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Whether looking to relive a forgotten favourite or simply in the mood for an old school action platformer, The Legend Of Kay is more than just serviceable. It's a fun, inspired take on the genre that plays well despite its lack of ground-breaking features.
As the credits rolled at the end of the episode, I was left trying to digest not just the final few moments, but the episode as a whole. There were several very powerful moments, with Dontnod's mature approach to the subject matter and ambiguous decision making key, as they tackled the theme of life and death that ran throughout. Alongside some great puzzles and use of Max's time warping power, this is the best episode yet.
N++ is a further distillation and refinement of what made N and N+ cult classics in the first place. Rather than replacing those games, it expands upon them greatly, with a bafflingly vast array of levels that come to test you mastery of the game's pure platforming, and the tools to make even more.
They say that crime never pays, but in The Swindle you can come out ahead if you play your cards right. In this madcap steampunk rendition London, a city of ludicrous buildings filled with robots and traps, the key is learning how to quit while you're ahead. It's all too easy to slip up and foolishly get spotted – and yes, the occasional glitch or quirk of procedural generation can feel unfair – but it makes each success all the more tense and rewarding.
Road to Gehenna is perhaps not as deeply thought provoking as what I've experienced in the main game, but it's no less fascinating to visit a little commune of rejected thinkers, bringing with you the news that the world is coming to an end. And there's some excellently crafted puzzles, too.
It's hard to say whether this episode of Telltale's Game of Thrones series is a genuine standout piece of work amongst their other stuff, or is simply elevated due to some of the other episodes in this series being far less exciting. Nevertheless, it's still a thrilling experience, and looks to be working towards a superb finale for the series.
Rory McIlory PGA Tour fundamentally plays a great round of golf, with an excellent range of playstyles to suit fans old and new. Despite the welcoming gameplay and often outstanding graphical representation of the courses though, enthusiasts and series stalwarts may soon feel that while progress has been made in some areas, this may not be the experience they expected from the first PGA Tour of a new console generation.
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter might be less involved than a lot of mystery games, but it is by no stretch any less fascinating, beautiful or immersive. Its haunting atmosphere sucks you in with its unsettling vibe, but it's the mystery that keeps you there until the very end. It may not be the longest game, but if the supernatural intrigues you even a little, then this one case worth taking.
Tembo the Badass Elephant could have been so much more than what is offered. SEGA seemed to be searching for a successor to Sonic with Tembo but at the same time wanted to get a piece of the market for particularly hard games, forgetting to make it fair at the same time. It is an incredibly nice looking and sounding game, and when everything falls into place Tembo is a joy to play, but these instances are rare. The poor control scheme mixed with stupidly hard late levels, which almost caused me to destroy my controller, take major points away from what could have been a promising game.
Despite the huge flaws, there's still something that kept drawing me back to play a bit more, to destroy a few buildings or beat one more Kaiju. It's not smart or clever, nor remotely modern, and it's mostly repetitive and dull. But it's Godzilla – a giant nuclear accident that is as likely to destroy you as protect you. After 60 years, there's still some part that's inherently enjoyable about that and it has found its way into this game. That or I have radiation sickness.
Astebreed is a remarkably well-built indie title, which nails both the mecha genre and its anime flavouring. Anyone who's enjoyed Radiant Silvergun or Ikaruga will find plenty to like here, and though it can be easy to blast through the levels as quickly as possible, its rewarding mechanics and high-score leaderboards will ensure plenty of reasons to make repeat visits.
F1 2015 doesn't have many of the features and game modes that we've seen over the years, and this feels disappointing given delays during development, but it gives a solid basis for future growth. With lush visuals, tight car handling, good racing and a sprinkling of fresh ideas, this is exactly the fresh start that Codemasters needed.
Although not exactly risky or adventurous, it's the follow-up many have been dreaming of for years and now it's finally here.
Whispering Willows is an enjoyable game with a good story, though much of it will rely on you reading all the letters scattered through the game. The puzzles aren't hard and while some of the atmosphere is creepy the game doesn't quite present the horror you expect. While Whispering Willows is an interesting experience it is a short one at three hours. There are also a couple of annoyances and the puzzles are incredibly simple to work out, but that keeps things moving at a steady pace. Overall Whispering Willows is for those who like adventure titles but also like to experience a story that unfolds without too much effort being put in, making it a solid debut from Night Light Interactive.
With a little more refinement, Ronin could easily have been an enjoyable romp. It certainly looked the part and in the initial stages was a slick action platformer, but by the time the game reaches its conclusion, there's little motivation to continue. It may be short, but finishing Ronin feels like running a gauntlet by the skin of your teeth. The only kicker is, there's no moment of euphoria afterwards…
MotoGP 15 is still an accomplished racer, but it offers little to draw fans in, compared to last year's entry. There's a few nice touches, like having your own team in career mode, and the bike racing still manages to strike a balance between being accessible and being very challenging, but from the all-too-familiar double loading screens to the lacklustre environments and beyond, we're still waiting for Milestone to fully take advantage of the latest generation of consoles.
Manga die-hards are bound to get a real kick out of J-Stars Victory VS+. The level of fan service here is on point and there's a solid fighting game to back it up. That said, after just a few hours it begins to lose steam, becoming less and less appealing as something you'd want to play for long sessions.
We didn't review the original release of Payday 2 – which is part of the reason why we are scoring this Crimewave Edition – but even then, this was a game with a lot of depth and variety to the scenarios it put you in, and that's great fun to play cooperatively. Though it still has its flaws, the added content and changes that have been brought together in the Crimewave Edition build upon the original release and mean that there's plenty of reasons to sink back into a life of crime.
Batman: Arkham Knight isn't the crown jewel in the Arkham series, that remains in Asylum's honour, but it is still a good game in its own right.
Yoshi's Woolly World is a joyful platformer, which takes a different approach to other games in the Mario family by emphasising collection and exploration, while retaining a solid level of challenge. Despite a few technical problems and design missteps, the variety, and thoughtfulness, of the myriad mechanics make it a pleasure, as you advance through each world exploring every nook and cranny. Once again, the Wii U makes an excellent argument for its existence, especially when it's giving players time in the company of one of Nintendo's most beloved characters.