SpacedSkunk

This review needs to hit two readers; ones who have played Crash Bandicoot before and those of course who haven't. Let's start with those who have; it's a fantastic rendition of the classics. Every level is more lively with luscious amounts of colour, character and good design bringing the game into a pleasing nostalgic up to date experience. You iiked Crash Bandicoot? You'll love it, don't hesitate to rewind your years and feel like a kid again...unless you were an adult at the time too, in which case get it **** feel like ****. Now, gamers who have not played Crash Bandicoot I will keep it short. Imagine playing a 2D platformer but in 3D over 3 'lanes' occasionally giving you a 2.5D classic platformer; this is the simple idea behind Crash's gameplay. It works, and it works well. This is just simply because it looks great and level design allows a smooth casual sit on your sofa experience and for the first time in a long time we've played it with a few people passing around the controller to try and beat the level or get a better time in a time trial mode that unlocks on passing the level. It is just back to basics fun out of the box and I implore gamers to grab it. You are getting 3 games with some very tricky hard to earn ****'re getting lots of hours here if you're a completionist. The general difficulty can get a bit all over the place but this was - and is - part of Crash Bandicoots endearing design. I am trying not to give the impression I am biased towards 'games were better in my day', because in all honesty a lot weren't after revisiting them, this game however is a standout. I can't give this game a perfect score, and this is more from a technical standpoint. The game itself I think should be able to run comfortably at 60 frames for smoother gameplay, but it doesn't with some noticeable frame drops in certain parts. Even though the PS4 Pro exists and probably doesn't have the issue, I still think this game should of easily been able to hit the gamers ideal framerate on the standard console. The controls don't also feel as responsive given the nature of the gameplay is about timing. Those aside though it doesn't run terribly, most people won't even know. I have a PC that easily runs games at high FPS, which has made it more noticeable for me.

I've been a sim racer for a few years now, invested in a wheel and a decent setup so I can comfortably enjoy them. I'm going to start off by saying that Assetto Corsa is one of the best sim racers I have played. The cars have almost an art around their physics, the developers capturing their characteristics with intricate detail. I've played iRacing, rFactor, Simbins range among a few and I cannot tell you just how this sim and its subtleties rise it above the rest. This follows through on the circuits too; whilst you aren't getting off circuit environmental detail in abundance, the immediate tracks, curbs, tyre marks and grass are intimately done using laser scanning. It is always improving, a long awaiting addition would be brake temperatures which is currently only available on some cars and the pit lane system isn't seamless. One thing to highlight is the wheel force feedback; it is simply brilliant. Kunos Simulazioni have really outdone every one of their competitors here and I couldn't even suggest this is an opinion - it's cold hard fact. You feel everything you need to, even going over a curb is just a delight to feel your wheel just roll over it Online the netcode seems pretty stable enough, you get the odd lag here and there but it isn't something I've not seen in any of the online racers I've played so far. It doesn't excel, it sits in the middle where this is concerned so providing you pick a good server which is local (in internet terms anyway) then you should have a next to flawless play. Where did it drop the points though? Nowadays I would consider AC to be archaic in its menu navigation and server setup. It's just overly utilitarian, and trying to get your friends to join for a casual race can be tricky as there is no invite function, only a manual search function and if the servers are running too many cars that you don't have (DLC) then it can stop you joining altogether. This, I was not surprised at though. In my whole time sim racing you either get a game that has good physics but lacks a good menu setup (leagues/leaderboards etc), or you get the polar opposite...poor physics but a very good career mode, or just ease of joining games. This is what Assetto Corsa is missing. A sim racer that has inbuilt leaderboards, a good career mode (there is one but, it's a hash job), steam friend integration, setup sharing, online leagues; with these it would be a pretty darn near perfect sim.

