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There's no school like old-school, and Ziggurat serves as a reminder that there's still fun to be had in 2015 with what's essentially an 'arena' shooter. Whether the shooting is good enough to stand on its own without the rest of the package is up for debate, however the smartly implemented Roguelite trappings, as well as the well pitched difficulty, help to cast a spell that'll have you heading back into Ziggurat time and time again.
Games like Project Root make you contemplate the futility of existence, and not in a good way like the philosophical musings of Postman Pat. It's not a bad game – not like Rambo or Ride to Hell: Retribution – it's just very, very boring. There needs to be a reason to play, and there's just nothing here to get excited about.
There are already a ton of platformers to choose from on both of Sony's current home consoles, but the good news is that Aaru's Awakening is free to anyone with PlayStation Plus for the time being. If you fancy something artsy and with some challenging gameplay, then we think that you should consider giving it a shot. Everyone else will want to pass on this one.
Don Bradman Cricket is an incredibly competent cricket simulation game. With a slew of modes, countless customisation options, and numerous clever design choices, it provides an accurate and fun digital version of the popular sport. Shoddy menus, poorly implemented tutorials, and an overall lack of visual and audio polish certainly diminish the experience, but not enough to stop this sporting sojourn from being worth taking out for a spin.
When all's said and done, Broken Age makes an excellent case for why the adventure game genre deserves to exist in this medium. Indeed, it's a wonderfully charming title that really feels like a celebration of the point-and-click format. Sure, it doesn't necessarily do anything ground breaking, but it doesn't really need to. If you're a fan of Tim Schafer's previous work, then this is unmissable.
LA Cops has inoffensive intentions, but its execution is as flawed as its characters' fashion sense. The pleasant presentation represents the still-edible icing on this otherwise stale, circular snack – but glaring design issues have left us close to dialling 911.
Tower of Guns proves to be a fun diversion that unfortunately falters in a couple of key areas. While it at least manages to keep its Roguelite membership by randomly generating a decent amount of enjoyable content, the relatively gentle difficulty ends up diluting the impact of its perma-death quite a bit. This ends up robbing the experience of any strong sense of accomplishment, so when you best the tower for the first time, it'll feel more like a damp squib than a twenty-one gun salute.
As a whole, We Are Doomed doesn't quite meet its asking price. While what's here can be compelling for a short while, it quickly loses appeal. However, it's certainly not doomed, as it's a solid arcade shooter with a gorgeous – if occasionally distracting – art style and fitting music. Take it all in slowly, then, and you may be able to appreciate it like a fireworks display that you're in control of.
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China is an absolutely solid spin-off in almost every way. Traversal is fluid and fun, combat is enjoyably simple, and the level design is often lovingly crafted, but it never comes close to stepping out of its comfort zone and trying something remotely memorable. Even outside of Ubisoft's main series, the confining walls of Assassin's Creed remain recognisable and reliable, but they're in increasingly desperate need of a new lick of paint.
Krinkle Krusher is a competent tower defence title with a colourful theme, but it's best played in short-bursts and doesn't really excel on the DualShock 4. There are some nice ideas here – we especially enjoyed the incentives to return to earlier levels once we'd powered up – but this is a straightforward experience at best, and, on the PS4 at least, it still has a few Krinkles that should have been ironed out.
Our first hour with Titan Souls was fantastic, but after that the cracks start to show. It's not a bad game, and the atmosphere is excellent, but you'll get to the end knowing that it could have been better. The lack of information about the world makes you feel like you're just roaming a random castle or tower, like those Mega Drive roguelikes where the only goal was to get to the end. The length and price just help to make this excellent idea more unattractive.
Mortal Kombat X doesn't hit with quite as much impact as its predecessor, but it still improves upon a brutal blueprint. The story's stupid and poorly written, but it's all of the options outside of the campaign that will keep you engaged – whether you're playing with others or alone. With hundreds of modifiers, the ever-rotating Living Towers, and some truly exceptional online additions, this game really goes above and beyond. However, it doesn't ignore what's important either, employing the new variants system to keep the fighting fresh – even if you only play as one character. Misplaced microtransactions sully the experience slightly – but this is still only a few scratches short of a flawless victory.
Nothing about MLB 15 The Show will impress right off the bat. That's not because it isn't great, but because we've come to expect the very best from Sony's series. It's the under-the-hood gameplay improvements and additions that really make the difference, then; engaging in mental battles with base runners, pitchers, and even outfielders is a big part of the experience this time out. As a result, this is the best entry in a franchise that's showing no signs of slowing down – even after ten years of success.
The best way to determine whether Paperbound is for you is by answering one simple question: can you assemble a group of people to play video games with on a regular occasion? If the answer's yes, then put this on your watch list; it's a fun and fulfilling casual brawler that will provide solid afternoons of multiplayer action. If not, then you should probably consider closing the book on your interest in this.
Compile Heart's first foray onto Sony's shiny new system shows occasional glints of brilliance, but they're few and far between
Following on the heels of Bloodborne, Dark Souls II is a further affirmation of From Software's immense talent.
In the current gaming landscape where the re-master, at least for now, appears to be here to stay, nothing released to date offers the sheer breadth of content found in Borderlands: The Handsome Collection. While those with no love for the franchise will, unsurprisingly, find nothing for them here, it does – as a result of the visual upgrades – provide a handsome jumping on point for newcomers, as well as a great way for the Borderlands faithful to catch up on anything that they might have missed.
Jamestown+ has a great foundation in that it's an extremely addictive and equally challenging shmup, whether you're playing alone or with friends. The inclusion of a store and some forced backtracking does take away from the experience, but at the end of the day, blowing stuff up is just so satisfying. Those who are able to get past its occasionally tedious attitude will find bullet hell bliss.
From start to finish, Bloodborne revels in its unique – if somewhat masochistic – approach to entertainment. There are very few games that cause you to curse their developer one minute and sing their praises the next – but this is one of them. It is, quite simply, a sensationally designed and superbly refined offering.
Scram Kitty DX is a hard game to get to grips with, but is a wonderfully unique take on some more traditional genres. And with its wacky story of cats versus space mice, as well as its old-school aesthetic, it offers a highly enjoyable experience. Certainly there'll be those put off by its stiff challenge and lack of instruction, but if you're up to the challenge, this should prove an excellently absurd addition to your gaming library.