Games of the week – Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, Monster Energy Supercross 3, Bookbound Brigade and Rugby 20
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: Action RPG
Price: £44.99
A must for any anime loyalist
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is the latest video game take on the anime classic, which stays true to its roots with impressive animation akin to the original TV series, retelling the story of principal protagonist Goku. While it's packed with action, as any existing fan would expect, the game isn't overrun with combat scenes, you can also explore areas and even try your hand at fishing... with your tail. The controls can take some getting used to though, especially during those tense fighting scenes.
Skip to the end: An ideal blend of action and storytelling that delivers punch.
Score: 8/10
Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 3
Platform: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Google Stadia
Genre: Racing
Price: £49.99
Turn it up a gear
The series is back for its third outing of dirt bike racing, with few hugely noticeable differences from its predecessors – though the ability to create a female rider is a welcome addition. Despite boasting new physics, animations and rider models, Monster Energy Supercross 3 is a tad tricky to master. That said, it's an enjoyable and challenging enough game to play, once you get your head around it. After a couple of hours, it will also start to feel a little samey, despite there being 15 official stadiums and tracks to choose from, as well as a no-thrills career mode.
Skip to the end: Fast, messy fun that lacks drive to keep us desperate for more.
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Score: 6/10
Rugby 20
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: Sport
Price: £44.99
Where is the England international team?
A solid game which gets the basics right, but lacks the polish to have a mass appeal outside of rugby fans. Hardened fans of the sport will be pleased to see the Gallagher Premiership and Top 14 leagues licensed but there are gaps in the international teams – Scotland are in but licences for England and the southern hemisphere heavyweights are missing. Detailed game mechanics around rugby set-pieces, such as line-outs and mauls, will please keen students of the game, even if they can be a little tricky to get the hang of. However, the illusion is broken by a number of glitches and a lack of wider gameplay options.
Skip to the end: Gets the basics down but fails to add the flourish needed to stand out.
Score: 6/10
Bookbound Brigade
Platform: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PC
Genre: Adventure
Price: £17.99
A nod to the bookworms
Prepare to be transported to a literary world, where you play in a band of heroes familiar to many, starting with King Arthur, Dracula, Robin Hood, Dorothy Gale and Sun Wukong. Together, you're on a mission to save book-kind through a series of quests, confronted by bad guys, quests and challenges along the way. Some are frustratingly difficult to pass through, but fortunately there are checkpoints to zap you back to a recent spot. But there are a lot of areas to cover, which can become confusing as you struggle to determine where to go next – and where you've already been.
Skip to the end: Interesting concept made frustratingly tough by large, unclear map.
Score: 7/10
