Craig Shields's Reviews
While it may lack modes to keep your attention for long at launch, Arms’ base gameplay is solid and, more importantly, fun. If Nintendo can support Arms like it previously supported Splatoon, then this could be the next big franchise for Nintendo.
It won’t present much of a challenge but RiME is a delightful experience from beginning to end. It urges you forward at every turn and while there are minor technical issues, it’s a wonderful game that most should explore.
Mr Shifty is a frantic top down brawler at a staggering pace. Great on the go and with a suitable price point, Mr Shifty is a strong candidate for your next Switch game.
Yooka Laylee brings the classic 3D collectathon platformer into the modern age, although not without camera issues. Despite that, it takes what made past 3D platform games great and puts it on a larger scale with substance.
It’s charming, relaxing and can also provide a challenge. Snake Pass is a wonderful game to get lost in for a little while and if you can pick it up on the Switch, you’ve got a title that is great to play on the TV and on the go.
Andromeda isn’t the return to form for Mass Effect that we were hoping for. Its issues are obvious from the opening few hours and if you can manage to accept them, Andromeda is capable of providing an interesting and combat heavy RPG.
It’s fast, it’s fun and if you have any type of nostalgia for fast racing games on a Nintendo platform, then Fast RMX should be your first port of call on the Switch.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is without question one of the greatest games of all time, we’ll learn in years to come whether it will be heralded as the greatest, but at the very least, it will change the way games are developed in the future. It is without question the greatest game of the past few years, and possibly Nintendo’s finest of all time.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin, it was witty, it presented a challenge and – most importantly for a VR title – is comfortable to play. For owners of PlayStation VR looking to justify their headset purchase and an enjoyable game, look no further than this.
For newcomers, Yakuza 0 offers enough to make it a worthwhile purchase with over a hundred hours worth of content. For those returning to the series, apart from a new story, you’ll be walking a similar path to what’s come before, which, depending on how fatigued you feel from the past games may be a good or bad thing.
It’s a bit of a cliche but there’s no doubt that Resident Evil 7 is a return to form for both Capcom and Resident Evil itself. It’s horrible, grotesque, and panic-inducing, but I love it.
The Last Guardian offers something different and contrasts the hand-holding nature and ease-of-progression that modern titles offer. Despite all its issues, The Last Guardian stands as a bastion of what video games used to be in-terms of progression, combined with an animal so imposing, mythical and mesmerising that its a wonder how they managed to make it so lifelike. The Last Guardian won't be to everyone's tastes, but you should go out of your way to experience it for yourself.
There are gameplay concerns but the setting helps to make up for it as Watch Dogs 2’s version of San Francisco is faithful, colourful and a joy to explore. It’s not in the top calibre of games this year, but it has interesting characters, unique elements, and more than enough missions to keep you busy for a while.
Titanfall 2 stands alone in a crowded first-person shooter market. It may be a sequel, but Titanfall 2 feels fresh, even for someone like me who put many hours into the original. Core mechanics like traversing and shooting are fun right from the get-go, and with free DLC to come, it looks like your Titan is ready.
Coming with five short and largely forgettable experiences, it would’ve been the perfect free pack-in with the headset, but as a costly product, it’s hard to reccommend when other VR games have already vastly surpassed its offerings.
Chapter One of Loading Human is an interesting start for the series. While the writing and character development won’t win any awards, most of the basic mechanics are solid after adjusting to the way you navigate. It might be worth waiting to see how Chapter Two and Three plan out before dipping in, but Loading Human is one to keep your eye on.
The music, the world and the gameplay combine to make for a truly enthralling experience. Area X is one of my highlights of the year and I can’t wait to see it fleshed out in a full Rez sequel. For now though, Rez Infinite is PlayStation VR’s first must-have title.
Batman: Arkham VR is a short but lively experience and I wanted to keep going and finish it in one sitting. While it’s hour length may put some off, it’s not everyday you get to be Batman, and an hour in Batman’s shoes will convince you that your expensive headset, is worth every penny.
With a few friends in close proximity, you can still have fun with FIFA and its nice presentation. But for a real football fan who wants to recreate the moves of Barcelona and Dortmund, this isn't the football game you're looking for.
In terms of pure gameplay, Pro Evo takes the crown from FIFA. The subtle improvements made to last years version have been thoughtful and impactful to the way the beautiful game is played. PES 2017 is, arguably, the best football game ever created.