Guardian's Reviews
[P]layers able to look past the flaws will find one of the most pure, visceral action games available on current machines.
Arkham Knight triumphs as a richly empowering comic book fantasy that sees its hero fail almost as much as he succeeds, making him the most believable, the most occasionally unlikeable, and ultimately the most heroic he's ever been.
The refreshed PS4 and Xbox One version of this anarchic co-op shooter is worth staking out for those who missed it first time around
At its worst, it's the gaming equivalent of a drunkard shouting abuse from a park bench. At its best … well, the drunkard has leapt up and now he's wielding a plastic knife. Rage against political correctness if you like, but don't support this tired game as part of your ideology – there are so many better uses of your spare time.
Splatoon is a breath of fresh air – or more accurately "splodge of fresh ink" – for those who like to shoot stuff, but have grown tired of the endless bloody churn of gritty, realistic shooters. It is the coolest game on the market.
Put together, it is hugely successful, not only offering an accessible strategy adventure with charismatic heroes and a fistful of innovations but one that in doing so refreshes the somewhat tired turn-based genre.
The next instalments of both those franchises will of course show up one day, hoping to overtake this admirable curent-gen racing engine. But they had better hurry, because Project Cars has got one heck of a head start, and you get the feeling this developer isn't going to waste it.
Crypt of the Necrodancer may not be for everyone, but if the idea of a steamy love-in between two seemingly incompatible genres turns you on, you're gonna love it.
This vast fantasy adventure combines sophisticated storytelling with an expansive and richly conceived world
Mortal Kombat X is many things. It is mechanically refined and stylistically muddled; it has a sometimes unpleasantly violent, sometimes charmingly hammy commitment to the traditional fighting game template. It has thrust the series forwards and succeeds in delivering nuance while offering a welcoming genre gateway for inexperienced players.
Stunning landscapes with dizzying visual detail, and a tool that lets you record and edit in-game footage and upload it to YouTube, puts this open-world game lightyears ahead of its competitors
This simple-looking title in which players make shapes with boxes is the equal of Hal Laboratory's more celebrated games
Not for everyone, but for fans of deep RPGs, Monster Hunter 4 is an excellent adventure.
It's a great end to a challenging and scenically beautiful journey.
A brilliant example of the RPG genre let down by indistinct graphics
Its elegance, precision, humour, and challenge make Bloodborne irresistible. Ultimately, the horror is secondary; wonder is the true transfusion on offer here.
Civilisation creator's latest focuses on building starships and conquering the galaxy, and is perfectly tuned for lapsed gamers who loved his earlier work
Hotline Miami 2 is a messy, aimless sequel and a step back from the original. Many of its levels feel like crafted set-pieces rather than playgrounds for violent expression, and your scope for creativity is stifled as a result. When you're deep in the moment, chaining kills as that remarkable soundtrack vibrates through your headphones, it feels fantastic. But it struggles to hold onto that feeling as firmly as the first game, diluting the purity of its compelling core loop with an endless parade of under-developed ideas.
With the ability to play as a monster against a human team, Evolve offers something unique – and surely one of gaming's best-ever tribute acts. When you're fleeing from the hunters and get trapped in their containment field, swatting desperately while looking for an out, you think back to those Power Pills and how far we've come.
A revamped version of this 2000 classic coincides pleasingly with the new Nintendo 3DS