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A game that is comfortable in its own skin and endeavours to toil within its own ambitions is rare, yet that is exactly what Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty achieves. Such honesty should be applauded even if it does little to endear new fans to the fold who might be at risk of not properly adjusting to New 'n' Tasty's idiosyncrasies. Still, for those who take the time to persevere, New 'n' Tasty proves to be as delectable a treat as Abe's original Odyssey all those years ago.
It's the worst game of 2015 so far, and it'll probably hold that title until Alone In The Dark: Illumination comes out. Avoid, please god avoid.
In short: not quite the evolution in multiplayer gaming we hoped for. Get friends together or good all-round players and Evolve can be a blast, but anything less than that and you'll be bored in far too short a time.
Dig beneath the effortlessly stylish veneer of Apotheon though and it soon becomes clear that its impressive calibre bleeds through into its homage to the engrossing Castlevania and Metroid games pioneered back in the 8-bit days. And that folks, minor niggles aside, is a godly thing indeed.
It's a comforting reminder that video games can still hark back to their traditional roots and produce an enjoyable experience without any overblown live-action trailer or day one DLC. This is a delight to play.
Cities XXL represents a serviceable starting point for beginners certainly, but is simply far too riddled with bugs, performance issues and recycled content to recommend to anyone else who has sampled the series previously. Much like how Cities XXL encourages the player to build their sprawling domains from the ground up, so too should the developer look to apply a similar work ethic to this tired series.
It's not without flaws, but this time those imperfections are forgiveable next to the wealth of quality on offer. Total War: Attila is the return to form that the series desperately needed.
I'm pretty sure this won't appeal to a lot of people. It can be bone-crushingly hard at times and difficult to get into. But by giving you the tools to craft your own escape and leaving you alone to sort it out, The Escapists is one of those classic hands-off games that encourages you to create your own story and incredible moments.
Despite my complaints, The Lost Lords is a great episode of Telltale's epic Game of Thrones story, and while slightly less shocking than the first episode it's certainly the best second episode in a season they've ever done.
In borrowing so heavily from its heritage, developer Neocore could have quite easily overburdened the somewhat narrow tower defence formula with pointless additions and misery inducing micro-management busywork. As it is, Deathtrap approaches the qualitative apex of its craft and niggles aside, sets a splendid example of how to marry two genres together to make a superlative whole.
Dying Light is a very impressive game that's clearly had a lot of care and attention put into it.
It's not without its flaws, like I said, the girls seem to act and look younger than they supposedly are, and some of the lines seem rather forced and fake, but overall it's woven well enough as to put together a fulfilling and enjoyable experience. I'm looking forward to the next part.
With the release of HoMM3HD following hot on the heels of Avernum 2: Crystal Souls, it feels like revamped versions of old-school fantasy games are the flavour of the month – and we're not complaining. As with Avernum, HoMM3's sheen has not been dulled by the vitiating properties of time; instead, its unique blend of roleplaying and strategy is just as alluring 15 years on.
Grim Fandango really is a masterpiece, although it's not a completely perfect one. The story, world, voice acting, music, script and style are some of the best gaming has to offer, rivalling the best animated movies. The puzzles are 80% superb, best the adventure genre can do, and 20% frustrating as all hell.
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.