Dealspwn's Reviews
Warlock II: The Exiled is a game that stands on the shoulders of its predecessor rather than blazing a trail, but that's okay. What Ino-Co have given us here is an incredibly solid, hex-based strategy title that provides a great entry point to the series (and the genre, to be honest), with enough here to keep fans engaged for several thousand turns.
The 2.5D gameplay is a success with the combat and exploration feeling almost as rewarding as the regular console games. However, the galling amount of backtracking and the forced detective mode scanning to highlight weak walls or Batclaw points took the edge off what was otherwise an enjoyable night with the Dark Knight.
Age Of Wonders III focuses on eXploration and eXtermination in an unpredictable and customisable fantasy world that constantly reveals new secrets. A few issues and controversial mechanics might irk some genre veterans, but following the first major patch, Triumph's triumph is easily one of the most compelling strategy hybrids we've seen in recent years, and an enjoyably stern challenge for fans of tactical turn-based combat.
Short yet sensationally bittersweet, A Crooked Mile puts The Wolf Among Us back on form. Expect powerful performances, perfect pacing, gutwrenching decisions and even more opportunities to define Bigby as a unique, charismatic and nuanced character. Outstanding - so here's hoping that the final two episodes can deliver.
More an overhaul than a director's cut, Strike Suit Zero's console debut feels like the definitive version of Born Ready's space sim: the game we all wanted it to be. Empowering mech handling and rebalanced gameplay makes a universe of difference, turning frustration into fun and challenging action in the main.
The absence of online multiplayer makes this already niche title a hard sell to anyone that doesn't have a bunch of hardcore gamer buddies dropping by often. The quest mode isn't fun when attempted alone either.
MXGP is a solid stab at recreating the muddy thrills of motocross that excels on the simulation side of things. One for the fans.
Goat Simulator serves up a tiny, but pretty dense, sandbox stuffed with slapstick goofs and anarchic, broken comedy. It isn't much of a game, particularly for £6-8, but it's one hell of a joke.
Fez isn't as fresh as it was two years ago and is purposefully frustrating by design at times with its pretentious refusal to adhere to a few sensible design decisions. There's a lot of effort required to progress and the game offers little back in return. If it could talk, it would say,"Play me or don't, I'm too cool to care." So you may want to punch it right in its Michael Cera, but the forgiving attitude to failure and the admittedly neat world-rotating to explore every surface to find more cubes may pull you in. Try the demo first though.
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.
Though it presents a strikingly unique aesthetic and a daringly open invitation to the player to piece together a mysterious narrative for themselves, Betrayer is ultimately a bit of a disappointment thanks to uneven pacing, inconsistent mechanics, and a world and story that just aren't particularly interesting. In the end, Betrayer assumes a little too much and works too little for the player's interest, which is a shame because it ultimately makes a rather striking game all too easy to walk away from early on.
Mercenary Kings is a royal retro rumble; an outstanding sidescrolling shooter with the depth and longevity of Monster Hunter. Though unwelcome repetition and grind can set in after long stints, grabbing some mates for local co-op fun with ridiculous customised boomsticks never gets old.
Brilliant and brutal, breathtaking and exacting, Cloudbuilt lights a rocket underneath traditional platformers. Exceptional level design, stunning visuals and a lofty skill ceiling make for an impressive debut, though its ferocious difficulty takes no prisoners.
In many ways, inFamous: Second Son is a lot like its sales rival Titanfall -- it doesn't do much that's new, but rather refines and polishes and balances everything that came before in expert fashion, providing new little twists and expanding in areas that had the scope for it to deliver a blockbuster experience that rarely lets you down.
It won't convert those who despise the Souls series, but the journey through the stunning lands of Drangleic is, for the most part, everything fans could have hoped for in a sequel. With fresh challenges, dastardly traps, and murderous invaders waiting at every corner, the sense of discovery and accomplishment is there for the taking… providing you're patient and brave enough to overcome it. The Iron Price of gaming is back, and it demands that you die.
Luftrausers delivers white-knuckle arcade thrills and intense dogfighting action, allowing us to become a true fighter ace.
Ground Zeroes is a stealthy sandbox, a playground that lets us get used to and experiment with the slick new Metal Gear mechanics. Its weak storyline and fleeting length are disappointing, but impressive replay value, extra content and undeniable quality will make The Phantom Pain's prologue worth the price of admission for many gamers.
As much as anything, I can't wait to play it again. I want to play it right now. Usually I can't wait to be shot of a game after intensively crushing it for review purposes (even the best of them), but here, I'm ready for more.
1954 Alcatraz is a competent Point & Click game, that through it's non-linear storyline approach and decision element offer an experience that is fun and varied. Throw in an attention to detail to visuals and music and you have a nice little package. The experience is marred however by a lack of creativity in the puzzle department, and plot problems that are caused by it's non-linear design. It's still a decent game overall, but a lower price may be required to encourage most to take the plunge.
Broadcast+ saves Dead Nation: Apocalypse Edition from just being a bare bones rehash of a four year old game, but this is the first PS+ game to be attractive because it's free, not because it's a great game. Add a couple of points on if you really adored the first game, have some friends to challenge and don't have anything better to play.