Paul Farrelly's Reviews
With its evocative opening and its idea of an unflinching heroine overcoming horrifying obstacles, “Sofie: The Echoes” has promise. However, it is almost impossible to appreciate due to the overwhelming number of bugs, bad design decisions, and an unpolished experience. Players are unable to get past the game’s opening sequence without feeling similarly frustrated, according to Steam user reviews. In its current state, “Sofie: The Echoes” is unplayable. It serves as a reminder that even brilliant concepts require careful planning and refinement to be truly effective. Avoid this one for the time being until the developer fixes its numerous problems, or else you run the risk of an experience that is horrifying for all the wrong reasons!
Batman: Arkham Shadow is a must-have for Dark Knight fans, virtual reality enthusiasts, and anyone else interested in what VR can actually offer. Arkham Shadow redefines virtual reality for the Meta Quest, much like Half-Life: Alyx did for the PC. It’s an amazing story, a technical marvel, and an exciting experience. Regardless of your level of experience with virtual reality, Batman: Arkham Shadow is an essential game that will no doubt help to sell more VR headsets.
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead’s sound effects, compelling plot, and stunningly eerie visuals undoubtedly add something special to the stealth-horror genre, even though it doesn’t reinvent it. Although it has some shortcomings—the AI can be a little too predictable at times, and the level design occasionally seems to be trying to actively work against you—all in all, it’s a fun stealth experience that both franchise fans and horror enthusiasts will enjoy.
For VR adventurers of all ages, Starship Home is a charming and imaginative adventure that makes great use of mixed reality. Even though it can be a little repetitive, the relaxing gameplay and engrossing setting make it a great place to escape to.
The Until Dawn Remake is a faithful yet enhanced reimagining of a horror classic. The improved visuals, expanded storytelling, and minor gameplay tweaks all contribute to a richer experience for both new and returning players. The game’s performance on the PS5, coupled with its faster load times and better graphics, makes it feel more polished than ever. While some might miss the fixed camera angles and others could find the new lighting system slightly off, these are minor quibbles in what is otherwise a standout remake. If you’ve played the original, you might not find the changes significant enough to warrant a repurchase unless you’re a diehard fan. However, if you’ve never played Until Dawn before, this remake is the definitive version to experience.
Chains of Fury carves out its own space in the boomer shooter genre with its distinct comic-book style and penchant for destruction. It’s loud, brash, and unapologetically focused on mayhem. However, it falls short in key areas like fluid gameplay and intuitive mechanics, especially when compared to Forgive Me Father 2 or Dusk. The clunky controls and occasional cheap enemy spawns can detract from the fun, but for those seeking a mindless shooter to blow off steam, Chains of Fury fits the bill. Overall, Chains of Fury is a fun but flawed experience. While it’s not on the same level as the best in the genre, it’s still worth playing if you’ve already worked through the modern boomer shooter library. For fans of the genre looking to unleash some destruction without too much commitment, this game will scratch that itch—just don’t expect it to go down in boomer shooter history.
The Casting of Frank Stone feels like a squandered opportunity in the end. Even though it combines the interactive horror formula of Supermassive with the lore of Dead by Daylight, the game fails to stand out. The atmospheric elements and tense moments are sometimes there, but the experience is ruined by a plot that lacks action, simplistic combat, and a complete lack of scares. Learning the lore might be entertaining for hardcore fans of Dead by Daylight. But for most, this is just a watered-down version of Supermassive’s earlier, more influential games. If you’ve already played either Until Dawn or The Quarry, then this experience will feel lack luster to you. The Casting of Frank Stone is a somewhat decent Halloween horror game, but it falls short in the ‘I need a change of underwear’ department.
Crime Scene Cleaner plunges you into a grim, yet darkly humorous world where your role is not that of a detective solving crimes, but of the unsung hero who arrives after the chaos: the cleaner. Not since Roger Wilco has a janitor’s job been so difficult (a reference for all the oldies among us!). The creators of this unconventional first-person simulation game, President Studio, offer a fresh perspective on the aftermath of crime. Your purpose here is not to find out what happened or apprehend the perpetrators; rather, it is to completely remove any evidence of the horrific crimes that have taken place. Nothing is too gory for you to manage, including blood, corpses, and fragments of bone.
Deathbound is such a mixed bag! It offers a daring and imaginative concept, but it falls short of providing a smooth and consistent experience. If you’re a fan of Souls-likes and like to try out new systems and mechanics, you might want to give this one a shot. Personally, I can’t give it my full recommendation because of the frustrating combat that makes up the core of the gameplay here. If you can get past Deathbound’s flaws, there is a great story to unravel, but the game doesn’t live up to its potential and makes you wonder what could have been if developers had worked harder on making combat more enjoyable. Great concepts, poorly executed!
The audience in Australia isn't that large though, purely because we're not as exposed to the sport, but Madden 17 is definitely a solid place to start if you're considering jumping in on one of the oldest and most respected sports franchises in gaming history.