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Last reviewed: Mina the Hollower · 6 days ago
Luna Abyss is a AA shooter that holds its own against some of the elite of the genre. Its enticing and ominous sci-fi world is a delight to look at artistically, even if its muddy graphics let it down on closer inspection. Its story is fine, but a slick sense of progression keeps its action and platforming interesting from start to finish.
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.
If the quality of the output remains this good, Advanced Warfare may be the first Call of Duty in years to actually deserve the purchase of the Season Pass. It adds some key stuff, including zombies, which will no doubt tempt even the stingiest of DLC shoppers. Whatever you're willing to pay for it, you won't be disappointed when you finally pull the trigger.
It's hardly a revelatory release thus far – but this could yet be great.
Sadly, if you've been holding out for a more traditional Dragon Ball fighter, Dragon Ball XenoVerse isn't it. It is, however, a well realised and refreshing take on Akira Toriyama's universe, which allows fans to appreciate the source material from a whole new angle. Accessible, bombastic combat, entirely customisable characters, and some fantastic online functionality give the game a unique identity, and arguably make it one of the most ambitious licensed titles that we've seen in years.
There are some good ideas in this modern interpretation of Q*Bert, and we love that the original's included as part of the package, but iffy controls undermine the experience. It's a quaint little curio for fans of arcade games, then, but it's not exactly a must have.
Resogun: Defenders signs Housemarque's shooter off in predictably sublime style. Protector is arguably the game's greatest mode to date, offering everything that's enjoyable about the original – just at pulsating pace. Commando's not quite as successful, but it delivers an imaginitive twist on the existing formula, all with plenty of personality and panache. This is still, in this author's opinion, the PS4's best original game – and the frightening thing for other developers is that it just got better again.
As the series' first shot at an SRPG, Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart is a solid attempt. With many of its characters well formed, unique combat mechanics, and terrain features to spice up the action, it's a shame that it lets itself down with heavy repetition. Fans of the franchise will love the change of pace, as well as getting up close and personal with Noire and the other generals. Everyone else, however, may not be wooed quite so easily.
For all its promise of revolution, Evolve seems to consistently trip where its spiritual predecessor – Left 4 Dead – seemed to excel. The balancing is actually too good, causing it to fall apart when someone doesn't play correctly. The monster gameplay is pleasantly the best aspect, but feels undercooked anywhere else but Hunt mode. This is surely a game that'll only improve as its community stabilises, but right now it's hard to recommend unless you've got a group of willing friends.
The Order: 1886 is an antique that's aged ungracefully. The presentation is sublime from the release's rousing start right the way through to its anticlimactic finish, but several shoddy design decisions detract from its otherwise exemplary gloss. The developer's crafted an incredible universe, but outside of the title's core cast, it's failed to do much of note with it. This is a property that's begging for a sequel to realise its undeniable potential – but only time will determine whether it gets that opportunity.
If you're on the market for a flashy fighter that's perfect for some fast and fun local play, look no further than Dead or Alive 5: Last Round. Its accessibility makes it a brilliant alternative to the more technically demanding brawlers out there, and while much of what it does is unspectacular, it's a solid, satisfying title that's hard to put down when you really find your rhythm.
Hand of Fate comes so close to being something really special – an unexpected concoction of genres and ideas that meshes together superbly to create a really fun experience that's both involving and rewarding, at least in short bursts. But, unfortunately, its potential is cut short by a lack of options and awkward third-person game segments that should really know better.
It's hard to describe Super Stardust Ultra as a disappointment, because the core gameplay loop – almost eight years after its original introduction – is still as enjoyable as ever. That said, this doesn't feel like the next frontier for Housemarque's revered shooter series – more like a stopgap along the way. Veterans should know that, outside of some visual enhancements and extra modes, this is pretty much Super Stardust HD. That's not necessarily a bad thing, of course; newcomers are encouraged to take aim at this right away.
Apotheon is not perfect, but it's still more than fit for a God. Minor crashing and design issues aside, this gorgeously presented action platformer packs plenty of variety beneath its pottery-inspired shell. Plus, who doesn't love Greek mythology?
Unmechanical: Extended's hands-off approach works wonders in the gameplay department, and the well designed puzzles – which are testing without being frustrating – make this something of a surprise treat. It would have been nice if the experience was a little longer, and we're a bit agitated that it doesn't come to a decent conclusion, but the personality throughout every aspect of its artistic design helps to overcome these modest shortcomings. As a result, if you're up for a puzzle game – but are normally turned off by more complex entries in the genre – then this is well worth beaming into your collection.
Dying Light starts out disappointing, but once you allow its brand of undead action to circulate your bloodstream, it can be difficult to put down. The storytelling is expectedly lacklustre, but with some 40 hours' worth of quests to complete, this is the type of title that's made for kicking back in co-op and culling corpses to your heart's content. The best thing about it, though, is that it gets better as the time flies by.
Life Is Strange: Episode 1 - Chrysalis certainly is strange, but perhaps not in the way that DONTNOD intended. There's enough ground work laid here to pave the way for future instalments, but a lot of the good is undone by lip sync issues and some of the most mind-bogglingly bad dialogue that we've heard in recent memory. While some of this is inadvertently hilarious, it does end up hurting the product at points. There's definitely still hope for this season, but the jury's out right now.