Gareth Fidler's Reviews
Headlander deftly delivers a smart story via a constant stream of varied, original ideas, to ensure a journey that feels remarkably vibrant and fresh from start to finish. Crammed full of Double Fine's trademark humour, and loaded to the brim with references to classic sci-fi, it pays loving homage to that corny, yet fun, era of film and television, that often gets overlooked in the age of the green screen and digital effect.
Like all the best party games, its strength lies in its simplicity, its clever design, and the fact that it's just so much darn fun to play. Overcooked is one of those rare gems that possesses the ability to endlessly generate comedy moments and is the perfect choice for those lengthy multiplayer sessions, though probably best avoided if Gordon Ramsay is due a visit.
Nine years on and Modern Warfare still feels as fresh and vital as ever. As an exercise in nostalgia it's a raging success and Raven Software should be applauded for doing such a solid job of updating a timeless classic without losing the essence of what made it so great the first time around. Whether Activision continues on a futuristic path with upcoming chapters in the franchise remains to be seen, but the fact that more people were excited at the prospect of revisiting this than jumping into Infinite Warfare's multiplayer should at least be an indicator that it might be time for a change.
Sniper Elite 4 is a solid entry to the series that's stuck to its guns (pun intended) by not tampering with the formula laid out by its predecessor, but has instead built upon and improved everything that made it so great. Rebellion has delivered a true next gen sandbox shooter that looks fantastic, plays well and should keep fans of the long-distance kill entertained for some time to come.
Travel the world, visit exotic distant lands, meet exciting and unusual people…and kill them. The Hitman: Season One edition has definitely been worth the wait for any hesitant stealth fans that were unwilling to buy into Square Enix's original episodic vision. Bolstered with enough additional content to keep even the most dedicated contract killer occupied for the foreseeable future, it boasts enough variables to enjoy an almost infinite replay value. Figuring out fresh and inventive new ways of delivering death to a bunch of evil wrongdoers never gets old (which ironically also applies to anybody unfortunate enough to find their name on Agent 47's to do list).
Injustice 2 packs a powerful meaty punch and has enough content crammed into its superhero trunks to put a lot of its genre sharing peers to shame. NetherRealm has delivered a satisfyingly robust package that tightens up and expands on pretty much every aspect that made its predecessor so great, while remaining true to the DC source material, and making a game that looks, sounds, and plays incredibly well.
Prepare to become addicted once again as the mother of all time sinks is back and bigger than ever. Puyo Puyo Tetris is an absolute delight that will scratch that puzzling itch and plug the Tetrimino-shaped gap that's been left unfilled this generation so far. SEGA has competently engineered a mash-up that feels like the definitive version of not one but two timeless classics and packed enough variety into its plethora of modes to make it a somewhat essential purchase for both solo and social blockheads.
Treyarch has clearly relished the opportunity to revisit and update these seminal undead moments and used Zombies Chronicles as a vehicle to deliver a solid piece of fan service. It's a highly polished yet thoroughly putrid package that, besides preserving the corpse rattling legacy of COD Zombies, also does a great job of providing a wide variety of differing locations to swiftly and repeatedly die in with a few friends (or strangers), thus making it an essential 'no brainer' for veterans and newcomers to the series alike.
Yay… boots on the ground! Hopefully that tiresome, overused phrase can finally be airlifted out of the gaming lexicon as Call of Duty is all about that terra-firma trench foot experience, baby. It will be interesting to see if the fickle game-buying public starts to hanker after the good old days of wall-running and power sliding in a few years from now, but as it currently stands, Sledgehammer has delivered exactly the product that was needed to revitalise the franchise at exactly the right time. Call of Duty: WWII is an explosive return to the series' roots that does have a few minor issues and can occasionally come across as being a bit generic, but for the most part is pretty solid in execution. Whether it's enough to win back lapsed fans is anybody's guess, but the highly polished campaign, habit forming multiplayer, and the satisfyingly creepy zombies mode gel perfectly together to bring a package that should at least appeal to the diehards.
ECHO is a game brimming with smart ideas that should appeal to lovers of good sci-fi and stealth/action alike. Ultra Ultra has done a superb job in creating an intriguingly eerie world that piques interest early on, first with a slow build up, and then effortlessly drawing you in for the long haul without having to be overly reliant on a heavy narrative to drive the story forward. It's an impressive opening statement from the Copenhagen-based troupe that puts them firmly on the developer map as ones to watch.