Back in 2011 I was gifted a copy of F1 for my PS3, I'm a big F1 fan...naturally have an affiliation with the game **** it any good? No. The career mode was about as engaging as playing poker by yourself, the AI was reminiscent of watching your trigger happy mate play Scalextric and the multiplayer experience was at best a brilliant rendition of the chaos theory meets terrible netcode, colliding with other cars that were in parallel universe. It was a confused game, like a person trying to be someone they aren't. Skip forward 5 years and has it matured? Oh hell yes. You've got a career mode that engages you on and off track into the world of Formula 1, and presented beautifully. It's a 10 year career mode where you are yourself, which is a welcome feature. You pick from around 15 set avatars mind, and they all look a bit strange, but it's a start. It's the little touches though that take this career mode to the point of polish that I care rarely achieve when spending 3 hours on my shoes. You are engaged with all the sessions of the race as you earn research points in order to develop your car to bring it in line with the top performing manufacturers - it's a really nice touch in order for you to start off on the low achieving team to bring it to a level it can compete with the higher achieving ones (although you can start off with any team you want). I'm not far enough into the career mode yet to say whether it will get dull over time, but so far it's well worth buying just for the single player. The AI is now pretty good, the still do daft things mind and until you set it to Legend or Ultimate they seem weak and give positions up too easily, so Codemasters listen; the AI difficult should just be linked to the pace of the player and NOT overtaking, if you are new to the game and have a lower difficulty it removes the reward of overtaking when they just seemingly slow down for you in the corners. Multiplayer then. Well this still could do with some polish in all fairness, it still just doesn't feel like a complete feature. The online gameplay though is brilliant now; the netcode has clearly matured from the last one I played and can now handle the speed. There are ranked modes with set criteria to simplify online and allow a 'plug and play' casual race, something with sim racers just aren't brilliant at if you only have 30 mins spare. It doesn't have a bespoke online co-op mode unfortunately, but since Codemasters clearly listened to the customers this year hopefully we'll see that in an update or next years game - this isn't a breaking point for me though as you can force a co-op career mode through the online championships and just make sure you set it to invite only. OK, so what about the driving physics and overall on track experience? It's a nice mixture I'd say of sim and arcade. Sim racers I think will still enjoy it, because the car handles as you would expect but you can push earlier, it's very manageable with a controller and it's not too difficult to manage tyre wear or fuel. I haven't really felt a dramatic difference in changing car setups, so people who love to sit there perfecting the setup might feel disappointed. Manual starts, formation lap and manual pit entry all add to the game and bring that drama onto the track - really welcome additions. The tyre strategy is lovely and brings another dimension into this game as you plan your pitstops before the race start and you're guided by your engineer when to pit. Your strategy can be the make or break of the race result and the control it gives you makes it rewarding when you pull it off. What parts could be better? Well I have it an 8, not a 10, it isn't perfect. The online modes could have had more polish in line with the single player career with a bespoke co-op mode. The force feedback when I play with the wheel isn't the best, but Assetto Corsa has set a high benchmark for that in all honesty and the game despite supporting the G29 doesn't support all of the buttons, like the brake bias wheel, at least on the PS4. Should YOU buy it? If you're an F1 fan, YES. If you like racing games in general. YES. If you like sim racing. Well if you're happy it isn't a hardcore sim but makes up for it in features and tactical play then YES. If you want a hardcore sim and nothing else, then NO.

This game has a real nostalgic arcade feel, it's easy to play and hard to master. I'm doing my review now with and there are big additions to the game to keep you going back for more and DLC that add more modes in. If you like classic arcade shooters where the aim of the game is to get a high score then this is the game for you. It's a credit to the old skool shooters and is easily up there with what I would consider and essential purchase for any 'gamer'.

Well well well....Super Meat Boy on the Playstation at last, honestly ****'s love or hate. I love this game, it's going to get an almost perfect score from me, I'll probably never complete it fully without developing some suicidal tendencies, but what the hell, it's a game and a damn good one. Why would you buy it? In a nutshell - you want a quick pick up and play scrolling game that is based on timing and twitch movements. It's frustrating and challenging, but fun and addictive. It's responsive and the gameplay is so simple anyone get pick it up in 5 minutes. Super Meat Boy has delightful level design. It deserves praise because in the midst of all the indie games these days this stands as a shining pebble in a sea of mediocrity, I love it and I'm sure anyone who is a fan of scrolling games will do too. Now I have this on Steam already, so my advice is don't bother getting it again unless you get it now (October 2015) whilst it's on PS Plus OR if you really want it for the PS4/Vita for another reason, from what I've played so far there isn't anything to make you buy it and it doesn't have the community made maps (Super Meat Boy World) either so you're getting a downgrade. This is entirely why I didn't give it a perfect score, they could have spent effort to make a level creator.

Rayman Legends; for those who have played it before, it's as good as ever and in the artistic styling is beautiful in HD, for those who have not played Rayman before then it's a treat of a platformer. I'm finding it difficult in today's market to find a genuinely good platformer since it has become saturated with them, the reduced effort to make them and the new 'in thing' to make retro looking games has become dull. Rayman though is full of humour, awesome gameplay and challenges. It's really addictive and has a variety of different modes to keep you coming back for more, local co-op play and regular online leaderboard challenges are just the icing on the cake. This should be in everyone's library, whether you have the last gen consoles, a PC etc...must buy!

My review is of a free mindset, one that has not played the first game. My score is purely - in a nutshell - is based on it's gameplay and adaptability to the PS Vita. I'm happy to say that due to its side scrolling nature, fluid smooth gameplay that the game is more than suitable for Vita and certainly for those who have both a PS4 and Vita, the most entertaining way to play this highly frustrating, frantic incarnation of twitch reaction gaming. I'd simply like to say that if you like games that are simple but difficult to master, and appreciate the fact that it does get extremely difficult then it's a no-brainer, it's a casual pick up and play until you've done most of the levels without trying to perfect them, after that the real challenge and frustration starts, but in an endearing way that only Super Meat Boy before then has achieved. I've marked it 8, it isn't perfect, there is a missed opportunity to make this more social and the controls are tricky but overall a joy to play and certainly deserving of the praise.

