This meticulously crafted title is more than just an ode to the golden age of animation – it’s a punishing yet moreish game that’s not for the faint-hearted
You may have heard that this game is hard. We can report, its difficulty has not been overstated – but punishment isn’t everything it has to offer. While Cuphead is decidedly painful, committed to beating you over the head with death after death in its 1930s-style animated world, it’s also meticulously crafted. It’s rich in tone, near pitch perfect in its balancing and it’s dedicated to teaching you the best way to succeed – all while you desperately sway between bashing your head against a wall and screaming in victorious elation.
Bosses are the central spectacle here – ultra-paced, wonderfully designed, concentrated encounters that punctuate its run-time – but the immediate appeal is its inimitable art style. As a homage to the early days of animated cartoons, Cuphead is about as authentic as you get. The film grain crackles and its watercolour backgrounds pop with an obsessive attention to detail that never lets up. Its characters, too, are a work of art, offering up some of the most visually distinct creatures you will see in video games. That unflinching authenticity seeps into every part of Cuphead, from its menus to its music; from its character names – shout out to Porkrind the shop keeper – to their voice work. It’s fantastic across the board.

Agents of Mayhem is the new game from the creators of Saints Row, an open world hero shooter that lets you swap champions on the fly in its single player campaign. How does it stack up to Saints Row or similar games in a competitive field?

Interstellar Transport Company gives you the reigns of a space transportation company

20 new scenarios, 17 revised scenarios, and 2 revised campaigns. 4 new maps. 134 new or revised photos. 36 updated OOB files. 73 new or revised vehicle/aircraft icons. 135 new or revised icon and terrain graphic files. 3 revised text files, 71 campaign text files. 7 new or revised sound files. 7 new terrain sets, 10 revised terrain sets.

Fort Triumph is most easily described as “Fantasy XCOM” - a mix of sophisticated tactical combat with role-playing influences such as character customization, equipment, inventory, and just the right amount of good ol’ roll of the dice. It’s an adventure of choices and consequences. Whether on the campaign map or in the midst of battle, you will have to make informed decisions that will affect how the game plays out. Heed certain events and neglect others. Risk the death of an experienced hero or sacrifice hapless peasants in his stead. Fort Triumph will test your judgment and vigilance.

Use your imagination.
With the demise of Disney Infinity you may think that toys to life games are on the way out. However, with the Skylanders Academy show on Netflix and another new game for fans, Activision are pressing ahead - for the time being, at least. is this year's game and it offers a substantial twist on what has gone before. Rather than provide a complete set of characters, the game gives young players the chance to design their own. It sounds like a gimmick but it doesn't take long to become engrossed with creating your own Skylanders characters.
The creation mode extends beyond a basic selection of head, body and arms to defining a catchphrase, voice and even aura for your Skylander. This gets you started before you head into the game proper and start collecting more parts to apply at will - you can pause the game at any point and jump back into editing your creations. It's an incredibly flexible system, so much so that it has spawned hugely popular videos on YouTube where over-enthusiastic vloggers recreate favourite heroes and characters using the various available parts. Some of them are impressively realistic and testament to how much power the Imaginators creator tool offers.
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