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In the short term the story mode and Spec Ops missions will provide some decent entertainment, but the multiplayer will need to thrive to help reach full potential. It's only a few problems, like sometimes not being able to tell foreground from background, the steep learning curve on some puzzles, and a few fiddly controls that holds Battleground from making the leap to astounding. However it is still worth giving this a shot.
If you can look past the poor narrative and weak character dialogue Bound By Flame is a solid action RPG. The combination of fire and sword is an exciting duo which flows seamlessly in battle. However, you can't help but feel that, with the PS4 in mind, Bound By Flame has been rushed to fill a gap in the market.
The game is a visually nice one, though levels do repeat. The only real problem is the sensitivity of the touch pad on PS4, and then it plays better on Vita. It's a game that is enjoyable in short bursts compared to a long slog, and it provides a fun distraction.
Add to this the strengths of the world that has been created, Darren Korb's soundtrack, the charm of Ashley Barrett's voice, and the clever story that unfolds, and Transistor is a near essential game to own on PS4.
The New Order is unlikely to feature in many Game of the Year lists and it does have a few areas where perhaps it could have benefitted from a little more polish. Shooter fans, and especially those who remember the halcyon days of id's seminal shotgun-and-chainsaw, blood-soaked titans, shouldn't let that put them off. It's clearly not perfect but it is a very enjoyable and respectably lengthy shooter that embraces its heritage while successfully striving to evolve its core gameplay in a new and interesting direction.
After four years with the license, Beenox has yet to deliver a truly ground-breaking Spider-Man experience. Yet, despite not having that "Arkham" effect, this latest movie tie-in is still worth a punt. It may be a little rough around the edges and could have done with more substance, but it's still fun for a good few hours and ideal for younger gamers.
Child of Light is a joy to behold, with the tale of Aurora and Lemuria very well told. The way the whole experience has been crafted is nothing sort of fantastic, and this could turn out to be a classic. The story, the characters, the battle system, the art, and the music all shine. This is a game that wears its heart on its sleeve while bringing something fresh to the landscape; it's quite divine. I suppose the time has come to score Child of Light then, and I give this game nothing less than a 10/10
Kirby: Triple Deluxe is a hard one to score, as while it doesn't really do anything wrong, it never really stands out either. The copy abilities are interesting enough, but a lot of the level design feels a bit ordinary – it certainly lacks the variety of Kirby's Epic Yarn. While that was also very easy, it was a joy to play through.
Niggles aside, I've really enjoyed my time with Mario Golf: World Tour. Despite feeling a little light on main courses, there's more than enough content on offer, coupled with a great online mode and the usual Nintendo visual flair. This is a game that will keep you busy for quite some time.
It's very faithful to the movie and manages to embellish enough so as to not be a simple retelling, yet doesn't quite cover enough ground to be anything other than a companion to the films. It's probably the best Hobbit game you're going to get – just don't expect a massive deviation from the LEGO formula.
The ability to play across all of your systems, and transfer effortlessly between them, cannot be overstated, and the fact that you only have to pay once for it is an ideal that some companies are sadly still avoiding. Whilst there isn't necessarily much of a traditional challenge to the game, working your way through the different worlds is so enjoyable that you'll barely notice.
Trials Fusion continues the tradition of finely balanced frustration and joy that always made previous games in the series so compelling. The online multiplayer situation is a little unclear at launch but this series has always been mostly about the leaderboard struggles and Fusion delivers that in spades. The user-generated content adds plenty of longevity, even beyond the promise of those six DLC packs over the next year and the new trick system – frustrating and difficult to master as it is – is a perfect fit for the game.
If repetition isn't a problem for you, however, and you just want to blast-off into space and shoot down enemies by the bucketload, then this game is definitely something you should look into.
If you're eyeing up the PlayStation 3 version of Xtreme Legends then I can't strongly recommend it. New characters are always great, as are new stages, but the lack of thought put into the addition to Ambition Mode is disappointing to say the least. The same negative applies to the PlayStation 4's Complete Edition though doesn't impact on the game's other contents, taken from the original Dynasty Warriors 8.
While the narrative might not have the same impact as previous games, it's somewhat more of a down-to-earth tale of an ordinary man with extraordinary powers, and that's an exciting new direction for the series to take.
Splitting Ground Zeroes back into a separate release was always going to be contentious. Thankfully, there is a lot more gameplay and depth than the early reports of the main mission's length suggested and it's full of potential for exploration, fan service and Kojima's particular brand of hackneyed allegories. Unfortunately, there is still too little primary content to justify the £29.99 price tag or even the £19.99 digital pricing for PS3/360, so I can't recommend this to anyone but a die hard MGS fan.
It remains one of the best 3DS titles, and now takes its place among PlayStation's best too. It might not be an extremely lengthy affair, but when it comes to art direction, well paced gameplay, and a brilliant sense of exploration, SteamWorld remains king.
Strider is an enjoyable game but it's not one that particularly stands out against others of its type. It is cleverly designed, as this style of game must be, but not so much that it earns the right to sit alongside the genre's ageing greats like Symphony of the Night and it's not quite up to the complex replayability of modern classics like Shadow Complex. It's a decent game that generally looks very nice and will while away a few hours, but you won't be rushing to tell your friends about it and you might not want to return after completing it.
Just remember to turn off the lights and try not to cover your eyes, because you're in for one hell of a ride.
Mario Party: Island Tour is ultimately disappointing. It looks and sounds like a first-party Nintendo product but a great deal of the fun has been stripped out of it by tedium. The best way to experience the game also requires each participant to own a 3/2DS which makes it one of the most expensive multiplayer experiences out there (but cheaper for it being download play enabled).