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Fundamentally, many of you may have been playing Dead or Alive 5 for the last two and half years now, perhaps with a sojourn into Dead or Alive 5 Plus on your Vita, before upgrading to Dead or Alive 5: Ultimate along the way. For the stalwart fan, it's possible that Last Round contains just enough additions and upgrades to make a purchase necessary, especially when you consider its budget pricing, but for the less committed it may not be enough. Meanwhile, for those yet to play Dead or Alive 5, Last Round is the most complete and attractive version of an enjoyable, albeit ostentatious, fighter despite a few minor issues.
To me Pillar is a game that simply exists, and even then I don't see it having an appeal to a broad audience. I really like the premise that Michael has come up with – wanting to set a game based on personality types – but I don't think that idea is fully explored here. Some of the puzzles are fun while others aren't. I don't want to say that Pillar is a badly put together piece of work, because it isn't, and clearly love went into the project. However, it isn't a fun puzzle game, and feels like a missed opportunity.
The Order: 1886 features a wonderfully crafted and realistic alternate history setting with the greatest visuals and production values so far on the PS4. While the first half or so of the story really works, it's let down by the final few hours, which abandon things shouting out to be explored in favour of introducing forced plot points which do the world and the main cast a disservice. Despite that, the gunplay is a lot of fun and it's not a bad story overall, just one which could've been far better.
The Book Of Unwritten Tales 2 is one of the best point and click adventure titles to be released, and stands as an example of what the genre has to offer. I would easily place it in the company of revered adventure titles like Grim Fandango or Tales Of Monkey Island, perhaps even surpassing them as it takes what made those titles great and expands upon them. KING Art has created a game that rarely falters over its 21 hour playtime and if you're a point and click fan then The Book Of Unwritten Tales 2 is highly recommended.
Ace Combat Assault Horizon Legacy Plus is an enjoyable and engaging entry in the series, and in the combat flight-sim genre. For returning players however there is very little new content here to warrant a purchase, unless you're absolutely desperate to pilot a Samus Aran airplane in a fictional war. For those new to the title who are looking for something slightly different to go with their New 3DS, there's a lot to recommend here, though it sadly all feels like a bit of a missed opportunity.
At its simplest, Evolve is one of the best new ideas to be turned into a game of recent times, invoking so many monster and alien films along the way. Its attention grabbing hook can only take it so far, though, and Evolve needs you to persevere through the first few hours as you get to grips with the hunt and learn how to play the game. Admittedly, it can be hit and miss when paired up with AI players through matchmaking, but as with so many games, it can be pure gold when played with friends.
Ultimately, Game of Thrones will be measured as a complete series, and not every episode can be as good as the last. However, this episode is about as close to being filler as it gets for Telltale – sure, a couple of the plot threads are enjoyable, and one of the new characters is quite interesting – but these moments are few compared to the abundance of boring references and pointless tasks to be done. We could've got this one out of the way in well under an hour without all of the padding, and had a better time doing it.
The Escapists isn't for everyone. The visual style may put some people off, and the general repetitiveness of each day could grate with others. However, The Escapists is a smart title that encourages a player to experiment with different options. There's no single right answer to escaping, though some tactics will bring freedom faster than others. I personally found myself thinking of various plans even when not playing, and working out how viable they would be. If you enjoy crafting and planning, while potentially starting a riot, then The Escapists could be the game you're looking for.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate could destroy your life. If you allow it to get its hooks into you, the cycle of hunting, carving, and crafting is so intoxicating that it can genuinely generate hundreds of hours of gameplay. The addition of online multiplayer finally brings the series to handheld in a form that makes perfect sense, and Capcom have improved the game's accessibility without losing any of its quirky Japanese character. All in all, it's an essential entry for both new and returning hunters, and another vital exclusive for Nintendo's 3DS.
Although a sound game, Dying Light just falls short of greatness. Compared to its predecessors it looks stunning and has picked up a raft of new and interesting ideas. Several hours in, however, and a familiar sense of fatigue will inevitably set in. Unless roaming Harran with friends in tow, Dying Light isn't one of those games you can comfortably sit and play for hours on end. Zombie enthusiasts are still in for a treat though, as well as anyone looking for an unconventional first person action game.
