This is certainly the most confronting chapter so far, which some will love, but may put off others (like it almost did me). Clementine continues to grow, and her strength is put squarely to the test, but in other aspects, Episode 3 just doesn't hold up to what's come before.
Always Sometimes Monsters, like many of its indie brethren, makes up for its low budget with lofty goals that would be too risky for a big time studio. In some ways, it nails these absolutely spot on; when it's pushing forward, the story is captivating and the choices players are forced to make are complex and lifelike - a rarity in games. Despite this, though, poor pacing, clumsy scriptwriting, and an overall lack of polish (even by indie standards) make it all to easy to bow out before this monster can sink its claws into you.
I'm still looking forward to what Telltale has in store next, especially after the high note that this episode finished on, but - I hate to say it - In Sheep's Clothing is easily the weakest episode in the series.
Hilarious, but runs out of juice very, very quickly
So in the end, Valiant Hearts is something of a flawed masterpiece. But it's a masterpiece nonetheless. This is a game that definitely won't be for everyone, but it's something that the videogame industry has been in dire of need of. Being a steel-balled, Nazi-killing war hero is all well and good, but Valiant Hearts reminds us that there's more than one way to tell a war story.
The only thing being scared away by the Wayward Manor's ghost is this reviewer's patience.
But therein lies the rub: Season Two is good, and great at times, but it never reaches the lofty heights of its predecessor. To be fair, the first season was a masterpiece that would be difficult even for its own creators to emulate, and while the second season doesn't quite hit that benchmark, it's still a tale worth telling.
It's Madden season, and this is the best Madden yet.
Destiny isn't a bad game, by any means. If you like sci-fi shooters, you'll get a good 20 hours of enjoyment out of this. But that's really all it is; a fun, forgettable shooter that plays it safe and sticks to what's been proven, with nothing to really set it apart from its peers.
I can only hope that Sarepta continues to work on Shadow Puppeteer post-launch. It's a tough sell right now, but given the time and resources it deserves, this could be a great game.
Minecraft isn't for everybody (fortunately, there's a free demo that you can try), but for those who will hear its call, it's easily one of the best games available on Xbox One. And even for those who don't catch the Minecraft bug, it's hard to argue that this is one of the most significant game releases of the last few years, and something for which gamers and the game industry, as a whole, should be grateful.
Reagan sums it up best: "Driveclub, despite it's 12 month delay, feels like it has still managed to release too early."
A wise man once mused, "why don't you have a pork bun in your hand?" I could ask the same thing of Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition - it's one of the best games available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and ought to be in every gamer's collection.
Even with these minor gameplay concerns, Halo: The Master Chief Collection offers the best version of each game contained within - and the fact that there are four games here (complete with four games' worth of achievement points) for the price of one makes this a thoroughly worthwhile package. Longtime Halo fans get the opportunity to quickly and easily revisit their favourite levels, or jump into a reinvigorated multiplayer; newcomers to the series get the best, most seamless experience of the Halo series.
So, Singstar Ultimate Party offers a great karaoke experience with an impressive choice of tracks, whether or not you choose to supplement the 30 on-disc songs with DLC. But you may want to hold on to your old mics, because the Singstar Mic app tries its best to ruin the whole experience. Here's hoping those problems get sorted out.
There's no hyperbole when I say that Dragon Age: Inquisition is the best RPG I've played in a long time. Hell, it's the best game of any genre I've played in a long time. It's a shoo-in for Game of the Year in my books, a masterclass in game design that deserves a spot in everyone's game library.
That said, these are niggles that are more than made up for by a stellar battle system, a breadth of great content, and the Tales series’ trademark vibrant, anime-like art style. Tales of Hearts R won’t convert anyone, but fans of Japanese RPGs would do well to pick this up.
They succeed, with soaring colours.
A must for Persona and Etrian Odyssey fans alike
It's the perfect blend of Borderlands' humour and Telltale's penchant for great writing and narrative-driven gameplay, and I'm eagerly awaiting the rest of the season. I just hope that Fiona will come into her element soon, the way Rhys did right from the opening credits.