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Yes it's available on nearly every other platform but that means that everyone can experience the expert level design, constant surprise and cheerful glee that is Rayman Legends.
Full Burst is not an easy game to get into, but it's a fun, engaging and exciting experience if you're willing to put a little effort into it. For fans of the show it's a must-have title and while it's not the perfect introduction to the anime, it's perfectly possible for newcomers to have a lot of fun here too.
Plants Vs Zombies is bright, colourful, lovely to look at and fun to play - it's the third person shooter no-one knew they wanted and may go a little way to filling the small gap before the big triple A games start to drop.
Luftrausers is an entertaining blast. Its two- to three-minute forays into the skies provide some of the most enjoyable arcade fun we've had outside of... well, an arcade, for some time. A crudely drawn cipher of Richthofen you may be, but there's no denying the majesty those basic pixels bestow upon the player, your inner Red Baron leaping for the chance to prove your worthiness amongst the clouds.
Titanfall isn't a stunning technical achievement, it isn't a master class in storytelling however it is arguably the best evolution of online multiplayer in some time. A godsend to those Call of Duty players who aren't 'hardcore' and have grown very tired of getting shot in the back with no idea how it happened. Familiar and different at the same time, simply a must for any Xbox One owner and a very convincing argument for an Xbox One.
Chaos Rising is probably the most fun of the three episodes so far, but their similarity in everything from structure down to animation does little to endear the player to these hastily-sketched caricatures. There's every likelihood that the next episode will follow the same pattern but an hour is enough to draw an intriguing character. We haven't seen one yet - perhaps Capcom Vancouver are saving the best for last? We can but hope.
By very slightly opening up the experience, Dark Souls II has risked unravelling this success, particularly for the hardcore fanbase. But in actuality the minor changes do not hugely alter the overall gameplay. It is still wonderfully mysterious and horrendously punishing, all backed up by a unique battle and skill system that is so gloriously balanced it feels like a real talent to master.
The sumptuous graphics are enough to keep you playing even if the missions have bored you and the combat whilst tricky initially really sours when you have acquired a few of the obtainable powers. It's genuinely fun once you hit that sweet spot and shows off the PS4's potential in a big way, it's just a shame that it plays it very very safe throughout. Here's hoping the next Infamous game pushes the boat out that little bit further in terms of world and gameplay.
It's another lacklustre, characterless cash-in and one that solidifies Dead Rising's downloadable output as dismal, only appealing to those who haven't bought another game since or die-hard fans of pointless tasks. It's better than Chaos Rising but by capping off a promising mini-campaign with such disappointment, The Last Agent retrospectively tarnishes the whole wretched endeavour.
Really, for anyone that managed to be around as a gamer when these two games first came round, and, like me, are starting to feel like they've been round the houses a few times already themselves, the greatest element of this HD Remaster is that you can play it outside your home ' it's magic of the purest kind that gets JRPGs of this calibre running on a handheld. We've mentioned this before, back in our Metal Gear Solid HD Collection review on Vita and once again Sony have managed to bottle lightning. Not Lightning, because that would be silly, and is probably a mini-game reserved for FFXIII-4, but close enough in terms of the enjoyment you'll get out of it. Spira is a wonderful and lively place to visit, and quite honestly you could probably get enough content out of this collection to last you the rest of the year.
It's worth a few laughs for the odd hour or two, and possibly more if you're the kind to tinker with ragdoll physics and game mechanics to comic effect. I wouldn't buy this expecting any epic JRPG narratives or emotional rollercoasters but you didn't really expect that... did you?
Jazzpunk isn't going to be everybody's cup of tea but it's guaranteed to make you laugh. If one joke doesn't work for you, the one that follows five seconds later probably will. Much of it will depend on your tolerance for silliness, yet it remains a short and sweet experience perfect for when you need to take a break and relax. The replay value is low, but it's a nice distraction while it lasts.
Presentation is great and the AI plays a good game. The strategic layer is competently done but the highlight of the game, by far, is the fantastic tactical combat. Age of Wonders III is a must for anyone that will enjoy spending a lot of their time controlling the fights rather than just clicking auto-resolve.
Child of Light is a delight, one of those games that comes along with a nice budget price tag but nothing within could be considered 'budget'. Bursting at the seams with creativity, an excellent fantasy based story, silly yet entertaining script and a fine battle system make for an engaging if not truly taxing adventure. If you like a fantasy rich turn based RPG you'd be an absolute fool not to buy Child of Light.
So here we have a glorified prologue which showcases the new generation with aplomb and makes the mouth water at what Kojima Productions can do over the course of a full game. You'll revel in the backstory provided and audio logs littered throughout if you're a Metal Gear aficionado and you'll just about get what's happening in this mission at least if you're not. Either way when playing it all out you'll find a wonderful bag of tricks that doesn't bore a great many hours after first reaching the closing cutscene and its unsurprising lack of closure (it is a prologue/prequel after all). After all of this you'll still be salivating. If this truly is a sign of things to come, then we might just get that perfect score.
Ultimately what RedLynx has done here is create Trials for the current generation, and brought it to more folks than ever before given the cross-platform availability. They've managed to retain the brilliant physics-based gaming we've seen before and ensure it's possible for newcomers and old pros alike to succeed - to some extent, at least. Where they've brought new elements into play the results are mixed. Quad bikes are great fun but stunt-based tracks are less exciting than they should be. Regardless there's a lot to do, a lot of ways to do it and it can all be done in a pretty and entertaining ecosystem. Whilst it's not going to wow anyone familiar or otherwise with the series, it's going to keep most happy for a pretty long time.
A Crooked Mile continues the Fabletown tale in fine form, elevating it above the weaker second chapter and putting it on a par with the first.
In a Venn diagram of South Parkfans and adventure RPG fans this game exists in the overlap. If you find yourself there too then this game is an absolute no-brainer. It's inventive, disgusting, in bad taste and absolutely hilarious. If you fall outside that area, however, this isn't going to convert you into either fandom. It's the reliance upon the source material that makes it almost perfect to its target audience, but prevents it from getting a perfect score as a game.
If you have missed space-combat shooters, as they are a real rarity, then you could do a lot worse than SSZ: Director's Cut. The truth is that the director's cut hasn't improved anything majorly from the first game, so if you have it on the PC then don't expect some revelation here as you'll be left wanting. If you don't care about story, odd pacing and at times frustrating checkpointing then you might get along quite well with SSZ. It's a brief, fun and at times utterly beautiful space-combat game, and you get to be a mech...in space...with a lot of rockets. If you just felt something warm inside then give it a punt, but you'll need to balance your love of galactic warfare with a heavy dose of forgiveness.
Warlock 2: The Exiled is a solid war-focused 4X strategy game with fantastic presentation. For newcomers to the series, it's accessible but with a depth to the strategy that's going to take you a few playthroughs to master. To fans of the first game, whether it's worth buying depends upon how much you are looking for a new and unique way to play games in this genre. If the new Exiled mode sounds intriguing then the game has a lot to offer with the potential of user created campaigns to follow. If, however, you prefer the more traditional game mode then there's not a great deal new here to tempt you.