Majora's Mask might be the best Zelda game, but then again, you could say that about almost all of the mainline instalments in the series. This remake changes that title – for the better, from a technical view – but that's likely to mess with fans' nostalgic tendencies and will confuse returning players at points. But, for anyone playing Majora's Mask for the first time, this is an extremely refined reworking of a game which would likely feel archaic and broken if released again in its original state.
Life Is Strange makes a strong start to its season, with the first episode introducing a number of interesting characters, and raising a number of questions that left me needing answers. The visuals paint a solid, and often beautiful world, and despite the occasional misstep in the dialogue or execution Dontnod have the beginnings of a worthy and memorable entry in the adventure game genre.
Unmechanical: Extended is a puzzling game, in every sense of the word. In that manner there are puzzles, each of which must be surmounted before you can progress, but equally its lack of any true storytelling, beyond that which you create yourself, or indeed any hand-holding to point you in the right direction almost cause too much confusion. However, there is a wonderful spirit to the game, created by the beautiful aesthetic and meaningful sound design, both of which really warrant experiencing.
Grim Fandango is considered a great game almost 17 years after its release due to various reasons, though the main one has to be the humour within. It's a game that makes you laugh out loud, and Manny is a great lead character. I do enjoy noire-esque stories, and Grim Fandango is something like that. If you like adventure games then it is definitely worth playing Grim Fandango Remastered, be it a replay or for the first time. However there are a few technical issues that need to be addressed including the voice and lip syncs being way out in some cases, as well as the frame rate drops within a couple of the game's locations. Having said that, whilst Grim Fandango Remastered isn't perfect it is certainly an enjoyable and memorable experience.
If you've played the original Resident Evil inside out, or the Gamecube remake, you know exactly what you're getting with Capcom's shiny re-release. It's a polished update that never strays far from the template, proving just as faithful as it is hardcore. For those looking for a gateway into the series, however, we advise extreme caution, especially if your notions of Resident Evil are based on more recent instalments. Although perfectly playable, it is likely to defy most, if not all, expectations you may have.
The thing about Gat Out Of Hell is that it feels like Saints Row IV but with things stripped away instead of expanded on. Sure you have the challenges to complete, though they aren't different to the other games in the series, and there are a lot of collectibles to hunt down to unlock everything. Outside of that though Hell as a location feels a bit bland, and without the other Saints to bounce off Kinzie and Gat aren't that interesting or funny. Combine that with the lack of in-game music and customisation options and this entry is a step backwards for the series. Don't get me wrong, this game can be fun when you're engaged in big battles against the demons, but outside of that it is lacking character.
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is not a bad game, it's just not a great one. The singleplayer game brings nothing new to the franchise, and in some ways even feels like a step backwards from Guardian Of Light. As a multiplayer game it takes on a different and welcome dimension, though for every great moment, you can expect equal frustration.
When Tales from the Borderlands was announced, I honestly wasn't sure what to anticipate, but with one (quite long, but well-paced) episode, Telltale have sold me on another one of their ideas. It's shares a lot of DNA with both Borderlands and the usual Telltale adventure games, and yet it's nothing like them at all. It's one of their best offerings, and a refreshing new direction for both a game series that had begun to go stale and a gameplay formula which had started to feel repetitive.
Issues with the sound design aside, Lumino City is truly wonderful. The writing sparkles, puzzles are well put together and fun while requiring you to work for the solution just the right amount, and the visuals really do feel special. With a length that comes in somewhere in the eight to ten hour range, depending largely on how good you are at solving puzzles, it's of a length that will leave you wanting more, although I fear it may take State of Play quite a while to craft something like this again.
I really want to love The Crew. The in game world is absolutely huge and it's filled with a great deal of content – it looks brilliant at times too. Although the handling takes some time getting used to it does feel natural as the game begins to open up. Despite that, the driver AI can be infuriating at times, as with the traffic placement which I refuse to believe is a coincidence. The online doesn't feel well integrated either and the story is uninspiring. If you know that you have friends playing The Crew it could turn out to be a great arcade racer, but if you're playing solo for the majority of it, it will no doubt start to feel lifeless and lacking a bit of soul.