Ben Schuster's Reviews
Shadows of Rose, like Rose herself, is short and sweet. This standalone story can be completed in a single sitting and offers a glimpse at Village’s most horrific settings through a new lens. And while brief, segments of this DLC are some of the most terrifying ever seen throughout the entire Resident Evil series. So if you enjoyed exploring Village, Shadows of Rose is an absolute necessity beyond a shadow of a doubt.
OlliOlli World really is the most polished skating game ever created – Tony Hawk eat your heart out – and Finding the Flowzone is an added breath of fresh air. The new Windzone mechanic seriously speeds up the game’s pace, and alleviates the frustration of slowing down during lengthy combos. With a heap of added challenge, this is the perfect DLC for players wanting to test their skating skills and compete for glory on the scoreboard! So go with the flow and give this DLC a go.
It’s not often you start with the fourth game in the series, but UNCHARTED: Legacy of Thieves Collection is exactly that. For players who’ve yet to explore the thrilling escapades of Nathan Drake, this PC collection offers a starting point that will leave players eager to return to previous adventures. For returning fans, the ability to experience the game in the highest possible visual fidelity and ultra-wide resolution may tempt you into a replay.
Despite its attractive presentation and heavy political themes, veterans of the genre will likely find DioField too tame, feeling overly repetitive throughout its roughly 30 hour campaign. The game may instead appeal to newcomers wanting to discover SRPGs thanks to its easily approachable squad-based combat and simple gameplay loop. Overall, The DioField Chronicles is not necessarily a bad game, but is all too unambitious and formulaic to be considered alongside the greats of Square Enix, falling short of its mighty strategy brethren.
The experience aboard the floating hospital is a dialogue delight thanks to its wonderful cast of unique characters, all of whom are voiced with passion and emotion. There’s really only one major downside to Wayward Strand, and it’s that after finishing it, I just wanted to keep playing, delving into the lives of each of the residents even further. This is a heart-warming tale than fans of Australian indie games must experience.
Is The Last of Us Part I a remake that’s truly worth it? Yes, without a doubt. This is not only the definitive way to rediscover one of the finest games ever created, but adds a huge range of not only content, but also much needed in-game accessibility. Coupled with the intuitive features of the PS5 DualSense controller, flawlessly enhanced visuals and immersive 3D audio, and this remake provides an unforgettable experience that sends one resounding message from the talented team at Naughty Dog: you haven’t even seen The Last of Us.
A decade later, having constructed a monolithic series from a solid foundation, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 polishes its experience beyond any fan’s expectations. Drawing inspiration from the finest elements of its predecessors, the latest entry features endlessly expansive environments and honed combat, accompanied by vibrant visuals and stellar score. Yet the real highlight is the loveable cast of characters, all of whom breathe life into the game at every moment. Although it was with a heavy heart and teary eyes the curtain finally drew to a close on Noah and Mio’s adventure, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will be a near flawless experience that I’ll never forget.
Although it’s not the genre of tie-in game that most were expecting, Burst Forth does a decent job at transitioning the beloved series into a bullet hell shooter while retaining many aspects of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid that fans are fond of. Whilst gameplay may be repetitive and at times even punishingly difficult, the tantalising unlockable reward of series art will definitely appeal to the most dedicated players.
Cult classic is a term that’s thrown around a lot when referring to retro games, but Live A Live is exactly that. This retro JRPG that once remained elusive to Western audiences has been polished, modernised, and perfected for Nintendo Switch, once again showcasing the power of HD-2D.
VOID Riders is more than just a DLC pack – this is an enhanced experience that goes above and beyond everything offered in the base game, somehow improving even further to achieve intergalactic skating perfection. With its out-of-this-world visual style, awesome anti-gravity mechanic, and added difficulty, there’s a tonne to conquer for players that were already engrossed by OlliOlli World. Don’t miss VOID Riders for the opportunity to skate not only beyond the stars, but beyond the confines of imagination.
Every portion of the game feels as if it had corners cut and seriously detracts from the overall enjoyment. Making matters worse, the game runs terribly on the Switch in both docked and handheld mode, with constant framerate drops and poor loading and plenty of jarring pop-ins. Though some casual gamers may enjoy playing Rune Factory 5, I personally expected far more of this series. It’s honestly more Ruined Factory than Rune Factory. Looking for a charming farming RPG? Go play Stardew Valley instead.
So have Konami completely redeemed themselves through the revival of GetsuFumaDen in this brand new roguelike? Not quite – the game is far from perfect – but there is a lot to enjoy for fans of roguelikes and games influenced by Japanese culture. While the gameplay itself may be simple and particularly punishing for new players, the stylish traditional art and impressive soundtrack should be enough to keep the majority of players dying time and time again. For those Japan fans out there reading this review, I highly recommend you GetSomeFumaDen.
Where Zero Dawn has established the series on a sturdy foundation, Forbidden West builds upon it in almost every single way possible. Guerrilla have undoubtedly crafted one of the most engrossing open worlds ever made and my time exploring the Forbidden West leaves me eager to discover what else waits beyond the horizon for this compelling series.
The sheer amount of polish and attention to detail that went into this titan of an action RPG has cemented it in my mind as the best game FromSoftware have ever developed. Story, lore, combat, mechanics, world-building, character interactions; everything is the pinnacle of what you would imagine a truly masterpiece video game would have.
Where Final Fantasy Tactics established the strategy RPG, Triangle Strategy manages to perfect it. Spanning 40 hours for a full playthrough, and boasting multiple endings and alternate pathways, there’s a significant amount of content to keep strategy fans coming back for more. Through its compelling narrative, satisfying strategic combat, and uniquely modern retro-inspired visuals, this is undoubtedly a love-letter to the games that made this genre so admired.
Offering a solid turn-based JRPG with engaging crafting elements and a cute visual aesthetic, Atelier Sophie 2 is a follow-up that will no doubt appeal to fans of the original game. Despite some new gameplay elements which attempt to keep the series feeling varied and fresh, the cut-and-paste formula of Atelier games becomes quite obvious and tiresome, especially when comparing to other modern JRPGs.
OlliOlli World is everything you could ask for in a side-scrolling skater. Simple and intuitive controls, a tonne of unlockables, and varying difficulty choices based on each track to suit the play style of any player paired with its unique vibrant art style and chill lo-fi soundtrack, and you’ll find yourself in Gnarvana before you know it.
Shin Megami Tensei has been and always will be the JRPG for JRPG fans, and Shin Megami Tensei V is yet another entry that cements its status in the gaming community. If looking for a light-hearted and user-friendly romp through a fantasy world, look elsewhere, because Shin Megami Tensei V can be a punishing and melancholic spiritual experience that appeals to a more hardcore audience.
The simplicity and stripped down nature of Loop Hero helps its addictive nature quite a bit. Although wholly unique in its melding of concepts, another game similar to it (at least in the deckbuilding roguelike/lite aspect) that you might enjoy if you enjoy Loop Hero is Mega Crit Games’ ‘Slay the Spire’.
Few games can achieve world-building and gripping gameplay in an 8 – 10 hour experience quite like Death’s Door. Through its unique story and characters, stunning presentation, clever exploration and thrilling intuitive combat, this is yet another superb indie game to add to Devolver’s arsenal. It's a game to die for.