Guardian's Reviews
Stunning Icelandic landscapes merge with nightmarish hallucinations in this big-budget battle sequel
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is a riveting puzzle game, which uses its eerie visuals and elusive story as an intrinsic element of the experience rather than a mere design affectation. It is a game that asks subtle questions about the nature of creativity and play, and later it takes a breathtakingly meta turn that will thrill those who remember Kojima’s tricks in the Metal Gear Solid series. It is also a meditation on the troubled relationship between art and commerce, and quite frankly, there could not be a more timely concern for a video game to explore.
The dialogue is warm and chatty, and while the storyline and voice-acting have the unsophisticated quality of a Saturday morning cartoon, this only compounds its evocative PlayStation-era appeal. Murayama, who fell ill during the final stages of the game’s development, did not live to see its release, dying in February this year, aged 55. Eiyuden Chronicle stands as a monument to his singular design sensibilities, and a testament to the power of a determined community, both within the game’s fiction, and by its very existence.
This lushly detailed game with a chunkily retro polygonal protagonist is a gorgeous homage to landmark titles of the past
Whether you're playing as a real-life pro or your own wacky avatar, this subtly calibrated title will have you perfecting your lobs and dropshots for hours
Quick-witted and hilarious, this madcap band tour/space caper is sold short by its premise
Potter around a stately home as a Victorian botanist, figuring out how to get eccentric plants to grow
The show's trademark knack for satire staves off the sameness in this wintry brawler
Kids will enjoy the pomp and colour, but Princess Peach's long-awaited star turn is disappointingly shallow
This gloriously messy, medieval-flavoured silliness will give you the best adventure you've had in years. There's nothing quite like it
The stars are lost in a swamp of poor writing and buggy combat in this wearisome reimagining of the 1992 survival classic
From working in your 'lifelong role of sample sorting' to playing mandatory video games when you clock off, this sinister, retro-futuristic game will have you questioning your freedom
Eerie and uplifting, the first Moomins video game for over a decade sends anti-authoritarian Snufkin on a mission to restore the nature of Moominvalley
Credit to the developers for combining a tightly authored narrative arc with a compelling and wide-ranging new combat system that somehow satisfies everyone – almost
This fourth adaptation of DC's least-likely heroes combines an inspired storyline with some very pedestrian combat
Despite a meandering story, an all-new location and careful refinements of the combat and social systems make this part of Ichiban's journey a hit
This stylish if undemanding instalment has some nice touches, but its saccharine dialogue will appeal to only the most committed Persona fans
Your bitter exes are the enemies in this turn-based adventure, which has you talk through your feelings even while delivering kick-ass martial arts moves
There are moments when The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria hints at what it could have been, such as when you’re mining a rich vein of ore in some dark tunnel, and your dwarf becomes inspired to sing. They’ll clear their throat and give voice to a story of trolls and orcs and the beating that will rain down on them if they cross your path. The game briefly feels alive, the story making the cold mines warm. But then the song stops, and you’re still mining, and all you have to look forward to is a long walk back to the forge.
With two protagonists exploring different worlds, this thriller is a thoroughly entertaining blend of detective procedural and narrative weirdness