TotalNyan

Much improved on episodes 2 and 3. The action feels as visceral and exciting as ever. Characters are well developed, and interaction between them, for the most part, feels organic and well-rounded. I like the idea to still introduce new characters - albeit I am slightly disappointed that another interesting plot line disappears abruptly towards the end of the episode. My biggest criticism of the last 2 episodes was that the choices you made didn't have enough weight. This episode that was rectified to a certain degree; big decisions appear around almost every corner, and most have big significance in the plot. I am wholly impressed by this episode and let's hope that episode 5 is a befitting finale.

I have to say this is the weakest episode so far. Episodes 1 and 2 evoked real emotion; it looked as though your choices would have future implications and you really began to form attachments with some of the characters. I loved the style of the games and how they really made you think about what you were about to do or say. Unfortunately, Episode 3 is a mess. You end up finding that many of the choices you made have very little impact on the outcomes - the same major events end up happening whether you tried to stop them or not. Characters interact with you the exact same despite how you treated them. The game starts to feel less interactive, and more like a movie at times. Despite my criticisms, the action sequences are still good and the presentation still excellent, and the overall interaction with other characters is still interesting, if a little confused. Everything just feels less organic than previous episodes, and I hope they can rectify that for the remaining episodes.

I found this game extremely mediocre. To be fair, I was never a big fan of the Aliens universe to begin with, but the story did nothing to change my mind. It never really felt like immersing me. The marine campaign actually started the game off really for me. The atmosphere was tense and the action was enjoyable and well paced. The Predator and Alien campaigns, however, were not quite as well designed and tended to be fairly bland and ultimately unsatisfying. My experience of the multiplayer was one of frustration. It was difficult to find a match, and then when I finally got in, the action was kind of disappointing and some of the mechanics just felt really unfair. Overall, an unsatisfying experience.

This is easily the best Borderlands DLC. It adds a ton of new content in the forms of quests, a new story, new enemies, new vehicles and of course new weapons. Everything still has the same wit and charm as the base game. The level cap has been raised, making it worthwhile for anyone already at max level. The only minuses are that there are numerous glitches (my favorite being the time my character drove off without the car), and the severe amount of time wasted going to quests or backtracking. Still, this expansion is the best and completely worth the asking price.

If you enjoyed Bordelands, Dr. Ned is an instant purchase. It provides great value for money with good amounts of content and is more of the shooting and looting of the base game. The setting is once again interesting, and the story, whilst not that engaging or immerse, is just insane and funny enough to be enjoyable. The only thing that marks this down is the quality of some of the missions. The majority of the quests are well thought out and interesting, but the minority are tedious fetch-quests we've seen plenty before. Still, this DLC is well worth the price and is a worthy add-on to an already fun game.

As many others have stated, this DLC takes probably the most lacking part of Borderlands (i.e. the shooting) and puts it in the spotlight. With no experience or equipment to gain, the core of the game is removed and make Moxxi's an unsatisfying DLC. The arenas add extra length, but they are so boring and repetitive it becomes old fast. Arenas also take around 2-4 hours to complete with no save points, making it a slog to the finish. If you are going to buy the Borderlands DLC, I would skip this one.

To me, Borderlands was an insanely fun RPG that managed to hold my attention all the way through to the end, with interesting settings, weapons and characters. The cartoon-like graphic style is not for everyone, but I personally liked it. It made the game seem vibrant and colourful, a stark contrast to many other recent shooters. As an RPG it is fantastic. There are only 4 characters, but each can be played in a variety of different ways, meaning multiple playthroughs are possible. There are so many customisation options, from abilities to guns to armour that the game can feel overwhelming, but once you get into it you will love fiddling with items to get the best stats. As an FPS it is pretty fun; the controls are maybe not as tight as other titles but it is solid and never feels difficult or frustrating to play. It must be noted that this game is much better played in co-op with friends as this will make the experience even more enjoyable. The only downsides are a few bugs and glitches here and there (most of the ones I encountered were minor but I know others who weren't so lucky), and some repetitive and grind-y quests that can be tedious. Otherwise, Borderlands is great fun and I would highly recommend it.

Super Meat Boy is an instant classic. The concept is simple but well executed, and the game is fast paced and enjoyable. The game was challenging but I never felt it was unfair, which made it very rarely frustrating. Similarly, the controls for me were responsive and never felt random, again making the game feel satisfying. he level design is great. I love the collectables and bonus levels that are hidden throughout the game, and they add a certain amount of replayability to the game. The art style is charming and the sound design is fitting. I would highly recommend playing this. It is well crafted and a joy to play.

