Jim Hargreaves's Reviews
There’s not much else to say – Umbrella Corps is a downright awful dagger in the hearts of Resident Evil fans. We can only hope that, with one final nail in the coffin, Capcom will bury this tragic era and leave it dead forever.
It’s still early days for Pirates: Treasure Hunters. Getting off the ground and building a community is hardest stage for any MOBA, but while there’s a number of ways in which it tries to break the mold, a pattern of common missteps overcloud the game’s prospects of a bright future.
Some parts of the Asemblance are executed incredibly well, but having clocked in at just over an hour, it’s a tough one to recommend. Those who enjoy tearing apart this specific type of interactive thriller will have a ball searching every detailed nook and cranny for fresh clues, while the majority of gamers simply “won’t get it”. Either way, we’re intrigued to see where Nilo goes next and whether its ambitions for a landmark narrative series can actually materialise.
However, while I certainly enjoyed most of the scenarios I played, I found myself falling into that same groove, opting for a select cluster of traits and tactics to help ensure victory every time. Very soon, Plague Inc. became one of those games I couldn’t sit in front of attentively and immerse myself as the action unfolds. Although there’s certainly an active element at play, the long periods of waiting meant I’d need some other form of media playing in the background just to feel comfortable. It’s a minor downside to end the review on and one that can easily be swept aside for those who game and multitask anyway. Let’s not forget, that’s how a majority of mobile games are consumed so it should come as no surprise that the same is true of Plague Inc. Evolved.
To brand the game as a failure would be unjust, however. Although far from being essential, it's easy to see why The Sun and Moon cleaned up at Ludum Dare 29. It's just a shame that the end result lacks the substance and feature set needed to embrace a larger, more diverse audience.
Whatever excitement I have is matched by an immediate sense of bewilderment as I prepare to memorise everything around me, knowing it will be another few hours before I can walk away truly satisfied with my in-game performance.
In short sessions, preferably with other players, there’s still plenty of fun to be had in tearing through each level like a bull in a china shop. That said, the longer you play Dangerous Golf, the harder it becomes to overlooks the game’s shortcomings. It’s a respectable debut from Three Fields, if one that doesn’t quite live up to its full potential.
For multiplayer aficionados, Overwatch is essential. It's the kind of game worth sacrificing entire evenings to play and the kind of game you won't be able to stop thinking about, even when you're away. Although the lack of a singleplayer component will deter some, there's more than enough mileage to be had from twelve maps and 21 heroes available.
Expectations may not have been through the roof to begin with, but it's difficult to walk away from Homefront: The Revolution without feeling disappointed. There are some genuinely enjoyable bursts of gameplay to be found, but for each one you'll need to wade through a sludge of repetitive mission designs and annoying bugs.
Amidst the galavanting and guffawing, King’s Quest has these profound and rather touching moments that can really tug at the heartstrings.
What we’re left with is a competent arcade racer that plays just as well as it looks. However, wrapped around this refined core is a layer of overly familiar tracks that do little to sell players on TTR’s core premise. Weaving in and out of humongous aerosol cans, dinner rolls, and sushi platters is a fun novelty but fails to add a dynamic worthy of praise outside its obvious aesthetic application. Although very enjoyable in small doses, Table Top Racing: World Tour doesn’t carry quite enough substance to make it past the finish line with flying colours.
Uncharted 4 is more than masterful, bearing the hallmarks of a true system seller. What struck me most as an ardent fans of the series is how much it breaks away from the original blueprint yet manages to amaze on every level. Where many studios step safely from one sequel and into the next, Naughty Dog has taken a gigantic leap, proving yet again they're the best in the business.
Maybe it comes down to how easy and accessible Coffin Dodgers is as a racer, but there’s definitely something that’s clicked with me. Even so, it’s a disappointing effort overall, but Coffin Dodgers may prove to be a guilty pleasure of sorts for a small minority.
Several hours and a dozen or so mastery ranks later, there’s still so much to do in Sapienza. The more accomplished I become as an assassin, the more options I’m given to experiment with, unlocking new weapons, costumes, and starting locations. When you factor in IO’s ongoing series of live events and community challenges, Hitman’s replay value grows exponentially and will continue to do so when we touch down in Marrakesh later this year.
When played with a friend, some of its issues become easier to overlook, but the fact still remains that those hoping for a triumphant return will be left disappointed by this rather one-dimensional arcade rehash.
With much of the game centred around matches and how they play out, Lacrosse 16 leaves much to be desired. Clearly, a lot of dedication has gone into making this the most polished adaptation of the sport you’ll ever get your hands on. However, that’s not enough to gloss over its two largest oversights: frustrating controls and an almost nonexistent learning aide.
It's a shame because Kholat has one of the best horror game set-ups we've seen for quite some time. Not only that, the team at IMGN.PRO has clearly put effort into sculpting an spooky collection of vistas each dripping in atmosphere. Sadly, wedged between these tense moments is way too much filler. The mind-numbing map reading and navigation would have been easy to overlook if that only made up a small portion of the game. Instead, it forms this drab and unappealing bedrock that threatens to drag Kholat down whenever there isn't something scripted happening on-screen.
Salt and Sanctuary is about as far from original as you could possibly imagine. It apes the Souls series almost beat-for-beat, from its core design down to very minor things like the health and stamina bars in the HUD.
As a 3D action game, Estival Versus manages to tick most boxes, but it fails to deliver anything which could be labelled as ground-breaking. While in no way poor or unenjoyable, it does little to put this franchise on the map. Still, for fans of previous entries, there's plenty of meat on the bone, bundled together in a respectably polished brawler.
Hyrule Warriors: Legends may be not be of the same calibre as most Zelda games yet there’s something to be said about way it draws from both the gaming properties it looks to fuse together. Although not entirely successful, it’s an interesting amalgam and one that fans from both camps will now be able to appreciate while on the go.