Saints Row IV Re-Elected & Gat Out of Hell; Grim Fandango Remastered; Life Is Strange, gaming reviews

Andrew Griffin,Oliver Cragg,Toby Clarke,David Crookes

Thursday 29 January 2015 17:00 GMT

Saints Row IV is a crass and chaotic take on the concept of unrestricted freedom within a virtual space

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Saints Row IV Re-Elected & Gat Out of Hell

*******

PS4, Xbox One (£39.99)

Saints Row IV is the logical conclusion of the videogame sandbox: a crass and chaotic take on the concept of unrestricted freedom within a virtual space. Re-released and remastered, Re-Elected bundles up the original game with its DLC packs and new standalone expansion Gat Out of Hell. While there's fun to be had with the comic-book super-moves, Crackdown-esque collectables and freakishly vast scope for character customisation, Saints Row IV seems to exist for the sake of being a wacky alternative to the norm, where the obnoxiously stupid ideas outnumber the enjoyable silly ones.

Oliver Cragg

Grim Fandango Remastered

*****

PS4, PS Vita, PC, Mac OS (£11.99)

Grim Fandango, first released in 1998, appeared to be the last hurrah of the point'n'click genre. Helmed by Tim Schafer, the game was a fantastic combination of inventive puzzles and a rich story, full of unique characters. Add in a stunning soundtrack and you had a gem of a game that many didn't experience. Now re-released, the changes are subtle but effective: new controls, remastered audio and high resolution assets are all the game needs to, hopefully, find a new audience.

Toby Clarke

Life Is Strange

********

PS4, PC, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3 (£3.99)

Life Is Strange has gameplay reminiscent of a point-and-click adventure and graphics that hark back to previous console generations. But although lead character Maxine Caulfield can rewind time as she investigates the disappearance of a fellow student, the hip dialogue, selfie obsession and troubled high-school setting of this episodic game are nothing but contemporary. A selection of well-thought-out puzzles and a focus on plot – choices made by players have an impact later down the line – infuse the game with drama and intrigue.

David Crookes

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