Zelda: Twilight Princess HD; Plants v Zombies 2: Garden Warfare; Firewatch, gaming reviews

A nostalgic excursion, zombies on the run and a gripping five-hour journey through depression, dementia and loneliness

Twilight Princess: This 10th anniversary remaster is a timely updating of an underrated entry in the Zelda series

Zelda: Twilight Princess HD

****

Wii U (£34.99)

Following 2013's excellent Wind Waker HD, Twilight Princess is given the HD treatment, enabling Wii U owners to experience it at its best. Link takes on wolf form to travel to the Twilight Realm, trying to free Hyrule from darkness. Control tweaks and subtle streamlining improve on the original experience; gameplay is never short of satisfying. Serving both as a nostalgic excursion and an appetiser for the new game later in the year, this 10th anniversary remaster is a timely updating of an underrated entry in the Zelda series. Sam Gill

Plants v Zombies 2: Garden Warfare

****

PC/PS4/Xbox One (£49.99)

Some franchises blossom the older they get, as is the case with this superb third-person shooter. Heaping the fruits of their imagination over the root of the debut's family-friendly formula, the game's developers have added new characters, more playable classes, maps and single-player content while switching things around a bit. Graveyard Ops puts the zombies on the run and there's a new hub world called Battleyard Battleground, which replaces the menu system. As before, it's bright, bubbly and positive – the perfect antidote to hardcore shooters. David Crookes

Firewatch

****

PS4/PC/OSX (£14.99)

The premise of Firewatch seems relatively boring: a video-game in which you play a secluded man who watches over a forest, making sure it doesn't burst into flame, his only contact being a fellow fire-watcher via radio. However, what transpires is a gripping five-hour journey through topics such as depression, dementia and loneliness. Spoiling the plot would ruin the wonderful arc. It isn't so much a video-game as a mystery novel –and it leaves you with genuine, thought-provoking questions. Jack Shepherd