Super Monday Night Combat is a blend of MOBA and 3rd Person Shooter that for me that hasn't quite got it right yet. It's really enjoyable - the characters are lively and full of charm and is one of the most humorous games I've played recently. The controls are pretty much perfect, very responsive and work as they should. The gameplay is intense and well paced and has some good mechanics. However, the gameplay, whilst fun, can end up feeling very unsatisfying and frustrating. Snowballing is frequent, especially with quitters, the massive power gap between levels and the annihilator (which destroys all enemy bots). It also has some really bad balance issues issues between classes which make some seem virtually unplayable. It also feels unrewarding if you're a free player, as it takes so long to accumulate enough in game coins to buy new stuff it feels at times pretty pointless. Overall, despite my criticisms, there were enough good points to keep me coming back to log 20+ hours of play. It is really fun once you get into it; just beware that it can be an exercise in frustration.

I tried to like this game, I really did. I liked the story; it was fairly engaging (if a bit confused) and the game world was somewhat intriguing. However, the gameplay was just overly frustrating and tedious. The mouse controls never seem to work like they should and just feel clumsy. The AI doesn't help as they frequently seem too perfect, making the game feel completely unfair. Its a shame because the concept was impressive.

Having never played a Civilization game before this, I was pretty pleased with this game. I can't compare it to Civ 4 like others, but what I got was a varied turn-based strategy game that was a lot of fun. I agree with others that the city-state mechanic is awful - they often just act as a frustrating buffer between you and enemies. However, they can be removed. The game was pretty enjoyable and provides a lot of play time for your money. It must be said that the steamworks modding system is really good and some of the mods are useful and others change the game enough to keep it interesting.

Telltale have done wonders here. I was not expecting much after Telltale's last "serious" game, Jurassic Park, was terrible. The Walking Dead, contrastingly, manages to be an exciting, atmospheric and evocative game. The pacing is spot on; quieter, narrative parts and intense action sequences blend seamlessly together. The story is interesting and for the most part the dialogue feels organic. There are only two problems I had with the game. One of the characters, Mark, is not built upon at all and just seems to be a filler character to advance the story. The other problem is that some of your choices seem to have no significance in terms of the story, and only change a few lines of dialogue. Hopefully in the next few episodes they will give your choices some real gravity.

Jolly Rover is a well-presented adventure game that sticks to the tried and true framework set out by Monkey Island all those year ago, and that is its biggest downfall. It has good voice-acting and graphics and good puzzle design. However, it is nothing adventure fans have not seen before. Its a shame that the gameplay is so uninspiring as the narrative is really humorous and entertaining and could have made it a stand-out. It is also very short lived (steam says that I completed it 97 minutes). As it stands, Jolly Rover is an enjoyable but easily forgettable adventure.

Botanicula is another beautifully presented game from Amanita. They clearly employ some of the finest artists and sound designers in the industry, as they have churned out yet another immersive, gorgeous and surreal experience. My only negatives come in the gameplay department. The puzzles are varied but, whilst some are genuinely quite brilliant, others feel frustrating. Some are way too simple, not requiring much thought at all whilst others are just random click-a-thons, hoping to find the part of the environment that works. Still, Botanicula is a great experience and is definitely worth playing. I would also highly recommend Amanita's other big game, Machinarium. Whilst Botanicula feels more style over substance, Machinarium has both style and substance in spades.

Machinarium is quite simply one of the best gaming experiences I've ever had. The game is beautiful, with brilliant animation and a great hand drawn art style creating a charm that immerses you in the game world. The music is great and also adds to the immersion. The story is full of interesting, quirky characters and is strung together with intriguing, intelligently designed puzzles (with only a rare few feeling confusing). Overall, Machinarium is a unique, refreshing experience that oozes charm and style. I would highly recommend this to all.

Sword & Sworcery was a short, stylish, enjoyable diversion for me. The music is unbelievable, and I would recommend picking up the soundtrack somewhere. The presentation is really good. The overall atmosphere the game creates is stellar. Unfortunately, the gameplay is lacking. Puzzles are often confusing or boring, and the combat system is similarly frustrating. There are some gems in here, but they are pretty infrequent. I'd still recommend a playthrough though, as it's a pretty cheap and cheerful diversion. I had some fun with it, but mainly due to the presentation and not the gameplay. Definitely a game of style over substance.