Tomas Barry


74 games reviewed
70.3 average score
70 median score
43.2% of games recommended
Are you Tomas Barry? If so, email [email protected] to claim this critic page.
Nov 21, 2018

It's hard not to have strong feelings about the laziness of Nickelodeon Kart Racers. The cynic might suggest that Bamtang Games and publisher Maximum Games were never all that bothered about producing something of quality to begin with, so long as the title could still cash in on the lucrative Nickelodeon licence. This is a crying shame, and not just because the PS4 and Xbox One currently lack a Triple-A kart racer. Since the title doesn't even attempt to hide its shortcomings, it feels like its creators are perhaps aware that parents might not read up on the title's shortcomings before purchasing it for their child, safe in the knowledge that it's a recognisable brand. That, if true, is something to really take issue with. Thankfully, the world is full of people with a conscience, who will deter folk from this monstrosity and tell them to go play Mario Kart instead.

Read full review

4 / 10 - Soul Axiom
Jun 8, 2016

Undoubtedly, fans of abstract puzzle games will find a lot to enjoy here. But those not so inclined to stick with something a little frustrating and overtly self-insistent perhaps may prefer to wait for the next reboot of this intriguing but poorly executed experience. Where Journey uses the concept of abstract, indirect storytelling to its empowerment, Soul Axiom ends up leaning on it like a crutch when it suits, much to its detriment in terms of the overall experience. The confusing PR description of the game, which is nothing like the experience you actually get, is testament to that muddled framework. This is well worth a go, but it is not a polished gem by any stretch of the imagination.

Read full review

Nov 25, 2018

Despite the addition of four-player online games, improved matchmaking, head-to-head three-point contests, new Season and Playgrounds Championship modes, all-new playgrounds, plus a roster of over 400 past and present NBA players, it's difficult to recommend NBA 2K Playgrounds 2. The title sticks with last year's established formula too much, and doubles down on the microtransactions aspects whilst it's at it. Unfortunately, the actual gameplay just doesn't justify such an extravagant ecosystem wrapper, so only real NBA and collector fans will see the appeal in potentially putting more cash down for the best players. Overall, Playgrounds 2 is lacklustre and feels too much like a mobile game franchise. It takes advantage of its audience and never offers enough satisfaction in return for the money, or the grind sessions. Ultimately, NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is a bad game, and certainly no spiritual successor. Stick with NBA 2K19 or NBA Jam itself.

Read full review

5 / 10 - Dakar 18
Oct 13, 2018

There's some cross-country joy to be found in Dakar 18, but it could have been much more rewarding and successful considering the unique brand of rallying it represents. It is fun endlessly launching over sand dunes, hopping out of the car to be sporting by towing a competitor out of a jam, and finding one's way back on track after getting lost. Unfortunately, the fundamentals are out of whack. Vehicle classes are not distinct, terrain all feels the same to drive on, and both the handling and physics are more arcade than they are simulation, dampening what could have been a very visceral experience. The co-driver is infuriatingly annoying, his instructions often being confusing and ill-timed, whilst the graphics are not up to the standards of the genre. Many technical issues are also present, which reduces the sense of polish. There's fantastic potential here, but Dakar 18 as it stands is just average.

Read full review

5 / 10 - NASCAR Heat 3
Oct 1, 2018

Some aspects of NASCAR Heat 3 are well done. The challenge mode is absorbing and addictive, thanks to its quick-burst nature and the interesting context of the scenarios. The career mode, too, has been improved somewhat from last year's offering, although it's nothing out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, these elements don't make up for the rest of it. The visuals are sub-par. The engine audio and the sound of the tyres squealing are some of the worst around. The physics, the collision detection, and the damage model are all terrible. Worst of all, the force feedback is so bad it performs like a Playstation 2 era driving game. This was the major issue with last year's iteration, so it's unacceptable that this hasn't been addressed. There was little point in adding new features like dirt racing, with these issues still present. Overall, NASCAR Heat 3 doesn't have its priorities in order.

Read full review

5 / 10 - State of Mind
Aug 13, 2018

State of Mind is an interesting project that prioritises its story beyond all other aspects of the experience. Unfortunately, while it does feature a very interesting narrative and a lot of compelling ideas, they are not executed very well at all. Even those acclimatised to the pacing and narrowness of other more successful 'interactive stories,' such as The Walking Dead, will find State of Mind to be inextricably rigid and overly linear. Everything encountered is positioned there to further the story. Both Berlin and City 5 lack proper secondary interactions and spontaneous encounters. Even the most linear of adventures cannot completely ignore the player's implied sense of possibility and wonder, without seriously affecting the immersion. For this reason, it's hard to feel engaged in State of Mind, despite its highly compelling story content. It might even be more enjoyable to watch a streamer play through it, than do it for oneself. Ouch.

