Amplitude; The Banner Saga; Smurf's Epic Run, gaming reviews
A nice bit of nostalgia, and board-game style gameplay of old
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***
PS4/PC (£14.99)
Originally a PS2 game, this kickstarter-backed remake is a rhythm game produced by the now-famous Harmonix. You play as a space ship shooting notes on six paths – each representing a different instrument – moving between paths to keep your combo going and finish the song. The music in the remake is not the same as the original and suffers from a lack of big name bands while the gameplay also seems dated, having been surpassed by Harmonix's more recent efforts. A nice bit of nostalgia for those interested; but nothing new and nothing that hasn't been done better elsewhere.
Jack Fleming
The Banner Saga
***
PS4 (£15.99)
The Banner Saga's Nordic adventure has come to PS4 and, with it, the board-game style gameplay of old. If you're into Vikings, taverns and paying attention to text-on-screen dialogue, you'll feel right at home.
The game's Dungeons and Dragons narrative style – a lot of narration; dialogue that changes your path; turn-based battling – isn't immediately what you might go for on PS4 but it works surprisingly well, even if, at times, you feel like it would have made an epic board game. It manages to use what is good from those dynamics and add extra video-game dimensions. Not a fast game, but involved.
James Tennant
Smurf's Epic Run
***
IOS/Android (free-to-play)
The problem with free-to-play mobile games is that nearly all of them constantly throw incentives to "buy more" in your face. Smurf's Epic Run is no different. The core gameplay revolves around tapping the screen to make your little blue guy jump to avoid obstacles and collect coins. Ubisoft has copied the formula from its mobile Rayman games, except this time, when you lose, you're asked if you would like to spend real money to continue. Fortunately, the limited and easy gameplay probably won't push you to spend too much.
Jack Shepherd
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