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With an excellent trio of ports from Bluepoint and the fourth game on the way in March, there's never been a better time to play these games, whether a newcomer to the series or someone looking to relive some of the PlayStation 3's best games.
Fans of the series will probably still find some enjoyment from playing through the four story arcs, but it feels like a missed opportunity for such an iconic property.
Etrian Mystery Dungeon is an enjoyable and fully featured dungeon crawler, with some great touches to keep you coming back time and time again. Though there are a few occasional niggles it combines the two franchises very successfully and that should see it find fans in both camps.
The Escapists: The Walking Dead is a very addictive time and resource management game which can easily make the hours fly by as you play just one more day to hunt for that elusive item you need. However, the addiction can slowly turn into frustration at not being able to find what you need or by not knowing what you need to do next due the lack of any hints. It is a test in patience and the will to keep going and try every possible combination of item to find your way through the game, but as long as you have these qualities then you will have a blast.
Overall though NBA 2K16 is a solid game that has great gameplay, and fantastic presentation.
Of all the Toys to Life games, Lego Dimensions is perhaps the most literal interpretation of the genre yet. Thanks to some clever ideas with the Toy Pad and the inherent flexibility of Lego itself, it's able to breach the divide between the game and the real world in some interesting ways. It doesn't always get that blend quite right, and the price of entry is very high, but it's an excellent first attempt that's full of nostalgia and more than a few moments of brilliance.
Mega Battle is great fun, especially in local multiplayer, and has seen me both laughing and cursing aloud, but with no mini-games or notable campaign to speak of, and without the overblown power-ups I'm used to in Mario games, it's a game that I'll have all but forgotten by the time Wimbledon rolls around next year.
Cities: Skylines remains a fantastic city builder, and with After Dark it's getting even better, regardless of whether you buy the DLC or not. Just the gorgeous day-night cycle would have been a worthy addition, but Colossal Order have shown a degree of ingenuity in tying this to new gameplay mechanics, while also giving more options for players in how they want to run their city.
There's a good level of content to be found here, between the constant flow of resident's requests and the expansion of the town plaza, which you can extend for as long as you like with remodels and redesigns which unlock later on. There's also plenty of variety to the different items, and with the ability to repaint and create your own designs you can make something truly unique. The simple and intuitive gameplay will especially appeal to younger gamers, as will the creativity, but the key disappointment is the limited scope. Happy Home Designer captures some of the Animal Crossing magic, but not enough to make it an essential entry in the series.
If you've bonded with the series before then it's a small concession to make. However, for first timers, Mario Party 10 isn't the immediate smash hit you may be expecting off the back of Super Mario 3D World and Mario Kart 8. Bringing the game to Wii U has meant a facelift and some nice new bells and whistles to fiddle around with. However, Mario Party 10 is much like the latest iteration of an established board game: although it may look different, love them or hate them, the rules are still very much the same.
Overall, SuperChargers is a competent sequel and one that's bound to keep the Skylanders fandom transfixed for yet another year. Where previous iterations have kept the series afloat using fun albeit superficial gimmicks, this latest edition feels more like a genuine step in a new direction. It's great news all around, yet the developers at Vicarious Visions and Toys For Bob will definitely be feeling the pressure in trying to top this latest effort next year.
Cast of the Seven Godsends will find its audience among those wanting that Ghouls n' Ghosts experience, but in its current state it is largely unplayable thanks to the frame-rate working against you all the time. But its biggest sin is that it has two extremes: hard as a rock, or a piece of cake. There's no middle ground that would have made my time with it more enjoyable. I admire the art style to a point and the game had some great ideas, but it's no Ghouls n' Ghosts.
If you've been waiting years for a good rugby union game, the wait will continue for some time yet. There is little to redeem the myriad of fundamental flaws and inadequacies that are apparent throughout.
Lumini is short, but sweet. What the game lacks in content is easily made up by the blissful audio and artwork, which absolutely make this a little gem of a game. Despite its few flaws, I genuinely enjoyed my time with the Lumini, and their charm made merely gliding around delightful. A mini adventure which often brought a beaming smile to my face, it would be hard not to recommend giving Lumini a go.
I've never played a game that's affected me as much as SOMA, and to be honest I'm not sure I want to ever again, although I'm very glad I did. It has the DNA of movies like Alien, 2001, Sunlight, and Event Horizon, with a splash of the original Dead Space and Bioshock, but brings plenty of new ideas to the table. It makes you think about what it means to be alive, and indeed how you classify life, and is a brilliant example of just how far video games have evolved.
There are plenty of challenges in Pumped BMX+ for the price point, but at the end of the day it boils down to whether you'd like a mobile game on your PC or console. Sadly, it just doesn't offer anything beyond the capabilities of the mobile version and it's a tough sell as a result. While it's technically a good port of an iOS title, it just isn't enhanced enough for my tastes.
Dropsy manages to subvert your expectations, and has managed to create a main character you can feel for, even though he doesn't speak. Dropsy just wants to make people happy in a world that is filled with problems, and by helping them he can achieve his goal. There are some design issues though that count against the game, and some may find the pixel art graphics unappealing, but as an overall experience Dropsy is something that point and click adventure fans should play.
Disney Infinity 3.0 steers the series back on track after last year's small spanner in the works. It's a fun and enjoyable game that never outstays its welcome while also striving to innovate within the existing framework. To say 3.0 is without its own shortcoming would be a lie, however. Disney Interactive and its patchwork of studios have yet to forge something that feels truly cohesive and consistent throughout.
The Deer God can be a very absorbing experience. I found myself just running along the landscape exploring the world, and testing my powers on the creatures around me. It's not a tough game to master and it isn't long either once you have the basics in hand. The Deer God is a great looking game for what it is, and if you're looking for something to fill a couple of hours then this may do for you.
The Golf Club Collector's Edition is a well-featured and enjoyable game, only held back by the lack of licensed content and performance issues that hamper the fun. The asynchronous multiplayer lends plenty of real-world competition to the proceedings, and the course designer is a powerful tool in the right hands. Its more serious tone may not be to everyone's taste, but the fact that HB Studios has created an indie title that can genuinely contend with EA's monolithic PGA franchise makes it worthy of attention.