Aran Suddi's Reviews
Haven is an uplifting and positive tale of a young couple setting out to make an alien planet their home. Yu and Kay are a likeable pair as you watch their relationship strengthen, the world of Source is a gorgeous place to explore, and the soundtrack is great as well. While the overarching story could be deeper and battles could be streamlined further, Haven is a game that offers a chilled out escape.
Unto The End is a challenging game, but not overwhelmingly so. Each combat scenario is unique which keeps things fresh, while the world itself looks nice and hints at a wider world that cares little of your character's adventure. A handful of fights are frustrating and will hold you up, but Unto The End does not overstay its welcome and is easy to recommend to those who enjoy tough fighting challenges.
Putting the obvious parallels to one side, Immortals Fenyx Rising is a thoroughly enjoyable game. The main character is very likeable, and the humour between the characters is great, while the Golden Isle looks fantastic and is filled with content without also feeling overwhelming. It takes a while for the combat to grow, and the end portion of the game drags on, but if you want a fun and compact open world game then Immortals Fenyx Rising is well worth playing.
Observer: System Redux is well worth playing if you enjoy psychological thrillers, a dash of cyberpunk, and noir detective fiction, and it all looks fantastic on the new consoles. The story has many layers to it, exploring the nature of parent child relationships, corporate domination, human augmentation, and mental health.
If you are looking for a charming little puzzler and hidden object game then you cannot go wrong with I Am Dead. The story experience can be swept through in a few hours, and they will pass quite quickly, but it's an unforgettable journey.
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? stays faithful to the show's traditional format, packing in thousands of questions and several modes for both local and online multiplayer – the battle royale mode is a pretty good idea. There can be some odd difficulty spikes though, not to mention the need to grind to unlock more question packs and the player avatar and host doing little more than taking up space. A practical recreation that lacks any sort of soul.
Space Crew is a solid management and strategy title with enjoyably tense space battles, but the grind does get repetitive after a while. A bit more variety to mission structure would be very welcome.
Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix is a decent kart racing game. The tracks are well made and take proper inspiration from Nickelodeon's retinue of shows, the Crew system adds a tactical element, and the challenges are decent, but it's just missing a little sparkle and a certain charm. Still, it's a thoroughly competent kart racer that leaves its predecessor in the dirt.
On the pitch, FIFA 21 is an incremental improvement over FIFA 20, but doesn't address some of the biggest issues with defending and the high-scoring matches this leads to. With Volta still missing a certain spark and Ultimate Team not really changing much, it's the Football Manager-inspired Career mode that takes the biggest step forward. It's still a good football game, but it feels like the real focus is on next-gen.
Tennis World Tour 2 is a solid all-round tennis game, and the inclusion of the wildcard system offers an additional and entertaining tactical layer to consider as you play. It's just a shame that some minor issues hold it back from being great.
Kingdoms of Amalur Re-Reckoning is a good solid remaster, just don't expect much to have changed compared to the original. The world is as magical fantasy as you could get, and it really does draw you in, but some technical issues and a number of repetitive quests can dull the otherwise colourful experience.
Raji: An Ancient Epic is a solid first attempt for Nodding Head Games, but there are issues that will need to be addressed for future games. The Indian setting and use of Hindu mythology differentiates Raji from similar titles, lending it a fast-paced story and interesting protagonist, but the presentation, quality of voice acting and platforming all need improvement.
UFC 4 is an evolution over UFC 3. A much better and more cohesive online, a better system for advancing your created fighters, a career mode that has a bit more depth, and gameplay that opens up the series to more people, makes UFC 4 the game that UFC 3 should have been.
Creaks is a nice and inventive puzzle game from Amanita Design. A handful of frustrating puzzles do little to detract from the world's stand out visual design and inventive use of music as a guide through the adventure. If you enjoy puzzle games then Creaks is well worth a go.
Destroy All Humans is a faithful remake that retains the charm of the 2005 original, while dramatically overhauling the visuals and making some improvements to the gameplay. Perhaps a bit too faithful, with missions that now feel too simple and limited to the point of just being a bit boring.
Ghost of Tsushima is an artistic triumph, capturing a real cinematic feel through its visuals, immersive world and soundtrack. However, Jin is a serviceable main character and he and his journey to save Tsushima is often overshadowed by secondary characters and smaller, more personal stories found in the side quests. Throw in some formulaic missions and an awkward user interface, and Ghost of Tsushima is at times more style than substance.
With easy to pick up and play action that looks great on Switch, Urban Trial Tricky is a nice and stylish bike trick game with just enough variety in level design to keep things interesting.
If you fancy playing BioShock: The Collection for the first time or perhaps on the go, you can't really go wrong with the Switch port of the trilogy. The stories of each game strike just as well now as they did years ago, perhaps even more so in today's social and political climate, as BioShock Infinite explores the issues of racism and the fight against inequality and injustice.
Jet Lancer is a great aerial combat game, giving you a real sense of freedom as you fly through the skies battling enemies that come at your from all directions. The story is nothing to write home about, and the timed missions can be a touch annoying, but Jet Lancer is a fun shoot 'em up overall.
Liberated's comic gameplay style works very well and the game provides some good entertainment. However, the story and characters are not as well explored as they could have been. If you like political thrillers, then this could scratch that itch for a few hours.