Crash Test: games in review

FOUR new games to keep you entertained this week. Battlefield 4 gets Cam Shea's tick of approval.

Crash Test: games in review

FOUR new games to keep you entertained this week. Battlefield 4 gets Cam Shea's tick of approval.

* Top Pick

> BATTLEFIELD 4 [MA]

PC / PS3 / Xbox 360 / $89.95-$99.95 / Out now

Rating: 4/5

Like its predecessor, Battlefield 4's single-player campaign fails to impress, but its multiplayer component is a superb slice of tactical, team-based gunplay. Battles with up to 64 soldiers play out across land, sea and air, on superbly designed maps which evolve as games progress. When a dam bursts or a warship runs aground, players are forced to adapt to new conditions. Co-ordination is key and that's where the excellent Commander mode comes in, with one person on each team given a tactical view of the battlefield. A must for multiplayer shooter fans.

PHOENIX WRIGHT: ACE ATTORNEY - DUAL DESTINIES [PG]

3DS (eShop) / $39.95 / Out now

Rating: 4/5

Another fine slice of crime-solving melodrama, Dual Destinies makes few significant changes to the series' already excellent template. Most cases start with players examining a crime scene, before moving into the courtroom. The pacing can feel slow, but the characters are engaging, as are the cases, which tie together into a larger story. Available only via eShop.

WII PARTY U [PG]

Wii U / $79.95 / Out now

Rating: 3/5

Wii Party U builds on a line of Nintendo mini-game collections. In Mii Fashion Plaza, players pick up and steal items of clothing as they move around a board, attempting to complete outfits and net points. The games are varied; players pose as ninjas skipping across water one minute, put on jetpacks the next. The gamepad is something of a sideshow, with most games played using Wiimotes. Fun for the family.

SONIC: LOST WORLD [G]

3DS / Wii U / $59.95-$79.95 / Out now

Rating: 1/5

Lost World is not the Sonic game fans have been waiting for. Its spiky-haired lead sways and lurches like he's been out on the turps, only moving with grace and urgency when propelled off bounce pads or through other scripted sequences players have no control over. With a barely functional lock-on system and frustrating enemy design, Lost World isn't cohesive, nor is it much fun.