Jordan Oloman's Reviews
This episode contains the best scenes of the season so far, but it wastes an egregious amount of time getting to the point.
This is a game that wants to delight you. It is unapologetically hopeful, like nothing I’ve ever played, offering a seemingly endless font of positivity that is difficult to ignore. Alas, it is still very much a Kingdom Hearts game, and the staunchly unwavering architecture of it is felt in every U.I element and cutscene.
Whilst this isn’t the most essential Wii U port to come to the Switch compared to more inventive titles like Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is easily the best modern Super Mario Bros. game, and if you’re looking for that kind of fix after the 3D heights of Super Mario Odyssey, this 2D golden oldie is worth your money and your time.
Red Dead Redemption 2 studies the tired and tested genre of open world games with a keen eye before driving a hunting knife into the heart of it, rending it open and hanging its pelt on the wall with pride. It has mastered its prey and knows exactly how good it is, a sense of palpable confidence felt on every piece of ground you step foot on. This is a technical achievement for the ages, a mindblowing game, much like its predecessor that defines its console generation.
By committing to the systems it draws its name from, Kingmaker creates a deeply comprehensive and satisfying CRPG that is also incredibly lonely and masochistic when it wants to be.
‘Roads' is a heart-breaking leg of an emotional journey that never feels limited by its medium. I've played seasons of other choice-driven narrative games that had less emotion and heart than this five-hour odyssey. With Life is Strange 2, DONTNOD has upgraded and refined every element that made its forebear successful, whilst sprinkling some magical new additions into the mix to create an essential genre-pushing experience that isn't just for fans.
The Crew 2 is a fantastic open-world racing game that creates an unintentional post-apocalypse out of its gorgeous open-world by failing to ply it with meaningful modes
Yoku's Island Express is the best indie game of 2018 so far and an unmissable wholesome jaunt that manages to bind pinball gameplay with a gorgeous sun-soaked open world brimming with wholesome characters and secrets that will keep you paddling for hours on end.
God of War is one of the defining games of this generation, holistically reinventing the action game wheel and grafting humanity and emotion into a series previously devoid. A stellar technical achievement in every aspect and a thoughtful, unmissable work of art that shouldn't just be experienced by gamers.
Far Cry 5 is one of the best open world games ever made, and certainly Ubisoft's finest effort. Unfortunately, the narrative stumbles and trips, throwing the tone into disarray and ultimately leading to a dissatisfying conclusion. Throw your story expectations to the wind and come to Hope County for the addictive open-world thrills, excellent OST and side characters.
A brilliant little marvel, Minit finds beauty in its arbitrary constraints to craft a compelling, puzzling little adventure game with talent beaming out of its art and audio design.
Sea of Thieves is the perfect framing device for nautical adventure that rewards a committed group of young-at-heart, social pirates to find and evoke the fun from its sandbox. Unfortunately, that gorgeous world has questionable systems and content limits that (if not dealt with) scupper its incredible potential and give it a worrying sell-by-date.
Overall, Yakuza 6: The Song Of Life is a feature-length absurdity-laden romp that is the perfect silly antidote for first-timers and a pleasing development of the series for fans. With a multitude of systems, meaningful progression and side quests to fill your boots with, you will struggle to get bored and always find yourself craving your next knockout fix.
Dynasty Warriors 9 is a bold but utterly fruitless attempt to revitalize a series that is stuck in its ways, showcasing an open-world that is completely at odds with itself, overwhelming technical issues and diabolical voice-over work.
Where the Water Tastes Like Wine excels in its narrative, visuals and audio but really struggles to fit into the video game medium with its tedious gameplay. This is overshadowed by beautiful stories and moments of pure humanity.
Immortal Redneck is an old-school first-person roguelike with all the bells and whistles. It's tough but fair, fun and steeped in a silly aesthetic. Perfect for a reliable departure from your backlog.
A strong start to the season, Thesis brings satisfying NSA gameplay and ties it well to a thought-provoking narrative in a complementary and immersive operating system environment.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is an intricate RPG brimming with realism in an immersive world, but all of its grandeur is consistently overshadowed by the unpolished experience of tinkering with its systems.
A solid and life-breathing addition to a previously waning franchise, Call of Duty: WWII plies fans with the gameplay the know with enough bells and whistles to please franchise fanatics and newcomers alike, despite not quite reaching the hallowed ground of the series best.
Wolfenstein: The New Colossus carves its own path as an improved version of its predecessor, but the result is not entirely revolutionary. Come for the gameplay you know and stay for the story, score and characters that you don't.