I was a tad skeptical about this game because from a video review it looked quite boring and the difficulty being a gimmick. I'll now completely say the opposite, as far as video games go this is up there in that little list of decent new games that has tied it all together with excellent gameplay; the controls are so satisfyingly responsive, the spontaneity of each level refreshing and that magic 'pick up and play' mixed in with 'just one more go' addictiveness. I got it with PS Plus this month of course, it's opened my eyes a bit more because I certainly wouldn't have bought it. All I'm going to say now is, get it if you want a game that is simple to play but hard to master.

Being someone who's got this game after a few patches and a recent content update I can tell you it's one of the best games on the PS4 right now and one of the best console racers I've played. Let's take a step back from all of the reviews here and get this clear - Driveclub IS an arcade racer, that is immediately apparent on your first drive so if you're expecting a sim then wait for Project Cars or GT. If you want a casual racer that looks beautiful, has been built around an online experience and you aren't bothered that this game isn't trying to be a serious racer then you'll enjoy yourself - very much so. Driving physics are relatively simple, cars brake quickly and turn very responsively. You can easily handle when it goes into a slide and you're rarely see yourself arse wrong way on the track. They don't feel heavy, it's like a mix between Ridge Racer and GRID. The graphics, especially weather visuals are amazing - in this sense Driveclub is in a league of it's own and I think this has distorted peoples views on what this game was trying to be, despite is achieving a stunning realistic look it is still trying to be arcade at the core. There are two points that lose the perfect 10 from me though and it has been mentioned a few times; the online racing is dirty and there is no motivation to try and take the corners properly. To give you a normal scenario, someone can just use you as a brake and usually come out of top to your frustration and it's something I sincerely hope is patched. The online experience isn't bad now from a technical point; I've been kicked out of my session a few times but not often, but this for it's still shaky stability loses it a point. I'm impressed by how easy it is to use though and this does give it massive scope to improve.

I have read many critic reviews on this game, I decided to buy a PS4 and this came free with it, although I wouldn't normally buy it until I'd tried both FIFA and PES demos. From the stand point of FIFA modes and functions, it's the same as last years which is excellent. Seasons, Ultimate Team, Be A Pro etc, from the point of view of graphics and **** it is an improvement, the issues start at the most important **** gameplay. Anyone who is a fan of football will understand you can have tactical choices to play, you can play offensively, defensively, wide, compact, you can switch play when needed etc. FIFA gives you the functionality to try and make your own, but only one works - get a pacey team, stick on high pressure - just play like that because this way is the only way of having a chance to win (basically auto defend). It is to put short, highly imbalanced towards speed and to make matters worse they have also ramped up the gameplay speed online in both Seasons and Ultimate Team which aids only to frustrate even further. I do not actually understand how this game gets the merits, it deserves a mediocre score at best because the gameplay on the pitch is so very linear and repetitive that I might as well be solving the same Sudoku puzzle over and over again, it would be about as bland and fun. As to make things clear here, it's football, it's always going to be repetitive from that point of view however I mean how it all feels and how you're supposed to play, you don't have freedom to actually be tactical. My verdict of 5 is more than fair, if you're reading this review and haven't yet decided to buy it I'd recommend holding off to see how PES 2015 is or try the demo. It's long been the status quo that FIFA is better by most people but it at least gives the freedom to change tactics making it much more fun and rewarding, the graphics are better, as are the physics. If it wasn't for EAs monopoly on the FIFA license rights then Konami would have put FIFA 15 to bed this year, no doubt.

This game is short and sweet, but it holds a certain beauty that is rare in a game. It captures a sense of adventure and emotion that I enjoyed thoroughly - you'll be taken in by amazing surroundings in a world crammed with artistic flavour. If you are the kind of person that fancies something different and appreciates a game that is story driven then this is a perfect compliment to your collection - you'll find the controls a little tricky at the start despite being very simple and you'll also find it a short game but it is an experience you rarely find in a game.

