Daniel Vaughan's Reviews
As long as you're up for just playing a running and passing strategy then Rugby World Cup 2015 plays alright. Try anything else and you're in for a whole mess of problems. The game feels very much like it was rushed to coincide with this year's tournament. There are huge flaws everywhere from the game breaking bugs, atrocious AI and poor design decisions. Ultimately this game deserves to spend some time in the sin bin.
I Can't Escape: Darkness certainly does well to create a tense atmosphere with some great pleasing visuals. Unfortunately that doesn't cover up this games flaws. Combat is slow and irritating, exploration becomes tiresome after several attempts and there's never any real motivation to keep players going. This game just seems to be more style over substance.
Kholat does a fantastic job at creating a tense, moody atmosphere in which you're completely alone in an unforgiving landscape. However for everything the game does right there is an equal flaw to break player immersion. The grizzly tail of a real life a real life incident immediately draws you in, but the narrative is often perplexing leaving you with a lot of unanswered questions. The open-world environment is realistic, beautiful and calls on your adventurous side, but the gameplay is overly simplistic and exploration is tediously long.
Pirates were the most appealing aspect of Risen 3 but unfortunately it gets quickly overshadowed with an average story about magic and demons that fails to hold players interest. There is an enjoyable amount of locations to explore and enemies to discover but actually take any on in a fight and you'll be faced with some very clunky combat mechanics. With so many other RPG's available to players Risen 3: Titan Lords Enhanced Edition or otherwise is probably one that's best avoided.
If you're a fan of the same LEGO formula, then you're sure to find something to enjoy from Marvel Avengers. Just don't expect the slapstick and spoof jokes that we've come to see in other titles, as here you only get a cutup retelling of the two films, complete with LEGO animations. The gameplay too doesn't offer anything new, though the open world environments are a nice deviation from the linear plot scenarios.
Zombie Vikings is a solid brawler but it's a game that's more style over substance. The amusingly over the top plot can is good fun and while playing single player it can be key to pulling you through some of the repetition. The lack of variety and frustrating little glitches unfortunately give the game an unfinished feel but with a good group of friends it can still be good for a laugh.
Rainbow Moon is a pretty standard RPG with a lot of grinding required. It does have its flaws like it's Initially slow to get going, plus levelling up can be a slog but at the same time it shows a lot of promise with some interesting mechanics, enjoyable exploration and satisfying combat. If you're after an enticing, epic story then you better off looking elsewhere, but if you're interested in being pitted against tough enemies and lots of exploration in a bright vibrant world then this is worth a look
What we have here is a simple free flowing hack n' slasher with a number of interesting mechanics that sadly fall a bit flat. Building Servan decks can be fun, but ultimately they don't make much of an impact in fights, and weapon switching adds some variety but none offer anything really unique. Despite this Nights of Azure is still an enjoyable enough experience, the character focused narrative is certainly worthwhile and there are plenty of talking points from both story elements
Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment falls into the same pitfall that most Anime to game adaptions do in that fans are sure to get a great kick out of it but it'll leave everyone else scratching their heads. Add on top of that that it's a rather disappointing port and the translations aren't handled very well. Give it enough time and you'll find a fun RPG experience with some fantastic combat mechanics. If you want more you can't say anything bad about the amount of content thrown at it either. Great for the fans, not so good for everyone else.
ABRACA’s charming style and enjoyable genre blending gameplay make this a very enjoyable party experience, that'll provide many exciting races. However if you’re unable to gather a group of friends or family you’re limited to a single solo mode which is fun, but won’t hold players attention for long when compared to races.
Megadimension Neptunia VII's combat system is nothing really ground-breaking. There are a number of fun and interesting battle mechanics to play around with, but it takes a good deal of time before they're all really needed. However Neptunia title will obviously be welcomed by its fans, and it makes a nice entry point for those wanting to get into the series with it's fun and amusing plot, along with fantastic character development.
Star Fox Guard is an innovative title with a good deal to do and a number of possibilities for its online community. Player’s ability to multitask and stay calm under pressure is the standout factor that will really affect their overall experience. Not being able to focus on multiple things at once will easily frustrate gamers as they are quickly overwhelmed by an army bots.
Zelda Tri Force Heroes isn't your typical Zelda outing, boasting the franchises most eccentric story and some fabulous graphics and that's not just about the clothing. Multiplayer is without doubt the best way to experience the land of Hytopia, just be wary that communication is restricted when playing online and single player feels like an afterthought. Tri Force Heroes is a fun experience that anyone can get into but because it's essentially a mini game spin-off title it may lose some of the diehard fans who are eagerly awaiting the next big instalment
Sword Art Online: Lost Song of course won't appeal to everyone, fans on the other hand are sure to enjoy another outing with the likable SAO cast. The sidequests lack quite a bit of depth and the unique flight mechanic makes for enjoyable way to explorbut takes a lot of time to get used to. Give it enough time though and you'll find a fun and addictive RPG.
Sora can offer players a fantastic challenge. However, it takes a lot of practice before you can really enjoy this title, even when playing on the easiest settings. The mechanics offer multiple ways to play scenarios, but trying to remember each of them can be frustrating, and a lot of time, they get in the way of the fun fast-paced gameplay. Whether just playing through the melancholy story, unlocking weapons, or competing for high scores, Sora still makes for an enjoyable bullet-hell experience.
Human Resource Machine is very clever little puzzle game. Coding enthusiasts may find the odd challenge but more likely to breeze through the games 38 puzzles in quick succession. Beginners on the other hand may find themselves bamboozled and frustrated by a lot of the tasks asked of them but it will certainly be an eye opener for some to the complex world of programming.
Dragon Quest Heroes is perhaps the most near perfect crossover of any of Omega Force's previous attempts. The story never really gets that complicated but it moves at a decent pace and the characters little quirks make it enjoyable. However you can't help but be disappointed by what's not there. The stripped back combat mechanics mean you can't go on epic rampages like you could in Warriors games, and while there are a lot of strategic elements it's never as deep as the Dragon Quest games. There is still more than enough content available for fans of both franchises to sink their teeth in to.
Magnetic: Cage Closed's multiple story branches and wildly chaotic magnetic gameplay certainly sets it apart from others in the genre. All of the puzzles follow a similar structure which can become a little repetitive, but there are occasionally some decent challenges to help keep players interested. There are a couple of gripes towards the games mechanics but the charming writing style and 9 endings give it a great depth.
Over the top humour and busty hijinks are in abundance in, Senran Kagura Estival Versus. Creative Finishers and bombshells add something new to the gameplay, but it all still feels very basic with it becoming increasingly repetitive given enough time. Yet it still makes for good, mindless, button mashing fun. Long term fans are sure to get something out of this fun new addition to the fan service heavy franchise.
STAIRS is a fantastically terrifying game; you're constantly put on the edge by some perfectly framed shots and some great sound effects that'll constantly have you looking over your shoulder. There are some nerve racking stealthy like sections but they feel just a little tedious, and while the individual stories are enjoyable they don't seem to tie up neatly. Still you do get some decent puzzles to solve, some interesting gameplay mechanics and of course some great scares. This is a must play for any fans of horror out there.