Aphelion may stumble in its mechanics, but when it places focus on the storytelling, atmosphere and spectacle, it’s exactly the kind of experience DON’T NOD excels at. It’s intriguing, mysterious and clever - we just wish it was tighter in terms of save points and how the gameplay is handled.
Whilst you may well be drawn in to MOUSE: P.I. For Hire by the visuals and soundtrack, once in, you’ll discover a game that is so much more than just that - an investigative, story-focused, secret-hunting, first person shooting platformer that is an absolute joy to play.
Plant of Lana II is the success we suspected it would be. A brilliantly told tale combines with stunning visuals, cracking gameplay mechanics, intriguing puzzles and a soundtrack to die for. But it lacks wow moments and any sense of difficulty.
Carmaggedon: Rogue Shift is chaotic, challenging and consistently fun - and that’s despite the absence of online play.
As a time waster to work alongside the Hidden Cats In… franchise, Hidden Cat Outlaws is fine. But it never really excels, struck with poor audio and repetitive stage design to leave it residing in the shadow of its more accomplished peers. On the plus side, it’s stupidly cheap and complete with some of the easiest Gamerscore you will ever unlock.
Hidden Cats in Tokyo is a hidden object joy, even if we don’t particularly need that story to keep dragging us along for the ride.
Gloomy Eyes is one of those games that you really must play. Aside from a slight camera issue, it introduces the player to a wicked world, dark, foreboding, but full of charm.
It means that Squish Machine is fine, for a time. It’s able to provide reasonably easy gathering of Gamerscore, as well as a fun flap through trap-filled stages, ushering up memories of times gone by and the thrill of Flappy Bird ideas. Whether you’ll find enough to continue on through to the bitter end though, will be up for debate.
What’s not to debate is that if you are on the hunt for a nicely designed, well crafted puzzler, and are itching for a little test of the mind, Square Logic is easily capable of providing it. It works exactly as intended, with no fuss and no bother. If you get it, Square Logic will deliver in spades. But if you don’t…
Basically, if you’re looking for a Zuma game, go and play the original. Or maybe even spend time with Zumania. Whatever you do, keep away from the Zumba – Treasure of the Marble Sea. There ain’t no treasures hidden here. Or if there are, they are buried so deep that you’ll drown in frustration before you get anywhere near them.
Wheel World is a triumphant celebration of the bike; a game that understands the culture of cycling. That is something which is long overdue, and you’ll not be left wanting by the open world rides, and highly replayable races, it allows.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. There’s no doubt that this is one of the most immersive, grittiest, most brutal of games, for multiple reasons. It’s also one that will allow for a ton of opportunities, no matter whether you follow missions, help out the odd friend, or go it alone, exploring the world forevermore. There’s also no doubt that aurally, it’s of the very highest standard, helping complete the immersion.
After years of having the open world racing scene dominated by Forza Horizon, Ubisoft have certainly found the right gear with The Crew Motorfest. If you’re an adrenaline junkie, this is one not to miss.
F1 Manager 2022 is certainly a decent effort; a well-worked management experience that does a lot right - Frontier must be applauded for that. But move away from the stats and you find a numbers-powered management game that just falls short of those higher podium steps.
Which gang you fall into will be completely up to you. For us, we’ve always been on the side of the Third Street Saints and with the rebooted Saints Row, will continue to do so.
Tour de France 2022 is left spinning up the steepest climb as the enthusiasm and energy fast drains away.
If you’re a sucker for jumping behind the wheel of a car and going round in circles all day, think that Tony Stewart is an utter legend or just love a bit of good old fashioned motorsport then Tony Stewart's Sprint Car Racing on Xbox One delivers the goods.
That aside, the multiplayer madness found in Think of the Children is good and the combination of boxy voxel visuals and a rather delightful, hugely catchy soundtrack mixes with the fast paced gameplay really well
That all sees Catastronauts come in to deal a rather nifty little space-themed chaotic cooperative adventure – one which will both bring together, and totally ruin, any friendships at the same time
Dimension Drive is fluid at all times, fast when it needs to be, and clever enough to be able to integrate in the unique dimension hopping feature to ensure that it is something many fans of the genre will want to get hands on with