Tom Hopkins's Reviews
Black The Fall not only succeeds in Sand Sailor Studio's aim of bringing attention to the Communist history of Romania but it also stands strong as an excellent puzzle platformer. The use of unique devices and companions ensures that you never solve the same puzzle twice and the excellent design ensure that every moment of your journey to escape from oppression is enjoyable.
Mike Bithell may have intended for Subsurface Circular to be nothing more than something to fill the time between other projects but his team has created an engaging text-based adventure featuring excellent writing, fleshed out characters, a compelling detective story, and a world with the potential to tell many more tales that would be perfect as a single evening's entertainment. Its unorthodox marketing may have seen it slip under your radar when it came to PC and mobile last year but it's definitely worth trying now that it's on Nintendo's console hybrid.
There are a few design and progression issues but, ultimately, Everybody's Golf is a triumphant return for the series. The golf gameplay is deep yet simple enough to fully understand, there is a huge amount of content both online and off to get stuck into, and the light-hearted tone and style make the world a joy to spend time in.
It might be a struggle for some, but getting to grips with Lumines Remastered's deceptively unique gameplay and getting lost in the electronic beats is a wonderfully rewarding and mesmerizing experience. The visuals may not play as much of a part as they do in other puzzle or rhythm games, but the constant promise of something new to see makes you want to keep playing and to keep improving.
Its puzzles and platforming may not be anything to shout about, but they aren't Forgotton Anne's focus. The way it develops a detailed world, full of unique and interesting characters, while keeping the central story compelling and surprising, is remarkable, especially in such a short period of time.
Choosing to focus on improving the already excellent career mode for F1 2018, rather than adding something entirely new and shallow, was a great decision on Codemasters' part. The new iteration offers Formula One fans a near perfect simulation of the sport, complete down to the last technical detail, but the assist settings and satisfying racing make it a viable racing option for even those with cursory F1 knowledge.
The freedom to plan and execute a variety of insane kill fantasies makes for missions that are fun and original even after multiple playthroughs. Hitman 2 is a wonderfully designed, enjoyable, and rewarding stealth sandbox that'll only continue to develop.
Overcooked 2 is one of the best co-op multiplayer games around, no matter how you plan to approach it. If you're after something ridiculous to mess around with, setting fires instead of feeding your customers, that's easily found, but jumping into the wonderfully designed dynamic levels to test yourself and a partner with the new recipes is equally as fun.
The structure of Juan's journey may feel overly familiar to anyone that played Drinkbox's first game, but Guacamelee 2 doubles down on the style, personality, and gameplay that made it such a joy to play. The adventure is full of silly jokes and unique characters, it's a much longer experience, and the combat is deep and engaging enough that it's possible to look past the fact that you've seen most of it before.
The survival horror tropes, linear moments, and emphasis on atmosphere haven't been lost, but Exodus proves that Metro can be much more than a journey through dark and decaying tunnels.
Dirt Rally 2.0 isn't afraid to throw you in at the deep end with its sophisticated rally action, giving you a lot to think about and a steep learning curve to conquer. Hurtling along the beautiful rally stages or fighting your rivals in a Rally Cross final is exhilarating. Even with some poorly structured content, Dirt Rally 2.0 is still the best simulation of the sport you'll find.
Everybody’s Golf nails the most important thing: hitting the ball feels great. It’s just disappointing that there isn’t anything in the way of multiplayer to test your technique against your friends.
Even though it’s just 10 months since F1 2018’s launch, F1 2019 feels like a step forward. It adds improved visuals, a beefed up online multiplayer component, and an enjoyable light story to a great base that already boasted phenomenal racing mechanics.
Blood & Truth is an excellent example of an action movie in VR.
The gameplay may be uninspired, but Erica is the best FMV game we’ve had in a long time and is the perfect length for a single evening’s entertainment.
The often dark campaign adds variety that introduces Call of Duty’s potential future and puts it up there with the best the series has ever seen; the multiplayer is as engrossing as ever, even though the poor map design causes some issues; and the Spec-Ops co-op is best avoided if you don’t have a competent and organized squad to play through with.
Codemasters’ F1 series is continuing to improve and stake its claim as the best racing game for simulation veterans and newcomers.
That lack of challenge and sense of progression won’t be for everyone, and might even put off Dirt veterans, but Dirt 5’s a varied and beautiful racing game that’s a blast from event number one.
At no more than 90 minutes long, Five Dates isn’t the deepest love story you’ll ever see, but it has the heart, likeable characters, and great writing that make rom-coms enjoyable. It’ll put a smile on your face, and that’s all you can ask for.
Even if a better selection of modes would be welcome, Fuser is often a joy to play and potentially the future of rhythm games. Tapping your feet along to a great mix was always going to be great, but Harmonix has developed the Dropmix idea into a game that’s deeper, more engaging, and a lot of fun.