Jim Hargreaves's Reviews
In an industry still obsessed with lifelike visuals, gratuitous violence, and tear-jerking stories, Wattam is a welcome remedy. Though short-lived and bizarre is its design, it has a joyous cleansing effect that will have you grinning ear to ear.
L.A. Noire: Case Files cleverly recycles one of the most intriguing games of the decade. Team Bondi's meticulous meticulous world-building and technical achievements still live on, clicking seamlessly with VR, even if Case Files doesn't exactly break new ground.
With Audica, Harmonix has taken a shot at reclaiming the rhythm action crown. It touts a challenging lineup of stages matched by a strong song roster yet feels boxed in by its shooting range premise.
Battlewake is another fun experiment from the Survios labs, though sadly one that can often feel lost at sea. At first you'll revel in sinking ships and sailing the high seas, but the novelty soon wears off as you rinse and repeat the same swashbuckling gameplay loop.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is exactly the kind of single player game we had originally hoped to see when EA and Disney joined forces. Even if you strip away the license, you're left with a super satisfying mix or combat, story, and exploration, deftly crafted by a studio best known for spearheading an entirely different genre.
Infinity Ward was never going to recapture the magic of the original Modern Warfare, but this is still their most memorable Call of Duty game of the past decade. This is a bold new spin that's uneven in places, but proves there is still room for innovation within that core template.
MediEvil resurrects one of our all-time favourite PlayStation mascots for a new generation. This remake does exactly what it promises, revamping dated visuals while staying faithful to the 1998 original, even if that means digging up certain design choices that have remained buried with Sir Dan all these years.
Touted as a seafaring Stardew Valley, Stranded Sails combines farming, exploration, and survival in a neat yet flawed package. It’s fun and rewarding in parts but doesn’t hold a light to Stardew or Harvest Moon in terms of charm or depth.
There's a calming sense of satisfaction to be had from Bus Simulator, though you'll have to work for it. This is the very definition of a slow burner - it's deliberately repetitive in a way that will irk most gamers, yet caters perfectly to a specific niche.
Heave Ho is the life of the party: wild and magnetic with a few surprises up its sleeve. Play it on your own, however, and it's not quite as much fun to hang with.
Sagebrush's story isn't one that will leave a lasting impression and the pacing can feel off, but it is succinct, suspenseful, and on sale for less than a fiver, making it well worth your time if 90s cult thrillers are your jam.
There are some intriguing ideas at play here. Decent stealth mechanics and a captivating cultist backdrop will reel you in though there just isn't enough substance to make The Church in the Darkness a lasting, worthwhile experience.
We've seen some bad permutations of the battle royale genre, but this one takes the dog biscuit. Don't Even Think is an opportunistic trainwreck that, while free to play, will leave you feeling emotionally out of pocket.
Vacation Simulator goes well beyond what we originally expected from this sequel. It cleverly expands on just about everything from the original game while bursting with the same lighthearted humour and the kind of immersive interactivity other VR devs could only dream of achieving. It's a lot cheaper than a real holiday too, and involves less time sharing sweaty metal tubes with other humans, which definitely helps.
First there was the N. Sane Trilogy and now there's Nitro-Fuelled. Activision's Crash Team Racing rebirth is more than a quick cash grab – Beenox has modernised an all-time classic with such evident passion, making this the best kart racing game we've seen on PlayStation or Xbox for many, many years.
DayZ has a rich history, a long lineage or war stories and strange survivor tales that have drawn thousands down its rabbit hole, but its reality is very different. There's nothing here but a dull, vacuous wasteland, devoid of character and relying solely on players to make their own fun.
The London Heist always felt like it was leading to something much bigger, and here it is. Blood & Truth is a thrilling romp that puts you at the helm of your own blockbuster, dripping with over-the-top action as you blitz your way from one set piece to the next.
For the ultimate golfing experience, look no further. Everybody's Golf VR may be missing some of those multiplayer options and a meaty career mode, though fits itself in a tidier, more focused package pitched at a great price.
Three Kingdoms is another solid instalment in the Total War franchise, but lacks a certain wow factor. Creative Assembly has made some clever refinements around the edges of that enduringly addictive strategic core, allowing fans to steep themselves in yet another historic saga. However, there's a chance that some won't gel with this new setting or the way Guanzhong's epic has been adapted. It's another fun and rewarding take on the series, though we'd struggle to call it a must-buy.
There are glimmers of true excellence here; small stretches of Days Gone can be especially fun and polished. However, the assembly of these various parts suffers from the lack of an engaging story, compelling characters, or an open world that feels organic and worth exploring.