Genres

When playing inFamous Second Son, I received a deluge of visual satisfaction. Sucker Punch’s third attempt at its superhero series is a great showcase of PlayStation 4’s technical prowess. Particle effects galore, a breathtakingly gorgeous open-world, and great facial animations make Second Son the best looking PS4 game by a mile. But for all of Sucker Punch’s technical advancements, the game’s storytelling failed to meet the same type of improvements.

Bioshock Infinite was fairly unique in that it was entirely self-contained with room for discussion, but with plenty of opportunity for DLC. The idea of multiple universes isn't a new one, and it always opens itself up to certain issues, but it did mean that Booker and Elizabeth could end up appearing almost anywhere. So, of course, they ended up back in the underwater city of Rapture. It was an easy way of impressing fans, but it's questionable whether that managed to pay off.

Danganronpa Trigger Happy Havoc is a zany experience filled with boundless creativity. Developed by Spike Chunsoft (the studio responsible for similar games in the Zero Escape series), and originally released for the PSP all the way back in 2010, Danganronpa has spawned an anime and manga over in Japan before its port to the Vita this year; and it’s easy to see why.

Usually the story in a video game uses the same techniques found in other mediums. Epic adventures that have clear beginnings and ends. No matter what sort of free-roaming choices there might be along the way, games tend to follow a linear series of events that lead the protagonist to The End.

When we last left Clementine, she'd either decided to save Nick, the young, slightly arrogant man who'd caused trouble all episode, or Pete, who had been bitten by a zombie. This probably best highlights the illusion of choice in The Walking Dead, as your decision didn't at all matter. Other than a few altered scenes, the exact same things happen, at the exact same time. Knowing this, A House Divided feels way too linear, and without the plot needed to push it forward.

Metal Gear Solid V Ground Zeroes has all the makings of a very good game. An interesting beginning that has you waiting for answers, gameplay that goes beyond what you expect and offers depth and choice, all with the kind of production value that big budget movies wish they could approach - that's Ground Zeroes, a checklist of what all interactive entertainment should strive to achieve. There's only one major fault. The game Ground Zeroes should be is still at least a year out, if we're lucky, and what's on offer here doesn't even begin to scratch the itch it ...

PopCap did a lot of things right when they developed Plants vs Zombies for every platform imaginable - Mac, PC, Xbox, Playstation, DS, iOS, and Android - and the success of that game has led to multiple sequels. Plants vs Zombies 2's free to play model scared some since it was a departure from the original set-price model, however, PopCap again delivered a solid product, and one that did not require any additional purchases.

Cybernet was a video game focussed TV show here in the UK back when the PS2 launched. When they weren't showing and reshowing the opening of Metal Gear Solid 2, they were showing and reshowing clips from Final Fantasy X. Look at the graphics! Look at the characters! And, oh, they've got voices as well!

Video gaming's first yellow circular celebrity has turned 30 this year, and instead of getting trashed with friends Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde, he's taking a trip down memory lane, through the highlights (and low-lights) of his prestigious career.

Thief, developed by Eidos Montreal, is a reboot of the beloved 90s first-person stealth series of the same name. Penned by Ken Levine, who would go on to create Bioshock, and forged by the now defunct Looking Glass Studios, 1999’s Thief: The Dark Project was the birth of the first-person stealth genre. It successfully introduced several innovative mechanics, like the clever use of light and sound as an integral part of game play, and told an intriguing narrative in the process.