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In another year, last-gen ports will be a tougher sell. But for now, another go-around in Los Santos with Michael, Franklin and Trevor feels like a good idea.
In a holiday season rife with games that are riddled by bugs and glitches of all sorts, it's beyond refreshing to know that I can sit down and repeatedly wail on Mario or pummel Samus into submission to my heart's content in lag-free glory. Smashing truly never felt so good.
To be able to read the emotions of computer-generated characters, rather than having them spell out their feelings through dialogue, is a rare achievement in games.
[P]ossibly the most impressive thing A Link Between Worlds achieves is constant surprise.
Dark puzzler one of the best games of the year
Amsterdam-based studio Guerilla Games, best known for PlayStation's grim but visually impressive Killzone franchise, spent more than six years on Horizon Zero Dawn, and it shows: in the beauty of the game's visuals, the depth of its backstory and the tightness of its design. Hopefully this isn't the last we'll see of this high-tech savage land. (Horizon Forbidden West, maybe? Please?)
Would it have been great to see Ubisoft crack the conundrum of delivering open-world freedom with an equally unforgettable storyline? It would, and I challenge them to do exactly that with the inevitable Far Cry 5. But until then, this trip to Kyrat is well worth taking.
It's sometimes tough to sing high praises of a re-release being sold at full price. But with all the improvements, the included expansion, better-than-anticipated performance on consoles and serious bang for your buck, Ultimate Evil Edition is an easy recommend, even if you've already played some Diablo III.
It's tough to recommend for PS3 players who have already played the game, as the $55 price is a bit steep for some enhanced visuals and a bit of added content. But PlayStation 4 owners who haven't yet experienced The Last of Us absolutely owe it to themselves to pick up this modern classic, and take a journey with Joel and Ellie across the heartbreakingly beautiful ruins of our world.
With the release of Rayman Legends, the Wii U continues the slow, quiet build-up of its arsenal. This game, along with the Wii U's recently announced price drop, may have just become the best reason to get one.
Rivals is more potent, pure and unhinged fun, and probably 2013's most exciting racer.
So many itches. And right now, a little voice tells me it's time to stop typing and go scratch.
Still, Batman: Arkham Knight is a game that shows what can happen when an insanely talented development studio is completely invested in a fictional universe and has mastered the technology to bring it to life. We've become the Batman before, but never quite like this.
If you were on the fence about Dying Light when it first came out – and even if you're still suffering from undead overdose – now's the time to jump in. This is a zombie game that truly deserves its following.
Like the stories from which the characters are borrowed, Code Name S.T.E.A.M. truly is the video game equivalent of a page-turner, and I dare anyone not to be sucked in by its charisma. It may start off slowly, but before you can bellow "STAR SPANGLED SLAMMER!" you'll be telling yourself "just one more level."
My only hope is that the developers at Silicon Studios haven't reached their own end layer with this series. They've essentially perfected the Bravely formula, and I look forward to how they might change things up in the future.
Simply put, if you're hungry for more of the little pink puff, Triple Deluxe will no doubt whet your appetite.
Twitter: @stevetilley
At its heart, this Mario game was made for video game fans of all ages. The new open worlds and fancy graphics are there to appeal to younger gamers, while older Mario fans get these fantastic throwback moments where the game switches to 8-bit mayhem, allowing them to showcase decades old skills. Cappy’s powers make for some fresh puzzle solving and a new line up of supporting bad guys have been added. Toss in a storyline that is totally bonkers, really all that matters is that Bowser has once again kidnapped Princess Peach, and you end up with an Odyssey for the ages.
Still, it's so very refreshing to find a true gem in the ever-expanding rockpile of retro-influenced games, and Shovel Knight is a wonderful love letter to some of the classics that many of us grew up with. You will dig it.