Read full review

May 29, 2017

Admittedly, there is plenty of single-player content for motor racing enthusiasts to get stuck into here. However, there's no doubt that anyone who plays driving games with four wheels will probably impose a higher measure of quality on this experience. Far too many of the core gameplay elements let Valentino Rossi: The Game down, which results in something that can be enjoyed to an extent, but should also be viewed as a disappointment by anyone who sees the big picture. It's certainly not terrible, it's just that Milestone can do so much better - and has done in the past. While it's a regularly-cited criticism that they seem to pump out plenty of racing games with low average standards, particularly with all the Moto GP experience they already have under their belt, there was no good reason why this couldn't have been their best yet. That is, except for the fact that Ride 2 was on its way within four or five months. Most racing developers would have seen that as a scheduling conflict.

Read full review

5 / 10 - SkyScrappers
Aug 6, 2017

SkyScrappers is a fun game that taps into the spirit of 2D classic fighters well, whilst also being truly unique. Unfortunately, while many of the concepts work, there's just not enough content or character to discover, so once you've gotten over the dynamic setting for the fighter, plus its rather specific challenges, you realise that there's not much to invest in. This is a shame, since, had the series been given more resources and a more pronounced sense of identity, it could have been a real classic. Perhaps a second instalment might fix a lot of these grievances, but for now, this is a fun title that lets itself down because there's not much to pick at.

Read full review

Apr 11, 2019

Dangerous Driving taps into fans' nostalgia for the Burnout series, but fails to maximise that potential.

Read full review

Feb 5, 2019

Monster Energy Supercross 2 is a mostly fluid and enjoyable two-wheeler experience, which hasn't been reinvented, but has been polished just enough to be a decent follow-up. The standard cynicism of incessant iterative cycles still applies here, because if Milestone gave themselves two years for this follow-up, it would be drastically better, rather than the usual half-step. However, at least the studio's commitment to the Unreal Engine 4, and their policy of providing an accessible driving experiences for all skill-levels, ensures Monster Energy Supercross 2 is still fun and engrossing for fans of Supercross, as well as those of the genre at large. Improvements to air-control reduces some occasional handling frustration, but doesn't erase it. Likewise, whilst throttle and front/rear brake application appears to me a little more tactile, the general handling and physics still leave a little to be desired. Good acrobatic fun, but with ample room for improvement.

Read full review

6 / 10 - Ride 3
Jan 15, 2019

Ride 3 is a definite improvement upon its predecessors in various domains. Of all of Milestone's recent projects, the move to Unreal Engine 4 pays off most here. The previously washed-out visuals have been replaced by something more high-fidelity, bringing it up to par with the standards of other racers of its type today. It's more polished elsewhere too, with distinctly cleaner menus, a better soundtrack and crisper on-track audio too. The title features an impressive range of different types of bike, but unfortunately, it's still difficult to discern any handling differences between bikes within the same class. It's a bit disappointing that Ride 3 doesn't step things up more in this department, but it's still a much better-tuned instalment. With not a lot of competition in sight, Ride 3 is something of a Forza-equivalent for bike racing enthusiasts, but there's still plenty of room for improvement.

Read full review

6 / 10 - MXGP Pro
Jul 11, 2018

All of Milestone's racers impress and disappoint in the same ways, and that hasn't changed here. MXGP succeeds in catering for both a casual audience and the hardcore fans, but neither will feel particularly satisfied with their serving. That's especially true in the case of MXGP Pro, because the 'Pro' subtitle was bound to raise expectation levels. While minor enhancements are always welcome, it's far too much of an incremental process across iterations here, making it difficult to recommend to anyone who bought MXGP3. The assumed time constraints and the developer's 'one size fits all' approach to generating improvements (where only additions that can be diffused across all its franchises seem to be encouraged) is now a significant source of frustration. While MXGP Pro is mostly an attractive, enjoyable experience, that represents the sport quite well, even avid fans should ponder long and hard over its longstanding flaws before indulging.

