Ben Ward's Reviews
Titanfall 2 builds on the very strong foundations laid by the original, improving the multiplayer by improving the progression mechanics and introducing some fun new mechanics. This feels like the freshest and most interesting multiplayer game of the year, and it’s capped off by a wonderful single player campaign that ticks all the right boxes. It’s just a shame that it’s releasing when it is, as this is a game that deserves, if not demands, that any fans of the FPS genre should play it.
A magnificent technical achievement, Horizon Zero Dawn mixes up the open world style in all the right ways, with an intriguing premise that kept me entertained, and which dug its hooks into me the deeper I got into it. A stunning game that deserves your attention. Plus, it has robot dinosaurs.
Overall, Spider-Man is the game that a lot of people hoped it would be. An incredible traversal system that will have ironically been protoyped on a competitor’s exclusive title, a franchise with instant mainstream appeal and a story that, without giving anything away, sets things up nicely for a sequel without feeling lacking, all combine to make Spider-Man a must-play for 2018.
A game that will have you swearing at your grandma, and threatening violence upon your closest friends after half an hour, Overcooked 2 is one of the best party games that you can get your hands on, and it's easily the most fun I've had with a multiplayer game in years. The single player can sometimes get a bit overwhelming (please don't play this if you have anxiety!) but with 4 people playing side by side or, for the first time, over the internet, it's an excellent title that will have you in stitches of laughter while cursing your head off. A worthy purchase, even if you've played the original to death.
Control has some very clear threads going back to Quantum Break, but it’s a game that far surpasses Remedy’s predecessor in many ways. A weird, creepy and wonderful exploration of an environment that has been meticulously crafted, it’s a must-play. Plenty of collectibles and side missions should keep you hooked for long after the final credits roll, and I really hope that this brings Remedy the commercial success that it so obviously deserves.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a stunning showcase of just what the PS5 is capable of, even this early into the generation. It looks astonishing, it plays gloriously, and there are enough trinkets and secrets to keep you coming back for more. If you want a great PS5 exclusive, here it is
Deathloop is an excellent video game which truly showcases what Arkane are capable of as a studio. The time loop mechanic is used almost to perfection here, with your eight targets shifting across the four areas and time periods. Each loop will feed you with more information that you can then use to plan out the perfect run, knocking out your eight targets to break the loop and get off the island. The invasion mechanic is implemented extremely well, and I can only imagine the furious texts you’ll get from a friend as you jump in and kill them off for the umpteenth time. It looks gorgeous, it runs really well, and you should absolutely play it.
Another magnificent visual showpiece for the PS5, that runs surprisingly well on the PS4 too, Horizon Forbidden West is a great new chapter in Aloy’s story. If you liked Zero Dawn, you’ll absolutely love this, making it a must-play.
All in all, Evolve is going to be a game that gives back what you put in. If you can team up with some friends, or some random players that know what they're doing, you'll have a fun time with the hunters and it'll lead to some intense battles. If you get one or two that want to play it like Call of Duty, however, you're going to find it a frustrating experience. Hopefully as time goes on, the player base will collectively learn the "right" way to play the game, and as they do, it'll become a much more robust environment for everyone. It's the same issue with every online-focused title, and Turtle Rock seem to be committed to ensuring that the playing field remains level. Hopefully they will prove to be just as committed in keeping the game fresh with new maps and modes as well! Arguments about DLC structures aside, Evolve is a fun take on traditional class-based multiplayer. Whether you decide to be the hunter or the hunted, there are plenty of moments in Evolve that will have you on the edge of your seat, and as long as you play to your class, you'll have a good time. Whether the legs are long enough to keep the game running for an extended period of time remains to be seen, but as long as they can keep it as fun as this, I've not got many complaints at all. And that, I'm proud to say, is an entire review without saying that "Multiplayer has evolved", or any other terrible puns.
Child of Light is a game that's worth of a spot in anyone's collection. With the PlayStation versions being cross-buy, it's difficult not to recommend it. In the video review, I mention that it's £16, and this was an early price for the deluxe edition online. If you download it from the store, it's £12, and that's a fantastic price for what is a beautiful game. If you're willing to forgive the slightly irritating rhyming structure to the narrative and just get on with exploring the gorgeous environments, you won't go far wrong with Child of Light.
LEGO Dimensions is by far and away the best toys-to-life game I've played. Not only that, it's my favourite LEGO game too. A lot of what you'll get out of it depends on whether you enjoy the Lego games of old, and also whether you embrace your inner child and enjoy playing with actual LEGO. Fortunately for me, I really enjoy both. The fact that Dimensions opens up the Toy Pad beyond being "just a thing" is a really great addition, and ultimately this is the pinnacle of the Toys to Life genre right now. What other game will see you playing as Gandalf, driving the Batmobile, hurtling after a Dalek whilst Marty McFly and Doc Brown are in hot pursuit? Exactly. The only reason this isn't scoring higher is simply down to the pricing. And the fact it's probably going to bankrupt me. Don't these folks know that I'm trying to save for a house?!
