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At the heart of Advanced Warfare is the exoskeleton and all of the possibilities it opens up, transforming the way that you get around amidst the futuristic setting. Yet it delivers on many more levels too, from a compelling story and cast of characters to the graphics and the vast array of options for multiplayer character and loadout customisation. Sledgehammer have shown that there's life in the long-running series yet, and thrown down the gauntlet to Treyarch and Infinity Ward.
Overall Race The Sun is a fantastic endless runner style game, a genre which I'm usually not a fan of. It's incredibly addictive and really taps in to that 'one more go' mentality. I really like the visual style of the game and its minimalist graphics and obstacle design come together nicely. The fact the game also manages to feel fresh everyday due to the changing levels is an added bonus, purely because you don't know what to expect.
Lords Of The Fallen has a good core that is being let down by too many other things. The combat is pretty much on point and really does provide a great challenge. If you're looking for a game that has punishing fights, but is a bit easier than Souls then this is it. However the story and lore just aren't that interesting, despite a good premise and Harkyn doesn't have much personality. There's also quite few bugs that really need addressing, like clipping through the environment and objects, or the enemies that just stop moving completely, yet can still deal damage, or suddenly develop the ability to fly. Those problems take Lords Of The Fallen from a potentially great game to something just above average.
With nearly eight hours of content for such a small price it will keep you entertained for many a bus journey to work.
Overall MXGP provides a wonderful racing experience. The unpredictable physics, terrain deformation and challenging opposition (whether it be online players or AI set to hard) combine to make a gritty racing game, which you can have plenty of fun with thanks to the sheer about of content. Truthfully, MXGP is at its best in the online season mode which is ultimately dependent on how busy the servers are.
Great things were expected of Samurai Warriors 4 and, thankfully, the sequel has delivered on a number of levels. Though it still carries the same old Musou blueprint, and so there's little to draw in those who dislike its particular brand of hack n' slash action, there are enough changes to attract any self-respecting fan of the series.
Just Dance 2015 is a polished and enjoyable product, and whilst it's potentially still behind the Dance Central series in a few key areas, including the way it monitors player actions, it makes up for this with its trademark styling, a strong collection of songs and intuitive online features. Who knows, it might even teach you a few moves to use on a Saturday night.
Overall, NBA 2K15 has come on leaps and bounds from the previous year's game, really fleshing out all the game modes. The MyCareer mode is the best "be a pro" style mode of any sports title, with the voices of NBA stars added for authenticity. The gameplay is much smoother too, and the game just looks great. The loading times do still need work, and hopefully 2K will address that with patches and in next year's NBA game. The server issues also need to be resolved for a better online experience but a new bar has been set for all sports games here.
Defense Grid 2 is an enjoyable return to Hidden Path's dystopian future, though whilst the sequel features a number of improvements some key features of the original, in particular the engaging story, have been lost along the way. For fans of the genre it's still an essential entry on PC and console, with hours of content and plenty of replayability, all wrapped up in a high quality package.
With a more intuitive – not to mention, convenient – core gimmick, Skylanders' fourth instalment is a solid outing for the series, dispelling fears that the Activision power seller is succumbing to fatigue. For fans, it's yet another all-round improvement, but Trap Team also serves as a perfect entry point for newcomers.
Natural Doctrine was never going to bring hardcore strategy to the masses. The developer knew exactly who they were targeting with their debut title and, for those players, the game will prove a worthwhile experience. For those who aren't too hot on their strategy role playing games, however, Natural Doctrine is a risk, yet one still worth taking if you're looking for something testing and out-of-the-norm.
Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition is amongst the finest open-world games of recent years, with gratifying and brutal combat, a genuinely gripping story and excellent car handling for this type of game. Despite some technical issues, which perhaps should have been addressed for a 'definitive edition', the game remains as playable as it was two years ago. Given the wealth of content and its relatively low entry price it would make a sound addition to anyone's collection, though there's ultimately nothing new here for players that have exhausted the original the first time round.
Despite borrowing a lot of well-worn themes from other games and movies (Hello, creepy shop mannequins from Silent Hill), The Evil Within feels fresh and exciting. It's easy to recommend to fans of the original Dead Space and the earlier Resident Evil games.
Overall PIX The Cat is incredibly fun and addictive. Every time I said it would be my last go I would also drift to the restart button, and have another go. The art design is really good looking, and just jumps out of the screen in some cases. The music is very well composed too, adding to the overall atmosphere of the game. The only real problem is the small amount of lag from analog input on PS4, which costs time in a game where every second counts. Since the game is currently free on Plus it really is worth playing, though if you do miss the Plus promotion it is worth picking up if you're looking for a modern day Pac Man or Snake, with better presentation.
Shadow of Mordor is without doubt the best Middle-earth game available on consoles. Though not entirely original (then again, what is nowadays?) all of the elements which it borrows flow in sync with Monolith's intuitive Nemesis system, creating something both immensely fun and replayable. That's not to say the game doesn't start to lose steam, especially once you've hit the thirty-hour mark, long after you've finished the story and explored the world. Still, when you eventually come to that milestone you will undoubtedly have had your fill.
As you finish the Tour and start to take on more and more challenges, Driveclub starts to show its true colours. It may be difficult for some to adapt to in an age where racers sprawl across open worlds featuring hundreds of cars and tons of tracks, but this is a game with a very singular focus. The overarching goals soon start to peel away, and you're left with the purity of competing against the times and records of friends and rivals, the stunning scenery and the joy of driving cars absolutely on the limit.
That idea of never being comfortable with how the game is unravelling is something that feels quite unique and it's extremely well imagined here. Plenty of survival horror games have you feeling vulnerable as you essentially fulfil the role of a hero but things are different here. In Alien: Isolation you're not the hero, you're the prey.
It's difficult to find a detective game where you can actually solve a mystery how you want to. In Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments the deduction board gives you this ability, which ultimately leads to a number of different conclusions to each case. You can also enjoy a great sense of satisfaction as you make a plot revelation. Visually, Sherlock Holmes is brilliant, from the detailed crime scenes to the realistic facial animations. The clunky gameplay, frustrating mini-games and inconsistent voice performances do detract from the overall experience though.
Castlestorm: Definitive Edition is exactly that – a remastered edition of an enjoyable game. Bar some issues with the controls the game offers an enjoyable mix of tower defense, RTS and action all wrapped up in a fun exterior. There's probably little here to convince owners of the original game to double-dip, but for newcomers there's a huge amount of content which should keep you coming back for some time.
If anything, Super Smash Bros. For 3DS is a precursor to the main event – the Wii U version – which is arriving later this year. It's a handheld game at heart, so it can be excused where it falls short in certain modes, and it brings a wealth of new functionality to the series, including character customisations in an already expansive roster.