Beyond mere roster updates, Madden 12 features better tackling animations and visual effects, and gone are any new gimmicky additions; developer EA Tiburon instead focused on improved AI and crafting a more involved franchise mode.

May be a little short in length at about 3-4 hours to complete the story and grab all collectibles and trophies, but the pacing and story feels just right.

The new Attitude Era Mode is enough of a reason to play WWE '13, especially if you were a fan during that time period.

In the end Age of Calamity is more Breath of the Wild than Dynasty Warriors, and I’ve been purposely vague when it comes to the storyline and specific quests for good reason. Although they were far and few-between in Breath of the Wild, when you did get the ol’ cinematic it was pretty special. In Age of Calamity you have more of these, both in quantity and in terms of high quality production values. To the point where you can’t wait to see what happens next. Going one step further, Age of Calamity doesn’t feel like just another spinoff. It feels like a third piece in the Breath of the Wild story, one that sits alongside the original and the inevitable sequel. A TriForce if you will.

The second season of The Walking Dead has had highpoints, but in the end it can’t match up against the first season.

Without delving into spoilers, the final episode of Telltale’s The Walking Dead is definitely an emotional roller-coaster with dramatic twists and turns – some of which land, whilst others feel rushed to get things to some form of conclusion. Above all though, it’s understanding of the series long history and Clementine’s journey make these final moments pack one hell of a bite.

Interesting combat aside, what resonates and exhilarates about Lost in Random is its story first and foremost. The adventure that Even embarks on is one to savour and one that lives up to the wonderful art direction and visual design. The characters, the dialogue, the discoveries, the animation, the voice acting, the music, the presentation -- it all comes together wonderfully. A game well worth taking a chance and rolling the dice on.

In the end though, perhaps what sets apart Project Warlock from the very recent old-school shooter renaissance we’ve been seeing is that outside of inspiration and certain elements it doesn’t look any one thing from the ‘90s. Which in the end makes it special, and something well worth checking out.

In the end Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus is enjoyable, but it’s also a bit of a let down when it comes to the actual combat. Truth be told I was expecting more of an XCOM-style experience with unit management and perhaps even some base management. The simplicity of individual encounters means that Mechanicus can be frustrating, where simple mistakes can cost you the entire mission. Again, these painful lessons in failure help you learn what works and doesn't. Like, say, bottlenecking your units when the enemy has a powerful AoE weapon.

Although it has its shortcomings, I’ve been really impressed with FIFA 22. EA has delivered one of the most in-depth career modes to date, and the new additions across the game’s other modes are most welcome. I do hope to see more iteration across the board, but the gameplay this year feels top notch. It’s a huge step forward for the series, and a proper showcase of what the new consoles are capable of.

On the cynical side of things. NBA 2K is a billion dollar enterprise, it doesn't do things by accident. It chose to put MyCareer front and centre, to put MyTeam right below it, to bury the ability to simply play a game of basketball in layers of menus. The shame of it is that I genuinely think it's the best representation of basketball ever. But they make you work so hard to see that, and I just don't know if it's worth the effort.

When I reviewed Sniper Elite 3, I voiced concerns that the formula might be wearing thin — I don't think so any more. Sniper Elite 4 exists as a palate cleanser experience, mindless comedy I use to reset after playing other games. It's unashamedly silly, and brilliant as a result.

In the end, if the balance of exploration, character progression, combat, and story felt more cohesive or in harmony then Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden could have easily been great. This is not to say that it simply needs an ‘easy mode’. No, the hardcore challenge tips the scale too far away from the sense of adventure and story and the RPG-like opening moments. Those first impressions. Whether or not this stance is too critical of the deep and well-executed combat, well, who the duck knows? If the idea of a hardcore XCOM-like experience in a post-apocalyptic mutant world sounds enticing, then, hey, this is essential.

There’s challenge here in both combat and your patience with the game’s economy system (and in its slow movement), but mastering both and even jumping in with a buddy means you’re in for a gorgeous treat. Our eyes are firmly locked on what A44 does next, especially if they stick to this wonderful new IP and build on it as a franchise-in-waiting. Well worth your time and Dollerydoos in our humble, Aussie opinion.

Don’t Starve’s singular focus, wrapped up in a deadly dance between threat and empowerment, is also its biggest flaw. There is no horizon to strive for. The attrition-based gameplay is initially interesting and temporarily engaging, but lacks any lasting impact on the world.

Genuinely a fun game to play, and includes some nice features like the Active AI and Off the Ball controls. Most importantly, it is a step forward from last year's game, but is still not up to the standard that the FIFA games have set.

When you realise there are dozens of addictive hours to enjoy, State of Decay proves itself a tempting purchase for zombie lovers and fans of survival-horror alike.

Even though there are several weapons to unlock and find along the way, a lot of them feel undercooked. Plus, some of the boss mechanics lean a little too heavily on the side of increasingly more difficult patterns to learn. That being said, it’s still worth checking out. Immortal Redneck is the sort of game that seemingly comes out of nowhere, where initial curiosity leads to hours of fun. For fans of old school shooters and the rouge-lite setup of games like Rogue Legacy then it’s well worth equipping Grandpa’s Blunderbuss and venturing into a pyramid filled with adorable but dangerous snakes and flying skulls.

Call of Duty: Ghosts is a mess of a game. That’s not to say that it’s nonfunctional or bad to play, rather, it loses sight of its core principles and eschews an amazing opportunity with the advent of our transition to next-gen, as well as being the first true IW CoD sans Zampella and West, through poorly constructed (and utilised) tech, half-assed delivery of modes and a single-player campaign that sets the series back more than a few years.

Amid The Ruins is another quality Telltale episode, but it’s not the most memorable that they’ve ever done. It ends on a huge cliffhanger, as they all seem to now, but it’s not necessarily one that sets up an exciting final conflict.

Wonderful presentation overflowing with character and humour.

It remains to be seen how well 400 Days ties into Season 2, although it’s certainly implied at the end that your actions here will have some impact. As the epilogue messily ties everything off, it’s hard to say for sure whether 400 Days is an absolutely essential part of the Walking Dead experience, or whether it’s mostly a fantastic reminder that Telltale knows exactly what they’re doing.

The first Mario game I've ever played that frequently bored me, and as much as it manages to nail the central mechanics and tick many of the right boxes, it also serves as worrying proof that, in the world of gaming, no series is truly sacred.

From a technical standpoint, Dead Rising 3 is not the pinnacle of how a next-gen game should look (or perform), but from an expanded gameplay perspective, and one of pure fun, it’s my favourite launch title among the lot.

Shortcomings found in the sometimes-clunky writing and overly scripted emotional moments can feel unearned or sloppy. But the spirit and charm found in the surprise-hit Life is Strange is certainly here in The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit.

What we have here in Samurai Shodown is an updated version of a game that takes itself seriously where it needs to, but has fun with what it has in front of it. Well worth your fisticuffs.

An incredibly deep and expanding story and much of the Dead Space feel returning, albeit turned down a little, as well as all the new systems and elements will definitely divide fans, but may be more accessible to newcomers, which is always welcomed with such a rich franchise. Even with the familiarity this delivers a monstrous amount of satisfaction.

The lack of depth, a good story, and stuff like voice acting makes it all feel a little average. Pulling on your Zelda nostalgia heartstrings to drive motivation, even though the battles are all pretty much the same.