Chris Harding's Reviews
Mafia 3 is all about Lincoln Clay's rise from the bottom. It's a good old fashioned single player experience that wants you to be suckered in. And you know what? The writers, developers, and actors all deserve your undivided attention whenever a character opens their mouth. Invest in Mafia 3's narrative and you'll be rewarded with a payoff that'll have you begging for more. Gameplay is strong, even if it is a little bit on the samey side of things after a while, but with such a large map to explore and side missions and meaningful collectibles to, er, collect, there's no chance you're getting out of New Bordeaux in under 20 hour
Grow Up retains the charm and whimsy of the first game without being a simple re-tread. There's a bigger world to explore and you'll be reaching for the stars in no time. Just be sure to hit those checkpoints on the way up, lest you fall down and curse your luck... It's a cheap and cheerful game that I recommend, especially if you found yourself laughing at B.U.D's gammy legs in the original.
Metrico+ is as annoying as it is awesome. On one hand, I loved the visual presentation and the absolute minimalist design. On the other, I hate maths with a passion. Still, the game kept me entertained for a good few hours and I really did feel like a god-damn genius when I passed a level. Any game that makes me feel smarter is OK in my book.
No Man's Sky aims to capture your imagination and throw you into an adventure like no game has ever done before. It succeeds in creating a scarily vast universe in which you, the player, feel so tiny and insignificant. The thought that you'll never see another human is equally depressing as it is awesome. You know there's others out there, but the most interaction you'll ever have is landing on a planet called 'Your Mum'. It's a drag at times, especially once you dedicate yourself to getting to the center and seeing what all the fuss is about, but it's not really the end goal that matters, it's the journey. If you're a fan of exploration games, go for it.
Videoball is, in a word, awesome. It's easy to pick up and play but it'll take more than a few goes to master. With four player support on PS4 (more on PC) this could become THE go-to party game. It's basically Pong made for the millennials and I can't get enough of it. I'll say this: I wouldn't be surprised to see Videoball reach the same level of Rocket League in terms of popularity.
Carmageddon: Max Damage has the bare essentials in play to be a decent game but is hampered by the poor execution. It's a lengthy game that'll provide more than a few bangs for your buck, but you may find yourself banging your own head in.
N.E.R.O: Nothing Ever Remains Obscure isn't your typical game but is instead an experience worthy of your time, provided you've got a bit of maturity about you. The story is excellent, if a little predicatable, and it moves along nicely thanks to the expertly deployed music, creepy yet fantastical world, and strong controls that keep you in the moment. The only real downside I can think of is that its running time is just a couple hours too short for my greedy self.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is a fitting finale for the hero that's been knocking around with the PlayStation brand for almost a decade. There's highs and lows, and while it's not a perfect game, it does a helluva lot more right than it does wrong. The story is so-so but that's what we kinda expected. What really shines are the characters, the locales and the gameplay. Four out of five ain't bad. If you've a passing interest in story-driven shooters, give this one a go and then do it again to try out the different playstyles/collect the trophies. It's been worth the wait.
Awesomenauts provides fun by the bucket load. It takes a while to get accustomed to the different characters and play stlyes, but once you've mastered the basics the rest falls into place. Solid fun and even better if you can get a few mates together.
Street Fighter V feels like a great game in the making - literally, in the making. The unfinished story mode that feels cheaply tacked together and the distinct lack of single-player focus makes me think that Capcom is hoping that players will forgive the day-one let downs by throwing updates at the game post-release.
Organic Panic is a genuinely impressive little game that'll have you smiling and screaming in equal amounts. Intricately designed levels and top-notch physic-based gameplay go hand-in-hand to deliver a rare gaming experience: proper fun that makes you think. It's colourful, it's bright, it's got some wicked sounds behind it, this one isn't a 'must buy' but it's certainly a 'should try'.
Far Cry Primal does enough to shake off the feeling that it's just Far Cry 4 with a different coat on. Exploration is the name of the game and the story kind of takes a back seat. Obviously the game follows the Ubisoft open-world playbook to the page and doesn't skip a beat, but it's actually a refreshing palette cleanser to do away with the futuristic shooters that have bombarded the market in recent years.
Hardware: Rivals isn't the best game in the world, but it's certainly not terrible. There's a good selection of maps to play on, as well as some classic game modes that make up the bulk of multiplayer games. The combat is sketchy at times, but with a bit of practice (and a lot of patience) you'll find yourself racking up the points.