Guardian's Reviews
If you like games that are so big you can immerse yourselves in them for months, The Master Chief Collection offers excellent value. It's an absolute monolith of a package, beautifully presented for the 21st century.
Activision would have us believe that the latest title in the series is a bold re-imagining. It's not, but it's still blistering entertainment
Despite these creative flourishes, Sunset Overdrive never quite surpasses the chaotic physics of Just Cause, the coherent style of Blood Dragon or the assured sense of place of GTAV – nor does it manage to draw its story and systems toward a coherent, impactful point.
The upshot is that The Evil Within will give survival horror purists a rare contemporary pleasure fix. But be warned: if you prize smooth, silky action above all else, it will drive you insane.
Skylanders Trap Team won't be the cheapest video game for families this year, but with the Starter Pack and some old figures, this compelling action adventure offers good value.
Japan's Platinum Games has done it again, applying style and flourish to a control system of immense depth and assurance
So the ride won't just be exciting, it should be long, too. But right now, those prepared to embrace Driveclub for what it is will find a very accessible, carefully crafted, refreshing speed-over-sim driving experience that often provides fabulous fun.
Although saddled with an instantly forgettable title, Shadow of Mordor works hard to bring fun and life to the Tolkien universe – and manages both spectacularly
This beautiful detective story refuses to lead you by the hand – instead providing a rich and mysterious world to explore and experience
The classic Nintendo brawling game returns with a huge cast of characters, refreshed modes and a fist full of charm
The game's only issues are minor – a reliance on a race discipline it doesn't quite master, and the fact that it really only builds on what we knew from the first game without ever striking out too far on its own. The Horizon offshoot has unshackled the Forza franchise, letting it run free into the wild, and this new adventure ensures that we don't take that freedom for granted.
It's a baby step rather than a leap towards perfection. Fifa 15 is still not entirely flawless, but then who cares when it's already the new best football simulation ever?
Hyrule Warriors ought not to work – it smacks of Nintendo's desperation to get any sort of game out for its overlooked machine – but it will certainly delight the faithful fans, and manages to remain utterly true to the world of Zelda while offering really fresh-feeling gameplay. It's far from perfect, and won't win any awards, but has the attributes required to gain cult status in the years to come. If you have a Wii U, it's a must-buy.
Disney Infinity 2.0 is a complicated beast, and easy to write off as a money grab for this lucrative new market created by Skylanders. However, see the game in the hands on young players and the different pieces fit together coherently.
Love, rivalry and drama in a school for pigeons, this idiosyncratic take on the Japanese dating sim is ridiculously enjoyable
Destiny, isn't just set in space, it is an allegory of space. It is beautiful and fascinating, but oh so cold and immense, and the past engulfs everything.
Frequently-terrifying first-person crawler flounders at times, but the ending makes it all worthwhile
Watch Dogs is solidly entertaining and a lot of fun to play. And while it could've achieved true greatness if it had followed through on its most ambitious promises, it is still better than a lot of what's been released this year. The hype seems already to be benefiting the sales figures. Everything about Watch Dogs tells us that we are all susceptible in the digital age.
However, despite its nods to the oldest first-person shooter of all, it does feel thoroughly honed and reasonably modern. It isn't the future of first-person shooters, but it does rank among the best single-player examples.
While the pink puffball hero offers nothing new, younger players will be hooked, writes Andy Robertson