Darryn Bonthuys's Reviews
A bone-breaking blast of bloody fun, Mortal Kombat 11 is a celebration of ultra-violence that pushes the franchise forward to gloriously gory new heights.
Effortlessly charming, fun for any age and an imaginatively designed spectacle of origami originality. Yoshi's Crafted World is fine art fun on the run or at home.
As a first step towards a future of more live service content, The Division 2 already feels amazingly complete. It works from day one, its various systems are staggeringly deep and its combat is in a class of its own. Everything else that's still to come over the next couple of years? That's a satisfying cherry on top of an already massive sundae of excellence.
Devil May Cry 5 is a masterpiece in action. It has heart and charm in its epic story that comes full circle on the series. It looks sexier than the sun setting over a billionaire's collection of cars that are parked on a Santa Monica strip in California. It plays phenomenally well and will leave you drenched in sweat and satisfaction when the end credits roll, while wishing for more of its sassy attitude.
Jump Force is a stunning explosion of iconic manga characters across decades of publication, all wrapped up in a single package of over the top brawling that is decadent on the outside and ultimately hollow inside when cracked open.
Anthem may look like a slick blend of action and exploration all wrapped up in some shiny armour, but beneath its surface lies a game that is riddled with bugs, shallow world-building and a paint by numbers approach to its design.
Who knows, maybe Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy would have been more attractive in this day and age if it exuded more…Pharoahmones.
Visually charming, deliciously deep and packed with extra content, Wargroove is a strategy experience that works comfortably at home or on the move.
Beyond the cheap titillation, Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal offers plenty of solid action and drama, all wrapped up in a gorgeous visual package that makes a tempting jumping on point for anyone who has ever wanted to hop into the long-running franchise.
If you were expecting Ride 3 to be the perfect fusion of quality and quantity of content, then I'm afraid I've got some bad news for you: An adequate sequel that has more bugs in it than your helmet visor after a breakfast run, almost no soul to its racing spirit and the bare minimum of fun spread throughout its sporadic modes. The third time definitely isn't the charm for Ride 3.
Road Redemption is a surprisingly sincere and brutal love letter to the past and its inspirations. It may look like a junker if you glance at its battle-worn chassis, but underneath the fairing is the heart of a surprisingly addictive and fun road warrior game.
Just Cause 4 may be a maniacal sandbox full of explosions and action, but it's a world that feels dull, repetitive and hollow inside as it missed the mark on being the perfect vehicle for some much-needed Christmas Catharsis.
For over twenty years, Pokémon has been a source of joy and adoration. If Pokémon Let's Go is an indication of where the franchise is headed in the future, it's easily going to enjoy another two decades of love from a whole new generation of fans.
Beneath the mountain of bugs, shoddy design and inconsistent performance, there's a genuinely good adventure waiting to be experienced in Darksiders III. Unfortunately, its numerous problems are more than just annoying in nature. They're quite simply…apocalyptic.
Hitman 2 feels like a macabre collection of dominos falling and eventually toppling one final piece in a gloriously “accidental” death that can best be summed up as an act of god when the dust has settled. A game that's more about the journey than the destination, Hitman 2 is lengthy, gruesomely charming and still hiding plenty of secrets up its immaculately dressed sleeves.
My Hero One's Justice may be a faithful and stylish adaptation of the hit anime series, but all the fancy graphics in the world can't do justice to a game whose kryptonite is a severe lack of real substance.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a story of endings and new beginnings, of the birth of legends and the consequences that come with creating a myth. It's all wrapped up in an immaculate presentation, told over dozens of hours and adventures that leads to an inevitable conclusion: Red Dead Redemption 2 raises the bar for the sandbox genre and stands tall as the definitive western game of this or any other generation.
It's not perfect, but WWE 2K19 is a massive and fun return to form that focuses on what truly matters inside the iconic ring and delivers a pulse-pounding thrill ride that finally feels like a showcase of the immortals.
FIFA 19 shows that sometimes it's not all about reinventing the game so much as it is about making improvements to what already works so well. FIFA 19 is probably the best FIFA to date, but EA will not want to repeat the tweak-performance next time out.
In a genre that has its fair share of challengers, V Rally 4 comes in dead last thanks to its bipolar handling, meagre selection of tracks and a modest grab bag of disciplines that fails to excite any fan of dirty racing.