Dominic Leighton's Reviews
Submerged is a wonderful, melancholic exploration game, that builds a more defined and evocative world than many AAA games do.
Perhaps not <em>quite<em> as transcendental as it is in VR, Tetris Effect: Connected remains an incredible, visionary piece of work, that you can now experience with others. With its arrival on Xbox Series X, it can be a game for a new generation.
NBA 2K21 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S is a big step forward for the franchise and easily the best version of this year's basketball franchise. There might be the feeling that features were shorn from the current gen release to give it more impact, but from the inclusivity of featuring the WNBA in MyPlayer, to the sprawling The City online hub and the stunning graphics and gameplay improvements, this will keep you and your new console happy well into 2022.
Joy, wonder and engrossing park management come together to spectacular effect in Planet Coaster: Console Edition. Frontier are masters of the park building art, and as we enter a new console generation that's never been clearer.
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered is the perfect reminder of what Criterion brought to the franchise, with a blisteringly fast arcade racer that’s made all the better if you’ve got the ability to play it at 60fps. The main downside is that your Autolog wall is more likely to splashed with your solitary achievements, rather than the consistent flow of competition you experienced a decade ago.
Jurassic World Evolution: Complete Edition offers a huge wealth of content, and all of the dinosaur park building you could ever want, but the drop in visual quality to squeeze it onto the Switch will prove too much for some people.
Pacer is a magnificent anti-grav racer that's more than capable of filling the Wipeout-sized hole in your life.
If you're looking for a Little Witch Academia digital experience, then VR Broom Racing lets you spend time with the cast in an authentic, if entirely frictionless game experience. Younger players will likely find more to like here, and once the online component is added there should at least be a reason to come back.
Zoids Wild: Blast Unleashed is a light and colourful arena brawler that will please younger fans of the show, but anyone else will likely burn through it in short order.
Mario Kart Live is a wondrous and magical toy that combines real world and digital play in an incredible way. It's a shame though that not everyone will have the space, or the money, to experience it.
Age of Empires III Definitive Edition is a lovingly reworked classic of the RTS genre that modernises in all the right ways. It also serves as the perfect way to prepare for next year's long awaited Age of Empires IV.
Avicii Invector Encore Edition is a perfect portable album, offering a wonderful chance to bid farewell to one of the most important electronica artists of our time.
Star Wars Squadrons has taken an impressive first step in revitalising the Star Wars fighter pilot game. With a tale that feels like a genuine part of the galaxy far, far away, and space combat that gives you the tools to be an X-Wing or TIE fighting ace. Whether you're on the light or the dark side of the force, this is a game that Star Wars fans need to play.
Hotshot Racing is a nostalgia-tickling delight that doesn't have quite enough depth to keep pulling you back for any real length of time.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps arrives on the Switch in exceptional form. Though there have been a few nips and tucks here and there in order to squeeze it into a considerably more modest form factor, it still showcases Moon Studio's incredible vision from the moment it starts to the tear-jerking finale.
FitXR is BoxVR 2 in all but name. That's not a bad thing – BoxVR was a great VR trainer – and the fact that previous owners get the upgrade for free is a nice move in this age of nickel and diming customers. The new social aspect, and the refined action, ensure that FitXR is a VR fitness class well worth booking in for.
Madden 21 has the components to be a solid, if utterly by-the-numbers entry in the franchise. However, a raft of bugs and glitches serve to undo the game's atmosphere at every turn.
OkunoKa Madness isn't the name of the game, it's the name of the condition you have once you've played it. Evil geniuses are more forgiving than this game's development team, and though you'll be whimpering for the sweet, simple oblivion of a shark-infested tank, OkunoKa Madness will have you clambering back out for another go.
An infectious, frantic multiplayer blast, Super Bomberman R Online's major caveat comes from its place amongst the current raft of Stadia exclusives. It doesn't seem to be the place that people are choosing to play major multiplayer games, but in the case of Super Bomberman R Online, that's a crying shame.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition retains plenty of its original charms, enhanced by updated visuals and audio, but with its defining local co-op diluted by clunky online play, it simply doesn't stake a strong enough case for its return.