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Last reviewed: Mina the Hollower · 5 days ago
A referential and joyful deep dive into the world of Batman, the latest LEGO effort from TT Games is elite brick gaming. Legacy of the Dark Knight just wants to be an enjoyable time, and it refuses to falter from that commitment. This new LEGO Batman will be some of the best fun you have all year.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is an excellent action RPG that offers an even more hardcore take on the increasingly popular Soulslike formula. It's fast, frenetic, and hits like a truck, with one of the most mesmeric combat systems we've ever had the pleasure to master. It might scare off more casual players, but those looking for a challenge, well - you can stop looking.
Once you get the controls where you want them, your car exactly how you like it, and your race day tactics tightened up, it delivers an exhilarating ride, but few will have the patience – or, indeed, the willpower – to reach that point, and thus it's hard to imagine this outing achieving the mainstream success of other competing motoring series.
Terrible textures aside, there's a beauty to Toren's art and audio direction that's worth beholding. The problem is that outside of these assets, Swordtales' two hour adventure falls short. A plethora of technical problems and uninteresting level design win out over the positive aspects, and this experience is below par as a consequence. Listen and look at it by all means – just try to avoid actually playing it.
Color Guardians is a charming little title that will be appreciated by endless runner fans. The inconsistent difficulty is a problem, and its lack of variety means that it's best played in short bursts – but if you want something simple to brighten up your day, then this will do the job adequately.
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood has its fair share of problems – but it's still worth playing. With an enormous amount of content available for such a slender sum, fans of The New Order shouldn't hesitate when it comes to this alternate history treat.
There are already a ton of platformers to choose from on both of Sony's current home consoles, but the good news is that Aaru's Awakening is free to anyone with PlayStation Plus for the time being. If you fancy something artsy and with some challenging gameplay, then we think that you should consider giving it a shot. Everyone else will want to pass on this one.
LA Cops has inoffensive intentions, but its execution is as flawed as its characters' fashion sense. The pleasant presentation represents the still-edible icing on this otherwise stale, circular snack – but glaring design issues have left us close to dialling 911.
As a whole, We Are Doomed doesn't quite meet its asking price. While what's here can be compelling for a short while, it quickly loses appeal. However, it's certainly not doomed, as it's a solid arcade shooter with a gorgeous – if occasionally distracting – art style and fitting music. Take it all in slowly, then, and you may be able to appreciate it like a fireworks display that you're in control of.
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China is an absolutely solid spin-off in almost every way. Traversal is fluid and fun, combat is enjoyably simple, and the level design is often lovingly crafted, but it never comes close to stepping out of its comfort zone and trying something remotely memorable. Even outside of Ubisoft's main series, the confining walls of Assassin's Creed remain recognisable and reliable, but they're in increasingly desperate need of a new lick of paint.
Krinkle Krusher is a competent tower defence title with a colourful theme, but it's best played in short-bursts and doesn't really excel on the DualShock 4. There are some nice ideas here – we especially enjoyed the incentives to return to earlier levels once we'd powered up – but this is a straightforward experience at best, and, on the PS4 at least, it still has a few Krinkles that should have been ironed out.
Nothing about MLB 15 The Show will impress right off the bat. That's not because it isn't great, but because we've come to expect the very best from Sony's series. It's the under-the-hood gameplay improvements and additions that really make the difference, then; engaging in mental battles with base runners, pitchers, and even outfielders is a big part of the experience this time out. As a result, this is the best entry in a franchise that's showing no signs of slowing down – even after ten years of success.
Our first hour with Titan Souls was fantastic, but after that the cracks start to show. It's not a bad game, and the atmosphere is excellent, but you'll get to the end knowing that it could have been better. The lack of information about the world makes you feel like you're just roaming a random castle or tower, like those Mega Drive roguelikes where the only goal was to get to the end. The length and price just help to make this excellent idea more unattractive.
Mortal Kombat X doesn't hit with quite as much impact as its predecessor, but it still improves upon a brutal blueprint. The story's stupid and poorly written, but it's all of the options outside of the campaign that will keep you engaged – whether you're playing with others or alone. With hundreds of modifiers, the ever-rotating Living Towers, and some truly exceptional online additions, this game really goes above and beyond. However, it doesn't ignore what's important either, employing the new variants system to keep the fighting fresh – even if you only play as one character. Misplaced microtransactions sully the experience slightly – but this is still only a few scratches short of a flawless victory.
The best way to determine whether Paperbound is for you is by answering one simple question: can you assemble a group of people to play video games with on a regular occasion? If the answer's yes, then put this on your watch list; it's a fun and fulfilling casual brawler that will provide solid afternoons of multiplayer action. If not, then you should probably consider closing the book on your interest in this.
Following on the heels of Bloodborne, Dark Souls II is a further affirmation of From Software's immense talent.
Jamestown+ has a great foundation in that it's an extremely addictive and equally challenging shmup, whether you're playing alone or with friends. The inclusion of a store and some forced backtracking does take away from the experience, but at the end of the day, blowing stuff up is just so satisfying. Those who are able to get past its occasionally tedious attitude will find bullet hell bliss.