Zoe Hawkins's Reviews
The difficulty curve is spot-on but storytelling pacing could be better and more emotional. With core game play that becomes as monotonous as you'd expect, the side-stories needed higher stakes for more emotional investment.
Pyre is a fun, deep and strategic game with a gorgeous aesthetic. But it's the way the music and themes stick with you long after the credits roll that really makes it a worthwhile experience.
A truly deep and compelling 4X game that will keep players busy for hours. What it's lacking in ability to pick up and play, it makes up for by delivering a beautiful experience for those who are willing to keep at it until they understand it all.
More of the things that made Watch Dogs 2 great, Human Conditions is a whole lot of fun even while tackling some important issues. Just don't expect this DLC to drastically change things, as the minor gripes from the core game persist in the extra content.
While not the best stealth game, Styx: Shards of Darkness offers some fun, unique gameplay. It might be filled with mixed messages, but there's still a number of hours' worth of sneaky, fun, stabbing action.
If you are looking for a fun game featuring tank combat and maybe some entertaining abilities, this is not that game. Look elsewhere.
Gorgeous, horrifying game with a unique protagonist. A bit too confusing at times, especially when you have to slowly retrace your steps. Excellently built to help you decide if you want to jump into the STASIS universe.
A vast, emotional experience that offers many hours of gameplay. Would benefit from more storytelling in the actual game instead of outside media, as well as a few other minor tweaks, but still a fantastic journey that is lingering with me days after watching the credits roll.
If you never played the Ezio Assassin's Creed games, this remaster is a superior way of experiencing it. If, however, you played them before, I'm not convinced that this remaster offers enough to make replaying them worthwhile unless you are truly that desperate for an Assassin's Creed game this year.
Excellent combat and the joy of customizing a character keeps this as a strong entry in the franchise, even as it is undercut by a lackluster story and underwhelming humor. Level design is mostly great with some uninspired moments. Definitely still worthwhile for kids, but not necessarily as intriguing for adults as well.
Even if Just Dance 2017 isn't the greatest game, it's still a whole lot of fun. If you have previous iterations, I'm not sure the new modes or songs are a reason to upgrade, but if you don't have a home dance game, this is well worth picking up for kids or partying adults.
With reimagined cities, diplomacy and research progression, Civilization feels familiar enough for veterans while making a lot more sense for newcomers. By far the best Civilization experience we've seen in years, only slightly tarnished by slow load times and art that occasionally feels out of place.
Crystal Dynamics have effortlessly done the impossible with Rise of the Tomb Raider, crafting a sequel that is superior to their reboot in every single way possible. It’s a bigger, more expansive experience that has a captivating narrative, engrossing gameplay loops and an absolutely stunning presentation. Rise of the Tomb Raider is one of the best action games ever crafted, and a generational leap forward as the series looks towards the horizon. Lara Croft is in good hands.
Seriously fun if only for all the Mario jokes and impressive use of music. Clever level design is great, although irritating combat and lackluster RPG elements might alienate fans.
A cool concept with plenty of opportunities for fun, Grow Up! is well-priced for 4-6 hours of fun. Unfortunately, a wonky camera and small irritations with controls detract from the experience, diminishing my interest in hunting for every last collectible or achievement.
Filled with secrets to be found, and strong foundation on core combat, Hyper Light Drifter is a deep experience. Fun for a seven hour journey of exploration, or many more hours for completion, it offers plenty of value and enjoyment for its price.
Despite solving the issues of frequent crashes at launch, Electioneering can't fix the issue that it just doesn't add enough value for money. A fun DLC, but only adds a small amount of new gameplay that might not keep new or old fans entertained for long.
Like all board games, Gremlins Inc is designed to be played with friends. If you're going to play this on your own, it's hard to recommend, but if you want to destroy your friendships by cheating over everyone on your path to victory, this might be a digital board game that's worth your while.
A truly solid JRPG that combines deep combat, intricate strategy and customization with cute and funny story-telling and characters. It doesn't offering anything particularly new to the genre, but it's still a perfectly enjoyable experience.
Filled with ambition and a unique perspective, Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan could have been an excellent game, telling uniquely African stories. It is brought down by poor pacing, repetitive and tedious battles and an unfortunate lack of polish.