It ain’t perfect. It’s buggy, it’s unbalanced, and it’s madder than a Goff on prom night—but that’s exactly what an Ork would call a good time.
Will it split the fanbase again? Absolutely. The Dark Ages makes big swings — slower pace, less difficulty, more story, fewer glory kills — and not everyone’s going to be into that. But for my money, it’s a worthy continuation of id’s mission to keep DOOM evolving. It might not be peak Slayer, but it’s still a brutally fun time that earns its place in the series. Just don’t expect to be challenged the same way Eternal did — this one’s more about feeling powerful than becoming powerful.
As a remaster/remake, Oblivion Remastered is about the best possible package I could have imagined, outside of actually rebuilding the entire game. Of course, that would have probably ruined the whole thing because what even is Oblivion without its charmingly deranged jank. No, Bethesda and Virtous made the right choices by keeping the core of Oblivion intact while encasing it in a new suit of shiny armour. The gameplay tweaks here and there help smooth over some of its wrinkles, and the graphical overhaul is gorgeous. Now go and give Fallout 3 the same treatment, you cowards. As for me, I have some Oblivion gates to close.
South of Midnight left a mark. Not because it plays great—but because it tries to say something. About grief, about legacy, about rhythm and soul. It doesn’t always hit the mark, but it tries. It’s a shame the gameplay couldn’t keep up with the vibe. It just needed a bit more time put into the gameplay and a bit less into everything else. But then again, if Compulsion did that, South of Midnight wouldn’t be anywhere near as interesting as it is. But if Compulsion Games ever make an animated film? I’m first in line. Preferably with a proper bowl of gumbo.
One thing is absolutely for sure: Rebellion has the groundwork for something special here, and a sequel has the potential to be fantastic. I want to come back to this world, to find out what happened after I left it and to see what Rebellion can build on the foundations they laid.
Like a treasure from some long-long civilization, Two Point Museum deserves to be put on display, admired and learned from. It’s light-hearted strategic museum building is heaps of fun, and the new additions to the Two Point formula are fantastic. A few blemishes do not ruin this otherwise great exhibit.
The Executive doesn't really expand upon the tycoon sub-genres formula, but it's still an enjoyable, simple strategy game that lets you live out your fantasy of making movies without all the boring real-world work that goes into it. Now, grab the overpriced cinema popcorn, would you? I've got a schlocky werewolf horror script that will hopefully fix all of my money woes.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins undoubtedly delivers if you’re looking for a game that allows you to unleash your inner warrior while embracing a larger-than-life narrative. Just be prepared for the cyclic nature of its core gameplay—it’s a hack-and-slash that demands a tolerance for repetition, yet rewards you with adrenaline-pumping moments that are hard to rival.
After so many games, the Sniper Elite series is starting to languish and the next entry needs to show some marked improvement. For now, though, Sniper Elite: Resistance is another fun entry in one of AA gaming’s best champions.
Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is a heart-warming game, a warm hug transformed into a delivery game packaged up in a cutesy wrapper. It’s the kind of game I can see appealing to a very specific crowd, the kind who are just looking for something cosy and cute, easy and fun.
Quite simply, I love Indiana Jones and The Great Circle. It is, quite possibly, my favourite game of the year or - at the very least - right up there.
Greeted with a muted cry of “Who asked for this?” upon its announcement, Lego Horizon Adventures has faced an uphill battle from the start. So I’m here to inform you that when the question was asked, Lego Horizon Adventures should have said, “Good point,” and stopped there.
I’m coming across as very harsh toward Kong: Survivor Instinct, so let me address that. You see, it’s not a truly bad game. I’ve played truly bad games and compared to those Survivor Instinct is like a sweet peck on the lips. But in some ways, it’s also worse than those terrible games because it’s boring. Horrible games and amazing games have something in common: they are interesting to experience. A truly god-awful game is at least interesting to pick apart and talk about in the same way that a great one is, too. But Kong: Survivor Instinct is just dull from start to finish. There’s nothing to talk about, from its non-existent story to its lifeless gameplay.
The Holy Gosh Darn uses its time-traveling gimmick to full-effect, crafting a multitude of fun puzzles within a world packed full of wacky characters, witty jokes and crude gags. But perhaps the best thing about the game is how it expands on the universe that Perfectly Paranormal is building. It’s said that God created man in his image, and once you’ve spent a while in Heaven and Hell it makes a lot of sense – the denizens of the Afterlife are a flawed bunch, and thus so are the humans.
Like a Stormtrooper it often misses its mark, but sometimes it surprises and nails the shot. The last third of the game is vastly superior and shows some great promise, while the smart skill system and many small improvements on Ubisoft’s open-world template all give me hope that the French publisher is willing to move away from its bloated, rote designs.
Like a flintlock pistol, the shots that Siege of Dawn fires don’t always hit the mark. Its combat is fun but simplistic, its world is beautiful and vast but has very little in and is largely static, its story is brimming with potential that it never fully taps into, and its platforming is too floaty. Each element it brings to the table needs a more fine tuning.
Despite its obvious shortcomings, it’s a fun time that would best be played by someone who jumps on for a few hours a week so that the game’s simplicity can remain charming rather than repetitive. I certainly can’t fault the developer’s ambition – there’s a lot of stuff packed into Kaku: The Ancient Seal, including some very cool ideas. I just think if the developers had taken a few things out and focused on a couple of their key ideas, Kaku could have been even better. Taken for what it is though, Kaku: The Ancient Seal is a charming ARPG with a strong Zelda vibe and a lot of heart.
Truthfully, if you’re even a passing fan of horror then Still Wakes the Deep doesn’t hit any beats you aren’t familiar with, right down to a nebulous ending that’s going to feel irritating to anyone who likes some solid answers. However, it executes all of those beats extremely well, delivering a tight, well-acted experience that doesn’t outstay its welcome. If you like a bit more freedom and favour gameplay over all else, it’s probably not for you, but otherwise, Still Wakes the Deep is creepy, immersive and delightful.
While Capes might be less Avengers and more West Coast Avengers in terms of its presentation and budget, underneath those plastic faces lies a really fun turn-based tactics game. The story may not reach the highs of comic book greatness but it’s still a decent time. It’s the gameplay where Capes shines though. Sometimes it can be a bit too heavy-handed with the enemy count, but when you’re in the middle of the fray punching bad guys off of ledges, powering up Ultimates and combining abilities, it’s a damn good time.
Set in an alternative version of 19th-century Russia, Indika is a thought-provoking tale of a nun slowly losing her faith as the devil whispers in her ear. It’s a darkly funny, emotional and often crazy look at religion that will keep you engrossed until the very end.