Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
PS4, Xbox One, PC, Capcom, cert: 18
★★★★★
From the off, Resident Evil 7 promises a welcome, classic approach. While searching for his missing wife, Ethan Winters is trapped by the psychopathic Baker family. This clan of killers stalks their mansion’s creaking halls and seems impossible to kill, forcing Ethan to resort to stealth and puzzle-solving if he wants to survive the night. Previous games in the series may have lost their way and strayed towards cheap action, but Resident Evil 7: Biohazard steers a course back to horror. Players are put front and centre in the nightmare by the new first-person viewpoint. Every creaking floorboard fills you with dread and the Bakers are perhaps the series’ most terrifying, yet compelling, villains. More impressively, the well-crafted story manages to tie in well with the series while still being fresh and accessible to new players.
A shift of perspective proves just the adrenaline shot the troubled franchise needed to come shambling back from the dead. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is a triumphant and gorgeously grotesque return to form. PH
PJ Masks Super City Run
iOS, Android, Entertainment One cert: 3
★★★★
A spin-off from a TV show that is unusually pleasing in catering both to its target audience and the adults paying the bills, the PJ Masks cartoon heroes from the Disney Junior programme are a very welcome addition to the endless runner genre. Catboy, Owlette and Gekko star as the child superheroes and take turns exploring randomly generated city and park zones, while navigating obstacles and collecting toys to trigger each character’s unique superpower.
It’s bright, simple fun, but Super City Run also packs a proper video game punch. Progress through the levels and the streets is increasingly complex to navigate. Timing becomes critical, as does scanning ahead to avoid traps and dead ends. Parents will appreciate a single up-front cost (£2.99) rather than in-app purchases and there is also a happy absence of grinding to unlock content. Everything is available from the off. PJ Masks: Super City Run proves that cross-media conversions can, when done well, successfully combine TV characters with enjoyable gameplay. AR
Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World
3DS, Nintendo, cert: 3
★★★★★
Downsized but by no means downplayed, this 3DS version of the Wii U’s Yoshi’s Woolly World perfectly shrinks the console title for Nintendo’s handheld, while adding extra companions and bonus stages. The classic platforming format, imagined here in knitted, sewn and cross-stitched form, has been converted well; gameplay is pixel-perfect with levels inviting exploration and experimentation to find all the hidden flowers, yarn balls and gems.
Although the two-player option is missing on the 3DS, youngsters will appreciate the “mellow” mode that ensures the game is accessible to all ages and an impressive range of amiibo figurines and cards is supported. Each dresses Yoshi in a woolly version of the related character, while new outfits can be designed in the new Yoshi hut zone.
All of which sits within the framework of a masterclass in platforming. It is bright, accessible and always inviting just one more go. For fans or newcomers of all ages, it’s a very strong addition to the 3DS line-up. AR
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