To put it short, compared to GT5 this is much better but it is still let down by some **** Polyphonic Digital should have phased out ages ago. If you're a GT fan, then you won't be disappointed (much). The physics have been much improved over GT5, you can easily tell a front wheel drive from a rear wheel drive, rear wheel drive cars are playful now and are controllable rather than the classic GT spin of doom - overall physics have matured although frustratingly GT5 should have already been at that stage. The **** come down to Gran Turismo not challenging it's own status quo - most races are rolling starts which in reality means you're doing time trials with traffic most of the time and very annoying traffic at that. You get no sense of realism as soon as they hit simply because they cannot break a static racing line, brake randomly when not needed and seem to slow down for you if you've made a mistake. Generally then, it's easy as usual. The other fustration is the severe lack of races that actually use tyre wear, pit stops, fuel usage. damage etc. What is the point in putting these features in if you only make use of them occasionally? I really hope the first GT to come out on the PS4 finally incorporates all of these feedback from many fans otherwise it will just be an aging franchise - not one that pushed the console racing boundary of the later years. Online is fairly poor too. You can get in races no problem but the experience and incentives to play this game online are really lacking. Despite all of this though I have give it an 8 because I love racing sims and this is hands down the best of them all that so far I have played on a console - features as mentioned above would have made it a 9 maybe a 10, but Gran Turismo has a lot to answer for so I am being harsh in the hope PD will listen.

A long awaited port to the PC is what I wanted and I have now got! Pinball FX2 is quite simply the best pinball game I've played because of it's nice interpretation of the game along with good physics and an excellent variety of tables. You play against your friends via high scores as you'd imagine but there is also a 'super score' feature that adds all your millions up to a total across all tables which adds to the dynamic but clearly a bid to get you to buy more tables but hey ho, they're a business not charity. The fun factor, pick up n play factor and casual set out makes this one of my current favourite additions to my Steam collection. If you're a PC gamer most of your games will probably be serious and competitive, this allows you to have a break and calm down. As far as buying this game goes you don't need to, the Steam version comes with a free **** free table actually being a very good one too, one which so far I've totalled a few hours playing alone. All tables have a try before buy download which is why I'm keeping this review short and sweet, simply because it only takes a steam account to get playing it. The only downside to this game is in a sense the tables aren't based on a simulation due to the graphical intervention (you'll see what I mean). There are no simple tables for that matter which whilst I loved when I first got it, sometimes a simple realistic table would make this game more diverse and appeal to the sim lover too.

Now I start this review about halfway through the game and I really am loving it, it feels fresh and unique. I'll get the bad out the way first in I feel the game gives you too much help finding clues, it will make a noise or if you're using a controller like me it will also rumble on a clue even if you're not looking at it. The other reason is the car physics are pretty much awful, assuming this game was based on the same engine as GTA IV I'm surprised the cars feel really light and quite...well...derpy, they felt heavier in GTA IV. To put it bluntly, if you imagine a 1940-50s American car...they were large, heavy and had a turning circle of the moon. Whoever was in charge of this made them look right, but decided they were lighter and more nimble than a go-kart. That aside the story making and acting is excellent and really builds L.A Noire, you do various different types of cases from homicide to arson. The difficulty increases as you'd expect because the crime scenes get bigger so it's not so easy to find the clues, and as they get bigger so does the amount of people you have to speak to in order to solve the case. The atmosphere has been captured with brilliant detail from the environment of a developing city, to the cars, attire and scripting. There are some strong references to 1950s cinematography. All in all this is an excellent game which in my eyes a few changes could have made it a masterpiece but the gameplay **** means it doesn't enter that category in my opinion, but this has been so far a game worth reviewing and recommending; I feel that if they make a second one based somewhere else hopefully this feedback will make it into an amazing accomplishment.

As probably most of the market for this game has already at one point played CS in the past I'd like to write this review with a fresh taste on what this newest installment has to offer, in a tee, a very good, balanced, fun and competitive FPS shooter with some casual modes thrown in. I'm going to keep it short for those that have been following CS since the 1.6 era; this it better than Source for the competitive edge; the maps are better balanced, some improvements to make it slightly harder to use the AWP (welcome in my book!), and generally better stat keeping. There are no move able props in this either, for example barrels are now static. Certain other subtle things have been done on the CT/Terrorist divide but not much, for example the CTs no longer have weapons that can attach the suppressor. For those that are new or relatively new, you'll love the game. It has plenty of modes, mods and maps. A community that just keeps giving and a very easy to navigate menu for playing with your mates. On top of that since CS has such a big following you'll never be stuck for servers. One thing that has made CS so good I believe since day one is it's responsiveness, so bare in mind this isn't a slow-medium paced game, it is definitely a quick one and you'll always encounter people that have been playing this game for a long time. It's hard to explain why I've never stopped playing it, but it's the definitive multiplayer FPS shooter in my eyes and if you haven't played it before then for the price it is I wouldn't hesitate. A little news on the spec this would require and it's still low considering todays standards, which is a good thing people on laptops with a dedicated graphics card should be able to play this pretty easily. Bare in mind newbies that if you get this game you'll find yourself dead a lot, I find myself dead alot and I've been playing for years. There are plenty of 'aim' maps for you to get used to the shooting characteristics of Counter Strike.