If you were expecting a waft of Destiny reviews to appear online on launch day, then you’re not alone. Due to the severs not going live until Monday afternoon – a move which was likely to counter piracy, people posting potential spoilers, and general ‘willy waving’ from those who got it early – we’re only just seeing the first few reviews trickle through now.
It’s mostly smaller gaming sites that have had their say on Bungie’s new sci-fi opus. So far we have 4.5/5 from Cheat Code Central, 9/10 from VG First, and another 9/10 from Gamer Headlines. Then there’s this 8/10 review from the International Business Times. “Ambitious, polished and clearly pored over by hundreds of people, Destiny is an incredible creative undertaking. It doesn’t all click, but it’s a huge achievementâ€, they said.
We doubt that they will be alone in giving it 8/10 – reading a few early impression articles, people aren’t too impressed with the AI (enemies simply run around like headless chickens) and the fact that at times it feels like little more than a bunch of Halo ‘firefight’ missions stringed together. We’ve spent around four hours with it so far and admittedly, it hasn’t quite ‘clicked’ yet.
As mentioned during last week’s round-up, very few publishers are willing to go up against Destiny, resulting in a week of random bits and pieces. EA’s NHL 15 is the only other major release, arriving on PS4, PS4, Xbox One and 360. Reviewers noted that this year’s Madden is a huge improvement, but early reviews of NHL 15 would suggest that this one isn’t quite the step forward fans were expecting.
Canadian Gamers Online mentions missing modes and features from previous versions, as does the Financial Posts’ Post Arcade. “It’s not too hard to see what happened here. EA was so focused on making the gameplay a superlative experience that the company forgot to include a lot of the things that make the series so special,†they report. We wouldn’t let these comments put you off hitting the rink though – Canadian Gamers Online still went on to give it an 8/10, despite the shortcomings.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution also arrives on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 this week. Available for around £35, the ‘Rivals Edition’ includes a original anime story DVD and a bunch of new costumes.
Then over in the world of Nintendo, interactive reading software Nintendo Phonics Fun with Biff, Chip & Kipper launches on 3DS. Three different volumes, no less. They’re around £20 each. Sure, they aren’t aimed at the likes of you and I, but there may be somebody little in your life that will benefit from them.
This leaves us with a retail release of inFAMOUS: First Light on PS4. Expect to pay around £15 for this standalone adventure. Reviews were mostly around the 7/10 mark.
It’s even a quiet week where downloads are concerned. On XBLA there’s the free TMNT Training Lair. Curiously, it’s published by Microsoft rather than license holders Activision. Intended to promote the movie – hence why it’s free – you shouldn’t expect too much.
Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate is making a belated appearance on PSN meanwhile, as is Hyperdimension Neptunia ReBirth1. Oh, and there’s FIFA 15 demo now available across the board. Looks like it’s a Gold-exclusive on Xbox though. Tsk!
Next week: Hyrule Warriors (Wii U), Disney Infinity 2.0 Marvel Superheroes (PS4, PS4, Xbox One, 360, Wii U), TheatRhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call (3DS), Fairy Fencer F (PS3) and Flockers (PS4, Xbox One).