Forza Horizon 3
PC/Xbox One, Microsoft; cert: 3
★★★★★
While the expansion of open-world gaming has given players the freedom to roam as they wish, all too often the environments deliver quantity over quality. Not so Forza Horizon 3, which offers a vast spread of Australian landscape as a backdrop to all manner of arcade racing events on and off the road. It is not only a broad palette but exceptionally well coloured as well, the settings beautifully realised and brimming with the kind of detail that makes for interesting driving. Every stretch of road, from open highways to meandering desert tracks, sports distinct nuances such that each corner and camber feels meticulously engineered for exhilarating racing.
There is an immense variety of vehicles, an abundance of race classes and side quests and a smart new emphasis on co-op online play, but Forza Horizon 3 ultimately shuns sincerity and strict handling realism in favour of its speciality: terrific fun. Lush, absorbing and brilliantly paced, here is proof credibility can come to the driving genre without designers obsessing over simulation quality.
Batman: The Telltale Series
Mac/PC/PS3/PS4/Xbox 360/Xbox One, Telltale Games; cert: 18
★★★★
Developer Telltale has previously proved itself to be something of a master of the episodic, narrative-led titles that evoke the spirit of classic “point and click” adventures, so it is pleasing to see the team’s latest effort focus on DC Comics’ famed Dark Knight. The debut episode served as a prelude, while the second entry, as well as a new, boxed version granting access to each chapter as they are released, provides a good sense of where the series is going. And things are certainly getting better.
Despite relatively low levels of interaction, every button press here can bring with it remarkable tension, thanks to narrative delivery that makes the player feel responsible for the direction the story takes, whether choosing responses in conversation, making decisions around the ethics of vigilantism or just picking whether Bruce or Batman is the better ego for a given task. It lacks a little production polish at times, but this classic tale of a Gotham beset by crime skilfully plays with established Batman lore, with captivating results.
Touhou Genso Rondo: Bullet Ballet
PS4, NIS America, cert: 12
★★★
In theory, at least, Touhou Genso Rondo: Bullet Ballet is a simple concept. In mixing the conventions of two founding arcade genres – the 2D shooter and the fight simulation – it presents a reasonably distinct proposition, where one-on-one battles see contestants showering each other in bullets and special attacks. Unfortunately, in practice, this aggressive dance demands rather too much from its players before offering anything in return.
The core gameplay certainly works and at times nears excellence. Once you have some understanding of the combat techniques involved, the frays can be engrossing and boast a knack for delivering dramatic twists in dominance.
Sadly, a perplexing tutorial, erratic enemy AI and a cluttered on-screen interface make learning Touhou Genso Rondo: Bullet Ballet somewhat bewildering, when unravelling the mysteries of its workings should be rewarding. For players who enjoy arcade shooters or the competitive nature of fighters, it’s worth a try, but this is not a particularly elegant experience.
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