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Outside of the irritatingly expected technical hiccups, Tales from the Borderlands: Episode 4 – Escape Plan Bravo is brilliant. Creative, heartfelt, and fittingly ludicrous, it's represents Telltale at its best, in what is quickly becoming the most consistent series in its portfolio. When this was announced, we never thought that we'd ever write that sentence.
Dragon Age: Inquisition's second expansion is perhaps even less essential than the first, and that's a real shame given the add-on's intriguing premise. Even though there are a few beacons of light in the darkness, such as some meaty combat scenarios and stints of exciting exploration, The Descent is damaged by a disappointingly bad ending and too many underwhelming side quests.
At its usual price of £11.99/$14.99, Jaws of Hakkon is an expensive investment for anyone who isn't hungry for more Dragon Age: Inquisition. Invested fans will undoubtedly enjoy this new adventure, but there's no denying that it all feels a bit flat, despite its wonderful setting. Some great fights and a few good storytelling moments keep the expansion from seeming completely toothless, but it's just not as sharp as it should be.
Adventures of Pip is sure to provide any fans of the genre with a good few hours of fun, and offers up some very interesting gameplay mechanics to boot. Unfortunately, the game is undermined by some niggling issues and poor design choices, but these don't hinder it enough to obscure an otherwise charming and intelligent little outing.
Abyss Odyssey: Extended Dream Edition successfully manages to merge a fighting game with a roguelike RPG to offer an experience that feels both familiar and unique. With an unexpected setting and art style, as well as some clever concessions around its difficulty to make the penalty for death a bit more palatable to the average player, it ensures that your descent into the darkness is enjoyable. If you can get past the fact that the combat only really comes into its own a few hours in, you may just find yourself disappearing into its depths for bit longer than you might have expected.
Zombi has transitioned to the PS4 rather well: the fear-inducing aspects of the second screen are re-created well enough to achieve similar scares, the loading times are greatly improved, and – three years later – it's still a unique survival title that never compromises its horror for action. It's a bit of a shame that its multiplayer mode is absent – a casualty of losing the second screen. Still, there's enough of an intense experience here to consider rising from your grave for.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Gauntlet: Slayer Edition. While playing single player can be fun, this game shines at its brightest when played with friends at its hardest difficulty. Simply put, Gauntlet: Slayer Edition is a great lark about with buddies, and Arrowhead almost hit the bullseye with this one, if only the visuals and music were a bit more interesting.
If you've already played Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, it's still very worthy of your time, but there's not much new to see beyond some concept art and commentary. If you're yet to play it, though, you now have no excuse. A well-told and engaging story awaits for those of you willing to forgive the slightly awkward controls.
Commander Cherry's Puzzled Journey is a barmy title built around one imaginitive mechanic. Using the PlayStation Camera to bring yourself into the action is a neat novelty, but it does have a shelf-life. It's also not for those that are opposed to moving more than their thumbs. Still, if you're looking for something a little out-there, then this is an interesting option – and the fact that it offers an excuse to actually use the PS4's underutilised camera is just the cherry on the top.
Think of the most frustrating gaming moments you had as a child. Add them all together, and you still probably can't even come close to Yasai Ninja. This is a game to be avoided at all costs. With no redeeming factors, and a whole catalogue of problems, Yasai Ninja is more painful to play than forcing down sprouts at Christmas, with about as much reward. A good ninja shouldn't be seen or heard, and the same can be said about this game.
Lost Dimension isn't a game for the impatient. Learning the combat system and paying attention to each and every line of dialogue requires a large amount of focus but can feel massively rewarding when you get it just right. Those willing to invest will find that the loveable characters and attractive art style provide more than enough incentive to replay the game multiple times, but the generic story and often frustrating judgement system prove to be traitors at times.
Everybody's Gone to the Rapture is a masterwork – a gorgeous and subtle experience, which treats you as an adult, without ever indulging in pretence. It cares about its characters enough to give them interesting and meaningful things to say, while also playing host to some truly breathtaking art direction and music.
Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment could afford to be a little more welcoming to newcomers with its opening hours, but get through the initial confusion and you'll find a charming RPG that boasts an enjoyable battle system. Meanwhile, a solid supporting cast prop up a middling story, and some great dungeon crawling moments will keep you coming back for more. Despite several unnecessarily daft design choices, jumping into the shoes of Kirito can be a lot of fun, and for the game's budget price, it's easy to recommend to anyone who's up for a spot of anime adventure.
Goat Simulator's nauseating stupidity has a certain je ne sais quoi, we suppose. You won't be feeding from this particular trough for all that long, but if you're willing to splurge on a headache-inducing afternoon of idiotic entertainment, then – incredibly – there are worse options out there. This isn't baaaad, but it's not the Greatest of all Time either.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist is the ultimate version of arguably one of the best card duelling games on the planet. Essentially a virtual version of the real thing, it probably won't entice those who don't like the franchise, but for die-hard fans and interested newcomers, this is a game that offers unlimited hours of battling fun. If you've ever enjoyed Yu-Gi-Oh!, you owe it to yourself to give this a chance.
With perfectly weighted physics that feel nice on the thumbs, tactical combat that allows you to deal with any situation in a number of ways, and a soundtrack that's catchy and euphoric, Galak-Z is one helluva ride. Though the framerate can detract from the experience at times, it makes up for its one notable shortcoming with charm, nostalgia, and by bombarding you with joy.
While by no means unimpressive – fighting game enthusiasts should have plenty of fun with the game, especially when played with friends – Skullgirls often feels like the wrapping is in danger of out-pricing the gift.
The title's biggest downfall, then, is not any one single thing, but rather its overwhelming ambition. And in the grand scheme of things, perhaps that's not the worst problem to have. Indeed, despite its admittedly frequent rough patches, it's very hard to not admire the way this humble indie game so earnestly reaches for the stars.
As a standalone outing, King's Quest - Chaper I: A Knight to Remember isn't bad at all, even if does fall at some disappointingly low hurdles. With aid from the game's charming cast of characters, alongside its inspired visual and audio design, though, fans of the genre will surely have a pleasant trip – albeit an occasionally arduous one.
This is supposedly the first of multiple chapters to this story, and if the writing stays as strong throughout then it's going to be a tale well worth exploring, but hopefully the next title will reduce the difficulty a tad.