine's Gun's amateurish animation, godawful gameplay, faulty framerate, abysmal AI, and garish graphics all conspire to ensure that you'll never, ever enjoy playing this game. There's no variety or originality, and it's more bug-ridden than an abandoned sandwich – it seems that testing wasn't given much consideration during development. This title is one of a very rare breed, one that will appeal to absolutely no one, and buying it would quite literally be akin to throwing your money away. Simply put, we can Nazi anyone having fun with this.
Ironcast is a surprisingly strategic and complex game, while will hold your interest for quite a while. There's enough randomisation for the title to feel fresh for a long time, and every battle is one of tension and risky moves, with each action really meaning something. Winning a skirmish feels very satisfying, with the rewards after feeling even better, and though the difficulty may put people off, those who can grin and bear the painful defeats will be treated like un prince.
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia Marx the end of the ill-fated Chronicles series, but instead of making a final stand, Climax's latest treads water. While the visual style is pleasant and the atmosphere is strong, attempts to inject the game with innovation fall flatter than the Berlin Wall in 1990, and the title hasn't really got much to offer to fans old or new in terms of stealth or combat. There are far better Assassin's Creed games and far better platformers, so this spin-off has nowhere else to go but the gulag.
Awakening is a solid start for Black Ops 3's DLC catalogue, with some moments of excellence punctuated with patches of dull dreariness. Gauntlet and Skyjacked provide excellent, fast-paced fun in most modes, while Splash could also become a favourite in time. Rise deserves no praise for its cookie-cutter style, but Der Eisendrache is easily one of the most unique and fun Zombies experiences to date, despite its occasional shortcomings. All in all, despite its slightly steep price, Awakening provides the pep pills needed to keep Treyarch's latest alive and kicking.
If you're looking for a complicated game that will take a lot of time to master, then look no further, but if it's a pick-up-and-play shooter that you desire, then World of Tanks isn't Reich for you.
Aside from the setting, Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India doesn't make much of an effort to distance itself from its side-scrolling predecessor. While its stealth system works well and its combat feels good, it's just more of the same. The dialogue is dull, the art style doesn't look good at all, and the game just doesn't have much appeal. It's certainly not bad, it's just so bang average that you'll have seen it all before.
Despite the technical problems – which need to be sorted out quickly, really – we've had a terrifying amount of fun with Just Cause 3. The freedom enabled by this game is second to none, and the island of Medici offers plenty of opportunities for creativity – or, of course, explosions. The campaign may have some low points, but attacking bases and liberating towns is some of the best fun that you'll find on the PS4 this year.
If you've already played Deadpool on previous platforms then there's no real reason to revisit it. However, if you're a newcomer and you want to get hyped for next year's movie starring Ryan Reynolds, then you'll have a fun time with this PS4 version. While it's not the most ambitious remaster, the hilarious jokes, varied gameplay, and stellar voice acting ensure that you'll have a good time.
Let's Sing 2016 is practically the same game as Now That's What I Call Sing adapted for the North American audience, which means that it's a pretty solid singing game. The wide range of modes makes it fun to play with others, and the songs are varied enough to keep things fresh, whoever you're playing with. All in all, this game certainly isn't rudimental.
The sheer length of this review should tell you that Call of Duty: Black Ops III is filled to the brim with content. While there are some low points and pacing issues, the campaign's customisation, freedom, and verticality make it excellent to play with friends. Meanwhile, mutliplayer has more customisation and replayability than ever before, and Zombies is brilliant in its complexity and difficulty. While Ghosts may have bitten the bullet, Black Ops III reloads the franchise into a new, brighter era.
Just Dance 2016 is great fun for people of all ages, and is an excellent game among friends. The tracklist is diverse and the dances are crazy, and the addition of using a phone as a controller is the best idea that the franchise has had in a while. It's got replayability, variation, and – most importantly – fun in spades. We don't think that we can make this any more clear – this game Derules.
Guitar Hero Live surpasses Rock Band 4 in terms of track list and replayability, but sadly lacks the party appeal that Harmonix's latest provides. Though Guitar Hero TV is an excellent addition to the series that really makes the game, the microtransactions ruin it for us. There's no kidding that Guitar Hero Live is a very fun game, it just feels like it cares more about the money than it does about the fans.
NOW That's What I Call Sing is a solid buy for anyone in need of a karaoke game on the PS4. Its wide variety of modes make it a hugely entertaining release to play with friends or by yourself, and the vast range of songs ensures that you'll always have something to sing. Whether you're in the mood for Jess Glynne or Lorde, this title has you covered – and that's what makes it Charli XCXellent.