Ashley Bates Avatar Image

Ashley Bates

Skelmersdale
Donovan Ryder

Favorite Games:
  • Halo 3
  • Bully
  • Mortal Kombat

137 games reviewed
73.5 average score
75 median score
53.7% of games recommended

Ashley Bates's Reviews

Full time bearded man of Xbox One UK, and also a Senior Editor. Self-appointed Fighting Game Hype Man, because no one else on site appreciates the art of fisticuffs.
Mar 22, 2018

Though it's not a perfect game, Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom will find its way into your heart with its endless charm and uplifting story. A fantastic JRPG with bags of positivity to boot, this game is an uplifting experience that the world could do with more of right now.

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4 / 10.0 - Extinction
Apr 10, 2018

Extinction wants to be a variety of different games, and fucks up with every single one. A haphazard gathering of multiple genres, Extinction fails to develop the multiple aspects of itself, leaving behind a game that's underwhelming at best and frustrating at worst.

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6 / 10.0 - Impact Winter
Apr 18, 2018

Though it's not all negative, Impact Winter contains plenty of issues that many will consider as barriers to enjoyment. Ultimately, it's these flaws that'll stop Impact Winter from making a, well, impact.

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May 4, 2018

Though it might not have the most long-term replayability, especially if you're playing on your own, Battlezone: Gold Edition is an entertaining tank battle game with some interesting roguelite elements.

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The Council got off the starting line strong, but has now stumbled over the first hurdle. The question now becomes whether or not the adventure of Louis de Richet can recover as the series continues.

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8 / 10.0 - Omensight
May 15, 2018

Glossing over the irony of including "sight" in the name when the camera is sub-standard, Omensight offers both an absorbing murder mystery and enjoyable gameplay. Definitely worth checking out.

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Though the games themselves far outshine the packaging that binds them, Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection is a fine celebration of one of the fighting game genre stalwarts. Plus, it's the only way to play Third Strike on current consoles, which makes it invaluable.

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Jun 5, 2018

Shape of the World bills itself as a way to unwind and escape the stress and pressures of real life by immersing yourself in a beautiful world, and in that regard, it succeeds.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Onrush
Jun 5, 2018

Onrush is a lot of things. It's brash, bold, experimental, but most importantly, really good fun to play. Its success will be determined by how well the team based concept catches on with gamers at large, but we've got high hopes for it.

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6 / 10.0 - Omega Strike
Jun 11, 2018

There's a lot of a fun to be had with Omega Strike, as its gameplay, graphics and soundtrack are certainly great. Unfortunately, it suffers from plenty of poor design issues that hamper the game's real potential.

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Jul 5, 2018

We'd like to focus on how deep and intricate the game is, or how much fun it can be learning different characters, but the way Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle handles its DLC and roster can't be ignored. Take 2 points away if you hate DLC, more if, like me, you hate the fact Enkidu from Under Night isn't included.

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5.5 / 10.0 - Mothergunship
Jul 16, 2018

Though the core gameplay is as rock solid as Tower of Guns, MOTHERGUNSHIP's weapon crafting is a victim of lost potential. Still, we're hopeful that Terrible Posture Games can turn it around with future updates.

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Jul 31, 2018

After being soured by the last episode, Episode 3 of The Council, Ripples, does a decent job at getting us excited for the game again. Colour us cautiously optimistic for the rest of the series.

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7.5 / 10.0 - H1Z1: Battle Royale
Aug 14, 2018

Even though the battle royale genre continues to add new competitors, H1Z1 should stand out amongst the pack, not just because it's one of the concepts founding fathers. Hell, it got me, noted battle royale curmudgeon and all round miserable bastard, to enjoy my time with the game. That's worthy of some merit.

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9 / 10.0 - Strange Brigade
Aug 28, 2018

Though it's value is diminished significantly to anyone looking to play the game solo, Strange Brigade stands head and shoulders above the pack as an incredible, action packed co-op adventure.

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6 / 10.0 - Brawlout
Aug 28, 2018

Although Brawlout's mechanics and gameplay are decent, and great for any party, the lack of modes hampers the game's replayability, making it harder to recommend.

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Though the glitches are still present, along with the Bible puzzles, Episode 4 of The Council focuses more on what works: narrative twists and tense conversations between the characters where everything is at stake.

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Though it feels less developed than the more recent Yakuza offerings, Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise still provides plenty of head exploding bang for your buck.

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Oct 11, 2018

Fingers crossed that Rebellion can continue this run of form with the next few content drops.

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8 / 10.0 - Forza Horizon 4
Oct 11, 2018

What Forza Horizon 4 might lack in terms of an overarching structure, it gains in amazing gameplay and a sheer amount of content.

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