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Players are bound to get some fun out of solving the challenging conundrums in Violett, which is a refreshing change from the often far too easy puzzlers we see nowadays, but it simply isn't enough to strongly recommend a title that frustrates more often than not.
We expected big things from the studio behind Mark of the Ninja and Shank, and in Don't Starve, we got them. It's a wonderfully dark survival-craft game with great scope for emergent, unique experiences, even if it will make you rage occasionally. The UI betrays the PC roots and can be a little hard to use on a smaller TV, and there are those who will find Don't Starve just too mean-spirited to fully appreciate, but as an intentionally unforgiving survival sim with a sinister twist, it absolutely excels.
As the years go by, opportunities to shout expletives into the face of someone you call your "friend" become less and less frequent. Nidhogg brings that joy back into your life.
Broken Age does a fine job of creating an outlandish world populated by interesting characters, but is let-down somewhat by its core gameplay. The style and story are both very strong and will draw you into the game; sadly however, adventure games are generally concerned with puzzle solving, and the puzzles found in Broken Age just don't test your little grey cells as much as one would like. They are logical and integrated into the game very well, but there is very little challenge to them. Hopefully, this is down to the game looking to get progressively harder as it goes on and Act 2 will be more challenging. As it is, Act 1 feels a little light.
Other than the new Operation L and Virus Buster modes, there is little in the way of new content that makes this a better deal than the previous (and cheaper) versions. For up to £5, Dr. Luigi would have been an OK puzzler, but at almost half the cost of a retail Wii U game, the person who decided the price for this retread probably needs some medical observation themselves.
The Banner Saga is one of the most original games you'll play this year. That such a small team has managed to create a story that will be unique to every player is astonishing, and that the story actually makes you care even more so. Buy this game.
Without question, the full retail price is too high for a slightly shinier version of a game you clocked 10 months ago, but if you missed the original release for whatever reason, or even played it back in March last year and really feel it's worth another go around, the Definitive Edition is recommended.
As an overall idea, the premise of playing as bit-part characters from the main campaign, and discovering more of their back-story is a clever hook. The way in which the DLC manages to integrate itself into the canon is successful, and makes you excited about who else we might get to play as. Unfortunately there is just too little content and not enough character or story development to recommend Operation Broken Eagle wholeheartedly. As part of the Season Pass, it provides a nice excuse to jump back into Los Perdidos for a few more hours, but I do hope that the forthcoming episodes delve a little deeper into the lives of their protagonists, providing a little more to get your teeth into.
There's no doubt that Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition is a product of its time, but there's also no doubt that it's an absolute classic of the RPG genre. If you're a fan of classic games, pen and paper Dungeons & Dragons or even just of BioWare in general and want to take a look at some of their first forays into the RPG genre, then you really should be picking up Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition. It can be a little difficult to get used to (I play quite a lot of RPGs and it took me a good chunk of time to get the basic mechanics down) but the story you're treated to, as well as the element of nostalgia, makes the effort utterly worth it.
Despite visualizing my Dungeons and Dragons fantasies amazingly well, Might and Magic X Legacy has too many pitfalls to truly recommend it. Things start off poorly with the information-heavy prologue and get worse with the grid-based open world and poor story. The combat system certainly deserves some plaudits, as do the dungeons and enclosed spaces, but cheap tactics and technical issues even mange to put a downer on these highlights. Hardcore fans of old school western RPG's may have a good time, but the majority will find it confusing and uninspired.
Originally a PC release, the Wii U is a fine platform for Unepic, and it's another worthwhile addition to the eShop library. It can be quite frustratingly difficult at times, and the constant geeky references to everything from Star Wars to the worlds of Gary Gygax may not sit well with everyone – one particular misfiring side quest involving bureaucrats may be enough to turn off some gamers – but for those who enjoy old school platform action, this generously sized Spanish-crafted effort will be manna from heaven.
My cranium is red raw from tearing strands of hair from my scalp in frustration and I'm sure plenty of others will be bald within an hour of playing The Castle Doctrine. It's a shame that this is the case because there are some interesting options available to players, but the cutthroat design choices are a step too far.
Loadout is a game that shows that you don't have to sell your soul to be free-to-play. It's a joy to play, and I can only hope that plenty more people on my Steam friends list decide that they want to download it too. GodisaGeek match day, anyone?
Octodad: Dadliest Catch is a rare beast, then, because it made me laugh out loud the first moment that I ambled down the aisle to meet my doting bride-to-be. Whilst the joke didn't have me splitting my sides with laughter for the entire duration, the shift to a more endearing tale of one sea-dwelling creature's pursuit of a normal life was a welcome one. Octodad: Dadliest Catch is a lovely game, despite its issues.
Samurai Gunn is a prime example of doing more with less. It doesn't have to be over-complicated to be interesting. The great level design, accompanied by charming 8-bit style artwork, an incredible soundtrack and the fact that you need to be very quick-thinking and account for every centimetre of space, really make this a special game in its genre
In all likelihood, you won't see everything that Jazzpunk has to offer the first time around. There are zingers tucked away in every nook-and-cranny that will only reveal themselves to you if you want them to. In so many cases, you are the key to the punchline. Without you, the clever quips stay hidden and will remain unearthed until you say so. Jazzpunk invites you to get involved in the comedy and, in many ways, become the butt of the joke. Funnily enough, there actually is a butt joke in there.
However, each level of atmosphere conveyed by the visuals would be nothing if it weren't for an equally atmospheric soundtrack, and Tropical Freeze certainly delivers on that front. David Wise, the ex-Rare composer who worked on the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy, has returned for Tropical Freeze, after missing out Returns, and his influence is an incredibly welcome one. While fans of the original trilogy will recognise the odd leitmotif here and there, these new compositions are fantastic. The Lion-King inspired savannah themes, and the chilled underwater tracks are certainly the highlights of the game.
Strider doesn't do anything exceptionally well, but we get so few good Metroid-Vania style games these days that it's still definitely worth a play. On higher difficulties it will require skill, but otherwise Strider is a brainless exercise in platforming, exploration, and (button mashing) ninja combat.
Fallen Angel suffers from all of the same issues that were encountered with Operation Broken Eagle and perhaps even more. Whereas Broken Eagle at least changed the way you play the game, Fallen Angel makes no real attempts to differentiate play style at all. Angel is a one-dimensional protagonist and is unlikely to resonate with players greatly, and the DLC is again woefully short and lacking in content to justify its existence.
Strike Vector is a solid shooter that is limited in some respects. The lack of game modes is an issue, but could quickly be overcome with regular updates. The weapon choices may also seem small, but with a decent amount of customising, there is enough there to last. The most pressing issue is the lack of community, with most servers empty at the time of this review. But if the dev can keep the content coming and work out the kinks, this game could really take-off.