Dealspwn's Reviews
The single player campaign is an improvement over B3, but the continued presence of a save wiping bug shows poor work from Dice. But yes, multiplayer is why we're all here for Battlefield 4 and it's incredible. Be it in small Squad Deathmatches or huge landscape-shattering vehicle-enhanced open warfare in Conquest, there's no better multiplayer experience on PS4.
There's still room for improvement, but Visual Concepts have created a truly next-gen instalment for this year's iteration of NBA 2K. Everything, from the furrowed lines on LeBron's brow to the engaging back and forth between your MyPlayer and their agent in MyCareer mode, oozes personality like never before. Probably the best sports game on the planet right now.
State Of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition is the definitive way of experiencing this fiercely unique zombie sim and a true highlight of the survival genre. Though still rough and ready, it's undeniably a complete package.
While the decidedly average combat and alarming number of technical gremlins are disappointing for a title that's been in development for so long, The Witcher III: Wild Hunt is still a must-buy title for genre fans. The Northern Kingdoms is vast and beautiful setting, packed with unique adventures and touching tales that you'll find away from the beats of the main story. A title to truly lose yourself in.
The game mode strip down this year by Codemasters with F1 2015 is evidently step one of many for a reboot of the popular franchise. Where modes have been taken, major improvements have been made. A whole new game engine giving advanced visuals and handling makes F1 2015 the best yet.
Storm Island is a mud-churning, rain-drenched, power-sliding delight that more than earns its expensive asking price. So long as you love your racing brutal, dirty, off-road and more than a little airborne, that is.
Any track racer can make overtaking feel exciting, but Forza Horizon 2 also makes driving an absolute joy in and of itself. Superb cars, gorgeous scenery and a generous economy make up for a few missteps, meaning that the first big automotive release of the season will also be one of the best of the year.
Avernum 2: Crystal Souls is an enormous, expansive and peerlessly written RPG that succeeds both on the strength of its world and its innovative campaign structure. So long as you're willing to read and exercise a little imagination, that is. Spiderweb have refined their winning formula over the last two decades and the result is pure roleplaying quality.
Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1 is an excellent remake, retaining the quirky parody story of the original Hyperdimension Neptunia while bringing everything else up to date. Enhanced combat, visuals and gameplay systems make for a great portable RPG, while the short dungeons work better on Vita than they ever did on PS3.
The Incredible Adventures Of Van Helsing II is a quality dungeon crawler offering solid action, hours of fun and an anarchic upbeat personality - for £11.99. Here's hoping that the third game turns the trilogy into a single superior RPG and underdog success story.
Reaper Of Souls costs a bomb, but shakes up Diablo III so drastically that it feels like a different game. A truly superb new act, great new class and useful artisan will be worth the price of admission for many, while Adventure Mode sets the stage for an entirely new addiction over the coming months.
Screw you guys, I'm going home to play my kickass South Park game. Read the full review for once you lazy sods!
Imagine Game of Thrones crossed with a dark, brutal, bleak Disney production that Disney would never dare to make, and you're pretty close to The Banner Saga. Stoic have delivered a cracking tactical RPG centred around an impressively elegant combat system and a peripatetic adventure that never lets up with tough choices and decisions to be made, letting the burden of leadership weigh heavy on players' shoulders. Engrossing, challenging, and aesthetically striking, The Banner Saga is a crowdfunded triumph.
GoD Factory: Wingmen was worth the wait: a hectic and tactical arcade space dogfighter that rewards close teamwork, clever customisation and daring zero-G manoeuvres. You can be my wingman any time.
The Book Of Unwritten Tales 2 proves that point & click adventure games don't have to change to be relevant in 2015. They just have to be better. It's enormous, hilarious, referential, satisfying and absolutely worth £24.99.
I'd never have pegged the folks behind Bulletstorm to craft something like The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, but I'm very glad that they did. It has a few niggling issues, but ultimately this is a brilliantly subtle, imaginative and thoughtful game.
Jazzpunk is a wonderful blend of spy-spoof, exploratory adventure game that actively involves you in the jokes it tells. Inventive, stylish, and downright hilarious in places, it's basically the lovechild of a three-way between The Meaning of Life, The Naked Gun, and Thirty Flights of Loving. An utterly absurd treat.
J-Stars Victory VS+ is a crossover for the ages and a delightfully mad brawler in its own right. A few shortcomings are overshadowed by the attention to detail, great cast, riotous combat and the big silly grin it will leave on your face.
Splatoon blows third-person shooting wide open with its wildly unique mechanics and uninhibited sense of fun. Approachable for newcomers and enjoyable for old hands, it's an impressive Wii U exclusive, though we'll have to take Nintendo's promises of free DLC and updates on trust.
Halfway between Fez and the best Screwball Scramble set ever created, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a quietly brilliant puzzler. It could stand to be longer and slightly more challenging, but Nintendo have turned a simple premise into something truly lovely.