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If you're like this writer and enjoy even a decent police procedural game – especially in a medium where they're dishearteningly absent – Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders is a deserving title in your mystery fiction library. The video game adaptation may lack presentation value, but a strong plot, fun deductions, and a rewarding conclusion make up for it in the end.
Crypt of the NecroDancer offers a groovy twist on traditional rouguelikes, and its sick beats make for some very satisfying dungeon crawling. Although the rhythm-based gameplay can make the basics very difficult to grasp, the title does a good job of teaching you everything that you need to know – and it offers more than enough content to keep you foxtrotting back for more.
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia Marx the end of the ill-fated Chronicles series, but instead of making a final stand, Climax's latest treads water. While the visual style is pleasant and the atmosphere is strong, attempts to inject the game with innovation fall flatter than the Berlin Wall in 1990, and the title hasn't really got much to offer to fans old or new in terms of stealth or combat. There are far better Assassin's Creed games and far better platformers, so this spin-off has nowhere else to go but the gulag.
Firewatch has the embers of a great narrative-driven game, but it fails to ever ignite into a furnace. Unforgivable performance issues detract from the otherwise outstanding art direction, but it's the abrupt story and unconvincing characters that really douse the hype here. Campo Santo's inaugural outing starts incredibly strongly, but your alarm bells will be ringing long before it burns out without ever really sparking into life.
Milestone has clearly spent an age under the bonnet, and Sébastien Loeb Rally Evo has a content quota that's befitting of all of that attention. Unfortunately, the Italian outfit's indecision with regards to the racer's handling model means that it's not always at its best when out on the track. If you can look past this shortcoming, however, then you'll find a real celebration of the sport here – and the man who helped put it on the map for a whole generation.
Awakening is a solid start for Black Ops 3's DLC catalogue, with some moments of excellence punctuated with patches of dull dreariness. Gauntlet and Skyjacked provide excellent, fast-paced fun in most modes, while Splash could also become a favourite in time. Rise deserves no praise for its cookie-cutter style, but Der Eisendrache is easily one of the most unique and fun Zombies experiences to date, despite its occasional shortcomings. All in all, despite its slightly steep price, Awakening provides the pep pills needed to keep Treyarch's latest alive and kicking.
Klaus is a good game that takes too long to become so. The commentary baked into its narrative bleeds into the gameplay resulting in mechanics that are not provided enough nourishment to grow and an exposition that will lose many due to its over-commitment to delivering a message. The initial impression leaves a bad taste, and in a world where first impressions matter, this is difficult to overlook.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 is easily one of the best entries in the series, and is arguably one of the greatest anime fighters to be released in some time. CyberConnect2's flair for creating stunning action scenarios is at its brightest in the game's superb story mode, but even when it's over, a hefty amount of content, both online and offline, and a thoroughly enjoyable, reworked combat system will see fans through well into the future. The storm may be about to pass with this final instalment, but there's no denying that it's provided one heck of a light show.
Not a Hero might not always play out the way that you want it to thanks to the fidelity of its controls, but don't let that stop you from enjoying the ensuing chaos and delightful characters. If pixelated explosions and wide-open stages are your sort of thing, then be sure to cast your vote for BunnyLord this coming election.
LEGO Marvel's Avengers assembles the building blocks of a good LEGO game adequately, delivering decent puzzles, comical cut-scenes, and some feel-good fiction for the whole family. However, the formula's definitely starting to wear thin, and it has some niggles that could do with being Iron Man-ed out.
Unfortunately for Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel, its single player content is so threadbare that, more than ever, like-minded friends are essential in order to enjoy the game to its middling potential, and even then, any online sessions will most likely be scuppered by the wonky netcode. It's messy, it can look bad, and it feels incomplete, but beneath all of this is core gameplay that isn't without merit – if only for the most hardcore of Nitroplus' fighting game fans.
Rebel Galaxy is a streamlined take on the space sim that while nowhere near as complex as its PC peers still has enough going on to keep you more than entertained. It's a real shame then that despite its enjoyable ship-to-ship combat, interesting setting, and fantastic soundtrack, it ultimately ends up being tarnished by a repetitive grind that needlessly pads out its length.
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.