PS4 Highlights
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Price range (£)
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Dark Souls III
At this point developer From Software is a veteran of making brutally hard action RPGs. Having started with Demon's Souls and progressed through two Dark Souls games and Bloodborne, director Hidetaka Miyazaki has coyly said that Dark Souls III is the last game "in this style", meaning that this may come to be seen as a watermark in gaming.
While the Dark Souls III feels instantly familiar, it does much to turn the series on its head. The ruined castle ramparts and monstrous dragons are still present and accounted for, as is the atmosphere of impending doom. But where the games have traditionally seen the player ascending ever higher as the game progresses, here the player begins by sinking ever deeper into the world. The role of non-player characters is subverted, with them initially coming off as kind and friendly but the player coming to realise that all is not as it seems. Similarly, the design of the world begins straightforwardly, before branching out to ever-greater levels of complexity. In short, Dark Souls III is all about lulling the player into a false sense of security...
Another element of this is the boss phase system. Now, just as a player is getting a grasp on the patterns and methods of one of the ever-inventive bosses, something will change and take them back to square one, be it an unexpected resurrection or a brand new health bar to madden you.
That's all part of Dark Souls' appeal, though - it's a game that's all about tough, intense confrontations and that sweet feeling of catharsis that comes from overcoming a challenge. Think of it as a very twisted form of stress relief...
£49.99 Buy Now -
Assassin's Creed: Syndicate
Dive deeper into the catacombs of Creed, with the Assassin's Creed: Syndicate Special Edition, featuring the Darwin and Dickens Conspiracy Mission - giving you an additional 45 minutes of epic gameplay.
"London, 1868. The Industrial Revolution unleashes an incredible age of invention, transforming the lives of millions with technologies once thought impossible. Opportunities created during this period have people rushing to London to engage in this new world, a world no longer controlled by kings, emperors, politicians, or religion, but by a new common denominator: money. Not everyone is able to enjoy the benefits of this boom, however. Despite fueling the engine of the British Empire, workers' lives are little more than legalized slavery while the top few percent profit from their labor. Living poor and dying young, the lower class unite in protest as a new kind of family, gangs, who turn to a life in the underworld in their struggle to survive. A struggle, until watchful Assassins come to their side and re-ignite an age-old conflict involving London's leaders that will echo throughout modern history, from the underground up. Introducing Jacob Frye, who with the help of his twin sister Evie, will change the fate of millions in Assassin's Creed(R) Syndicate. Rise to rally and lead the underworld to break the corrupt stranglehold on London in a visceral adventure filled with action, intrigue, and brutal combat. Features: THE FIRST ASSASSIN AT THE BIRTH OF THE MODERN AGE As the brash, rebellious Jacob Frye, put up your dukes and take enemies on with lightning-fast multikills and countermoves. Use improved stealth tactics to elude your enemies and unleash your arsenal of weapons, including the kukri knife, brass knuckles, and sword cane. Utilize new technology like the rope launcher to scale buildings in seconds and take your enemies by surprise. TRAVERSE THE FAST-PACED WORLD OF INDUSTRIAL LONDON From Buckingham Palace to Big Ben, fight and triumph across the massive open world of Victorian London. Parkour across moving vehicles to track down enemies or escape after a daring raid, hijack carriages to engage in a no-holds-barred street race, or blaze a trail of destruction aboard steamboats along the River Thames. TAKE OVER THE LONDON UNDERWORLD With Jacob as the leader, gamers can establish Great Britain's fiercest gang, the only force that can challenge the elite and defeat rival gangs to bring freedom to the oppressed masses. Enemy strongholds can be infiltrated by using an arsenal of weapons to dominate London's underworld. From robbing trains to rescuing child laborers, players will stop at nothing to bring justice to London's dangerous streets. MASTER THE ART OF STEALTH AS EVIE FRYE Play as Jacob's twin sister Evie, a relentless Assassin who has perfected the silent, swift, invisible strike. Parkour across London's immense open world using your status in London's leading gang to change the city for the better."
£49.99 Buy Now -
Just Dance 2016
£39.99 Buy Now -
LEGO Dimensions
Characters from a mix of brands join forces and battle in worlds outside of their own
Bring up to seven minifigures, vehicles, and/or gadgets into the game all at once
Players can let imagination guide their solo journey or have a friend join for co-op play
The LEGO Toy Pad and game will offer continued compatibility with future expansions
Includes: game, Toy Pad, bricks to build Gateway, three minifigures, and Batmobile
£89.99 Buy Now -
Destiny: The Taken King
Destiny: The Taken King delivers the next great adventure in the Destiny universe.
