Kevin Low's Reviews
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival might mask its uneven gameplay systems behind the shock factor of its plentiful depiction of explicit nudity and gore, but at the end of the day, that’s what the Hellraiser franchise always was – a fun but flawed journey to the depths of human depravity and desire.
Gears of War: E-Day takes players back to Emergence Day, the pivotal Locust invasion that defined the franchise, and while this prequel modernises its gameplay for some of the most fluid action seen from the series to date, it loses the spark that makes it a Gears experience in the process.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve marks a glorious return for the franchise after seven years, one that feels better to play and is more intense than ever before.
Control Resonant marks a risky genre shift for the franchise, one that comes with both improvements and downgrades, resulting in a sequel that, while enjoyable, isn’t able to reach the heights of its predecessor.
Even with its imperfections, Insomniac Games has still carved a new path in the modern superhero gaming genre with Marvel’s Wolverine, serving up a tightly crafted campaign that harks back to a simpler, less bloated time in gaming history.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword takes Capcom’s classic action franchise to new heights thanks to one of the most reactive melee combat systems seen in recent memory, although its blade is dulled slightly by overly complex progression systems.
Ubisoft had already struck gold with the original 2013 title, and Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced improves the experience even further with a notable graphical boost and meaningful additions.
The gaming beacon of light for Bond after decades, 007 First Light is proof that fortune favours the bold. In telling a memorable and enjoyable origin story, it has earned the licence to thrill with the promise of future outings, anchored by a well-crafted narrative, strong characterisation, and action-combat thrills.
Star Fox’s new additions might be hit or miss, but this remake succeeds in the most important way of all – delivering the original’s magic to the modern gaming audience.
While Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight’s implementation of its Arkham-inspired systems might leave much to be desired, its simplified nature does little to dampen the joys of collecting that Lego games are so well-loved for.
Even with some wonky animations and an overreliance on mind-numbing stealth sequences, players should still stick around and witness the Cassiopeia fall to chaos from its doppelgänger threat, as its payoff is more than worth it.
With a refreshing take on its familiar bullet hell foundations and a host of accessibility features to help players fine-tune their gameplay experience, Saros is more than just Returnal 2.0, it’s a spiritual successor that more players will be able to enjoy.
Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes takes everything fans love from the horror platformer franchise and lets them experience it in a whole new light. The only question now is, why didn’t they think of this sooner?
Mouse: P.I. For Hire will surely turn heads for its impressive noir aesthetic and hand-drawn animations, but it’s just a shame that beneath all the fluff lies just an “okay” Boomer Shooter.
Capcom has already crafted something special with Pragmata’s original hybrid puzzle-shooter concept, but adding a lovable companion character into the mix to carry its story through? Pure video game making gold.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Instead of relying on Saber Interactive’s ground-breaking Swarm Engine for more magnificent undead horde set pieces, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando instead trades this in for needlessly open-ended maps with a heavy reliance on bland driving. It’s not bad, it’s boring, and honestly, that’s so much worse.
For all its gameplay evolutions and ambitions, Resident Evil Requiem’s disappointingly short run time and so-so narrative mean that this is one zombie-killing chapter that’s sure to leave players wishing for more.
With its meaningful narrative changes and notable gameplay tweaks, even some perplexing pacing decisions can’t stop Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties from being the definitive, albeit uneven way to experience the franchise’s divisive third chapter.
While Pokémon Legends: Z-A doesn’t quite live up to the vast potential established in Arceus, there’s plenty to enjoy about the shiny, bold shift in vision that marks a welcome improvement over the world of Paldea.
Where Winds Meet is a prime example of when developers choose quantity over quality, as even though its monetisation is refreshingly fair with the sheer amount of content on offer, none of it is actually worth experiencing.