Dealspwn's Reviews
Fantastic visuals and enhanced AI behaviour makes the virtual world of San Andreas come to life, and the Rockstar Editor is a powerful tool for machinima creators. It really is the definitive version of a modern classic.
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.
Titan Souls is a brutal and breathtakingly elegant boss battle bonanza, but it's difficult to find a satisfying rhythm thanks to a host of inconsiderate design decisions. What starts out as wholesomely frustrating can quickly become infuriating and even surprisingly repetitive.
Fans of old school shooters will enjoy Tower of Guns for its classic approach to firing from the hip and strafing through borderline bullet hell stages. The randomly generated rooms and enemies repeat themselves sooner than we'd like and the frame-rate goes to hell in the really busy rooms. There are some tasty guns to be found though and it's a lot of fun in small bursts.
From Software's title has blown away the competition this generation and is Sony's first true classic on the PS4. I'd urge non-Souls fans to try it too as I really wasn't expecting to enjoy Bloodborne this much.
Dark Souls II: Scholar Of The First Sin is the definitive version of a masterpiece. Surprising for veterans yet deceptively welcoming to newcomers, this rebalanced remaster proves as deeply impressive as it is brutally compelling.
Ride is one of the best bike racing games in years and is much more appealing than the dry offerings of Moto GP or SBK. The bikes are fantastically detailed and there are enough handling options to appeal to any race fan. Moving most events to new road circuits was a great idea too for those of you bored with the Moto GP calendar.
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection gives a truly magnificent game and its fun if flawed sequel a new lick of paint... and gives us an excuse to play them through again.
Against all the odds, it's the single player campaign that's proved to be Battlefield: Hardline's biggest selling point. Trying to play through as a 'good cop' by arresting baddies instead of filling them with lead is very rewarding. But the gunplay is as fun as ever if you want to play that way too. The multiplayer feels scaled down due to the smaller maps and the heist and assassination missions generally favour the defenders too much. Hotwire's car chases are essential though and will hopefully become a series regular.
Life is Strange's momentum could do with a little shove for the next episode, but once again I find myself eager for more. At times the episode treads water, but the optional discoverable details turn out to be important aspects that make the exploring worthwhile. It's just a shame that we have to wait six weeks (at least) for more.
After two episodes of build-up, we finally get some narrative progression in Episode 3. Choices are starting to matter, the dangers becoming more immediate, and the decisions harder to make. Along with effective use of the TV show's soundtrack at key points, it makes the The Sword In the Darkness the best episode yet, and a fine half-way mark for Telltale's series.
Pillars Of Eternity is a masterpiece and nothing less than essential for anyone who's ever heard of the Infinity Engine. Superbly written, expansive yet rich and detailed, tactical and thought-provoking, it's the sort of roleplaying experience that we've been dreaming about for years.
A stellar soundtrack and fascinating story rescue an otherwise disappointing sequel. In an effort to be bigger than the original, Hotline Miami 2 bloats its arcade gameplay into an grinder that punishes risk-taking and frequently feels irritating or unfair, not satisfyingly tough.
This final episode was shorter than we were expecting and leaves more questions than answers. Some bad habits crept back in too as the horror atmosphere from earlier in the season has been replaced with backs-to-the-wall action. As an overall package though, the episodic take on Resident Evil has been a success. At half the price of a regular game release, the value for money is excellent. A nine-hour campaign, co-op options and a deep Raid mode make this an essential buy for Resident Evil fans.
Tales From the Borderlands: Episode Two - Atlas Mugged is an excellent second chapter in what promises to be an absolute belter. Fun, upbeat and pacey, it pushes the story forward in satisfying directions while slowing down just enough to deliver some brash humour and character development.
While it's a shame the excellent horror vibe from Barry's section last week has taken a backseat, the action here is tense stuff as the numbers of enemies and bosses has increased greatly, with player two having a larger role this time too. We're hooked in for the final episode next week.
The fact that Final Fantasy: Type-0 HD is enjoyable on PS4 and Xbox One proves how magnificent the PSP original must have been. Its fantastic real-time battle system holds the entire game together, while the ending more than makes up for the confusing mess of jargon that precedes it.
Despite some technical gremlins causing cosmetic issues throughout the game at launch, Book Two: Rebels successfully builds upon Book One's excellent start. More agonising moral choices lie in wait on the streets and Propast and Marcuria as Red Thread Games deliver another well-written and entertaining instalment of Dreamfall Chapters.
Despite the incredibly frustrating platforming, it's impossible to deny that this really is the Definitive Edition of a classic melee-action title. Newbies can enjoy the slickest version on the market, packed with all the DLC. Returning hardcore fans will find a serious challenge in the extra difficulties and hardcore modifiers. All that fuss over a haircut seems pretty stupid now.
Its level design may be repetitious, especially on solo play, and it may not innovate on the genre or the Sniper Elite franchise, but if you're looking for some competitive co-op fun that prioritises non-stop action over narrative, Zombie Army Trilogy hits the mark, and then some.