Destiny: The Taken King - Legendary Edition is perfect for new and existing Guardians that are ready to jump into the Destiny universe or continue to carve their legend in the stars. The Legendary Edition features the complete Destiny experience including The Taken King, the next evolution in the Destiny universe, Destiny, Expansion I: The Dark Below and Expansion II: House of Wolves. Unite with 20 million Guardians in the fight to defeat Earth’s enemies, reclaim all that we have lost, and Become Legend.
£29.99 Buy Now -
Tearaway Unfolded
From the creators of LittleBigPlanet comes Tearaway Unfolded, a mesmerising adventure through a magical world of paper, rebuilt for PS4. Tearaway Unfolded invites you on a journey to help plucky messenger atoi make a very important delivery. Reach into your TV with your DualShock 4 wireless controller to unleash gusts of wind to unfold hidden areas, confound enemies and ride a paper plane. Use your new powers to catch objects thrown out of the TV screen and hurl them back into hard-to-reach places or at enemies, and guide atoi through scary places by shining the light bar at the screen.
£19.99 Buy Now -
Rugby World Cup 2015
Experience the passion of rugby in the official 2015 Rugby World Cup video game! Choose from among the 20 teams in the World Cup and take part in the most prestigious competition in rugby!
ò Find the best teams in world rugby along with their anthems, players and official kits
ò The new World Cup mode lets you set up your own tournament, from pool stage to final
ò Control all aspects of a game of rugby: scrums, lineouts, tries, conversionsà
ò Take on your friends in matches with up to four players
ò Discover new moves, new stadiums and lots of improvements
ò Experience the intensity of a real match with play-by-play coverage by famous commentators
£29.99 Buy Now -
Mad Max
After the rip-roaring success of Mad Max: Fury Road, the game sharing the film's protagonist is hotly anticipated. In development for four years, it shares a lot of the film's DNA, thanks in no small part to the input of film director George Miller, but not all of its particulars.
It does start in a similar way, though. While trying to get to the place he calls the Planes of Silence, Max loses his car. Much of the game is about trying to replace it. Teaming up with your constant companion, Chumbucket, you'll be looking to put together a Frankensteinian monster vehicle that can get you back on the road in grand old style.
The way to do this is to undermine the influence of warlord Scabrous Scrotus, doing favours and helping out his smaller rivals. One outpost might specialise in weapons, another tires, so who you spend your most time with will depend on the sort of rig you're looking to build.
The Wasteland is a huge open world, littered with fearsome enemies looking to tear chunks out of you and precious scraps of material you can use to upgrade your weapons. Sometimes you'll fight with vehicles, sometimes with guns. Sometimes all you'll have is your hands.
Borrowing from the vibrant, deadly aesthetic of the films, Mad Max puts you in charge of your own destiny.
£54.99 Buy Now -
Helldivers: Super-Earth Ultimate Edition
Set in a dystopian future, players fight to protect ôSuper Earth,ö where a managed democracy has blurred the lines between military and government rule. We are losing the war, and the HELLDIVERS are the last line of defense against three invading enemy species.
HELLDIVERS focuses on teamwork, as squads battle formidable foes to become HEROES OF THE FEDERATION. Communication is key; cover your teammates as they crawl to safety and revive your fallen comrades to get them back into the fight. Tactically operate weapons and gear as a team and use the full might of the military with a unique signaling mechanic. Need reinforcements? Send up distress signals and have friends join the action any time.
Up to four players can play together, either online or locally around the same television. HELLDIVERS features Cross-Play and Cross-Save functionality, where players on the console of their choice can fight together to survive in an unforgiving environment.
Fight with the HELLDIVERS community in global meta-games and individual missions to save Super Earth. Every battle counts in the Galactic War, where victory unlocks content for all.
KEY FEATURES:
INTENSE PROCEDURALLY-GENERATED MISSIONS û Battle to take each planet by completing diverse objectives in an every changing landscape. Missions amp up in intensity and allow for unique digestible gaming experiences, and the intuitive gameplay lets players to jump right into the evolving fight.
TRULY SOCIAL CO-OP û Friendly fire will hurt, and objectives can only be reached if you communicate and work together tactically as a team. The social element of the gameplay is crucial, whether calling in strikes or placing weapons, each action must be totally synchronized to achieve your goals. Complement teammatesÆ loadouts, share ammunition, operate weapons together and become more than the sum of your parts.
TACTICALLY COORDINATE RESOURCES û Call in support and devastating attacks with HELLDIVERSÆ unique and deep signaling mechanics and stratagems.
