Aran Suddi's Reviews
NBA 2K17 is an excellent basketball game, but I wouldn’t say it’s a major step up over last year’s title. The player duos are a great addition, while there have been improvements to the animations and player contact, but that makes the game a bit slower and more methodical. At the same time MyCareer is a lot more fleshed out which is great, but again, things can feel slow at times and you can feel the grind and the push toward spending real money to get past that. Really NBA 2K17 is on par with 2K16, making improvements in some areas, but with a few drawbacks alonside them.
Rive doesn’t quite reach its full potential, but shoot ’em up fans should give it a go anyway. The frustrating difficulty spikes are hard to ignore, but when it comes together, it’s a fantastic fast-paced corridor shooter which could have been considered one of the best 2D shooters in recent years. Either way, it’s a good send off and farewell for Two Tribes.
PES 17 is another example of Konami’s football series regaining some of the charm and style that made the series so great in the past. The game controls well, it looks good and it’s a lot of fun to play. It’s a big step forward on the path to reclaiming its crown, but it isn’t quite FIFA’s empire just yet. With a few improvements to the likes of MyClub and some parts of the game, the series could be there soon.
Mount & Blade: Warband is a tough game, but at the same time you’ll lose hours to it just through trying to rise through the ranks in Calradia. At the beginning so many lords will look down on you that you want to prove them wrong. It is a game where you will face multiple setbacks, but with each a lesson is learnt. The tasks may seem menial at first, but when you get in your first proper big battle with all the chaos of swords clashing, archers firing arrows, and cavalry charging the game just comes together. Mount & Blade: Warband is one of the hardest games I’ve played and that just makes it so very satisfying when you succeed.
The Tomorrow Children is at the beginning of its journey, with Q-Games' next step one of the most important in shaping the game's future. What is present shows promise, but after several days of playing it feels like most of what can be experienced has been. There's already a sense of repetitiveness settling in, and it feels like something is missing, even if I can't quite put my finger on what it is. On the flip side it really is great seeing players work together to help their towns grow, and finding ingenious ways to do so. The canvas is set and there is potential for a masterpiece to appear depending on what comes next.
In a way Armikrog feels like a tech demo for something much bigger, a showcase of what a final build could look like, with the majority of the character dialogue and story still to be added in. The fantastic claymation and the decent music can only distract so long from the facts that Armikrog feels soulless, lacks any charm, has boring characters, and has puzzles that could have been more interesting. The story of Tzurk and Meva told on the tablets would have made for a much better game.
‘Notgame’ isn’t the right tag for Bound, as there is a game here with platforming, puzzle solving, and defending against dangers, though admittedly much of it is about the journey undertaken. Plastic stated that narrative was the focus and it is part of everything, from the way the environments are shaped to the obstacles placed in front of the ballerina. Bound is easily one of the most stunning games to release on PS4, and if you’re searching for something a little different I heartily recommend it.
Kelvin and The Infamous Machine is easily beaten in an afternoon, taking me a total of four hours, and that is plenty of time for the story to run its course in a concise way. The characters are well written and generate a lot of humour, while the design is also drawn really well. It’s a shame then that a movement bug in the Newton chapter does break immersion, but it is limited to that section. The puzzles are well constructed and are welcoming to all player levels, making Kelvin and The Infamous Machine a great addition to the adventure genre.
This Is The Police leans on cliched scenarios and characters, but it represents some of the real struggles a police force has to deal with, like budgets being cut and a city with a lot of social problems. While Weappy states that the events of the game aren’t inspired by recent events, some of things that happen are rather poignant when viewed in that light. At the same time, This Is The Police is a tough game to get to grips with and there are certain annoying limitations. like not being able to reroute police to another call feel like annoying limitations rather than part of the challenge. A sandbox mode will help to keep things fresh when it is released, but even now This Is The Police is a decent simulation title.
Riptide GP: Renegade is a decent racer where the vehicles handle really well. The majority of the tracks look good and are fun to race in. However some of the elements put in to make the game harder for players stick out really obviously, like being the sole target of police vehicles. The campaign becomes a grindfest and the online is quiet at launch. There is only one event option which may get stale quickly due to the limited amount of tracks. If you’re looking for an arcade racer then Riptide GP: Renegade is a decent enough choice.
Kerbal Space Program is one of the most educational games I have played in years. While I'm nowhere equipped to apply for the ESA or NASA Kerbal Space Program does make understanding the science of space travel easier to digest. It is a complicated game but offers a real sense of achievement when you get something right. There are a couple of issues when it comes to the actual user experience, like the movement of non fixed cameras and text sizes, but even if you have just a small interest in Space travel then this is recommended.
Full Mojo Rampage is simply an average game that could have been a lot better. There are a few good ideas here, but they aren't fully realised, leading to a game that becomes tedious after a few runs of its quests. The grinding to level up is a bit too far on the long side too, tipping the balance from enjoyable to boredom as well. The game is available for a bargain price though, so if you fancy something a bit different then Full Mojo Rampage may be for you.
Lost Sea isn’t a bad game, but it does little to stand out. It does feel like that the developers could have followed a different path to keep things more interesting, and the lack of transferable skills and unlocks slows the progression to a crawl. Outside of boss fights, there’s little gameplay variation, making Lost Sea a drag when playing in long periods, but OK for shorts bursts here and there.
Demetrios – The BIG Cynical Adventure isn’t really filled to the brim with cynicism, but it does have a decent humorous tone throughout. While the characters aren’t exactly the most likeable people, the puzzles do present a decent challenges to solve, with a well implemented hints system for when you get stuck. If you like classic point & click adventure games, then Demetrios is worth a play.
If Blood and Wine is to be The Witcher series’ finale, then it’s going out on a high note that befits the high standards that have been set over the years. If you’ve enjoyed The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, then this expansion is essential.
Having played a few of Wales Interactive games, Soul Axiom is a disappointing release from a studio that is capable of better. Muddled in with the disjointed story and an uninteresting cast of characters, there are a few glimpses of genius design that only serve to highlight the lacklustre moments that surround them. Soul Axiom tries to discuss the subject of the soul, but doesn't have one itself.
Lumo is full of well thought out puzzles, but it lacks certain gameplay touches that could have pushed it into being a great game. My main gripe is that the jumping feels awkward and, coupled with perspective issues, means you can fail a simple puzzle dozens of times. The game does have a certain charm to it, and I would recommend it as a nostalgia trip for players that grew up with similar games, but this will not be for those who aren’t fans of classic titles or puzzles.
Honestly, Shadwen feels like it needed more time in development, both to work on its core ideas and bring them to fruition. The bland environments, the lack of an interesting plot, the technical issues, and the various gimmicks makes Shadwen a poor stealth and assassination game. At the very least, it tries to do something a little bit different, but simply doesn’t pull it off.
The Magic Circle: Gold Edition is a humourous and satirical look at the complexity of game development. At the same time, it’s a fun game that encourages you to experiment with different combinations to reach your goal, leading to a number of bizarre creations, but The Magic Circle: Gold Edition is brought to life by its comedy.
If the same calibre of quality was available from beginning to end then The Detail would be a well recommended game. As it stands, however, the game ends on a low note, just like this review.