Craig Shields
Craig Shields's Reviews
Rocket League is an absolute must on the Switch. Its pick-up-and-play nature shines through on Nintendo’s portable console that even minor technical drawbacks can’t dampen. If you own a Switch, you need to get Rocket League.
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.
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.
Overwatch is brilliant at what it does and thrives on not only a unique style, but a fresh approach to team objective first person shooter games.
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.
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.
Sonic Mania proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Sonic is better in 2D. Mania cleverly leans on the best of Sonic’s past while also carving its own path for a bright future for the blue blur. Welcome back Sonic.
Super Mario Odyssey is a love letter to Mario’s past and offers a reward for exploration at every turn. It might be a long time until something this good comes around again.
In a world where stealth games are few and far between, Hitman 2 is the closest we’re going to get to sneaking around and taking out a target. While hiding in plain sight is different to sneaking around in a box or in permanent night-vision, Agent 47 has a prominent place again in video games.
It’s not a remake, it’s a brand new game and a fantastic one at that. Resident Evil 2 2019 is one of the best games of this or indeed any generation as it combines visual and audio mastery to produce a paranoia-inducing game that isn’t matched by many.
Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze is one of the premiere platformers that’s released in the past decade and it’s move to Switch is a welcome one. Despite a higher than normal difficulty level, it excels in most areas to present a game that currently stands as one of the best on the Switch.
Uncharted 4 is a great game with minor flaws that hold it back from reaching Naughty Dog's previous heights, but don't let these minor gripes stop you from experiencing a wonderful game.
For those who have trodden the path of Twilight Princess' Hyrule before then it's a judgement call as to whether you want to walk that road again. The HD remake isn't as mind blowing as others before, but if its been a long time since you've played it, then revisiting Twilight Princess isn't the worst game to go back to.
While there are minor issues with continuing the story and finding yourself a bit lost at times, Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma is a fantastic story-driven game, with characters you’ll quickly become attached to and a narrative that drags you through to its gritty conclusion. For Vita and 3DS owners, playing the previous titles is a must, but once you get here, Zero Time Dilemma won’t disappoint.
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.
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.
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.
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.
There’s no doubt that there’s an audience for Mantis Burn Racing. It’s a neat little top-down racing game that’s great for the pick-up and play nature of the Switch. It’s let down by a lack of variety and personality but don’t let that put you off if you’re a keen racer and own a Switch.
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.