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Tachyon Project is fine, but it doesn't have enough meat on its bones and it treads far too much familiar ground. As such, it's relatively difficult to recommend even at its low price point – especially when you consider that the game it mimics is superior. Although Tachyon Project may hold appeal to those that have played the likes of the Geometry Wars to death and are looking for a little bit more, everyone else will be better off seeking their shooty thrills elsewhere.
Attractio has solid puzzle mechanics that it uses well and they're varied enough to remain interesting, but they're surrounded by grossly outdated visuals, poor voice performances, and an obnoxious narrative. For $20, the game doesn't really justify its price tag.
Baseball Riot is a bright, colourful, physics puzzle game that will appeal to a wide audience with its simplistic gameplay, pick-up-and-play controls, and low price tag. It's very obvious similarities to Tennis in the Face prevent it from hitting a home run, but it comfortably makes it to third base. [If only we all had the same luck, eh? – Ed]
Gravity Rush Remastered will have you purring at the potential that its sequel looks set to fulfil, but it's a fine release in its own right. The mission variety's not quite there and the plot's paper-thin, but the traversal's some of the finest that you'll find on consoles full-stop, and the audio-visual achievements are outstanding across the board. It's an excellent first attempt, then, so irrespective of the laws of gravity, the only direction for this promising property is up.
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.
Croixleur Sigma can be entertaining when you're gunning for a high score or if you're in the mood for some relentless action, but there just isn't enough reason to keep coming back once you've sampled each mode and discovered a few favourite weapons. It's an arcade hack and slasher with a colourful, inviting exterior, but much like a bag of Haribo, it's best enjoyed in short bursts – stay too long and you'll soon get sick.
This War of Mine: The Little Ones throws you into a beautiful and compelling hell. Experiencing war as a group of civilians whose lives rest in your hands with only your conscience to guide you is a refreshing change of pace from pretty much any other game out there. This is brilliant mix of harrowing survival interspersed with moments of joy. Having fun really isn't the point here: this is a game that will challenge anyone desensitised to the real sufferings of war – and that's a bold move.
Resident Evil Zero not only feels fresh 14 years after its original release, but it also showcases a superb remastering effort. A methodical game which truly rewards deep thought, this survival horror classic stands tall in genre that's been streamlined a little too much in recent times. If you've never played 'Becca and Billy's escapade, then there's never been a better opportunity. And for those who have survived the nightmare before, the new modes and graphical upgrades mean that there's plenty of reason to climb aboard.
Infinifactory certainly has the building blocks of something great, as it's uber-satisfying piecing together your own production line and watching it all work as intended. Sadly, while there's real satisfaction to be gleaned from craftily concocting your own creative solutions, the cumbersome controls and occasionally unintelligible explanations mean that this game has ultimately failed to pass our rigorous quality assurance test.
Get used to the clumsy controls and The Banner Saga is a great role-playing ride right the way through to its conclusion. Meaningful player choice and engaging storytelling are broken up perfectly by bouts of enjoyable strategic combat, which creates a wonderfully paced experience that's very hard to put down. This is a banner that we want to see soaring well into the future.
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.
Nuclear Throne is one of the greatest rogue-like games that we have ever played: the gunplay is very satisfying, the characters and their creative abilities are wonderfully wacky, and the entire experience has so much variety that it becomes very addictive. If you are a fan of rogue-likes or simply want an outstanding game to play, then we suggest that you let Vlambeer's latest rule over your PlayStation lands, 'cause it's definitely ruling over ours.
The fourth and penultimate episode of Telltale's first season of Minecraft: Story Mode has yet again failed to impress.
Hardware: Rivals is slow and safe – it's a far-cry from the high-octane vehicle eviscerator that we'd anticipated. Its slightest of similarities to Rocket League may have hurt it, but even if Psyonix's excellent on-wheels outing didn't exist, this would still be a pretty darn tedious title. It's a shame because it's not hard to imagine a faster iteration of the exact same game being ten times more satisfying, but ultimately Hardware's only real rival is its squandered potential.
We extend our sympathies toward Frozenbyte since Trine 3's weaknesses are due to unforeseen costs that exceeded its budget, but this doesn't alter the reality of the game's state. While it may surpass expectations as a picturesque fairy tale come to life with a lovely score and promising tale, your childlike wonder will fade and be cut short due to abrupt closure, trite puzzle-solving, and dumbed-down gameplay that spells a fumble for this middling entry.
This is a game clearly made for long-standing fans, and made by a passionate team that strived to recreate the gameplay experience of the original on modern hardware. In that sense, Amplitude is a total success. The way that the game draws you in with its psychedelic visuals, how your brain switches off and your fingers become one with your DualShock, the satisfying way that the tracks disintegrate when you clear them – it's all here. If you can forgive the game's problems, you're left with a very solid rhythm game, and an experience that's as fresh today as it was 13 years ago.
After the dreadful Dead Kings, Ubisoft has proven that it can make decent DLC with Assassin's Creed Syndicate's Jack the Ripper add-on pack. The new fear system is a novel addition here, while the whole campaign has a compelling, creepy vibe. The story missions are strong, and we appreciate the developer's decision to lead with an aging Evie Frye. If the expansion's titular serial killer famously came from hell, then this content is very much heaven sent.
Primal Carnage: Extinction feels like a great concept which has just not had enough "shine" put into the end product. Basic menus and average production values could be forgiven if the gameplay was killer, but dinosaurs deserve to be more badass and exciting than this. So while there is some dino fun to be had here, this is a game that will likely be left on the virtual shelf and left to turn extinct.
Zotrix is a decent if unambitious twin-stick shooter with smooth, fluid controls that are well suited to pick up and play sessions. A steep difficulty curve means that you will need patience, while the awful UI makes it a challenge to navigate the title's menus. We'd recommend this if you're desperate for an arcade-inspired blaster, but otherwise leave it in a galaxy far, far away.
Fat Princess Adventures won't be winning any awards for originality, but as a casual co-op game to play over the holiday, it's a solid choice. The combat is shallow, but fun nonetheless, and the game makes it easy to switch classes and items to keep things interesting. It's made the transition to hack-'n'-slash surprisingly well, and while there are many hoping for the traditional multiplayer to make a comeback, this spin-off holds its own as a family friendly action game – so long as you turn the gore off.