The Digital Fix
HomepageThe Digital Fix's Reviews
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.
Tomb Raider is one of the games of the last generation and now it's that little bit prettier, and better for it. More realistic, more visceral as a result and an absolute delight to play through one more time. If you missed it first time around buy it now, if you loved it originally it's better the second time around and if you are still on the fence, trust us when we say you really should pick up the definitive version as soon as your wallet allows for it. A great release to fill the void before some decent games come out on both next gen platforms.
If you're upgrading your console soon you may want to hold off as a next-gen version is due to drop shortly, but if you're into hoops and plan on sticking with your current machine into the new year and beyond, this is a must-buy, even if you already have the previous game in the series. Who knows what the next console generation will bring, with 2K marching triumphantly onwards and EA bringing back NBA Live for the first time in five years, but for now, this is just the best version of the best video game basketball experience you're going to find.
Not content on being best episode in the series so far, Catch A Ride is one of Telltale Games' finest works to date
Forza Horizon 2 is simply a joy to play - combining the gorgeous graphics, authentic but forgiving car handling, a wealth of single player content along with some fantastic social features. The the Xbox One does appear to have its first killer app.
In almost every respect Pillars of Eternity is a true successor to the genre - a perfect introduction for RPG newcomers, and for everyone else, the game they've been waiting fifteen years for.
There are between fifty and seventy hours of gameplay in Wasteland 2 for those willing to invest in its world, explore each new area fully and complete each available mission. That we were happy to do just that is testament to the brilliant design, engaging storyline and immersive combat of inXile's world. Brian Fargo and his team have excelled here, and it leaves us with one remaining question - if Wasteland 2 is this good, what can we look forward to with the forthcoming Torment: Tides of Numenara?
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 Talos Principle will make you feel confounded but in that wonderful way that precludes an epiphany. You'll leave each session feeling genuinely smarter - and perhaps a little rebellious to boot.
The beauty of Year Walk is in its discovery, and it's heartening to see a crossover of a more niche mobile title onto the PC platform, especially one which brings such atmosphere and creativity to the fore.
Broken Age works. Its story is compelling and captivating, giving you questions and clues all the way, and the absolutely stunning ending will leave you desperate to continue. The worlds created are fascinating and diverse, tied together perfectly with incredible artwork and music.
Super Mario 3D World is a joy from beginning to end, and is the best game for the Wii U so far. The game features the same perfected platforming mechanics and endlessly creative level designs that fans have come to expect from the icon of gaming. It may not be as grandiose and epic in the vein of the Galaxy series and does perhaps feel a little too familiar to 3D Land, but this would have been a much stronger title to kickstart Nintendo's first foray into high definition gaming. It's possible that with the pretty frequent releases of Mario games in the last couple of years may lead some to feel fatigued with the franchise, but nevertheless 3D World is an astounding game, and one of this year's very best titles.
A brutally challenging game made more accessible by both, being on a better console, and having the funkiest of Kongs as a playable character. Incredibly good fun and with an asburd amount of secrets to find, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a truly impressive platformer that is so hard you will be a more grizzled gamer for coming out of the other side of it.
On sheer value for money alone The Master Chief Collection is a fantastic proposition, add in that it contains some of the highest regarded Xbox titles of all time, touched up, enhanced and fit for a whole new generation of players, it's quite simply a must buy.
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.
Whether you choose to perceive it through a moral lens or not, there's a great tactical survival mechanic driving this game beneath the didactics.
You'll not leave this episode happy, but the very nature of this series is to challenge and provoke; Telltale continue to refine and polish their craft to such an extent that even the misery of the narrative can't hold us back from wanting more - this second episode is a triumph.
So what we have here is a future-classic, old-school indie title for individuals and like-minded folk alike. The visuals are retro but work, the soundtrack by Daedelus is dynamic and ever-changing in tune with the onscreen action. The code is so precise the fighting is always balanced and true to your inputs - whether that is a disarm, throw of your knife and preference for fisticuffs, or a straight thrust to the chest (with a little wiggle up and down for that achievement) - that the result is always joy, whether you win or lose. Some might question the idea of paying for a game that's been available free in one form or another for a few years. The riposte to that is that the game is worth it. The developer deserves to be rewarded and this is the best version of the game you could ask for - tournament mode on the living room TV with joypads is, well, quite exquisite.
Ultimately Nintendo have again produced the goods and delivered another system seller. Many companies long for one true example of this in a console's lifetime; Nintendo now has two within a year of each other. The driving is exquisite, the track design is wonderful and the overall presentation is marvellous. We have here perhaps the finest Mario Kart to date, aside from battle mode, and an entry into the series which whilst being so special, only serves to highlight the series' flaw more prominently. Good job then that that flaw was never seen as one anyway as that's not what Mario Kart is about. This is what Mario Kart is about - wonderful, prolonged fun.
As ever with a Football Manager game there has been a whole host of changes some of which are apparent straight away, whilst others become clear over time. The time-honoured tradition is to incite revolution in some areas and optimising others via evolution. Whilst this ensures there's enough new stuff to get owners of older versions to buy the latest release, it does mean that nothing is ever made perfect because of the modular, but cyclic change. It's not like everything that needs to be improved is touched in one go; nor do we get that brand-new and surprising title. So here we don't get that ten out of ten rating but Sports Interactive deserve praise for again delivering the best football management simulation around. It's the same as last year then, only different.