Read full review

6 / 10 - MotoGP 18
Jun 7, 2018

MotoGP 2018 is something only avid fans of the genre should check out. Although there are some improvements to presentation, problems with the murky colour tone palette persist, on top of irritating texture resolution issues with the racing scenery. If sticking to time attack, hardcore bike fans looking for realism may be able to scratch their itch here. However, put other drivers on the track and the illusion quickly shatters. The AI just isn't dynamic or reactive enough. For those taking things less seriously, this will be less of an issue but, either way, it's not very much fun being in their company. It is nice being able run your own 2018 season in tandem with the real thing, but the Career Mode is nothing special. Even if the online mode and the eSport Championship function well enough, the lacklustre collision detection will hinder that side of the experience, too. This is flawed and rushed.

Read full review

6 / 10 - The Crew 2
Jul 3, 2018

It looked promising, but The Crew 2 falls wide of the mark, in infuriating fashion. It tries to grab people's attention with its technically impressive map, its instant vehicle-switching, and with even flashier motors, yet all of this is just a deluded sales pitch for a seriously lacking package. It doesn't address any of the fundamental flaws of the original, such as repetitive races and too many bland open spaces. The motors from within each vehicle type aren't distinguishable in handling at all, the physics are poor, and the voice acting and music are irritating. There's no sense of achievement from anything, thanks to a poor XP and unlock system. Worse yet, there's no real multiplayer to speak of - posing the question, why on Earth does it require an Internet connection to play? The Crew 2 might seem enjoyable for a couple of hours, but it quickly starts to feel empty. Stick with Forza Horizon.

Read full review

TT Isle of Man: Ridge on the Edge deserves praise for its fairly meticulous recreation of the famous event. The sense of speed, high quality audio, and the impressive visuals, amount to a visceral driving experience.

Read full review

Jan 15, 2018

Steep: Road to the Olympics is a separate expansion, meaning it's not included as part of the season pass. That's a shame because, if it was, it would be easier to recommend. For a game all about freedom of choice and spontaneous activity, with quite an arcade-centric physics engine, it was clearly going to struggle to convey the technical side of the Winter Olympic Games. The 'Be a Legend' story-mode seems rushed and ill-devised. The footage of athletes is poorly integrated and the narrating and tutoring is all too intense, especially when the experience is so fragmented and dull. Japan, on the other hand, is a beautiful and large region, which really does expand the Steep world with a new aesthetic, new event types, and new challenges. Hence, Steep fans who persevere with the first segment, will eventually receive an impressive content injection. Fans of the Winter Olympics, however, will probably find this one quite underwhelming.

Read full review

Nov 21, 2017

Gear.Club Unlimited is a fun but flawed experience.

Read full review

6 / 10 - High Hell
Oct 26, 2017

It's not going to hold the attention for the average gamer for longer than an evening or a weekend, but considering its budget price, it's a compelling creation. Players with a more specialist interest in speedrunning, and those interested in intense and quite hardcore arcade experiences, will certainly appreciate it. Its rapid pace and intense gameplay gets the adrenaline going, though enemies aren't all that smart, and in terms of level design and objective variance, there's not too much to marvel at. While its aesthetic and style feels distinct and is helped by the pleasingly crunchy blend of music, which further ups the intensity factor, the gameplay itself is a little needlessly repetitive; for example, it's a shame that the end of a level is only ever triggered by killing every enemy. In addition, considering the titles that the developers have made prior to this one, it would be fair to say that High Hell is somewhat disappointingly bare.

Read full review

6 / 10 - BitMaster
May 29, 2017

A player would have to really love something rather ambiguous about BitMaster to actually persevere to its centre. It's nice that some sense of depth can be perceived in that regard, but the game could do a lot more in terms of incentivising this pursuit, since many of these additions seem arbitrary rather than purposeful. Instead it seems like the kind of title that will be consumed rather quickly, then put down just as quickly - and permanently.

Read full review

Aug 6, 2017

Astervoid 2000 earns a lot of points for its local multiplayer spirit, which, when tapped into as prescribed, does lead to quite a bit of fun. The problem is the mechanics are so shallow ultimately, that even a group will probably turn their attention to something with more depth and detail before long. The overall sense of value for this game isn't particularly good, since it's hard to see anyone returning to it on more than a handful of occasions. Overall, then, while it's a nice nod to sci-fi and space-themed arcade games, it's also too frugal and underwhelming in terms of content and inventiveness to be considered as anything other than an average space brawler. Sharing it with friends is its best mode of consumption.

Read full review