Tom Hopkins
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
- Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Tom Hopkins's Reviews
NBA Playgrounds scratches that arcade basketball itch we've had since NBA Jam. The gameplay and progression are simple and fun to mess around with but unbalanced power-ups and a shallow online multiplayer offering keep it from being as consistently fun as the classics.
When Assassin's Creed Rogue originally released, there was a feeling among fans that the series was in need of reinvention. The gameplay frustrations had been present long enough and it was time for something new.
There are plenty of possibilities for interpretation, and being so close to the story may see you connect to it, but I never felt like the students' protector. As a character with the power to alter their path, it's disappointing that I rarely felt like more than an observer.
Dangerous Driving is undeniably fun. Taking out other racers at 200mph always will be insanely enjoyable and Three Fields has taken full advantage of Burnout nostalgia. However, underwhelming crash physics, poorly balanced AI racers, and some technical problems keep their game from being the modernization of Criterion's classic that fans hoped it would be.
Even if you’re fascinated by the story though, the tedium of actually playing Sea of Solitude will diminish its impact.
For another option to add to the party game collection, you could do a lot worse, but Mario & Sonic’s new Olympics outing is not a game you’ll want to spend hours at a time with.
If you’ve enjoyed similar games, Simulacra will be right up your street. Its story is creepy and unpredictable, with the variety in gameplay keeping you engaged, even if it drags towards the end.
Its gameplay loop is easy to understand but hard to master, throwing new obstacles at your around every corner, it just doesn’t have the chaotic magic that made the Overcooked games special.
If you’re after a big dumb shark game, Maneater will scratch that itch. The quality of the gameplay and some of its RPG mechanics might make you wish there was some more depth and variety to it all though.
Now though, EA Sports’ series really needs to be analyzed in regards to how and where it improves, and FIFA 21 is a mash up of incremental steps forward, baffling design choices, and seemingly ignored issues. It simply doesn’t do enough to make the overall experience significantly more enjoyable than it was last year.
Beyond playful visuals, Fullbright's game doesn't do anything that Gone Home did as well or better over a decade ago. I hoped Open Roads might feature a more expansive story or more varied gameplay because, as it is, it's a short and serviceable adventure game rather than a particularly memorable experience.
If you’re looking for a vibrant world to explore in virtual reality then Windlands is certainly worth trying. However, if you are looking to feel like Spider-Man seamlessly swinging around a new landscape, keep in mind that poor traversal mechanics and awkward movement will make that feel less authentic that you might have hoped.
Sticking with The Town of Light's slow, meandering storytelling and linear exploration in the early chapters does pay off eventually, but if the dark and often distressing tale of Renee and the happenings in World War II era insane asylums doesn't interest you, there is very little to see that wouldn't be even more of a turn off.
Considering how enjoyable getting behind the wheel is in Need for Speed Payback, it is frustrating that so many elements don't work in the overall experience. You may spend most of your time having fun racing but the b-movie story that stars unlikable characters, the presentation inconsistencies, and the poorly integrated upgrade system are frequent frustrations.
Given the severe lack of other options, Gear.Club Unlimited is perfectly serviceable racing experience, especially with its split-screen multiplayer option. The racing itself is enjoyable, if a little easy, and the upgrade system prompts you to think strategically about what to upgrade and when, but it struggles to escape its mobile roots.
As it is, though, there's too much in Double Cross that either bores or frustrates for the quality moments to be worth struggling towards.
Jupiter & Mars may only be a few hours long but it feels like a drag. Its message is admirable but swimming through its empty world is tedious. The basic stealth sections, block smashing mechanics, and environmental puzzles simply aren’t a lot of fun and the visuals are too lifeless to make it a world still worth visiting.
Scratch the surface and you’ll find a very shallow car combat game that simply doesn’t have what it needs to pull you back in over and over again. Destruction AllStars is unlikely to be the next PlayStation Plus success story.
Granting players the freedom to decide how to take on missions and utilize the excellent sniping mechanic however they like is an idea that the Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 series required to improve on the underwhelming first two entries. However, since everything else, from the characters to the open world itself, lack polish, depth, and quality – on top of the game being riddled with technical problems – Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 is far more dull and frustrating than it is ever enjoyable.
Crystal Rift features some interesting puzzles and may be simple and easy to grasp, but the poor visuals, easily manipulated enemies, limited field of view in standard play, and difficult virtual reality movement means it pales in comparison to the dungeon crawlers of old.