The Skinny's Reviews
Wolf makes no bones of its format and continues to give a genuinely diverging storyline that will leave you wondering about every line you utter and every punch you throw.
Unfortunately, these technical problems make it difficult to recommend Guns, Gore & Cannoli on PC in its current state. It's a real shame because underneath is a slick and well-designed side-scrolling shooter that pays homage to its noir and grindhouse inspiration while carving out an identity of its own.
The simple premise and brevity of an individual play-through is a good concoction for brewing up that 'one more game' mantra and whilst your passion for it may be as fleeting as its title suggests, you're likely to have a good time whilst it lasts.
Underneath you'll find a serviceable and enjoyable escapade, if endless hacking and slashing are your things. It's been done better and it's been done worse for sure, yet coming with that Tri-Force stamp of approval, Zelda fans will likely have been hoping for a little bit more.
By comparison to mindless shooters, this is a breath of clean air, but it's disappointing if you think outside the small window of possibility it gives you.
"Atmosphere, not action, is the great desideratum of weird fiction," writes Lovecraft, and in the end it is the game's loyalty to this principle which often makes The Vanishing of Ethan Carter such engrossing experience. And while a bit atmosphere never killed anyone, the subtle macabre of Ethan Carter's world will certainly mess with your head if you let it.
It's a flawed experiment, but one that nevertheless tackles a vital, neglected subject area with a whole lot of heart and thus still warrants admiration.
All in, Van Helsing II will likely please its core audience as much as its predecessor. There are oodles of branching power trees and character classes to customise and the ties with the first game will make purchasing this a no-brainer for those already accustomed to Neocore's wares.
For established fans, Tales from the Borderlands is a great opening act. It has simple combat, snappy dialogue, and great voice acting. For players new to Borderlands, this is a decent appetiser but may well leave you feeling hungry. Either way, there's sure to be great demand for the next course.
Whether you are looking for a family friendly way to introduce a child to the franchise or simply fancy yourself a survival expert, Lego Jurassic World has plenty of fun to be enjoyed by all ages.
For all the negatives there's a game in there that's so much fun to play and a blast when you can get a few friends together. If you can look past Mercenary Kings' flaws you're in for a great time – just bring your patience along for the ride.
True aficionados would do well to leave alone but it's something unlikely to worry the developers here. Child of Light is RPG-lite indeed, but in the burgeoning world of videogame genres, there's plenty of room for that too.
On the whole Watch Dogs is undoubtedly worth a play. It may have its faults but Ubisoft have kicked off a new series that not only delivers promise but a tremendousamount of choice as to how you want to approach your game.
As a technological achievement, it's probably about as cutting-edge as console gaming gets right now, but as a straight ahead gaming experience, Destiny's component parts have been better done elsewhere, not least by Bungie themselves.
Despite the nagging feeling that the game's mechanics are held up by a certain amount of smoke and mirrors, there's more than enough substance here to hold your attention for the fifteen to eighteen hours it takes to finish the game.
Ultimately, Driveclub is a solid enough racing game, albeit one that's beset by some significant limitations. Casual fans of the genre are likely to have an enjoyable enough time but if you're looking for a title to plough hundreds of hours into, this isn't it.
Whilst not as immediate or as gripping as episode one, The Lost Lords wins out by keeping its various story threads warm and setting up the precarious pieces for what is looking to be a typically unpredictable story run.
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number has much to appreciate yet by comparison, the original game was perhaps a textbook example that, sometimes, less really is more.
At this midway point, Game of Thrones is showing much promise, enough to invest in a season pass if you're any kind of fan. It's been a steady drip-feed so far but The Sword in the Darkness feels like a dam ready to burst and with three more episodes to come there's plenty of room for it to flow.
As a rogue-like, it is, as we said, also left wanting – but as an overall package it presents a great challenge wrapped up in some pleasing aesthetics, with a classic 'one more game' mantra running through it.