Dan Murphy's Reviews
The opening episode isn't exactly the most gripping of affairs, as this slow burning, political drama takes a while to get going and isn't helped by poor presentation and dull puzzles. But there is potential here for an interesting story to be told in future episodes.
Her Majesty's Spiffing has some of the sharpest, funniest writing I've seen in a games and it has the rare accolade of being a point-and-click adventure that follows actual real life logic. But it's all over far too soon and leaves an unsatisfied feeling with plot threads just left hanging.
A fun addition to Steep, with plenty new events and slopes providing a nice change of pace to the base game. Yet if Steep annoyed you because of its buggy nature, then it probably won't win you back over.
It's Quiz Time is a welcome return to the quiz games of old, made a lot easier thanks to mobile phones. It's a fun quizzer to play with either friends or family, even if the host is a bit annoying.
Oh My Godheads is a 1-4 player, fast paced brawler based around massive heads of mythological deities which are out to get you. While it's a lot of fun with friends, a lack of depth and poor AI mean it's not so much fun without any.
In a genre which is suffocating, The Long Dark stands out among the crowd as perhaps the best. Brutal, unforgiving survival wrapped up in a very plausible scenario where beauty kills.
A quiz game that does little to hold your attention after the initial impressions.
Randall is buggy, loose, and unresponsive, but worst of all a completely boring platformer that isn't worth your time.
New Machina is shoot-em-up kings Housemarque's latest game, and it might just be their best. A top-down Resogun that takes all that was good from that, improves on it and then adds so much more. Tight and responsive controls and great visuals make up for some exhilarating action.
The Deer God is a 2D platformer that aside from pretty looks offers next to no substance and isn't engaging at all.
The Sexy Brutale is a lavishly stylish, unique and engrossing murder mystery game in which, on a day that always restarts, you must prevent the staff of a grand mansion from murdering the several guests and solve the intriguing mystery.
88 Heroes is a fun, chaotic platformer where 88 is king. You have 88 minutes to complete 88 rooms, you have 88 seconds to complete each room and have an army of 88 characters to play with. With a lot of unique and funny heroes on offer, 88 Heroes is a nice bit of platforming goodness.
Sadly, despite its pretty aesthetic, Rain World is a confusing and sluggish platformer that failed to give me any reason for what I was doing and just left me feeling bored and bewildered.
The Flame in the Flood is a quiet apocalypse in which it's Mother Nature you have to fight, not aliens or zombies. The goal is to drift down a river in a flooded world to reach salvation at the end. Surviving is no walk in the park, but with Chuck Ragan's brilliant soundtrack to soothe you, it's sure worth a try.
Whether you want to go on a relaxed stroll or rattle down a death trap of a mountain, the fundamental extreme sports aspect of Steep is fun. However, a flood of bewildering, infuriating and simply pointless design decisions distract from that.
Repetitiveness, occasional frustrating puzzles and a couple of technical hitches may put you off Yesterday Origin, but if you persevere you will find an enjoyable, conspiracy thriller.
Jackbox is back once again and it’s better than ever with a sequel to a fan favourite, a Family Fortunes-style quiz and perhaps the best game Jackbox have ever created. Only a couple of duds, which still do have their moments, let it down.
Some of WWE 2K17 is brilliant, especially with the well animated moves, some new mechanics and a huge roster. Sadly, however, all the good is undermined by awful presentation.
PES has refined year on year in this generation, continuing to improve, but PES 2017 is the crowning moment. With different tactics and styles that are effective, and unique players, great goal feel and lovely control, PES 2017 just feels so good to play. It may well be the greatest football game ever made.
A wonderful claymation art style and a unique soundtrack aren't enough to save this point-and-click adventure from its own monotonous puzzles and uninteresting story.