IGN

• WIIU
• 4 / 10
• États-Unis

Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark on the Wii U has some cool weapons befitting the bots, but little else of note. The bland campaign is a slog with uneven difficulty, vehicle transformations and combat are largely unsatisfying, the Game Pad support is nearly nonexistent, and the multiplayer mode available on the PC and all other consoles is unfortunately omitted. Rise of the Dark Spark is a bad Transformers game to begin with, and the corners cut on the Wii U make it the worst one of all.

• PS4
• 3 / 10
• États-Unis

If you love low-brow jokes that aren't funny, and laughing at overweight people just because they exist, you’d still be hard pressed to enjoy Blue Estate. I have no idea if it’s faithful to the comics that spawned it, but after the time I’ve spent with it, I don’t think I want to know. It does a lazy imitation of a genre that’s always been short on creativity to begin with, and even if its prehistoric social politics didn’t bother me, its relentlessly try-hard approach to comedy surely still would have.

• PC
• PS3
• PS4
• X360
• XONE
• 3DS
• 4.9 / 10
• États-Unis

Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark has a few bright spots; the co-op Escalation mode is enjoyable, and there are cool weapons befitting the bots. But the bland campaign is a slog with uneven difficulty, while vehicle transformations and combat are largely unsatisfying. Without nailing that, you’ve got a bad Transfomers game.

• PC
• X360
• XONE
• PS3
• PS4
• SWITCH
• 8.2 / 10
• États-Unis

Sniper Elite III's open level designs and objectives pack in more than enough variety and stealthy tension to counterbalance its thin story and shaky enemy intelligence, and experimenting with its explosive traps is almost as fun as popping skulls with a sniper rifle. The skeleton-shattering, long-distance kills are still its riveting centerpiece, of course, but even without the element of dumb fun they offer, Sniper Elite III would still be a smart, unexpectedly memorable experience.

• PC
• 3DS
• WIIU
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

I absolutely love Shovel Knight. It doesn't only understand what retro gamers want; it also understands exactly what it is, copping plentiful inspiration from the past while forming it all into its own game. At seven or eight hours long your first time through (and a New Game+ mode once you beat it), it lasts longer than your typical throwback, and all of that time is well-spent, whether you're getting through a new stage, going back to an old one to grind for money to buy upgrades, or exploring its many secrets. It plays brilliantly, looks stunning, and sounds great. Shovel Knight is my favorite game of 2014 so far, and a true testament to the power of the old-school. Whether you were weaned on an NES like I was, or don't yet know what you missed in a time before you were born, Shovel Knight is an absolute must-play.

• PC
• 8.7 / 10
• États-Unis

• PC
• PS3
• X360
• 8.3 / 10
• États-Unis

For the first time in years, Grid Autosport feels like a Codemasters racing game built to appeal to long-time Codemasters racing fans. Grid Autosport promised proper motor racing, and that’s exactly what it delivers (and plenty of it, to boot). It falls a bit short in the visual stakes compared to the hotter, new generation competition, but few developers get pack racing right like Grid Autosport does. The spirit of the classic TOCA games is finally back. At the very least, maybe it’ll finally teach the rest of the world what a ute is.

• PS3
• X360
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

• PC
• PS4
• 7.2 / 10
• États-Unis

War Thunder gives us lots of reasons to get behind the stick, or wheel, of a ton of great World War II-era vehicles. With strong visuals and convincing audio backing it up, I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent inside my P-36 Hawk, and its generous free-to-play model never got in the way. It’s mostly the moments in between battles that bring the whole experience down, as a lack of information and poor menus tarnish this flying ace.

• PS4
• XONE
• 6.8 / 10
• États-Unis

EA Sports UFC looks the part to a tee, and its exhaustive list of moves and techniques represent the complex nature of the sport well. But knowing that each second could be your fighter’s last is what gives weight and drama to mixed martial arts, and without that, these bouts fall flat. I love the amount of respect the developers clearly have for every aspect of the sport, but reverence and attention to detail alone can’t stand in for a missing sense of danger and excitement.

• PS4
• PS3
• VITA
• 6 / 10
• États-Unis

I started Entwined at the start of my work day, and -- after several pauses to write e-mails and attend to some other matters -- I was done by lunch. In that brief time, I came to appreciate its gorgeous aesthetics and moody soundtrack, but at the same time, I was never able to develop a rhythm playing the game itself. There's a wonderful nugget at its core, but the final product, when all features and factors combine, never shines enough to recommend it without a series of caveats.

• PS3
• X360
• PC
• 4.7 / 10
• États-Unis

Enemy Front's attempt to show a different side of war is thwarted by awful AI and behind-the-times combat that can't support the emphasis it puts on stealth and sniping. The multiplayer could have been a saving grace, but it's so threadbare that a sizable player community seems highly unlikely.

• VITA
• PC
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

• PS4
• WIIU
• 3DS
• VITA
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

While obviously not meant for a broad, easily discouraged audience, 1001 Spikes' elegantly devious level design and endless string of "oh, so close!" deaths help it succeed at what it sets out to do: deliver a nightmarish degree of challenge while remaining just fun and interesting enough to keep beleaguered players forging ahead. At times it becomes a mind-numbing slog, as you're reduced to performing the same rote set of actions for hours until you perfect the one jump or dodge that's holding you back. The reward is a sense of mastery, but the price can be awfully steep, making this a true test of skill – and patience.

• PC
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

• 3DS
• 8.4 / 10
• États-Unis

• PC
• 7.3 / 10
• États-Unis

• PC
• PS3
• XONE
• PS4
• X360
• 5.5 / 10
• États-Unis

There are some great concepts in Murdered: Soul Suspect, but they feel undercooked or underutilised, and the lack of demand for any real input from us makes Murdered feel like a pick-a-path game where there’s only one path. It scrapes by on the power of its central whodunnit mystery, but I can’t help but feel that Murdered: Soul Suspect is ten hours worth of unfinished business.