Ben Rayner
The bottom line feels as disappointing as the game itself. Rocksteady has a game on their hands that’s 20% filled with flair, flourish and joyous moments, but is bogged down by the other 80%, with braindead live-service stuff that no one really asked for and that might have been influenced by the publisher.
Saints Row is ultimately an underwhelming missed opportunity. It's a shame, as this was a chance to do something big, bold and different – showing us where the franchise could be heading in the years to come. But instead, the end product is a basic and fairly tedious experience that is stuck in an era of gaming long past. There are a handful of fun moments, but these are fleeting and it's difficult to suggest anyone picking the game up.
Immortals of Aveum is the perfect example of a mid-tier experience. There’s some good ideas in there – and some things are executed well – but with so many others not feeling quite right, enjoyment will really vary person to person. We hope Ascendant Studios gets the chance to have a second shot at casting a spell on the genre. If given the space to jettison some tropes and really focus on their concept, there could be something really special here.
It's just a shame really that, in its efforts to be a solid action-adventure, none of its ideas were explored any deeper as we'd have loved to have seen the team swing for the fences in one area or another to produce something truly standout.
It's a shame that, despite looking great and having a good concept at its core, some poorly-executed ideas lead to a frustrating experience overall. For a new studio to produce a brand new IP is obviously a mammoth task and commendable, so here’s hoping the team get another chance to get a grip on this universe and tighten up the experience.
If you loved Zero Dawn and simply wanted more, warts and all, this is easy to recommend. But if you were looking for something groundbreaking with a lot more polish, then Horizon Forbidden West is really a mixed bag.
Alone in the Dark isn’t a perfect experience or a five-star return to form. However, the game really nails the tone, and it is just a joy to explore Derceto and drink in the spooky vibes of this Lovecraftian detective thriller. There’s enough twists and turns to have you hanging on until the end, even if the latter half of the game feels a little too reliant on action that isn’t quite up to snuff.
Long-time Witcher fans will have a blast reliving their adventures on the go, while those who have yet to step into the hunting boots, luscious locks and scruffed beard of Geralt of Rivia, have the perfect opportunity to get stuck in.
Another Code: Recollection is a heartfelt experience that’s unique and fun, despite it not being the most challenging game around, and it's hard not to recommend. Now, let’s hope we see Hotel Dusk and its sequel Last Window released in a similar package soon!
After 2023, a year in which the games industry saw so many people removed from their jobs due to what can only really be seen as corporate greed and an obsession with profits before people, assets before art, it’s good to see a big studio create something smaller but no less special. And we can only hope this happens more often and leads to a more stable industry for the talented and passionate people that makes these things possible.
2023 has been a banner year for games, and it’s clear that Blasphemous 2 sits in the upper echelons of those releases, a beautifully grotesque Metroidvania that’s deserving of everyone's time. From the gloriously gruesome visuals to its ferociously paced combat and beautiful soundtrack, Blasphemous 2 is an instant classic in the genre.
Strayed Lights is both a cosy, relaxing experience and an extremely well-crafted Souls-lite adventure game – and honestly, it’s a combination we didn’t even know we wanted. With a lavish world, beautiful soundtrack and addictive combat loop, this is a unique title that's easy to recommend.
It's not perfect and won't change the gaming landscape, but you'll certainly have a blast ripping and tearing your way through sun-drenched Hell-A with more than a few surprises along the way.
While the gameplay develops at a satisfying pace, some fans of the mainline series might find it lacking in some complexity. But with a chance to delve deeper into the Bayonetta world and follow along this coming-of-age tale, it’s hard not to recommend this game to fans of the series and newcomers alike.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and The Lost Legacy are two unmissable experiences for PlayStation players. They're huge, bombastic, and rich stories that go toe to toe with some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters around – and with their upgraded graphics it's hard not to say this collection is worth a look. If you've yet to play either game, this is a must-buy. Ultimately, however, these are a fairly barebones repackaging. So if you've already experienced both games, the high price tag might not be such an easy sell.
If you've experienced the game already, then your mileage may vary, as there's probably around six hours of new content in the expansion. Although there’s something to be said for exploring Tsushima once again with the PS5’s technical prowess elevating the visuals, and the controller's technology adding some subtle, but nonetheless enjoyable, elements to the whole experience.
Minor issues aside, Little Nightmares 2 is a spot-on sequel, delivering more of what made the original so great in the first place, while adding that little something extra thanks to its AI companionship with Six. The story is well paced, giving you just enough of each environment so we weren't left desperate to move on before being whisked to somewhere new and each new creature offered a fresh challenge and opened up new ways to think about the tasks at hand.
What Sam Barlow has delivered here is an amazingly fresh experience and while from the outside it may seem there's little here to appeal to the hardcore gamer, if you give it a moment, you'll realise just how enthralling being a detective can be.
With some unexpected twists and turns along the way, plus some confident changes, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is utterly massive and really is the ultimate way to experience this much-loved story. It's a must for PS5 players.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is another rich entry in this long-running series, which clearly still has more to offer before it runs out of steam.