God is a Geek
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As a difficult second album, Rayman Legends is just one of those things that, no matter how hard you try, it remains a true and pure good. You can scrutinise it to the nth degree, but its charms will always overcome everything in the end, and with enough fresh ideas (whilst borrowing from Origins), Rayman Legends is an absolute must-own game, if only for the wonderful asynchronous multiplayer and incredible music levels.
There is no question: this is the version of Spelunky that you should purchase. Even though the game was released on Xbox 360 over a year ago, the cross save and cross buy interaction between PS3 and Vita – along with the Vita's ability to deliver instantaneous spelunking – make this the ultimate port of a superb game.
Legends is still a wonderful game, and the tight controls work incredibly well on the Vita – I am particularly fond of the sticks. With the challenge mode present and a good amount of content to get through (including the Back to Origins levels), this is still an excellent game, if ever so slightly inferior to the versions that have come before it.
There's no doubt that, in a time where horror fans are crying out for titles that resemble a more considered and spooky approach, Lone Survivor sits near the top, along with the plethora of games of this ilk from the past 18 months. Curve Studios have helped adapt Jasper Byrne's effort perfectly for both PS3 and Vita, giving console gamers a chance to witness one of the creepier and more unsettling examples of the genre in quite some time. Map issues notwithstanding, Lone Survivor continues Sony's desire to make the PlayStation brand synonymous with indie games.
On the flipside, for those that are completists, who want to eke every drop out of their Layton, there is a staggering amount of depth here, not just from the multiple puzzles,but from the way all of the mini-games are directly tied into the main adventure, and the Treasure Hunt mode can actually provide a beneficial reason to keep your idling 3DS in your pocket, lest you have a cheeky StreetPass encounter that will unlock a juicy reward. The 3DS has certainly come of age this year, and this is another sterling effort that combines expert design with frankly gorgeous looks and sounds.
Swing Swing Submarine should be very proud of what they have achieved here, an excellent and fairly unique puzzler that is addictive, fun and rewarding. While the plot and bloat may be a drawback, they are the only complaints with Tetrobot & Co. If you're looking for a great brain workout that you can dive in and out of, then these are the droids you're looking for.
Motion control has its detractors and its advocates, but both parties should be able to see that Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games is not one to fly the proverbial waggle flag. The awkwardness of waving a large GamePad around and unresponsive controls make this one of the less enjoyable party offerings available on the system.
There's so much content on offer in Call of Duty: Ghosts that everyone will get their money's worth, and then some. Infinity Ward could quite easily have rested on their laurels, stayed in their comfort zone to release Modern Warfare 4 this year with little negative critical reception. Instead, they've done something bold with the franchise they gave life to, and as a result have created the best Call of Duty game since Modern Warfare 2. Big, brash and absolutely stunning.
Bringing forward all of what made Wii Fit so great in the first place, then adding new features and the Wii Fit Meter means that Wii Fit U is an excellent package designed to get friends and family playing games while getting fitter. How can that be a bad thing? It can be a bit pricey if you don't already own some of the hardware (Wii U, Balance Board), but this is an example of something succeeding in exactly what it sets out to do, and sometimes that's enough. Bare in mind, however, this is not a full substitute for a real exercise routine and gym workout.
It rewards those of us who know A Link to the Past’s version of Hyrule like the back of our hand, but makes enough concessions for those who didn’t play the original the first time around. It may be a shorter and less challenging adventure than many would expect for a modern Zelda game, but when that journey is so incredibly satisfying, you won’t feel short changed. I can’t think of a better way to end a brilliant year for the Nintendo 3DS than by playing one of the best games released on the system so far.
The voice acting is decent, though. Some excellent performances really hammer home the setting and mood, matched by the theme tune, which is beautifully sung, and genuinely feels like a reward when the credits roll. There's not a huge amount to come back for, as there aren't many collectibles overall. However, some of them are rewards for solving optional puzzles, which is a nice touch.
Still, despite the short length of the DLC, and the pretty hefty price tag, you're getting an amazing single-player experience with characters we've come to adore, and there's no doubt that the ending of Episode One will leave you frothing at the mouth for the second outing.
Next up for this treatment: Zelda, right?
For the entire duration of my time with Tearaway, I was beaming from ear-to-ear at the magnificence taking place in the palm of my hands. It has taken quite a while, but at long last the Vita has an original IP that it can truly call a killer app. Apparently, we’re currently ushering in a new generation of home consoles, at the moment, but I was too busy revelling in the breathtaking world of Tearaway to take notice.
It's refreshing to play a racing game that doesn't feel stale when played alone, and that's all thanks to Drivatar keeping things fresh every time you race. Forza 5 looks absolutely gorgeous, which makes the lack of weather and night races even more glaring. But other than the terrible music, there's very little to complain about.
Mario Party: Island Tour is far from being a bad game, it’s just a part of a series that seems to have run out of ideas to an extent, lacking any aspects that really excite or pleasantly surprise you. There is still plenty of fun to be had when taking on some of the more successful mini games with a group of friends locally, but the game as a whole does come across as more of a re-tread of something we have played time and time again. As such, there is little about Island Tour to recommend above past portable versions of the game. If this is your first experience with the series, it is certainly one of the best versions, I’m just not entirely sure that it’s a necessary one.
It’s a brave (geddit?) move on Square-Enix’s part to not stamp Bravely Default with a more popular title, because ironically, Bravely Default is one of the best Final Fantasies in years. Taking the very best of 8/16-bit entries of the series, and bringing them up to date with some beautiful graphics, clever features and engaging gameplay, this is a must for someone looking for a more traditional JRPG. On a system that has been lacking some meaty RPG action, this is a superb combination of old school gameplay with modern day additions that makes for an adventure you don’t want to miss.
It's a shame there are only five levels, but what is here is eye-wateringly good. The indie revolution continues on Sony's PS4, and Housemarque prove their qualities yet again. With the triple-A titles like Killzone: Shadow Fall also launching with the PS4, don't let this one slip you buy: it's addictive and absolutely brilliant.
The biggest issue with Knack is that it delivers on a completely different experience than you would expect: a tricky yet rewarding old-school game brought kicking and screaming into a brand new generation was always going to confuse people. But it's a lot of fun, and despite frustration through poor checkpointing, Knack is far from a bad game. In fact, there's potential for this to become a cult favourite among gamers. It looks like a family-friendly game, but this one is aimed at the hardcore players, and when you consider it's a new IP for a new console, that's kind of brave.
If you can disengage your brain and just plough through the endless array of same-faced enemies, you'll enjoy the glorious visuals and well designed audio – but this is a game destined to be forgotten fairly quickly, even if it does help prove the Xbox One has more power than we first thought.