Digimon Survive's uniquely dark take on the standard Digimon storyline is enough to carry a title that's sometimes poorly paced and basic in its approach to gameplay. A visual novel with RPG elements bolted on, it's difficult not to feel as though the creature taming and combat aspects of Survive could have been bigger and better. But ultimately, a mix of endearing characters and eye-opening plot points make this another worthwhile adventure in the digital world.
Planet Zoo is, ironically, a relatively toothless park building game. It doesn't have the delicious chaos of the Jurassic World Evolution games or the thrills of building your own rollercoaster and then hoping it'll stay on the tracks in Planet Coaster. But it's a pleasant and charming game. There's an airy joy in creating a peaceful home for animals to live in, and the earnest conservationist slant of Planet Zoo is hard to fault.
Do not underestimate Salt and Sanctuary: it'll chew you up and spit you back out, drawing from From Software's modern action RPG blueprints and translating the hard-as-nails gameplay to two dimensions. It demands your attention, never holds your hand, and rewards your patience and skill. Some players will find the lack of information too obtuse and difficulty too harsh, and a few cheap enemies and well-hidden traps will certainly frustrate. For those willing to go the distance, however, this is an intricate and fulfilling game just waiting to be conquered. As far as Souls wannabes go, this is one that's certainly worth its salt.
Samurai Warriors 4: Empires is another solid spin-off, but veteran fans may feel a little let down by some of its streamlined gameplay. However, its dynamic nature is usually enough to make up for its lack of depth. Watching your clan grow and your allies form various bonds with one another is an addictive way to spend a few hours, and Samurai Warriors' great combat system is always standing by for when you're ready to crack some skulls. This latest entry isn't quite an unstoppable empire, but it's definitely a force capable of planting its flag firmly on your free time.
A love letter to the noteworthy shooters of yesteryear, Gunscape combines old ideals and new ways to play, with mixed results. The level creator is extensive and brimming with potential, but the shooting itself feels detached, and the clunky presentation makes it harder to get into the creative side than it should be. However, once a community of players get to grips with the game's toolkit, there'll be plenty of maps to play, and there's still some fun to be had in multiplayer – if you can convince enough friends to buy it.
Broforce is everything awesome about action films amplified to a satirical degree that will leave you grinning non-stop. The tight run and gun gameplay never outstays its welcome with a steady stream of fresh bros, locales, and challenges. Fine-tuned visuals and audio serve to make its patriotic bent all the more entertaining, and even though performance issues knock the game down a peg for now, there's not much else that keeps this guilty pleasure of a game from resounding triumphantly like fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Alekhine's Gun's amateurish animation, godawful gameplay, faulty framerate, abysmal AI, and garish graphics all conspire to ensure that you'll never, ever enjoy playing this game. There's no variety or originality, and it's more bug-ridden than an abandoned sandwich – it seems that testing wasn't given much consideration during development. This title is one of a very rare breed, one that will appeal to absolutely no one, and buying it would quite literally be akin to throwing your money away. Simply put, we can Nazi anyone having fun with this.
Action Henk is a slick and addictive platformer. Its mechanics and controls are perfectly tuned, and its momentum-based gameplay is somewhat original and fun, but a couple of visual hiccups, some slightly bland level design, and a few wonky power-ups mean that it never reaches its full potential. However, as an exercise in running and jumping, few titles match its physics-based prowess.
TRON RUN/r may not make the best first impression due to its genre, a somewhat hefty price tag, and the inclusion of microtransactions, but don't be too disheartened. When it comes down to it, this may very well be one of the most intense runners ever crafted, and it proves to be a good fit for the property to boot. It may not be the TRON game that many fans were expecting, but it's still a ton of fun, and can pack a real challenge. User, enter this Grid. Review/r out.
The Witch and the Hundred Knight: Revival Edition is undoubtedly a Marmite game, even more so than its niche Nippon Ichi siblings. For JRPG fans who missed this on the PS3 and are willing to sink hours into mastering its various systems, menus, and combat skills, it can prove to be a worthwhile battle-'em-up. For everyone else, it may be too much of a commitment – unless being bossed around by a super demanding, foul-mouthed evil witch is your cup of tea.
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 improves upon its evergreen predecessor by expanding the scope of the title with single player content and new classes and modes. Popcap has responded to the criticisms pointed at the original release well, and while this isn't a revolution by any stretch, the format has been precisely pruned for shear joy.
In Too Deep is a stepping stone to introduce Michonne that detrimentally plays it safe. There aren't any advances in Telltale's formula or notable sequences that we haven't seen in other forms before, but the miniseries can be a cut above its predecessors if it takes advantage of the brutality and moral centre of the protagonist by embroiling her in more memorable confrontations with both the infected and the living.
Ironcast is a surprisingly strategic and complex game, while will hold your interest for quite a while. There's enough randomisation for the title to feel fresh for a long time, and every battle is one of tension and risky moves, with each action really meaning something. Winning a skirmish feels very satisfying, with the rewards after feeling even better, and though the difficulty may put people off, those who can grin and bear the painful defeats will be treated like un prince.
Ninja Senki DX reads like an old codger's take on modern literature and walks like a decrepit schoolgirl gallivanting her way to her first tax return and, fittingly so, her first heart attack. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Tribute Games made garbage.
Blockbuster brands like Hitman seldom make the transition to mobile successfully, but Hitman Go: Definitive Edition is a well-presented puzzler that we can get behind. Despite being respectful of the source material, its slide puzzle spin on the series is strongly executed – even if it can feel a teensy bit too rigid at times. This port's perhaps a little pricey, but with plenty of content and cross-buy on the cards, we'd recommend moving in and pulling the trigger if you've got the appetite for a little assassination.
The Escapists: The Walking Dead is a visually charming game with a standout soundtrack, but its gameplay is shallow and repetitive. It follows the narrative of the original comic books, but uses them only superficially without any real depth or engagement with the license. It has its moments of fun, but more often than not is a frustrating time-sink made up of trial-and-error mechanics with little sense of reward.
Dying Light: The Following is DLC done right, offering new content for the Dying Light faithful while changing things up more than enough so that it doesn't just feel like the reanimated corpse of the base game. Ultimately, it's the inclusion of the off-road buggy that turns out to be its smartest addition, which coupled with its challenging new setting more than overcomes any of the all too familiar shortcomings.
