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The second episode of Minecraft Story mode isn't near as charming as the first. Thought it features some genuine character development, its poorer writing and direction leave it feeling flat.
While the franchise still needs to overcome some inherent flaws, Assassin's Creed Syndicate feels refreshingly different and a joy to play. With believable characters and fluid gameplay that feels trimmed of its excess fat, it is the best Assassin's Creed game to come out in years.
A short, disappointing tale makes nearly no progress in 343's trilogy, and offers nothing that lives up to the billing of a tense showdown between Halo 5's two protagonists. Thankfully the improved gameplay and consistently great multiplayer shine in Halo's uneven debut on the Xbox One. The multiplayer is fantastic, and the co-op is magical. Bring friends.
The story presented in this first chapter isn't the most engaging, but the writing, coupled with the detail makes it all come together. As is usual though, I find it hard to recommend until all of its episodes are released and we can judge it as a whole - but this first episode is indeed promising, laying the groundwork for what should be a grand adventure.
Pulse is a great idea, translating the isolation of being blind into a funky adventure of discovery. It's just not much more than that really, as the concept can be short-sighted in the long run.
Played alone it can be a chore, but with a group of friend or like-minded people, Tri Force heroes is inventive and fun; wonderfully distilled co-operative take on the Legend of Zelda.
Guitar Hero Live provides a whole new experience to veterans, yet manages to be accessible enough for those who are only just starting their digital rock careers. It's a solid title,though the streaming service GHTV could use some tweaking to make the game an absolute must-have.
Overall, Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water is a superb return for the series, and while it will undoubtedly frustrate most players with its archaic and downright atrocious control scheme, it makes up for its shortcomings with a fun and intuitive combat system, a scary and obscure story and stunning sound and art direction.
It's more of the same, then – but when you're getting more of one of the year's best games, that's not something to complain about.
Short and sweet, Transformers: Devastation wears its nostalgia proudly and has plenty of charm packed into those few hours of high-energy action. But it might be worth a wait to scope it out when it goes on sale, instead of paying full price.
A wonderfully remastered trip into Nathan Drake's past rekindles some of the joy the franchise has brought to its thousands of fans, but also makes some of its more glaring shortcomings far more noticeable. Still, the best Uncharted Collection you could've hoped for is finally here.
Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer looks and sounds like the game that fans were expecting; unfortunately it lacks the depth and addictiveness to keep you interested. Even with its cast of adorable characters and excellent soundtrack, the gameplay becomes stale really fast and you'll find yourself grasping at what little the game has to offer in order to find something to hold your attention.
Forza 6 is one of the very best racing games available on any system. If you are a fan of cars and racing then this is absolutely something that you need to play. I still can't decide whether I preferred the classic racing or taking dedicated racing cars around the larger tracks, but it was all incredible, offering the perfect balance between simulation and accessibility
Super Mario Maker makes creating levels an easy, effortless exercise – letting true design shine through rather than hindering ideas by muddling with software. It's just a pity that it takes too long to truly wrestle that power from Nintendo's strict hand-holding.
The Phantom Pain is an unusual Metal Gear experience, one that not everybody may enjoy if they cling to systems of old. If they're willing to adapt and accept this new way of exploring Kojima's world however, they are going to be blown away, absolutely, and one hundred percent guaranteed. This new open world is one that is begging to be played with, in whatever way a player wishes.
Rare Replay is more than a collection of old games from one of the most revered developers in the world. It's a digital museum that stands as a testament to how wonderful and wondrous video games have been, and continue to be.
I think the developers are on to something really special here, and if they properly end it off in the next and final episode, Life is Strange will stand as a giant in the genre. Now, all that's left is to wait for the finale, and what a long and gruelling wait it's going to be.
Pulling on emotional strings throughout, Journey is every bit the masterpiece on PS4 that it was on PS3. It's an emphatic example of art, sound and design working in complete harmony together, creating a piece of digital art that just begs to be experienced. Journey is nearly flawless, and will remain so until the end of time.
What had the potential to be a great piece of DLC, is instead an all-too brief episode of missed opportunities and squandered potential starring a great heroine who deserves far better.
At it's best, MotoGP 15 delivers a stellar core racing experience that is backed up by a strong use of the official MotoGP license. At it's worst, it's an average-looking racer that lacks that certain magic that makes the actual MotoGP so enjoyable.