Dominic Leighton's Reviews
The Alto Collection is a lovely little timesink that survives the jump to the big screen in robust fashion. Its clear and appealing visuals, and their ever-changing time-cycle, are simply another bright little plus point in a tightly concocted endless runner that's works as well on a TV as it does on something more portable.
A bright, bold, saliva-shooter, Spitlings will provide a healthy dose of entertainment for those playing alone, while the multiplayer turns it into a much wilder ride.
Othercide is an evocative and absorbing tactical roguelike, albeit one whose style occasionally gets in the way of the substance.
Orcs Must Die! 3 is a great return for the series, giving you a near endless number of ways to bring down destruction on the Orc hordes, even if the larger War Scenarios lose some of the series' carefully weighted balance.
Marvel's Iron Man VR is a brilliant superhero adventure, and one that replicates its star's physicality in VR in a truly incredible way.
Elder Scrolls Online deserves its position as one of the premier MMORPG experiences, and Greymoor upholds that, even if it doesn't quite do justice to Skyrim's vast legacy.
Wave Break is Tony Hawks Pro Skater on water, and yes, it's as wild, wacky and occasionally wonderful as that sounds. It boasts the same combo-driven, objective-led action that skateboarding fans have come to know and love, and if you've grown up with Mr Hawks' games there's every chance you'll enjoy Wave Break, as long as you can forgive some of its rough edges.
Persona 4 Golden remains an iconic and hugely enjoyable JRPG, and its arrival on PC means a slew of new players can discover its delights. It's a shame that there are a few technical problems lurking in the current build, but with the inclusion of both the Japanese and English dubs and the crisp, clear visuals, this marks a fantastic way to experience the game.
Disintegration is a game of, and about, duality. It manages to feel like a throwback while it's fresh genre melding brings it straight into the present. It's an occasionally lifeless, mechanically sound construct, but everything about it has heart. It's a double A game, the likes of which we don't often see anymore, and it's one of the most unique and consistently enjoyable sci-fi shooters of recent years.
Spirit of the North is a lovingly crafted indie adventure that's let down by some wonky platforming and simple puzzling, while the mysterious explorative adventuring evokes the memory of Journey, just without quite achieving the same emotional impact.
Borderlands Legendary Collection is a fantastic compilation of Gearbox's prototypical looter shooter series. Fans and newcomers can set out to Pandora on Switch, safe in the knowledge that very little has been lost, while the portability and optional motion controls add something meaningful to the experience.
51 Worldwide Games showcases Nintendo doing what Nintendo do best. They’ve taken a simple idea, and put it together in an utterly charming way. There’s so much here to enjoy, cramming in a host of games and experiences that could keep you, your family, and your friends playing together for many years to come. Best of all, you can't lose any of the pieces!
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is a generous and inspiring remaster, finally bringing the game's visuals in line with its outstanding narrative. It truly feels like this is now the game Monolith Soft always intended it to be, cementing its position as one of the greatest RPGs of all time.
Minecraft Dungeons could easily have been "My First Dungeon Crawler", but it's so much more than that. It does a great job of taking the genre's hooks – the waves of enemies, the pervasive drive for better loot – and making them palatable and approachable for a wide-ranging audience. It's perfect family gaming, but if you crank the difficulty up prepare for an epic beatdown, and the epic rewards to go with them.
The Wonderful 101 is a genuine treasure, this remaster bringing its quirky action gameplay and effortless charms to more people than ever before. It certainly looks the part, and is an easy buy for PlatinumGames fans, but the awkwardness of bringing the game's dual-screen UI to single screen systems means the Wii U is still the best place to play.
My Hero One's Justice 2 is a great brawler. It carries on the fine work put in on the first game, wraps the more recent story beats into a playable form, and buffs the already excellent visuals up to a new Shonen shine. It's not a great jumping on point for newcomers, at least story-wise, but it remains a fun, approachable fighter based on one of the best anime shows of recent years.
There's a sense that this is Splash Damage and The Coalition playing to the crowd with Gears Tactics. It undoubtedly captures the look and feel of the Gears universe, squeezing it into a slick turn-based tactical game, but while I can see a few genre fans attracted to its more cerebral form of warfare, it's the series fans who are going to get the most out of it.
SnowRunner is a game thoroughly, single-mindedly, in love with the open road. It just happens that it's the kind of love that's bred by getting that road so thoroughly under your nails, you occasionally have to wonder whether it's actually hate. Care, attention and time will show that SnowRunner is a passion project worth putting the extra mile in for.
I love that Freedom Finger sticks it, quite literally, to any expectations or tropes of the shmup genre. It's tough, puerile and loud, while being thoughtful, creative and satirical. The music is fantastic, the challenge rewarding, and its only real hindrance is the ability of your fingers and thumbs.
The Panzer Dragoon Remake marks a welcome return for one of Sega's most enigmatic series. Although this first game is slightly hamstrung by its own position in history, it implies that the return of Panzer Dragoon is in very good hands.