Jack Bampfield
The business and economical side of Weedcraft Inc can be engaging; mostly, this is when mulling over all your strains. But the game’s attempts to be political often don’t land as intended – for example its coffee shop named “Covfefe” is merely eye roll-inducing.
At this point in time, Anthem feels like a title that needs more work. I want to like it, but damn does it make it hard. Like the games that came before it in this genre, I’ve no doubt that Anthem will get better and bulkier with updates over time, but if Bioware takes too long in getting there, I fear most of the player base will have moved on.
If it’s your jam – like it is mine – then Wargroove offers literally endless potential. And even if level designing isn’t really your thing, it’s still a lot of fun to play around with.
It’s grim and effective in that regard, but its gameplay really lets it down. RIOT – Civil Unrest‘s captivating art style and audio design is worth paying a visit to, and the game has some great ideas, but poor UI design, buggy AI and gameplay glitches really dampen the experience.
When Ski Lifts Go Wrong is very much like Poly Bridge from Dry Cactus, and that’s no bad thing.
Despite Downward Spiral: Horus Station's faults, there's enough here to show promise in 3rd Eye Studios.
I'll no doubt be sinking many hours into FIFA 19 in the months to come, but I do wish the effort put into the game by EA Sports hadn't been spent on the modes I'm not really keen on.
In the end, Battle for Azeroth makes some great improvements in the levelling experience, but faults in its class design and the less rewarding Azerite system mean that overall, it takes too many steps back from Legion.
Flood of Light is an engaging puzzle game with a great atmosphere and relaxing soundtrack. There's enough difficulty in it to satisfy those looking for a challenge, and the well-designed puzzles should satisfy most fans of the genre.
The PC port of Monster Hunter World isn't perfect. But despite its flaws, no other game compares to the thrill and sheer wonderment that beating a monster in a perfectly co-ordinated group can bring. In its purest essence, Monster Hunter World is simply about killing monsters to make better gear to kill bigger monsters. But boy, when it all comes off – which it does impressively frequently – no game comes close to it.
Youropa is a unique puzzle game in how its puzzles are approached, and how it wants the player to approach them.
Starman offers a pleasant couple of hours to sit and relax while focused on the game.
Dontnod didn't necessarily need to make The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, but I'm really glad that it did.
Wreckfest can have sustained periods of standard race after standard race, but it delivers its best parts when trying to keep that fresh.
The best Asemblance: Oversight has to offer is the hunt for all the endings, not so much the lead up to that.
Subnautica is one of the original Early Access triumphs, and in my view, the best of them all.
After completing We Were Here Too, I couldn't help but wonder if it took the series anywhere new, or whether it could have simply been classed as an expansion to the first. In the end, what I wanted from this title was more; I wanted to do more puzzles in this world, in this unique way, and that's exactly what We Were Here Too delivers on.
I very much enjoyed my time with AER Memories of Old. It's not perfect; it's a little on the short side, its puzzles are a bit lacklustre, and it has an overt religious message — although if anything, that it adds to the world that AER creates.
For a genre that is continuing to grow thanks to the monumental success of Overwatch, Gigantic is a bigger splash than I expected.
Solstice Chronicles: MIA is an enjoyable experience. Most of the gameplay is engaging, and when you're using all its mechanics and systems as intended, it's fun and gels well.