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Games of the week


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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition. Picture: Handout/PA
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition. Picture: Handout/PA

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition

Platform: Switch

Genre: RPG

Price: £44.99

Digital witchcraft you won't believe

As any good Witcher knows, sacrifices are sometimes necessary. In achieving the impossible and squeezing its epic, critically acclaimed adventure onto the tiny Switch hardware, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has taken a significant visual hit that some may feel is too high a price to pay just to make one of the greatest ever games playable on the toilet. It is, however, a staggering feat. All expansions and DLC are included (you'll need a new SD card for the huge 32Gb install!) and the compelling world, feisty combat and powerful storytelling all remain pleasingly intact. This mini miracle is a reminder of how truly special The Witcher 3 is, even if it's no longer as handsome as Geralt himself.

Skip to the end: The award-winning RPG in perfect pocket form.

Score: 8/10

John Wick Hex. Picture: Handout/PA
John Wick Hex. Picture: Handout/PA

John Wick Hex

Platform: PC

Genre: Strategy

Price: £14.99

Boogeyman's back

John Wick Hex is frustratingly not terrible. The inspired concept translates the breathless choreographed movie violence into a stop-motion strategy puzzle, where time advances only after you've selected your next action – whether that's double-tapping a distant henchman, rolling into cover or judo-throwing a nearby thug. But this is John Wick without his trademark extraordinary reflexes. That might make sense for creating difficulty, but the limited offensive options feel like we're being swindled out of the full Baba Yaga experience. There's an undeniable addictiveness to the top-down tactics of John Wick Hex, but the lack of dynamism prevents it being a far more accomplished cinematic tie-in.

Skip to the end: An unsatisfying walk in the cult hitman's shoes.

Score: 7/10

Indivisible. Picture: Handout/PA
Indivisible. Picture: Handout/PA

Indivisible

Platform: PC, Mac, Xbox One, PS4, Switch

Genre: RPG

Price: £34.99

Divided we fall

Indivisible's mix of RPG and platformer sounds unremarkable, but some unusual quirks provide unique enjoyment. The lush art style is supported by quality voice acting and genuine sparks of humour, elevating an otherwise straightforward plot about revenge and world-saving in a likeable Indian/Asian inspired fantasy universe. But rather than pit your youthsome hero and her pals against enemies in classic turn-based combat, Indivisible is more like a fighting game. Each party member is assigned to a button (X, Y, etc), enabling characters to attack in combo if their action bar is charged, and you'll gather an amiable throng of friends with a wide variety of battlefield skills. The platforming is basic but Indivisible offers a distinctive and charming quest.

Skip to the end: Simplistic adventure enhanced by a lively battle system.

Score: 7/10

Rome: Total War - Alexander. Picture: Handout/PA
Rome: Total War - Alexander. Picture: Handout/PA

Rome: Total War – Alexander

Platform: iPhone

Genre: Strategy

Price: £4.99

Palmtop soldier

Rome: Total War – Alexander is the third instalment of the battle sim to hit smartphones, and the one most suited to hand-sized conquering thanks to a streamlined focus on military action. Your objective (as befits Alexander the Great) is to dominate the campaign map and capture 10 key cities within 100 turns, which naturally diminishes the importance of micro management and influences tactics at the empire level, where razing and pillaging become far more attractive strategies than having to maintain order in newly occupied settlements. Surprisingly, given the dense visuals, battery use is comparable to HD streaming, while touch controls are obviously fiddlier than on tablets (advice: do the tutorial). Yet Alexander works impressively well even on this minute scale.

Skip to the end: A sleek and concentrated dose of miniature warfare.

Score: 8/10


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