Overall, I did enjoy Hide and Seek and I can’t wait to see how Episode 3 plays out, but it needs to keep its foot on the gas now. The stabilisers have to come off and the story really needs to open up. Because while Hide and Seek does some interesting and exciting new things for the genre, some of that initial momentum has definitely been lost.
Lost on Mars is a substantial improvement over Hours of Darkness in almost every conceivable way. It’s not Blood Dragon brilliant and it does have its flaws and weakness, but I certainly enjoyed my time in space more than I didn’t. This helps scratch that Blood Dragon sequel itch, at least for a little while longer.
The Spectrum Retreat is a refreshing independent game with some big ideas and ambition. It creates a truly compelling environment with excellent acting and narrative progression.
This franchise deserves to have a future, whether that’s through DLC packs over the next year, a full sequel or even a series of mobile games. Whatever the case may be, as Wii U to Switch ports go, Captain Toad is perhaps the best of the bunch and certainly the most welcome. Essential for any Switch gamer
There’s no question that Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy is a very welcome sight on a platform not owned by Sony. The Switch version has exceeded my expectations in almost every conceivable way and Crash still remains one of the finest examples of platform gaming from the 32bit era. A must own.
Donkey Kong Adventure offers so much new content to sink your teeth into that you’ll forget the amount of time that’s past. It’s well worth the price of the games’ Season Pass alone and is a DLC that proves the success of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was no fluke. Without doubt, one of the most polished, entertaining expansions of the year.
Mario Tennis Aces can quickly get very competitive and addictive, but equally that desire can soon turn to frustration. But unquestionably, Mario Tennis Aces is the best Tennis game in recent memory and is likely to be unmatched for quite some time to come.
Ubisoft Shanghai’s efforts are enjoyable enough, but one just hopes that the bar of quality is raised even higher for Dead Living Zombies and Lost on Mars.
Prey: Mooncrash is easily one of the best pieces of content for any game this generation and if you’ve somehow not played Prey yet, there has never been a better time to start.
Vampyr offers a rich playground full of fascinating possibilities.
The Hidden Ones might just be the most important piece of Assassin’s Creed DLC to date.
Scribblenauts Showdown is predictably, a cute little multiplayer title, but sadly not a very good singleplayer one.
Octahedron has a brutal difficulty curve but is also incredibly rewarding if you give it the time it needs
Kirby Star Allies is not Nintendo or HAL Laboratory at their best, but it is still a fantastic platformer that gets way more right than it gets wrong.
Without question, Yakuza 6 is one of the most enviable platform exclusive titles ever made because it just has everything you could ever wish for and more. A perfect send off for one of the greatest video game characters and gaming series of all time.
Burnout Paradise Remastered still has lessons to teach the young lions of today and remains so much fun!
Q.U.B.E 2 is a massive statement of intent from Toxic Games with its energy, enthusiasm and overall excellence. They’re in nobodies shadow, now. They’re the ones casting it.
The Council is the next evolution of episodic storytelling and you will struggle to look at its competitors the same way after it.
The truth is Fear Effect Sedna is not a good game. It’s more frustrating than it is satisfying and it will test the best resolve in the world if you are determined to see it through to the end. In this case, sadly, patches and fixes can only paper the cracks of what is an inherently flawed sequel.
Where the Water Tastes Like Wine is one of the bravest, most unique independent experiences out there