GALACTIC CAMPAIGN û Stand together and fight with the PlayStation community in an ongoing, persistent campaign to save humanity and unlock new equipment, military support and weapons for all.
REVOLUTIONARY CROSS-PLAY û HELLDIVERS is one of the first titles to support Cross-Play co-op across the PS4, PS3 and PS Vita systems.
£19.99 Buy Now -
Star Wars: Battlefront
"Feeling the ominous thud of an AT-AT stomping down on the frozen tundra of Hoth. Rebel forces firing blasters as Imperial speeder bikes zip through the lush forests of Endor. Intense dogfights between squadrons of X-wings and TIE fighters filling the skies. Immerse yourself in the epic Star WarsTM battles you've always dreamed of and create new heroic moments of your own in Star Wars Battlefront . Fight for the Rebellion or Empire in a wide variety of multiplayer matches for up to 40 players, or in exciting challenges inspired by the films available solo, split-screen or through online co-op. Star Wars Battlefront combines this epic action on a galactic scale with stunning visual recreations of some of the most iconic planets, weapons, characters, and vehicles in the Star Wars universe and the original sound effects from the films, to give Star Wars fans the ultimate, authentic and immersive interactive experience they've been looking for. KEY FEATURES - The Most Immersive and Photorealistic Interactive Entertainment Experience Visit classic planets from the original Star Wars trilogy, detailed with an unprecedented amount of realism and sense of authenticity that will transport you to a galaxy far, far away - Experience amazing digital replicas of the original Star Wars movie models, brought to lifelike fidelity by DICE's use of photogrammetry technology - Ground-based Combat on a Galactic Scale Engage in epic battles on iconic planets including Hoth, Endor, and Tatooine. Also, bring the fight to the previously unexplored planet, Sullust - Pilot a diverse set of ground-based vehicles including nimble speeder bikes, massive AT-ATs, and more - Master the Battlefront with Iconic Star Wars Characters Play as some of the most memorable characters in the Star Wars universe including Darth Vader and Boba Fett - Encounter a variety of beloved characters from the original trilogy such as C-3PO and R2-D2 - Take to the Skies in Epic Star Wars Dog Fights Pilot the Millennium Falcon, X-wings, TIE fighters, and more of your favorite vehicles in exhilarating aerial combat - Made for Jedi and Padawans Alike Battle alongside your friends online or in offline split-screen Co-op mode - Seamlessly swap between 1st person and 3rd person views"
£39.99 Buy Now -
Trials Fusion: The Awesome Max Edition
Trials is back, and this time it's... well, not gone in a direction you were likely expecting. It's set in the future.
Gone are the grimy warehouses of old in favour of all sorts of futuristic newfangledness. Retro futuristic newfangledness, at that. You don't need to look any further than the title screen to get the message that Trials Fusion isn't taking itself too seriously. The music playing sounds like it was produced for Transformers: The Animated Movie then run through 2014 production techniques, while the rider you can see has Iron Man pants on his lower half.
The vision of the future developer RedLynx has gone for is a mix of preposterous gleaming towers, platforms and technology with apparent slapstick carelessness on the part of the people in charge. There's some great level design on show, which city tracks that take you from twilit marinas to rooftop chases across the tops of zeppelins. The wilderness levels are still here, but now they've got retro-futurism mashed in with them as well.
The core game remains basically unchanged. For the most part, you brake, accelerate and lean. As ever, getting your balance right is key to being able to guide your bike across ever-more fiendish platforming levels. Yes, 'ever-more fiendish'. Trials' serious difficulty curve is back with a vengeance, and the game remains extremely rewarding because of it.
Tricks are included, with players now bringing in the right stick to pull off moves like the Superman in the occasional stage. The game is also peppered with skill games that will set you a challenge such as climbing a near-vertical track as far as you can.
Trials Fusion also brings level creation back to the table. Players can build their own courses and get everything in their toolkit that the developers at RedLynx had when they were designing the game. While level building won't be everyone's cup of tea, what it will mean for everyone is a steady stream of weird and wonderful new tracks getting piped to our consoles on a continuous basis.
With the retail edition, players also get the Trials Season Pass, complete with access to a range of post-launch content.
£24.99 Buy Now -
NBA 2K16
The NBA 2K franchise is back with the most true-to-life NBA experience to date with NBA 2K16. Guide your MyPLAYER through the complete NBA journey, take control of an entire NBA franchise, or hone your skills online competing against gamers from around the world. With animations that provide smoother movement and more realistic articulation, it’s certain to be the most authentic NBA gaming experience yet.
