Dealspwn's Reviews
Pokemon X and Y set a brave new standard for the series on its new platform, delivering a host of new features, expressive 3D visuals and sensational online functionality for future games to build on.
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is a wonderfully harmonious game. It's enormous, packed with more things to see and do than ever before, but Ubisoft have managed to make every little thing mean something in tangible, impactful terms. Black Flag is a wonderful piratical romp that manages to revive the stealthy focus of earlier series instalments, whilst delivering an outstanding naval sandbox, an excellent setting and story, and lashings of swashbuckling action. Unmissable.
Call Of Duty: Ghosts is a surprisingly tough sell on current-gen consoles, and wastes the opportunity to push the franchise forward in any meaningful way. Though still a solidly-built shooter that offers the kitchen sink, the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions lack players and features compared to both the next-gen editions, PC and even - most damningly of all - Black Ops II.
Enemy Within is an improvement on an already outstanding game. It takes familiar systems, builds on top of them and challenges us in new ways, once again wearing our fingernails down to the bone and frazzling our nerves by making us second-guess each and every decision we make on and off the battlefield. It's bigger, deeper, and more challenging than ever before, forcing players to rethinktheir approaches, and expanding massively on replayability once more. Prepare to lose weeks to this game...AGAIN!
A handful of neat puzzles can't come close to making Deadfall Adventures worth £30-35. Its hopeless campaign, awful characters, frankly unnecessary multiplayer and horrible production values are a pitfall trap worth avoiding.
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes. LEGO. Marvel. Super Heroes. It's about time, frankly.
The production values are cracking, with outstanding voice work and some great dialogue, not to mention an ending that flips the script nicely and sets up an intriguing sequel. But sadly the first part of Burial at Sea flounders in its attempts at nostalgia, mashing different parts of the Bioshock legacy together in an easy hybrid that lacks the atmosphere of the original game and completely fails to capitalise upon the expansive vision of Infinite. Half-hearted fan-service at best.
Killer Instinct is a brutal, attractive and responsive fighting game that feels fantastic on the new Xbox One controller. Its unique combo system provides accessible depth, bolstered by balanced characters and a pleasingly forward-thinking business model.
Stood against the best SHMUPs of this passing generation, it's not necessarily as special as it seems, helped along by being the first and only current game of its kind on the PS4. But it's a great little PS Plus pack-in for new adopters, and will no doubt please genre fans immensely on the harder difficulty settings with a purity of purpose and execution that makes for a deliciously balanced and focused slice of SHMUP action.
Another magnificent Saori Kobayashi soundtrack and some visually arresting scenery can't save Crimson Dragon from the mean-spirited cynical sickness at its core. What could have been a gorgeous and uncomplicated shooter has been hacked into tiny chunks in the name of microtransactions, butchered almost beyond recognition until you push through several miserable hours. Microsoft And Grounding broke their own game. Willingly.
Ryse is stupid, beautiful, stupid, visceral, stupid and much more fun than we ever gave it credit for. A surprisingly solid launch title let down by a limited stock of enemies to fight, not its controversial yet ultimately entertaining swordplay.
Dead Rising 3 is the essential Xbox One launch title: a rampant, ridiculous and riotous sandbox that delivers countless hours of unapologetic unrestrained fun. Rather than a pristine graphical showcase, it's a bountiful content-rich slaughter smorgasbord that encourages us to get our hands dirty in obscenely silly ways.
The first couple of hours of Killzone: Shadow Fall hint towards a game that might just play as well as it looks. And it looks phenomenal. But sadly, the game falters and falls rather quickly, crushed under the weight of its own ambitions, and it retreats to the safe banality of staid FPS conventions for a second half that's all filler, no killer. It's a great game to show off the power of the PS4, a magnificent spectacle, and its Custom Warzones hint towards the possibility of a bright future, but it's just not that fun to actually play.
This graphically exquisite and mechanically impeccable racer shows off the Xbox One to advantage, but ends up slightly hamstrung by a lack of tracks and inconsiderate progression system. The all-important cars are more beautiful than ever, handle better than ever, yet some of the series' magic and generosity of spirit is gone.
Need For Speed: Rivals is an exhilarating thrill ride that's very nearly brilliant. The foundations for fun are present and correct, but last-gen compromises transform AllDrive from a game changer into a nigh-on dealbreaker.
Zoo Tycoon overcomes a weak first impression with effortless charm and hidden depths: a colourful blend of management and playful fun that puts its animals first and foremost. A surprisingly capable launch title for more relaxed players, animal lovers, youngsters or just the young at heart. Granted, that's a cheesy cliché, but it holds true here.
There's still room for improvement, but Visual Concepts have created a truly next-gen instalment for this year's iteration of NBA 2K. Everything, from the furrowed lines on LeBron's brow to the engaging back and forth between your MyPlayer and their agent in MyCareer mode, oozes personality like never before. Probably the best sports game on the planet right now.
Despite some frustrating complications towards the end, Contrast has been one of the best titles I've played of the PS4's launch lineup. The noir jazz age setting is fantastic and the game's use of shadows and silhouettes for both platforming gameplay and telling the story of a struggling family is unlike anything else I've played. I only wish it lasted that little bit longer.
How did it come to this? Knack is basically a risible film tie-in without a film to recommend it.
Peggle 2 is more Peggle, only vastly prettier. Which is absolutely what we want. If you're looking for a shot of colourful fun and orchestral orgasmic peg-busting bliss on Xbox One, you can't go far wrong here.