Darryn Bonthuys's Reviews
Kirby's Blowout Blast is the very definition of short and sweet. It's a lunchtime diversion, that doesn't pack any surprises but does at least have a somewhat addictive speed-running nature if you're not easily distracted.
Serial Cleaner is a brief yet surprisingly addictive blood-soaked stealth game, provided that you can survive long enough to get past its steep difficulty spike.
Cryptark is unforgiving and merciless in its approach to balancing roguelike elements with a deeper sense of exploration and survival. It may not be to everyone's tastes, but anyone looking to salvage a lengthy dungeon-crawler in space that is heavy on action and challenge will find plenty to love here. And scream about, when a perfect run is cocked up by the ship teleporting in a few heavy reinforcements right on top of you.
More than twenty years after the manic marsupial first graced the PlayStation, the return of Crash Bandicoot isn't just welcome…it just feels right. A throwback to a more positive time, Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy is a testament to timeless game design and an example of a remaster done right by two studios split across two eras.
The sensation of rubber recklessly drifting across the sand, of splattering across your face and a grumpy Scotsman calling out the course before you as you violently swerve around corners. Rally racing is mental stuff and Dirt 4 captures that manic joy perfectly. The full fearless package of graphics, guts and glory.
The King of the Iron Fist may feel rusty in its sparse selection of story and offline offerings, but the real magic is found online where its arcade spirit keeps it not only alive but also relevant for a wider connected community from across the globe.
WipeOut at its best has always been gorgeous on the eyes and smooth on the ears with a soundtrack that matches the beat of the game. WipEout: Omega Collection is that sensation wrapped up in striking 4K visuals that helps define it as the definitive WipEout experience.
Oh Sir…The Insult Simulator! looks charming, but on a list of things I'd rather be doing instead of playing it, French-kissing a live jackhammer rates higher on my schedule.
Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 should have been a better game. Disassembled, it had all the parts needed to give the thrill of the one-shot one-kill calibre that it deserves. The assembled game however, completely misses its target as it comes off as a mismanaged product that fails to deliver on its promises.
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia isn't just an old game with a new coat of paint that brings everything from cinematics through to voice acting into a more modern age of gaming. It's also a prime example of how the fundamentals of a classic game can still resonate today with newer audiences. Good game design stands the test of time, something that Shadows of Valentia has plenty of.
Is Vikings: Wolves of Midgard the kind of game that you can have a run at and finish in around the 12-15 hours it’ll take to finish its campaign? Absolutely. Just don’t expect it to be able to keep a grip on you once the end credits have thawed out.
Yo-Kai Watch 2 is quite literally a case of more of the same, albeit with a minor sprinkling of new ideas and some brand new annoyances to go with the package. It’s still massively likable and perfect for kids, but it’s not to shy to hide its lack of originality this time around behind a curtain of fetch quests and endearing characters.
Rock-solid design with a somewhat annoying user interface that wobbles between novel and intrusive, 88 Heroes is a platformer with heart and personality that’ll have you wondering who you’re gonna call when Doctor H8 rocks up to threaten the world. Spoiler: Anyone another than this lovable collection of misfit vigilantes.
LEGO Worlds may not have a story mode that emulates the whimsy of its licensed tie-ins or a game engine that runs at a consistently smooth rate, but it may just be the purest LEGO game ever made thanks to a sandbox that has solid family-friendly foundations.
Abzu is quite simply a breath-taking piece of interactive art, that feels vivid and more alive than you’d imagine a video game was capable of being.
On the surface, Ghost Recon: Wildlands is a standard sandbox shooter to the max. But scratch deeper, and you'll find an engaging tactical experience that gets by with a little help from your friends.
DESYNC mixes fast-paced action with gnarly visuals of a bygone era, living up to a promise that that it’ll kick 50 shades of neon out of your butt and then some. Your mileage on such punishing and relentless gameplay however, might vary depending on your tolerance for pain and synth.
While Ghost Blade HD isn't for everyone, it's hard to not appreciate it for what it is despite the fact that it's as brutally short as it is challenging: An intricately designed experience of speed and shrapnel coming at you from every single angle. There's a certain layer of subtlety present, but don't expect Ghost Blade HD to redefine the genre. Rather, it's a celebration of everything that made schmups fantastic so many years ago, wrapped up in a tight and bright package.
Halo Wars 2 is a ballroom blitz with dangerously addictive levels of fun. It may be lacking in the length department when it comes to its tragically short campaign, but it’s a shining second chance example at proving that strategy games can work on console.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Mega Battle isn’t a bad game, but it isn’t a good one either as it lacks any of the attitude that made the original series so endearing. The Nostalgia may be on point, but everything else quickly taps out of the Morphin grid after an hour or two. Or to put it another way: AY-YI-YI-YI-YI!