£54.99 Buy Now -
God of War III: Remastered
£34.99 Buy Now -
F1 2015
F1 2015 delivers enhancements and additions in over 20 areas including engine and transmission, aero dynamics, fuel tank, force feedback, suspension and most notably a brand new tyre physics model - creating a truly breathtaking and realistic representation of how these cars handle on the track.
£49.99 Buy Now -
LEGO Jurassic World
"LEGO Jurassic World is the latest addition to the wildly successful LEGO videogame series. The all-new game will feature in LEGO form the first three blockbuster Jurassic Park films as well as Jurassic World, the long-awaited next instalment in the groundbreaking Jurassic Park series. Following the epic storylines of Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III, as well as the highly anticipated Jurassic World, LEGO Jurassic World is the first videogame where players will be able to relive and experience all four Jurassic films. Reimagined in LEGO form and told in TT Games' signature classic LEGO humour, the thrilling adventure recreates unforgettable scenes and action sequences from the films, allowing fans to play through key moments and giving them the opportunity to fully explore the expansive grounds of Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna. In LEGO Jurassic World, players will be able to collect precious amber, which contains dinosaur DNA to create and customize species. And, for the first time in a LEGO game, players will be able to play as LEGO dinosaurs, including dinosaurs from the Jurassic Park series and from the upcoming Jurassic World film."
£44.99 Buy Now -
The Elder Scrolls: Online: Tamriel Unlimited
Set 1,000 years prior to the events in Skyrim, The Elder Scrolls Online (TESO) is set in a world menaced by three feuding factions, all of which are trying to gain control of the entire continent of Tamriel. The main villain of the piece is a Daedric Prince called Molag Bal who is raising an undead army in order to take control of Tamriel. The three factions are The Aldmeri Dominion, The Daggerfall Covenent and The Ebonheart Pact. These factions have certain races allied to them, all of whom will be very familiar to players of other games set in the Elder Scrolls universe. From the outset the developers at Bethesda have designed the game to focus on the multiplayer aspect of MMOs. Players are encouraged to interact with one another to the point where even if they are not grouped with someone and they help another player out, they'll get rewarded for it. As an extension of this, there are many dungeons and warrens to explore, just like any Elder Scrolls game. Most of these require a group to be formed before entering, but some do allow players to wander into them unassisted and will likely find other people taking on the denizens of the dungeon. The base character construct used in Elder Scrolls games remains in place within TESO. The base stats of Health, Stamina and Magicka remain as does the ability to use any weapon, regardless of class. Players will not however be proficient in it if they have not specialised in the wielded weapon's use, again a similar trope found in Elder Scrolls games. The main quest, in typical TES fashion, has a number of big names from the film industry, names like Michael Gambon (Dumbledore from the Harry Potter films) and Bill Nighy who plays the game's antagonist Molag Bol. It could have been right out of a single player TES game. Another familiar facet to that ever so long lineage of games is an open world full of potential for exploration. In TESO players will be able to go where they wish and do what they wish, which is something many recently released MMOs fail to achieve. As an interesting adjunct to the main story, there are self-contained stories set within the smaller areas of the world. Each location has the usual string of side quests, but there is an overarching goal that when achieved will lead to a change in the game world. For example, if you defeat a necromancer who is defiling the body of a long dead Dragonlord, all the undead around the ruins will no longer be present and the area is completely safe to loot at your leisure. It is a small but permanent change to the world as you see it. The developers have looked closely at the combat in TESO and have tried to create a dynamic combat system that rewards the player's skill. This is done by allowing the player the opportunity to block incoming attacks and once successful, executing a parry move. The upgrade system which follows TES's example by having abilities level as you use them. At certain levels you can change them in to more powerful/useful versions with added effects. This is on top of choosing new abilities from a large selection covering combat, crafting and Guild-based skills. Tamriel is waiting...
£54.99 Buy Now -
Farming Simulator 15
Similar to its predecessor, in Farming Simulator 15 you to face the daily challenges of a modern farmer as you grow crops, sell produce, rear livestock and manage and develop your own farming complex in two immense open worlds... with a new Nordic setting! The game engine in Farming Simulator 15 has been totally revamped, and the game can now display visual effects and graphic rendering that are way ahead of the previous version, in particular using PBR (physical-based rendering) that for example, provides a photo-realistic rendering of the vehicles. But Farming Simulator 15 hasn't just added some esthetic improvements: besides an exclusive game backdrop and a new interface, this farming sim also includes extra activities, notably logging! You can now manage forested areas in the game environment using a range of new vehicles and machines designed specifically for this activity: harvesters, chain saws, chippers and even trailers. This additional equipment joins the long list of agricultural machinery that has been faithfully reproduced from the originals made by famous manufacturers such as Case IH, Deutz-Fahr and Lamborghini that are ready to be put to work. More prestigious brands in the sector are also available; New Holland and Ponsse among others! As you would expect, Farming Simulator 15 also has an extensive online mode and services that enable you to manage a farm with up to 16 players online or on a local network and exchange numerous "mods" with the community created by the players themselves using the in-game customization tool, including vehicles, equipment and even environments!