Even with its flaws, Volume is a hugely enjoyable puzzle game, wearing its influences proudly on its sleeve. Near-perfect pacing, a wonderful soundtrack and deceptively simple gameplay, Volume will have you creeping back for more to try and top the leaderboards on as many levels as possible, and maybe even create a few more as well.
They told us they were done with Arkham. Rocksteady lied to us. But that’s OK. As well as being a great showcase for how VR should be done, Arkham VR is a short, sharp, and sometimes shocking Batman experience that should really be played by anyone with access to a headset and any fondness for the caped crusader at all.
If you tore chunks out of Dying Light, Far Cry, The Last of Us, Sons of Anarchy and a bunch of other open-world titles then threw them all into a blender, you’d probably end up with something akin to Days Gone. It’s a game with lots to enjoy, a ton of world to explore and some sensational visuals to take in. As seemingly generic as much of it is on first glance, Days Gone opens up to prove that it’s capable of punching its weight in a crowded area of the gaming landscape. A slow start to the story might put some off, and there are still a few technical issues that raise their head on the odd occasion, but there is plenty in here that gives you cause to overlook them. Farewell, Oregon, I had a great time clearing you out of Freaks.
Returnal is a really strange beast. It’s a game from a studio that have very clearly been given the funding to make a big budget version of the type of game they want to, and it really shows. There’s a very thin line between accepting that you made a mistake and ranting that the game screwed you over, and Housemarque have got it right with their mechanics. If you die, you learn from it and go again. Thankfully, the PS5 makes this incredibly quick, and it’ll have its hooks in you for “just one more run”. If I had to pick holes in it, I just wish there were a little bit more permanence to some of the upgrades you pick up, but I know this will diminish some of the ‘purity’ of the game. While I know some of this will be met with derision at openly admitting to not quite finishing it, I can only hope that the impressions I’ve had of Returnal give you an idea of what to expect if you pick up this absolute gem of a title. Now, Housemarque, here’s the Yellow Pages. Make a game based on that.
All in all, inFamous: First Light is a solid addition to the franchise that further showcases the technical excellence that Sucker Punch have been able to pull off so far. Whilst the story falls a bit flat in places, it's generally solid enough to carry you through it. The challenge rooms are a lot of fun and will put you through your paces as you try and best your friends' scores, and if you've not yet sampled any of the inFamous franchise, this is well worth a go as an introduction. A good example of DLC done right, inFamous: First Light sheds some brightly coloured neon light on areas of Second Son that were previously unknown to us all.
Transistor is a worthy follow up to one of the most revered indie games of the last generation. Supergiant have taken a formula that works really well and applied a truly gorgeous art direction to it, with an incredibly deep combat system to boot. It's a game that is well worth your time, and with the big AAA game drought heading our way over summer, it's a perfect title to sink your teeth into for a few hours and just let it wash over you.
All in all, Not a Hero has some fantastic humour, brutal death animations (an achievement when done via pixels) and is pretty fun. You can easily spend a couple of hours trying to perfect a level, or you can kill a bit of time while you wait for your dinner to cook. It's not going to set the world on fire (As much as Bunny Lord would like to!), but it's not a regrettable purchase either.
Black Ops III really is a mixed bag. On one hand you have possibly the best multiplayer experience since Call of Duty 4, with a strong set of maps and a hugely immersive Zombies campaign to go with it. It's just a shame that it's been let down by a campaign that has some great ideas, but doesn't know where to run with them. I'm sad to say that I think the days of the good Call of Duty campaign are behind us, with last year's decent outing being the exception. Still, there's a lot of content here. In terms of a multiplayer shooter, Black Ops III is easily the best that Activision has published in a long time. After being roped back on board the Call of Duty train last year, I think I might as well buy an Oyster Card at this point, because it has its hooks in me once again. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to play Call of Duty 4's campaign again.
I was worried for the return of Rainbow Six after the news that Patriots had been cancelled. Fortunately, Rainbow Six Siege is a fantastic entry in the series that has enough depth in its gameplay to keep things fresh each and every time you boot it up. It's currently my go-to multiplayer shooter, and that is genuinely not something I thought I'd be saying at the start of the year! Moment-to-moment gameplay is a real joy, and the balance is as close to perfect as you'd hope. I really wanted to score Siege higher, but Terrorist Hunt and Situations almost feel like an entirely different game because of the drop in frame rate, and there almost feels like a push toward microtransactions once you hit a certain point. It almost feels like Siege should've launched at £30. Still, if the promised free content is good and it can keep a good community, it'll be worth it in the end.