April2015
Review Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China (PlayStation 4)
Creed of the chronic
It's been a rocky road for Ubisoft lately, with the publisher on the receiving end of bad press for the likes of Watch Dogs and Assassin's Creed Unity. It may be time for a bit of stability, then, and that's where Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China comes into the equation. A 2.5D adventure full to the brim with typical franchise...
March2015
Review Far Cry 4: Valley of the Yetis (PlayStation 4)
Different, Yeti the same
The latest piece of downloadable content for Far Cry 4 – Valley of the Yetis – serves up another sizeable slice of action for the Kyrat faithful, and sees protagonist Ajay Ghale crash landing in the titular valley while investigating reports that Pagan Min's forces are on the hunt for a mysterious relic. After waking...
February2015
Review Trivial Pursuit Live! (PlayStation 4)
Genius in a can
If there's one problem with the physical version of Trivial Pursuit, it's that there aren't enough klaxons. Without loud noises and bright lights, how are you supposed to know how awesome and attractive you obviously are? Ubisoft's latest adaptation drops most of what made the question-and-answer board game such a huge success,...
Risky business
With so many kitten videos on YouTube, taking over the world is something of a hassle these days. Vladimir Putin, with his head as smooth as a baby's first jazz recital, has found this out the hard way, attempting to start a world war while also maintaining his long-distance stalking of PewDiePie. Luckily, there's an easier way to...
January2015
Review Assassin's Creed Unity: Dead Kings (PlayStation 4)
Merde
If we were writing this review for an English literature class, we'd argue that Franciade is a metaphor for Assassin's Creed Unity as a whole. The expansive sandbox setting, which serves as hero Arno Dorian's stomping ground during add-on Dead Kings, is dark and dreary, contrasting the oversaturated architecture of Paris with something a...
December2014
Review Tetris Ultimate (PlayStation 4)
From Russia with indifference
The puzzle game used to be the staple of every platform’s portfolio. Be it Tetris, Columns, or Bust-a-Move, no console was complete without a score chasing outing of its own. In an age of Facebook and smartphones, though, those days are long gone, with Tetris the last bastion of a genre that’s largely been left...
Review The Crew (PlayStation 4)
Thank you for driving dangerously
If you’ve ever fancied taking a coast-to-coast road trip across America, then you were probably excited by the announcement that Ubisoft's latest driving game The Crew was offering the chance to do just that. Even with its abbreviated version of the USA, the scale of its game world, coupled with the chance to tear...
November2014
Review Far Cry 4 (PlayStation 4)
Take a walk on the wild side
Far Cry 3 managed to blend a near perfect mix of open world and first-person shooter, taking players to the darker side of a Pacific paradise, where many of the inhabitants were the definition of insane. For its sequel, there’s a definite feeling that Ubisoft took the view 'if it’s not broken, don’t fix it', so Far...
Review Assassin's Creed Rogue (PlayStation 3)
A touch of frost
You’d be forgiven for branding Assassin’s Creed Rogue an afterthought, as its next-gen brother, Assassin’s Creed Unity, overshadowed its release. Although appearing as a cash-in for those still waiting to upgrade their PlayStation 3s, though, this is actually a solid instalment in Ubisoft’s historical franchise, bringing...
Review Rocksmith 2014 Edition (PlayStation 4)
Shred school
As a lapsed guitar player, this wannabe rockstar was eagerly anticipating the release of Rocksmith 2014 Edition on the PlayStation 4. With two mistreated instruments decorated in dust, Ubisoft’s tutor promised a much needed excuse to wipe them down and get them back into action – but does this next-gen port squeal like Slash or hit...
October2014
Review Just Dance 2015 (PlayStation 4)
Because I’m happy
Another year brings another instalment into Ubisoft’s multiplatform dance juggernaut, predictably entitled Just Dance 2015 this time. The aim of the game is as simple as it gets: you have to replicate the dance moves that the on-screen silhouette dancers perform in time with the music and as accurately as you can. The ethos is...
September2014
Review Watch Dogs: Bad Blood (PlayStation 4)
Dreadlock screen
Watch Dogs was a solid sandbox title that was let down by a shallow story and a weak cast of characters, and even though it featured a number of well designed missions and some great combat, a severe lack of personality kept proceedings from being truly memorable. Flash forward, and we have the game's first expansion: Bad Blood...
