Brad Goodwin's Reviews
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 reheats the series’ nachos, bringing back both games with a fresh new coat of paint. Old fans and newcomers are sure to find this next slew of remakes just as entertaining as the last.
Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles 2 faithfully allows players to re-experience Tanjiro Kamado’s trials and tribulations through some of the anime’s best Story Arcs. While there’s not much deviation from the source material, its hard not to recommend this to Demon Slayer fans and anime fans alike.
uper Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV is a welcome addition to the Switch 2’s library, but one that relies too much on the original package. While Jamboree TV provides some fun moments, especially with the mouse mini-games, Super Mario Party Jamboree ultimately carries it on its back in this new package.
Final Fantasy IX is a masterpiece that will stand the test of time. The captivating story is paced perfectly, and is equipped with a lovable cast of characters, and a charming art style allows it to effortlessly justify its place as one of the best in the franchise.
Mario Kart World is a solid entry into the Mario Kart series, but it is still outshone by its predecessor in many ways. While the world in Mario Kart World feels barren, the entertaining and chaotic gameplay we love from the series may well be at its peak.
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is a technically great accompaniment to Nintendo Switch 2 that showcases the new features perfectly, however, the decision to charge for this interactive manual feels unjust in every way.
Elden Ring Nightreign takes the best elements of Elden Ring and applies an engrossing core gameplay loop that will have Nightfarers in a trance. Everything is better with friends, and this makes Elden Ring Nightreign the best multiplayer game of the year.
The Midnight Walk is a light horror adventure that is brimming with personality and charm thanks to the worldbuilding and exceptional art design. Fans of horror akin to Tim Burton’s wheelhouse will love this game and the peculiar characters in it, but the choice to create a game with a non-VR and VR mode, while admirable, may have been to its detriment.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection is a solid collection of games that will appeal to long-time fans of the iconic franchise. Though this will hardly bring in new fans, half the titles in the collection offer incredibly engaging and varied gameplay and stories within the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe.
South of Midnight is a triumphant entry into Compulsion Games’s library, offering a captivating narrative with likeable characters in a sheer spectacle of a world that you just wish you could spend more time in. The combat, while robust, may not satisfy all gamers, but the narrative and compelling worldbuilding are more than strong enough to shoulder that burden.
Hazelight Studios elevates the benchmark for cooperative games, excelling at level design, story concepts, and admirable technical achievements. Split Fiction is the best co-op game on the market, an experience that will create core memories to share with family or friends.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s PC release boasts impactful graphical and performance enhancements that allow one of the greatest Spider-Man games to glow gold. While riddled with a few very minor performance issues, the dynamic combat and engaging narrative slings this game to the top of my favourite Action/Adventure games.
Avowed offers a serviceable RPG experience that relies a little too heavy on its ravishing combat and compelling world-building. The story, while distinguished, can falter occasionally due to some unfair dialogue choices and suffered writing. Despite this, Avowed is still a game worth playing because it capitalises and personalises action-RPG tropes and mechanics found in its peers.
Synduality: Echo of Ada is a ton of fun but ultimately struggles to capitalise on the addictive and satisfying gameplay loop it has with a subdued story.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble brings back a classic series in a way that fans will adore. The short but sweet levels and tight controls are great, with a wide variety in levels to maintain interest. Though where it lacks polish is the online multiplayer, which was an ambitious move for the series that unfortunately falls flat compared to the solo adventure.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 pushes the boundaries of what one would expect from a Call of Duty campaign – delivering a robust, versatile, and captivating experience from start to finish. What makes Black Ops 6 special is the fact that the Campaign, Zombies, and Multiplayer modes are all equally as polished as each other, enhanced even further by the new Omni movement.
Unknown 9: Awakening is an ambitious debut title from Reflector Entertainment that is brimming with charm. It has a world worth exploring but fails to capitalise on that with a plot that leaves a lot to be desired.
Max Mustard is one of the best VR platformers of all time, up there neck-and-neck with Astro Bot: Rescue Mission and Moss VR. Everything is brimming with charm, from the character designs to the fast-paced and engaging gameplay. This cohesive and genuinely enjoyable experience allows me to say that Max Mustard has set a new benchmark for the VR platformer genre.
They say cats always land on their feet, and Copycat proves this theory. Copycat brings a grounded and often heartfelt narrative to an authentic Australian setting and brilliantly tells a story of self-discovery. It may be far from purr-fect, but even with a few missteps in the pacing of the narrative and preciseness of the platforming, this is a charming experience that will stay with you for years to come.
The Casting of Frank Stone embodies the Dead by Daylight universe exceptionally well, providing a revelating taste of lore unexplored within the universe. This is one of Supermassive’s best, an experience that promotes replayability and one that will capture the attention of horror fans across the world.