Ultimately, we’re left a little conflicted with Bayonetta 3. This is the worst looking and performing Bayonetta yet, with a grander scale that both detracts and adds to the gameplay. We love the fact that we can finally take control of fearsome demons, for example, but we don’t like the fact that the camera struggles when fighting other gargantuan enemies. Add in some other frustrations, and you have a game that sometimes feel like the best the Bayonetta series has to offer, but other times the worst.
Still, for Sonic fans, this is an entertaining adventure, with plenty of variety packed into its 20-hour running time. Chances are you’ll encounter plenty of frustrations while making your way through it, but when things are going right you’ll see that there’s great potential in this formula going forward. ‘Inconsistent’ is perhaps the best word to describe Sonic Frontiers: it’s a grab-bag full of ideas, all pulled off with varying degrees of quality. But there’s one thing for certain: it’s got a cracking soundtrack.
All we have is love for this God of War.
The Chant is destined to become a cult hit, we think. Marrying traditional survival horror gameplay with a unique setting and spiritual themes, it feels fresh but familiar; how many other survival horror games find you fighting plant-like enemies and other monstrosities with incense sticks, oils and salt, after all? In addition to an intriguing story and solid mechanics, once you’ve set foot on Glory Island, you’ll be on the edge of your seat until you’ve reached a conclusion.
WRC Generations is a good rally game. A great one, even. But a lack of innovation and genuinely new content makes it the least essential entry in the series for some time. If you’re an ardent rally fan, by all means pick it up; you won’t be disappointed. At least not too much, anyway. But those with only a casual interest in the sport might want to stick with WRC 10 until this last official WRC effort from KT Racing goes on sale.
For anyone that enjoys side-scrolling shooters, Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef is well worth picking up. Even more so if you also like the world of Warhammer 40,000 or simply having a good laugh. While its campaign is short, it’s fun from beginning to end – and there’s a good chance you might go back for another playthrough or engage in some multiplayer action. Just maybe pick it up on a format other than Switch if you’re sensitive to performance issues.
It isn’t a bad game by any means, but Batora: Lost Haven doesn’t excel in any particular area, either. It’s a hodgepodge of tried-and-tested mechanics and ideas put together without any real flair, resulting in a game that can be enjoyable at times, but is often repetitive and dull.
You can have some fun with Winter Games 2023, especially with its inclusion of curling, but on the whole it’s very disappointing. It’s a pity, because there really is a winter games-shaped hole in the market. Most players seeking wintery fun are perhaps better off jumping into Steep along with its Road to the Olympics expansion. But if you really love curling, Winter Games 2023 might be worth picking up at a steep discount.
For those who enjoyed Resident Evil Village and want to spend more time with it, perhaps also getting a hint as to where the series the heading next, the Winters’ Expansion should be considered a must-have. Shadows of Rose offers an enjoyable shot of true horror, Additional Orders invigorates Mercenaries mode with new life, and third-person mode gives players another way to experience two campaigns. For the modest asking price, why wouldn’t you want to make your copy of Resident Evil Village feel definitive?
Perhaps you could argue that the streets of Gotham feel a little empty at times, or that when facing off against a large number of enemies, the combat gets a little messy, but it’s hard to truly find fault with Gotham Knights.
If you’re a PC gamer with a thirst for adventure, or you’re simply keen to finally check out the Uncharted series if you haven’t owned a PlayStation console, it’s definitely worth investing in Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End may seem like a strange place to jump into the series but it works, while Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is pretty much worth the asking price alone as it’s such a well-rounded adventure. Sony continues its streak of putting out top-quality ports, and we’re here for them.
It’s safe to say that Them’s Fightin’ Herds subverted our expectations. It’s easy to look at it and think that it’s going to be a jokey affair, and while there is an air of playfulness about it, at its core is a solid, taut fighting system. Add in the genuinely unique story mode, and you have a fighting game that’s well worth your time and money, despite having a limited roster of fighters and uninspiring stages.
If you already own Persona 5 Royal on PS4, then, there might not be enough here to convince you to buy it again. It’s a more pleasant, nicer-looking experience, sure, but beyond that it’s exactly the same game. For newcomers though, it should be a no-brainer. One of the best RPGs of the last decade, perhaps of all-time, now looks and plays better then ever before. And while it hardly transforms the experience, the inclusion of a substantial amount of DLC sweetens the deal.
A Plague Tale: Requiem outdoes its predecessor in many ways. Its story, for example, manages to be even more engaging and touching, while numerous gameplay enhancements make it a deeper, more varied affair. It’s just a shame that its first quarter isn’t better paced, relying too much on you manipulating rats with light, and that its combat sections just aren’t fun at all. Add in a myriad of performance issues and bugs, and you have a game that somewhat squanders its phenomenal potential, but is still very much worth playing.
Being fans of LEGO and puzzle games, we wanted to love LEGO Bricktales. We’ve found it very hard to do so, however. Crashes are one thing, but when the gameplay itself is hampered by fiddly controls and the feeling of repetition, there’s not a great deal of fun to be had.
Everything considered, No More Heroes 3 is an absolute treat on PS5. With the performance issues found in the Switch version a thing of the past, the visuals tidied up, and less waiting around for loading screens, you’re free to simply enjoy the zany story and wild action of Travis Touchdown’s latest caper. And what a rollercoaster of an experience it is. It won’t be for everyone, but if you have any love for the No More Heroes series or enjoy action games that are filled with silly humour and outrageous characters, this is for you.
Still, VC issues aside, which aren’t anything new, NBA 2K23 is undoubtedly the best entry in the series for some years. Jordan Challenge is a great addition that can eat up many hours of your time, while MyCareer is more engrossing than ever thanks to its entertaining story. But ultimately, it’s the gameplay changes that make NBA 2K23 worth picking up. Playing basketball from the comfort of your couch has never looked or felt so good.
All in all, then, while not a revolution, EA hasn’t rested on its laurels when it comes to FIFA 23. From meaningful tweaks and additions to modes, to a noticeably improved on-pitch experience, it’s simply bigger and better than its predecessors in every single way. And so the FIFA series, at least with EA at the helm, is going out with a bang rather than a whimper. But if EA Sports FC is to truly impress, it’s going to have to deliver something fresh.
Dakar Desert Rally is a game full of peaks and troughs. Your heart will be racing when you’re hurtling through a desert during a sandstorm in a rally car, but when just a little too much throttle causes you to spin your bike and move from first to last in the middle of a snowy battle, you’ll be beyond frustrated. Still, it captures the essence of the controversial rally pretty well. And those willing to put in the time to master it will find it very rewarding.
Ultimately, whether or not you should pick up Let’s Sing ABBA unsurprisingly depends on how much you love the band’s music. The game itself is presented well, as ever, and there’s a decent range of modes. But the only things that are genuinely new here are the music tracks and the avatars. And so, if you want to sing your heart out with hits such as Knowing Me, Knowing You or Money, Money, Money, you can’t go wrong. But if not, why are you even reading this review?