Bayonetta 2; Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!; NBA 2K15, gaming reviews

Bayonetta 2 successfully builds on the original's cult quality

Bayonetta 2

*****

Wii U (£39.99)

Platinum Games follow last year's enjoyable The Wonderful 101 with a sequel to 2009's Bayonetta, exclusively for the Wii U. With guns in her heels and a twinkle in her eye, our witchy heroine (above) takes apart an army of airborne demons in the midst of her Christmas shopping. As the game unfolds in cheerfully preposterous fashion, the bewildering plot provides excuses for a series of epic boss battles, each one larger and more frantic. It delights in the combative chaos it conjures, and successfully builds on the original's cult quality.

Sam Gill

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!

***

PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac, PS Vita (£44.99)

Awesome guns and weird humour pepper Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!, which is naturally set between the first game and Borderlands 2. It doesn't require too much attention – you can easily get by just following the map and shooting everything that moves, and the story is convoluted at times. Toning down the irreverence might have helped, but if you want to electrocute people with your shotgun or set people on fire while you're already machine-gunning them down, you can't go wrong with Borderlands.

James Tennent

NBA 2K15

*****

PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One, PC (£49.99)

The best just gets better. 2k Sports have created an almost perfect basketball sim for the next-gen. It's absolutely beautiful to look at; the player physics, movements and mannerisms are near-flawless, and playing is as close to living out the real thing as one could hope for. This edition feels more arcade-like than past editions. It's tougher to win, and players have to concentrate if they are to knock down shots and work through plays. Game modes such as MyCareer and MyGM are redone and improved, while the online features are great. A slam-dunk triumph.

Tom Sheen