Put on the mask, don the cape, grab that fight-stick, pick your side, and commence to laying down the hurt!
It's hard to pinpoint precisely why Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII is a far more enjoyable proposition than its immediate predecessors but Treyarch has somehow managed to crank up the fun factor to the point where even repeatedly dying to far superior players has ceased to be irritating. While it isn't going to make longstanding haters of the series rush out to pick up a copy, the consistently satisfying gunplay, revamped health system, renewed tactical focus, and well thought-out specialist skill-sets all contribute to rejuvenating a series that was, truthfully, starting to feel a bit stale. Sure, the lack of a campaign is a minor disappointment that will dissuade some from making that purchase but the addition of the addictive Blackout mode more than makes up for it in many ways and anybody with more than a passing interest in the Battle Royale genre would be foolish to pass up on the best 'last man standing' experience the current generation has to offer. Get to it, specialist!
Even in its current state, Battlefield V succeeds in delivering that familiar, core experience in spite of missing some content, and while the thought of an incomplete game might deter some from pulling the trigger on a purchase, those eager to enlist will still find plenty to keep them occupied. Sure, it can occasionally be a bit rough around the edges, but this doesn't stop those epic 'wow' moments from coming thick and fast. Gorgeous visuals; incredible sound design; unprecedented levels of destruction - DICE is firmly focused on long-term player engagement here and its decision to scrap the Season Pass altogether is definitely a refreshing step in the right direction. Well played, guys.
Bust out the Earl Grey and crumpets! Rebellion has delivered a quintessentially British flavoured caper in Strange Brigade and it's hard not to get caught up in the whole darned shooting match when the added incentive of fighting for King and country is tossed into the mix. It's a rather spiffing package, all told, that manages to find the perfect blend of rip-roaring adventure, explosive gunplay, treacherous traps, fiendish puzzling, and crate-loads of loot. Whether tackling it solo or with a group of chums, it's a title very much geared towards repeated playthroughs, which should be enough to give fellow relic hunters, Nathan Drake and Lara Croft, a run for their money. Indiana who?
Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled is a high-octane blast that is rich in content, and a ton of fun to play. While the occasional difficulty spike can frustrate at times, Beenox have promised a series of free, seasonal updates that contain new tracks, customisations, and events, giving everybody plenty of opportunity to "get good."
While there's still some mindless, if slightly repetitive, fun to be had for the solo participant, Zombie Army Trilogy really shines as a multiplayer experience and does a great job of filling the 'Left 4 Dead'-shaped hole on the current consoles. It's not doing anything particularly innovative, yet the satisfying shooting mechanic, coupled with the ever grisly X-ray killcam makes it a great game to revisit when not in the mood for something more cerebral.
There's a good reason why a lot of these older games are commonly referred to as 'classics' and even a modern day re-rub replicating the timeless gameplay has the ability to evoke memories of a misspent youth shovelling coins into an arcade cabinet. Ultratron is an addictive little blast that does justice to Eugene Jarvis's original vision.
Edelweiss is to be applauded for applying modern day game design to a genus long in need of a 21st century lick, and while it might not totally rejuvenate an interest in bullet hell shooters, it would be foolish for fans of the genre to ignore a game as polished and slick as Astebreed. Granted, there's a limited audience for this type of game, and it's definitely not for the casuals, but any gamer nostalgic for the time when skill played a major factor in progression should find this a worthy challenge.
Mafia III inhabits an interesting era in time rarely visited by video games, and, for the most part, it succeeds in spinning an engaging yarn involving some well-developed characters. Hanger 13 should be applauded for creating a highly detailed sandbox that maintains a gritty, authentic feel throughout, and that, most importantly, is a fun environment to kill both time and henchmen in. It's just a shame that the overall package is marred somewhat by the particularly dense enemy AI and its repetitive mission structure.
While Borderlands was always going to be a fairly tough act to follow, Battleborn succeeds by possessing enough depth and charm to stand up on its own two feet. Here, Gearbox have created an interesting universe brimming with their trademark humour and populated by an interesting cast of characters that make it a fun place to kill time and other people in. Yes, there are a few minor issues that mar the experience somewhat, and the overall package could definitely use a bit more content to boost its longevity, but hopefully these are concerns that are currently being addressed.