Peter Taylor's Reviews
A huge step in the right direction but is a tough on newcomers who may be put off by its complexity.
If you're looking for a quick game to blast away five minutes you could do a lot worse than Shooting Stars!
What it does it does well there's plenty of replay value however the issues with crashes are a concern.
Some missing features, specifically the ability to speed up time, holds Cities: Skylines back but it's still a competent city builder.
When racing you versus the track Assetto Corsa is hands down the best available simulator. Venture beyond this, however, and there's disappointment to be had at every turn.
Kylotonn should be commended for their work on the series for the last seven years, but post-launch issues combined with a game that doesn't quite feel right yet brings about a rather disappointing end to what could have been so much more.
As Mulder once said "all we can do is pull the thread, see what it unravels." Dark Nights with Poe and Munro has a fair number of threads to pull should you want to see them all, adding to its longevity. Brief as it is, the decently written script and well acted scenes tempt you into trying something different if only to see what would happen.
When you're shooting hoops and playing basketball, NBA 2K21 is rather fun to play. However, it suffers from obtrusive microtransactions and game modes that are made in such a way that they try to nudge you to buy more virtual currency. NBA 2K21's appeal dives even more when you realise very little has changed from NBA 2K20. Hopefully Visual Concepts will come back strong on next-generation consoles with something that feels more than just about making money.
Phoenix Point comes from the creator of the original XCOM, and as such you'd think it'd be an imperious, spiritual successor to the pre-Fireaxis series. Instead, it's a decent if disappointing addition in its current state and in dire need of some TLC from its creator.
NFS Heat is an improvement over NFS Payback but that isn't saying much. Microtransactions are long gone thankfully but not much else has changed. If EA are hoping to return the series back to its heyday it'll need to do much more than this to topple the likes of Forza Horizon 4.
eFootball PES 2020 is a confusing title to recommend. It's best likened to an Alfa Romeo as, when everything works, it's majestic. However, when it's not, which is most of the time, it's such a frustrating experience because you know just how good it could be.
Xenon Racer wants to become this generation's Ridge Racer. Unfortunately it can't quite get the formula right and thanks to some rather annoying niggles lacks the fun-factor that made Ridge Racer what it was.
We hoped beyond hope that Anthem would show the world just how sci-fi online action role-playing games were done. What we got, however, was far from that and without some serious improvement, Anthem could take Mass Effect: Andromeda's crown as BioWare's worst ever release.
The developers of Jagged Alliance: Rage! likely hoped it would rejuvenate the franchise and it might. It's a competent turn-based tactical shooter but suffers from repetitive missions and sluggish controls. Unless you're a huge fan of the genre you're unlikely to find the gameplay rewarding.
Two out of the three games are fun to play and can help you pass a few minutes of your time. It's not built for longevity but even so, it will most likely become a forgotten game of your collection once you've completed the games a few times.
Trials of the Blood Dragon is a bit hit and miss, some of the gimmicks work while other frustrate and fall entirely flat. Whilst die-hard Trials fans will have preferred to have had a more pure experience one can only hope this is just a way of keep the series in gamers consciousness.
There's so much to like if you're a fan of action cartoons but Agents of Mayhem is let down by repeated use of locations and annoying bugs.
The Golf Club 2 improves upon its predecessor in every department. However, graphical issues and an irritating implementation of ghost players means this drive lands in the light rough rather than the fairway.
A few extra bells and whistles keeps Splatoon 2 relevant and fun on its new platform, but Nintendo plays it a little too safe for hardened Splatters.
A strong story coupled with well-written characters is brought down by cringeworthy romancing. Angels With Scaly Wings is a rather enjoyable yarn irrespective of your ability to woo dragons.