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Probably Petroglyph's best game (especially if you're not a Star Wars fan), it won't steal the RTS crown from Blizzard or Creative Assembly but if you want a straight fun strategy you won't regret being absorbed by Grey Goo. It's still a stupid title, though.
Coming so soon after the first entry Blackguards 2 is a surprisingly packed improvement over the original, giving you the chance to dominate and rule over South Aventuria with all the bitterness and rage such a task would need. It won't suit all newcomers to PC TRPGs and yes, battles can be brutal and unforgiving at times, but for those with even the slightest bent towards getting knee deep in stats and tactical battles then Blackguards 2 is a worthy purchase.
This is a game which clearly values quantity over quality and is worse off for it, leaving you with the lasting impression that this was a team over zealously trying to make up for a failed crowd funding project. There may well be a half-decent game lurking beneath the facade of tired jokes and nods to RPG tropes and stereotypes, which Citizens of Earth then insists of portraying anyway, however it's far too caught up in its own bravado to realise it.
Nevertheless, these technological hiccups – try as they might – couldn't taint an otherwise rewarding journey through the divided lands of Avernum. For those who are already fans of the series, I'd suggest Crystal Souls is an essential purchase. For those none the wiser to Spiderweb Software's extensive back catalogue, there's no better time to join the fight.
Make no mistake this isn't a full blown adventure but a 'just go with it' adrenaline rollercoaster ride; it has its ups and downs, with plenty of big drops for the rush, but it'll be over soon enough. Gat out of Hell is a great round off to the Saints Row adventure as it gets wackier and wackier, with it standing as a defiant parody of how the Saints ended up in this mess.
While the "HD Remastered" tag feels a little hollow, if you just consider this a slightly updated re-release of a fantastic game then I can heartily recommend Resident Evil HD Remastered. Just remember to have a notebook and pen handy.
Don't buy it. And there's no multiplayer either, in case you were wondering.
It's an experience that truly stretched different parts of my mind in more satisfying way than Portal. Though the puzzles frustrate at times, most are put together thoughtfully and in a simple enough way that you can go away and figure it out on paper if you need to (I needed to, frequently).
For a full-price game, though, Wahammer 40K: Armageddon feels lacklustre and slightly cheap, more of a re-skin of Panzer Corps than its own beast, and lacking the sense of grandeur that the setting requires. There's a great turn-based 40K out there somewhere, but this isn't it.
The reality is if you're looking for this kind of puzzle-action isometric fix, there's not a shortage of games out there which can offer it. So presumably Lara herself is the lure, however, like I said before the story and characters were, for me, anything but a strong point. That said, this is a decent game with enjoyable puzzle mechanics, a slick combat system and smooth luminous graphics. Just don't expect any surprises, you're getting exactly what you see.
Despite a multi-player mode that's difficult to love and a pretty atrocious story, Call of Duty Advanced Warfare pleasantly surprised. It adds enough to the core of the game – the infantry action and gun-play – that the campaign never felt like a chore and none of the set pieces and vehicles outstayed their welcome. A new engine and new ideas breath new life into a series that was in serious danger of turning stale.
While it has some minor foibles, and you undoubtedly need to have watched up to the end of the show's Season 3 to get what's going on, if you're a fan of the show you'll definitely love this. Telltale have tied themselves to Westeros brilliantly - now let's see if they can survive their Second Episode Is The Worst In The Season curse.
The first act is a little slow to get going, but once the story has its hooks in you and the true scale of the world opens up before your eyes, it's easy to forgive early problems with pacing and a slightly lacklustre combat system. It says something that after around forty-five hours of gameplay I was disappointed that the main plot was showing signs of coming to an end, and that as soon as I finished I wanted to start the whole thing over again.
Now for the age-old question: is war worth it? At £30, Ardennes Assault might be slightly overpriced, yet within lies a brilliant war sim RTS. Only the best need apply.
I can't say that I found it satisfying and many, if not most, themes went well over my head, but I can see why so many find this genre of discovery simulator so immersive and compelling. The Old City has a tendency to get into your head and bones after a few hours and as this is the first of a trilogy, I'm eager to see where Leviathan will take me next.
A worthy purchase certainly, but only if you're prepared to accept Far Cry 3.5 rather than Far Cry 4.
If you have a console, get Pro Evo 2015 on that. If you're a PC-only football fan, this is a functional if lacklustre port of a great match engine with broken online support.
All in all though I can't think of a single reason you'd want to play Escape Dead Island over a thousand similar, better games on Steam. Most of them have zombies in them anyway.
Never Alone is a beautiful game, full of fairy tale delight and educational knowledge. It isn't as patronising as that might sound as it keeps the two well-separated enabling you to take or leave as much of the cultural content as you like. It struggles though with being a compelling video game with its slow start, short running time and AI issues. It comes away respectful of its inspiration and educational as well, but won't last long in the memory as a gaming experience.
Despite some good ideas and an entertaining tale, this isn't a revolution for the franchise. Considering the hype and the promises made compared to the final experience, it actually feels like a step backwards.