HORIZON ZERO DAWN *****
Guerilla Games, PS4
Guerilla Games (Dutch developer of the PlayStation exclusive FPS franchise Killzone) are back with a new IP that feels fresh, looks phenomenal and plays like a futuristic Tomb Raider with some giant robot dinosaurs thrown in for good measure. It’s an open world action-RPG where you take control of a young hunter called Aloy, who has been forced to survive in the wilds as an outcast in a post post-apocalyptic world (yep, you read that right) overrun by robotic dinosaurs. Combat is dynamic, the narrative is compelling, the customisation options and RPG elements are pretty deep and it’s visually in a league of its own. This is arguably one of the best exclusives of this generation so far.
SIRALIM 2 ****
Thylacine Studios, PS4/PS Vita/PC
This is what happens if Pokemon and Dragon Warrior (the original GameBoy Colour version) had a wee whippersnapper. Siralim 2 is a retro, 16-bit style dungeon crawler, monster catching, roguelike RPG (phew) and it’s really rather addicting stuff. Exploring dungeons, catching the copious amounts of unique critters and using them to battle other monsters is where this title shines best. Some may be put off by the 16-bit aesthetic, but personally, I found it super charming. A neat indie gem which can potentially become a real time-sink if you get hooked (like me).
words DYLAN CHAUNDY