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The Magic Circle: Gold Edition is a humourous and satirical look at the complexity of game development. At the same time, it’s a fun game that encourages you to experiment with different combinations to reach your goal, leading to a number of bizarre creations, but The Magic Circle: Gold Edition is brought to life by its comedy.
Uncharted 4 is more than masterful, bearing the hallmarks of a true system seller. What struck me most as an ardent fans of the series is how much it breaks away from the original blueprint yet manages to amaze on every level. Where many studios step safely from one sequel and into the next, Naughty Dog has taken a gigantic leap, proving yet again they're the best in the business.
Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright is amongst the best tactical videogames of all time. While it's not the wholesale reinvigoration that Awakening was, it is the refinement of three decades worth of game development, from a team who have fundamentally defined the handheld tactical genre.
If the same calibre of quality was available from beginning to end then The Detail would be a well recommended game. As it stands, however, the game ends on a low note, just like this review.
In terms of those new mechanics, there’s a few new concepts to deal with. One of these is a twist on an element introduced in the Japanese section of the main game, where a high speed train from outside of your main network would arrive from the side of the screen, forcing you to work quickly to deliver it to the right station. The DLC version, however, features a huge train that barrels across the screen, serving only to wipe out any of your trains that lie in its path.
Neverending Nightmares doesn't go for the big set pieces, but relies on you to fill the gaps with your own imagination before unleashing some horror on you. Its slow pace combined with ominous sounds and music help to build tension in environments that gradually fall apart, as Neverending Nightmares masterfully gives off a sense of dread in its short playtime.
It’s great to explore the background of one of the comic’s more popular characters, but doesn’t significantly push Telltale’s games on from their previous highs.
Maybe it comes down to how easy and accessible Coffin Dodgers is as a racer, but there’s definitely something that’s clicked with me. Even so, it’s a disappointing effort overall, but Coffin Dodgers may prove to be a guilty pleasure of sorts for a small minority.
Several hours and a dozen or so mastery ranks later, there’s still so much to do in Sapienza. The more accomplished I become as an assassin, the more options I’m given to experiment with, unlocking new weapons, costumes, and starting locations. When you factor in IO’s ongoing series of live events and community challenges, Hitman’s replay value grows exponentially and will continue to do so when we touch down in Marrakesh later this year.
LOUD On Planet X is a good rhythm game with a great track listing, but some of the issues within do need fixing. While the beat and button presses do match up in the majority of songs there are some where it all feels out of sync and disjointed. If they’re out of sync then the whole point of the rhythm game is defeated. A longer tutorial to explain parts of the game would also be beneficial too, instead of having tips appear on loading screens. The game won’t reach Guitar Hero levels of success, but if you’re looking for a quick rhythm game fix then LOUD On Planet X may be for you.
All together, they make for a map pack that’s really quite strong and distinctive visually, but also has some good variety in what they offer. Certainly, it feels more interesting and varied than Awakening did a few months ago.
Across Severed’s seven or so hours, you get to experience some of the best touch screen gaming around. DrinkBox Studios have created a great game here with an engaging battle system and art style. It can feel a bit too minimalist in its design, and there’s much repetition in the environments, but DrinkBox Studios have created a great game with an engaging battle system and art style. If you own a Vita, Severed is worth getting.
Alienation is a slick and polished twin stick shooter, filled with huge explosions and seemingly endless enemies to kill, but it's let down in a lot of little ways. It's still a great game, but I didn't fall as madly in love with it as I did with its predecessor.
When played with a friend, some of its issues become easier to overlook, but the fact still remains that those hoping for a triumphant return will be left disappointed by this rather one-dimensional arcade rehash.
Stories: The Path Of Destinies is a charming and colourful game that is well presented with good narration. The number of paths that can be taken allow for a lot of replayability, and there's some well crafted combat. However, there comes a point where the game does become repetitive, which can make drumming up motivation to unlock all the stories tough. Even so, Stories: The Path Of Destinies is worth going through a few times, even if you don't want to go through all 25 paths.
As a game that lives and dies on its mechanics, Star Fox Zero is only intermittently successful at selling its dual screen dynamics. It's at its best during the classic Arwing sections, but the Walker form becomes overly fiddly and the different viewpoints often cause more problems than they solve. Sadly it's somewhat fitting that one of the final Wii U first-party games still doesn't convince us on the viability of a dual-screen home console.
While it does not usurp the Pokémon franchise in any way, shape, or form, Yo-Kai Watch is a viable alternative for those who can get past some of the inconsistent design choices. It's easy to understand why kids in Japan have been drawn to the franchise and while the game feels like it's on autopilot a lot of the time, there is enough complexity here to keep you from getting bored. Younger gamers in particular are likely to find the most enjoyment in Yo-Kai Watch.
Smaller and tighter in focus than Star Fox Zero, Star Fox Guard utilises the Wii U’s abilities in a far more cohesive and enjoyable manner than its bombastic sibling. Fun and frantic, it marks a unique take on a well known genre, which, with typical flair, Nintendo have made their own.
The Banner Saga 2 doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, it just makes the wheel bigger and keeps on rolling. Even with minor stumbles in the form of slow combat animation and initially overwhelming combat mechanics, it's a game that excels at what it aims to accomplish. Fans of the first game will love it, and entirely new players will come to love it. If you need a new tactical RPG in your life, make it The Banner Saga 2.
The Collider 2 is an excellent game when you just want to pick up and play something for a small amount of time, but investing longer stretches of time can lead to a build up of frustration, as you crash again and again. The unlock style of the mission mode feels restrictive and counters the fast paced nature of the action, with the Survival mode providing a much better alternative. Just be sure to try and use a mouse or VR controls to get the best out of this fun and fast game.