August2014
Review Trials Fusion: Empire of the Sky (PlayStation 4)
Looking up
If there was one thing wrong with Trials Fusion, it was that there wasn’t enough chances to fall tens of thousands of feet to your death. The fans have spoken: sometimes smashing your 120MPH bike into a brick wall just doesn’t feel dangerous enough. Don’t worry, though, as Ubisoft has heard your cries for a little more distance from...
Review Trials Fusion: Riders of the Rustlands (PlayStation 4)
Feeling rusty
Trials Fusion was one of the must-have games on the PlayStation 4 when it came out, and its first batch of downloadable content should be something of an event for the million or so people who invested in it. However, what could have been an exciting new set of levels ends up being underwhelming, spinning its wheels over a set of ideas...
July2014
Review Might & Magic: Duel of Champions - Forgotten Wars (PlayStation 3)
Pay £7.99 for tagline
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Might & Magic: Duel of Champions - Forgotten Wars is some kind of trading card video game, but that’s short-sighted. No, it’s an investment opportunity of a lifetime – a chance to hand out huge amounts of money in return for digital versions of cards that your other half probably...
Review Child of Light (PlayStation Vita)
Summer child
It took longer and was more brutal than a rap battle between J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin, but Child of Light has finally made it to the PlayStation Vita. Those of you who have been desperately waiting to see what all the fuss was about can, after almost three months, join Aurora on her rather poetic quest to save the world...
June2014
Review Valiant Hearts: The Great War (PlayStation 4)
Dog day afternoon
There are hundreds upon hundreds of games about war. Yet despite the subject matter’s ubiquity, there is a distinct lack of variety in the way it’s handled: you shoot people, you sneak behind people so you can stab them in the back, or you slaughter countless people with the press of a single button. These gleeful and...
May2014
Review Watch Dogs (PlayStation 4)
Push square to hack
Ever since its announcement and reveal back at E3 2012, Ubisoft's Watch Dogs has ironically been held under close inspection. A sandbox adventure with a focus on hacking, it's an ambitious game that's chocked full of ideas and mechanics taken from some of the publisher's other properties and various open world titles. If you took...
January2014
Review Assassin's Creed Liberation HD (PlayStation 3)
Assassin's speed
Retelling the rather erratic adventures of Aveline de Grandpré, Assassin's Creed Liberation HD leaps onto the PlayStation 3 after its moderate success on Sony's handheld console – and visually, it's just about what you'd expect. The game's events are now witnessed through a much clearer lens, with some drastically improved...
December2013
Review Just Dance 2014 (PlayStation 4)
It takes Move to tango
Ubisoft’s colossal Just Dance series has become a common name among party gamers and rhythm fans. The gameplay essentially boils down to you mirroring a brightly coloured avatar in order to pull shapes to popular songs across a variety of genres. Compatible with up to four players, the franchise scores you by tracking your...
November2013
Review Rocksmith 2014 Edition (PlayStation 3)
It's a long way to the top (if you wanna rock 'n' roll)
Let's cut to the chase: Rocksmith 2014 Edition will not miraculously teach you how to play guitar like Slash in 24 hours. Learning the guitar or bass takes years of dedicated practice, repetition, self-motivation, and real technique. That doesn't necessarily mean that Rocksmith is useless –...
October2013
Review Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (PlayStation 3)
Nautical but nice
There’s more treasure to plunder in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag than in an entire sunken Spanish fleet. Ubisoft’s seafaring sequel represents another colossal endeavour for the ambitious organisation, leaving you free to sail the colourful Caribbean Sea in search of fame, fortune, and more grog than an honest mariner...
September2013
Review Rayman Legends (PlayStation 3)
A symphony written in gameplay
With Rayman Origins setting a new standard for everyone's favourite French hero, and rubbing shoulders with the leaders in the platforming genre, Michel Ancel's long overdue sequel has a lot to live up to. Fortunately, Rayman Legends is a tremendously fun and brilliantly designed title that is the very definition of a...
August2013
Review The Smurfs 2: The Video Game (PlayStation 3)
Feeling blue
One may assume that the business of producing low-budget movie tie-ins died with the untimely self-destruction of THQ, but Ubisoft has boldly picked up the slack with The Smurfs 2: The Video Game, and, as is normally the case with these sorts of releases, the results aren't particularly positive. The evil Gargamel and his two...
Review Spartacus Legends (PlayStation 3)
Are you not entertained?
Ubisoft’s first foray into the free-to-play market on consoles arrives in the form of Spartacus Legends, a one-on-one fighter that pits upgradable gladiators against each other both online and offline. It’s an historical premise that slots wonderfully into the genre, but does its freemium nature take away from the...