£39.99 -
Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin
Demon's Souls really established FromSoftware's reputation as a developer that wants to take your sense of hope and gnaw on it using the jaws of zombified rats. Dark Souls, the game's spiritual successor, took that and ran with it. Now the developer is back once again with a sequel in both name and spirit. The game features a new world, new storyline and an unfamiliar world steeped in death and despair. Expect the same uncompromising difficulty, the same epic boss battles and the same incredible sense of empowerment that comes with triumphing against the odds as the first game. Don't, however, expect something quite so straightforward as a re-skinned version of Dark Souls. The game's online has been made a little more approachable this time out. Voice chat is now supported and by aligning yourself with certain in-game gods you'll be able to summon friends to help you lay waste to whatever particular beast is challenging your will to live. You can also now travel between bonfires right from the outset of the game and the health system is a little more forgiving, with life gems complementing the flasks of the last game. Don't despair that FromSoftware has gone soft, however, as you'll lose a little more of your life bar every time you die. The world is perhaps not quite so bleak as those of past games, but it does offer up its own sights to bear witness to. An eerie village sits at the sea shore, with desperate locals trying to pedal their wares, while a tangled, ruined castle lurks at the heart of the forest. Scholar of the First Sin also includes the first three downloadable content packs released for the original game, Crown Of The Sunken King, Crown Of The Old Iron King, and Crown Of The Ivory King. On top of that, this new version will get some brand-spanking new content for players to battle through. So, Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin is not quite the same beast as the previous games. Did anyone want that, though? It's still a fiendishly difficult game set in a rich, brutal fantasy world. And there's still plenty of dying to be done.
£39.99 Buy Now -
Project CARS
Project CARS started out as a crowd-funded project to make a car simulation game for Windows PCs and current generation consoles. The community around it has had a very large input into its development and as such has helped produce a game that rivals the likes of R-Factor in terms of features and content. A tremendous effort has been put into every aspect of this racing sim, from the wheel trims to the weight distribution and handling of the cars, it has all been placed under scrutiny and only now is all this effort being shown to bear fruit. A huge amount of care has been put into some of the smaller details. Take, for example, a cockpit view that, thanks to the dynamic weather system, has the windscreen so awash with water droplets that you'll actually need to switch on the wipers to see where you're going. This might seem somewhat superficial, but Project CARS is about the attention to detail placed on the tiniest minutia that makes it a thing far greater than the sum of its parts and enables the player to really sink into it. That attention can be felt in the controls, too. The cars throw themselves around the track satisfactorily, to the point where older gamers might be reminded a great deal of the TOCA games Codemasters produced in the PSOne and PS2 era, which eventually evolved into the Grid series. Project CARS goes back to what makes driving sims so engrossing by letting the player feel every bump, and sense the weight of the car shift as it hurtles out of a corner. With a huge track roster, deep tuning options and pit stop functionality, this is a labour of love that will reward racing fans for their time.
£54.99 Buy Now -
Final Fantasy: Type-0 HD
The days when Japan got all the best role-playing games are pretty much behind us. As ever more games that once seemed consigned to Japan-only release make it to Western shores, Square Enix has thrown Final Fantasy Type-0 into the ring with an HD remake of the PSP original. The game takes place on Orience, a dark world governed by crystals but ravaged by war. The game focuses on Class Zero, a group from an elite military academy in the Vermillion Peristylium region. Using the magic and abilities of these fourteen characters, players must enter the war and attempt to uncover the secrets of its origins. The action-focused combat will be the big pull for many. It features all the main features players have come to love, including lock-on, magic, physical attacks, dodging and synergy between characters. Each character has their own strengths, and as you play and get to know them combat deepens. Most of the time you'll control three characters, switching between them on the d-pad at will and adjusting tactics accordingly. Every one of your fourteen characters has a role to play, and you'll benefit from mastering them. There are also some RTS elements thrown in for good measure. They play out on the world map, and you can sway the course of the war by invading towns, redistributing troops and using your own magic. Devoted fans will also be pleased to know that there's a good 40 hours of gameplay here, and if you want to do everything there is to do that doubles. Plenty to tide everyone over until XV hits...
£29.99 Buy Now
