Darryn Bonthuys's Reviews
Yo-Kai Watch might look like a pocket monster clone with a fumbling battle system, but it's the genuinely endearing cast of characters and Yo-Kai who give it enough heart to be more than just a simple copycat. It's not the next Pokémon, but it certainly is going to be something in the future at this rate that other games will aspire to emulate.
DiRT Rally is an unforgiving, temperamental beast at times. But it's also the very best game in a genre that has been brought back to its purist roots with style and love.
Hitman Episode 2: Sapienza distills the entire Hitman experience down to one homicidal happy level, resulting in some fatal fun in the sun.
Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest is proof that less can be more. Harder, more intense and balancing a better plot between the two games, it's Fire Emblem at its purest.
Picking up the ball that Fire Emblem: Awakening passed to it, Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright is a second chance at jumping into an iconic franchise for the first time and getting lost in the magic of love on the battlefield.
Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation is a game that strikes an incredible balance between narrative, combat and creating an family first and an army second.
Pocket Card Jockey sounds like the kind of game which just shouldn't work. But it says neigh to those disbelievers, as it's easily one of the most addictive games of 2016 to grace the Nintendo 3DS.
DOOM is unrepentantly old school. It's gore porn to the max, a ballet of bullets and blood that I can't get enough of. Satisfyingly brutal, solid and most importantly, fun.
It may not hit the same high notes that Sapienza did, but the third Hitman episode is still a high level game of infiltration and assassination that is peppered with plenty of memorable moments.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan's greatest sin isn't that it's a bad game that feels like the result of minimum effort. It's that it takes a great concept, and makes it unrelentingly boring in every way possible.
Valentino Rossi: The Game knows everything there is to know about the man behind the number 46. I just wish it knew a little bit more about crafting an exciting MotoGP game.
Certainly not the greatest Trials game ever made, but definitely the most experimental entry in the series that showcases a ton of personality as players return to the gloriously over the top Blood Dragon universe.
The Farce is strong in LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as TT Games doesn't deviate too far away from their usual formula of puzzles and slapstick.
Tricky Towers is an okay single-player game, but you’re going to want this Tetris-inspired skyscraper builder for some couch co-op. It’s easy enough to grasp, but it’d be a whole lot more satisfying if the balance of the game wasn’t heavily favouring the luck of the draw over actual player skill.
Batman: The Telltale Series may stumble a bit in the opening act, but it quickly hits a comfortable stride with a promising first episode as Bruce Wayne steps out of the shadows.
Hitman is back on track with yet another solid episode so far, that swaps the size and scope of previous maps for a more intimate and gorgeous setting where you can check out any time you want, but you can never leave.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is still a Deus Ex game through and through, even if it doesn't always manage to hit the same highs as its predecessor. But for all its faults, its numerous other triumphs made it utterly compelling to play through until the end.
As the sum of its parts, LEGO Dimensions is something special. It's witty, it's fun outside of the box and it boasts enough talent to get you hooked on a gateway drug to acquiring a collection of plastic blocks in the future. It's more than just toys to life, but a combination of physical and digital experiences that blurs the line between the two to create an experience which clicks brilliantly with its concept.
I mean…it’s Worms. If you feel like paying full price for this latest entry because you happen to have a filthy love for watching the little fellas massacre each other then you’re sorted. If you’re wondering if you should stick to any of the other 20-odd Worms games that you already own, then Worms W.M.D isn’t going to change your mind easily.
There's a lot to love about ReCore. It's charming, has character and a spark of creativity that hasn't been seen in decades. But the more you play it, the more you'll despise it when yet another technical blunder ruins the experience. After all, you only hurt the ones you love.