Dominic Leighton's Reviews
Exoprimal is a multiplayer shooter with bags of potential. A good round has all the thrills of Overwatch's PvP wrapped up with the brain-massaging mayhem of Earth Defense Force or Dynasty Warriors, but it's so slow about getting you invested that some players might simply never get there.
Thumper remains a true VR classic, and its upgrade for PSVR2 makes it the best place to experience its violent audio charms.
Despite its simplistic setup, Kingdom Eighties will hoover up hour after hour of your time. There's a captivating quality to its pure, focused strategy, and combined with its more narrative-driven focus Kingdom Eighties is a must-play game in 2023.
Dordogne is a delight. A picturesque and poignant journey that will touch your memories and your heart in equal measure.
Storyteller is a delightfully different indie puzzler, and its accessible tale-telling is well worth settling down with for a few hours.
Synapse is a phenomenal VR game, bringing striking visuals, meaningful progression and true power fantasy together to craft a game that's begging for one more go. It stands as an immediate must-buy for PSVR2 owners.
Park Beyond is a hugely enjoyable park builder that thrives on accessibility, personality and creativity.
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is a brisk, brutal boomer shooter and another great reason for a visit to Games Workshop's science fiction theatre.
Lego 2K Drive does an incredible job of bringing Lego racing to life; it's unashamedly creative, consistently energetic, and confidently amusing. It's the kind of game that can bring families together in front of a screen, and away from it.
Grindstone is a puzzle classic, and Capybara Games have ensured that its transition to PS5 is flawless.
The combination of open-world and supernatural foes has become increasingly wearisome in the last few years, and immediately after playing through Dead Island 2 I wasn’t particularly looking forward to Redfall. However, Arkane Austin should never be underestimated for putting their own spin on a genre, with Redfall offering enough surprises and memorable moments so far to set it apart from the open-world crowd.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp takes a strategy classic and buffs it up for a modern audience – the fact that it is so faithful to the originals only reinforces how brilliant they were in the first place. Re-Boot Camp is essential for fans of tactical warfare, and a perfect companion for Nintendo Switch; hopefully its release will rekindle interest in the series, and bring us a long overdue new entry.
Minecraft Legends captures the magic of Minecraft in a wholly new way. It's chaotic, it's creative, it's competitive and it's an absolute blast.
Mile High Taxi brings a huge chunk of Crazy Taxi's frivolity to the futuristic skies, and it's clear that solo developer Cassius John-Adams has put their heart and soul into making this a truly Crazy ride.
Ravenbound is a striking Scandinavian fantasy, and one that's often a delight to experience. However, this particular open world can often feel too empty and lifeless, relying on a player's thorough involvement in its collection of gameplay ideas to stay engaged.
Clash: Artifacts of Chaos is an idiosyncratic adventure, managing to be jaw-droppingly beautiful, fun and often mesmerising while hanging on to some of the Souls-like genre's most frustrating elements.
I was genuinely surprised to find myself enjoying Cereza and the Lost Demon even more than I did Bayonetta 3. The laid-back exploration, the beautiful visuals, the unique control and combat scheme, and the fact that this is a fresh take on the franchise make it an altogether different experience, and one that furthers the series' lore while ensuring it opens itself up to an all-new audience.
Wild Hearts has proved to be an immense surprise. It navigates the line between well-worn ground and exciting new innovation immensely well. It's the best non-Capcom hunting game we've ever had, and a hugely enjoyable action RPG in its own right.
Despite its clear and comprehensive flaws, Wanted: Dead is still weirdly likeable, and will undoubtedly find a similarly strange and unique fanbase to worship at its feet.
Hi-Fi Rush is an utterly beguiling new take on rhythm-action, combining some of this generation's most impressive visuals with music and mayhem.