TOP NEW VIDEO GAMES

This week, MARTYN LANDI tries Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, while JAMIE HARRIS takes on Never Yield, Mighty Goose, and The Wild At Heart

Title: Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield Platform: Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, PC Genre: Side scroller Price: £9.99 Age rating: 12+

On the run

Never Yield is an autorunner title with little in the way of story or substance, not that the latter is an issue; sometimes basic is what we need. As Wally, you must keep outrunning your enemies in 3D side-scrolling fashion, dodging obstacles that come your way.

The story does not go into great detail, but you get the gist of it through little cut scenes, matched with great visuals and a stellar soundtrack. Run, jump, slide or dash are the options available, testing your ability to time hits as colour-coded prompts appear on screen. It is easy to follow. There are various difficulty levels to suit any player. Despite obvious repeatability, games like this can often become quite repetitive . . .

Skip to the end: Although Never Yield gets repetitive, there is still plenty to enjoy at such a reasonable price point. SCORE: 7/10

Title: Mighty Goose Platform: Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, PC Genre: Action / Platformer Price: From £13.99 Age rating: 12+

Goose on the loose

This run and gun shooter sees you in the role of a bounty hunter Goose who must defeat swathes of foes standing in his way. The plot does not really develop more than that, with things getting pretty hectic early on, so be prepared for it to be difficult from the offset. The checkpoints can be far apart too, which might be a bit frustrating when struggling to move forward. It gets messy when huge hordes of enemies attack all at once, with danger coming at you from every angle. You start with a hand cannon but will pick up stronger weapons as you progress, though ammo is not unlimited. With the ability to jump, duck and shoot upwards, there’s plenty of variety to control. Plus, the retro pixel art style is on point.

Skip to the end: The difficulty can be offputting, but Mighty Goose is an otherwise solid run and gun shooter.

SCORE: 7/10

Title: The Wild At Heart Platform: Xbox, PC Genre: Adventure Price: £20.99 Age rating: 7+

The runaway indie title

The first thing that strikes you about The Wild At Heart is its beautifully detailed art style; it really hits the right note for this tale of a boy called Wake who is fed up with home life and decides to run away into the woods. Meeting with a friend, Kirby, the pair soon find themselves in a mysterious hidden realm dealing with an array of magical creature who you must help, as a darkness known as the Never attempts to destroy anything in its path. Along the way you collect small Spritelings, which enable you to do tasks such as breaking items or fighting foes at your command. It all wraps up into a nicely told, well presented adventure that hits some emotional notes.

Skip to the end: A beautifully presented indie title that focuses heavily on story, to its strength. SCORE: 8/10