Busy friends list but short of local pals? This safe but solid sequel was made for you.
An exceptionally pretty if otherwise conventional JRPG with diverting combat. Not an all-timer, but worth a (re)visit.
Despite the much-needed visual overhaul, if you spent 100+ hours with the PlayStation original there’s maybe not quite enough in this 3DS update to tempt you back. But if Dragon Quest VII doesn’t always justify the significant length of its journey, anyone looking for some good story content to last them well into the winter months will find a portable RPG that dwarfs most of its console counterparts.
Never quite the sum of its parts, Octopath Traveler is a game with brilliant moments rather than a brilliant game.
It's a real pity. Wii U's eShop has been starved of decent fare of late, and Nintendo should be leading the way. Yet it's easy to see Dr Luigi as a symptom of the current malaise affecting its home console business. It features a strange gimmick no one's really that interested in, it highlights an increasing reliance on past glories, and most will find it somewhat overpriced. The outgoing Fiscal Year of Luigi draws to a close with a whimper, then - here's hoping the coming months see Nintendo offer a more convincing tablet-based cure for what ails it.
Without these problems, I'd have no hesitation in saying this is the best LittleBigPlanet game to date. The deeper integration of creative elements into the story is a big plus, as is the superior level design, and the new characters are very welcome, even if they're ultimately underused. But in its current state, it's hard to recommend without some serious caveats. Held together by Sellotape rather than superglue, LittleBigPlanet 3 is in constant danger of falling apart.
An otherwise strong season drops the ball at the death. Clementine deserved better.
A fascinating and absorbing headspace in which to spend a few hours.
Tim Schafer's warm, humanist adventure is a game of two halves, but its triumphs outweigh the flaws.
A JRPG for people who haven't played one in a while, basically. Well-made, but disappointingly safe.
Capy's tough-love approach and well-worn survival systems makes it harder to appreciate Below's singular look and feel.
A one-trick pony of a multiplayer fighter, Gang Beasts is sometimes hilariously messy but often just a mess.
Messy, varied and inadvertently hilarious: A Way Out is an unusual but uneven tandem ride.
Some will no doubt relish these barbs as further encouragement to beat the system; others will see its steep challenge as a mountain that must be conquered, whatever the cost to their sanity. But for my money Stealth Inc. 2 falls short of the games I'd consider its peers, never quite capturing the simple ingenuity of Toki Tori 2, the nervy thrills of Mark of the Ninja, nor the physical comedic energy of 'Splosion Man. It's just too demanding and too laborious too often. It may no longer be Bastard by name, but by nature it's a bit of a git.
This savage brawler has its moments, but swiftly moves from brutal to boring.
A flimsy remake of a flawed 16-bit favourite that exacerbates all the original's problems while failing to recapture its strengths.
But a small handful of highlights is not enough to save Entwined. It's a game that strains for profundity and meaning - that's particularly evident in its Trophy titles - but finds them ever beyond its grasp. Some will be soothed by its contemplative mood, others will relish the challenge of mastering those devious patterns, but to me the two felt like an awkward mismatch. Sony might have given Entwined a gentle shove into the spotlight, but there are surely better, more deserving PS4 indies waiting in the wings for their time to shine.
It seems destined to be undervalued, but this is a pleasant surprise - a fine fighter that's just about essential for Pokemon fans.
World Tour is more than a match for Everybody's Golf in the quality of its courses and the breadth of its options.
Bruising, bonkers and frequently brilliant, Yakuza 0 is Sega's cult favourite at its very best.