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Shorn of gymkhanas, energy drinks and blaring angst rock, Dirt Rally is the simulation racer fans of the sport have been waiting for. Don't let the name fool you, this is not a Dirt sequel in any shape or form, this is the return of a breed of rally racer we thought was long forgotten.
It's one of those games that plays on my mind as soon as I step away from it. Thinking up new tactics, imagining potential scenarios. I'm not going to lie I even dreamt about Rainbow Six Siege last night, such is its hold on me right now. From a purely multiplayer point of view there's so much to love here, aided by impeccable level design and exquisite, meaty gunplay that makes it truly difficult to put down. To my mind Rainbow Six Siege is hands down the best multiplayer shooter of 2015. Nothing else comes close.
Just Cause 3 is consummately shallow then, but were you expecting anything else? It's brash, it's in your face, and it's lacking in a driving narrative. But it's one of the few ways to connect with that childhood feeling of getting a new toy, and just messing around with it in every conceivable way. And for that it can't really be faulted. Just Cause 3 shows no pretensions of being a game changer or attempting to advance videogames as an art form. It's about bombastic explosions, hilariously unintended consequences, and seeing what happens when you drop your brand new toy from a fourth-floor window.
[F]or all its various faults, Life is Feudal is a game that can be thoroughly enjoyed with a large group of friends and hours of spare time. The developers are still working on it, trying to smooth things out and catch all the bugs. So maybe in time, Life is Feudal can become something great, a monument to humanity's ability to cooperate. But until then, it makes for an interesting and realistic take on your average block builder.
X-COM was a really great game, and Hard West is flattered by the resemblance. But when it comes down to it, there is nowhere near as much genius in it as there is in Firaxis' predecessor. As a tactical shooter it's fine, if simple, and the fairly gentle system requirements and low price point bring it back to the table a little. Lacking in obvious flair and with sub-games that often do little to add anything to the game besides unnecessary management, the gunfights still manage to keep Hard West from being a failure.
Star Wars Battlefront is fantastic at what it sets out to achieve, even if it's not what everybody originally wanted. Aiming for a market not necessarily of hardcore gamers, but those who want some pick up and play fun without a steep learning curve, this is a game which succeeds in carving its own niche, despite borrowing haphazardly from all around it.
So while Assassin's Creed Syndicate is light on novelty, it feels like enough fat has been trimmed that this is a more enjoyable experience than any in the series before it. Traversal is once more a joy; the world is massive and believable; the cast of characters roguish and likeable; and for the first time in an age, Assassin's Creed feels like it has some genuine personality to it.
If you're after a little taste of what The Last Crown: Blackenrock has in store, then Midnight Horror is well worth the tiny asking price. It may be short but it's solid entertainment, with enough of a sinister vibe to pull in new horror-loving fans.
Warhammer: The End Times: Vermintide is by now means a bad game, but the sense of over-familiarity makes it difficult to recommend to all but the most ardent of Warhammer Fantasy fans. The workings are here of a good game, but prolonged play reveals it's overly chaotic and often repetitive, despite moments of genuine fun. If you've got four buddies after a co-op game then that's probably a different story, and there's enough in Vermintide to keep you hacking and slashing until the credits roll.
While Planetbase feels quite complex it can also feel quite constrained, but that's part of the experience. Unable to build freely on the planet like we would here on Earth, you have to be aware of everything from power consumption to making sure your air locks are placed properly to maximize efficiency. Most of the time you're constantly struggling to survive, but once you hit that sweet spot of having a working base with strong resource production, that's where Planetbase really gets going.
The storyline of the campaign mode is sort of fun and playing a season with all of the ups and downs that brings is also fun, but for me I think most of the joy comes from the nostalgia, I'm afraid.
That feels like nitpicking though, and overall it has to be said in Fallout 4 Bethesda has crafted one of the most enthralling worlds gaming has yet scene. Packed with incidental detail and begging to be explored, it's one of the grandest adventures you can have without putting on a rucksack and stepping out of your front door. All of this is just the beginning as well. We know Fallout 4 is going to be one of the most well supported games by the modding community, and in a year's time every conceivable problem can be ironed. Fallout 4 is truly limitless potential.
Admittedly, I'm a huge fan of Halo, and every time a new one comes out I'm filled with equal parts fear and excitement, the lack of local co-op was a massive blow for me personally, but thankfully 343 delivered where they promised and have provided us with another excellent entry to (in my opinion) one of the greatest FPS series' of all time. So, is it time for Halo 6 yet?
That isn't to say that Skyhill is a bad game. It more than rewards the effort of playing through it once or twice for the experience alone but if you find yourself replaying again and again then you, dear reader, will need far more patience than I.
Rebel Galaxy is extremely 'aggressively priced', as I believe the marketing guys say. For the money, it's really the best you can do for space trading. It's fun, simple and engrossing, and if you're put off by Elite Dangerous' more-than-double price and you're not bothered by single-player only, Rebel Galaxy is really filling a niche that needed to be filled.
So OK. I know I'm supposed to be frothing at the mouth. I know that something I was really looking forward to was passed off to me in an unfinished, slapdash state, and if there'd been less in the way of public outcry Warner would have happily taken the money and run. But after all the grief, and all the misery, there's a really special game hidden here. A tightly-scripted, well-paced superhero simulator that captures the attention to detail that Gotham City deserves with care and respect. If you're still willing to give it another chance, I doubt you'll really be disappointed.
If you'd like to be told a striking tale of past and future, while being treated to magnificent visuals and a genuinely varied and challenging gameplay experience, then I think you need to get yourself Jotun and be prepared for the wonder. Just brace yourself for those boss encounters, and don't say I didn't warn you!
Then, once I realized that I'd been a numskull, I installed the DLC and tried again, playing with the new tourism and leisure districts, and building taxi ranks and bus lanes, and… well, once again I had a great time and felt that the DLC was a little light on content.
There isn't much replayability, given the type of game it is. But promise me that AFTER you've played it once, start a new game, and remember what Lorraine said: "In my heart and mind, I always return to Atlantic Island Park".
As a simple, no frills beat-em-up there's not really anything to fault Transformers Devastation, but those after greater depths may come away disappointed. This is magnified by the short running time. Transformers Devastation is slight in the extreme. I wasn't exactly blazing through but my playthrough took roughly five hours, which is remarkably short for a £32 title. If you're into chasing better ranks or tackling the challenge mode then I don't hesitate to recommend Transformers Devastation, but if any of those points set off alarm bells then I'd definitely wait and pick it up in a sale. At £32 it's okay, but at £10 it would practically be a must-buy.