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The decision to take Far Cry to the Stone Age is a strong one. It feels like Far Cry Primal is a refresh of the series that we didn't know it needed. Basic combat makes you think more about your approach, while the addition of animals makes you feel powerful.
As much as this is a miniseries spinoff for Telltale's TWD series, this is also a spinoff chapter in the life of Michonne. It's inconsequential. Nothing that happens here can impact this established character in any meaningful way, so Telltale has to work from a template.
Yes, it's out too early and needs beefing up, but once you unleash that first fireball and connect with your first spinning kick, you'll be whisked back to the arcades faster than you can say Hadouken.
In fact, so impressive is the way everything looks and sounds that you'll kind of wish you could join Harry and leave civilisation behind. Just leave the matches at home, yeah.
Oozing charm and sentimentality, it won't just pull at your heartstrings, it'll tie them up in great big wooly knots, attach them to a boulder and drop them off the edge of a cliff.
XCOM 2 is otherwise a follow-up that does everything right by offering the best extraterrestrial skirmishes since Independence Day, coupled with genuine tactical depth that doesn't come at the expense of accessibility. It's the Empire Strikes Back of strategy sequels.
However, if you still blubber like a baby every time someone mentions the name Aeris, then Final Fantasy Explorer's exceptional level of fan service will warm you up like a Chocobo onesie.
With the involvement of Jonathan Blow, there's been a lot of chin-stroking and borderline pretentious articles going up about The Witness - understandably, given it's such an arthouse project. But there's no need for that here: the game is very good, and if you've even an inkling you might enjoy solving 600-plus puzzles in a gorgeous island setting, we'd heartily recommend The Witness.
These niggles aside, LEGO Marvel's Avengers is another mighty adaptation from TT Games, with as much wit, magic and authenticity as its other brick-rendered offerings. LEGO Hulk, Iron Man, Cap, Thor, Black Widow and Hawkeye are sure to prove a smash hit with the whole family.
It's certainly not the best in the series, but it's a creepy game with a great atmosphere and one where you actually have to plan ahead. If only they fixed that ruddy camera.
It's a stylish game with fun platforming, smooth combat and mostly good stealthy bits - and a definite improvement on its underwhelming predecessor.
This tight, finely tuned experience might not be treading the same ground as classic Rainbow Six - and the lack of any substantial singe-player is unfortunate - but taken on its own merits, it's easily one of the best shooters of the year, and the best online experience we've had in quite some time.
From its intense firefights to its wanton destruction and carmageddon, Just Cause 3 has all the hallmarks of a classic action movie - it's just a shame the end result is more Van Damme in quality than vintage Schwarzenegger or Stallone.
Like a rookie player with bags of potential, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash has that raw ability, but it lacks the finesse to be a champion.
Sure, it could do with a campaign and sometimes it's a bit too shallow for its own good, but Battlefront is also one of the most authentic Star Wars experiences you can have outside of kissing your sister - "for luck" - and scrapping with your dad.
The PS4 may be way ahead of the Xbox One in terms of sales, but in Rise of the Tomb Raider, Microsoft finally has something to brag about. As a timed Xbox exclusive, PlayStation owners will be able to get their hands on the Tomb Raider sequel eventually. But the bad news is they'll have to wait a whole year, until December 2016. Over to you, Nathan Drake - you really do have a mountain to climb.
There's a megaton of killer content to discover in post-apocalyptic Boston, and once you've set foot there, you'll never want to leave. This one will leaving you glowing for a half-life measured in centuries.
Halo 5: Guardians features an underwhelming, confusing and surprisingly banal campaign that's not actively bad, but equally not quite good enough to warrant a purchase on its own. Fortunately, Master Chief's adventure doesn't end here, and whether you team with friends and ramp the difficulty up, or get stuck into some 12 on 12 Warzone action, the extensive multiplayer offerings ensure Halo 5: Guardians isn't a total washout.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate is an acrobatic lunge in the right direction for the series. It's a more stable offering than Unity ever was with engaging protagonists, a monster of a city to get lost in, and some shrewd tweaks to the time-tested formula. Contract killing and taking leaps of faith off famous landmarks hasn't been this rewarding since the days of the great Ezio Auditore da Firenze.
When it comes down to it, it's the communication and that sense of shared success that makes Triforce Heroes such a joyous and satisfying release.