Spending time in the Bermuda Triangle with Down in Bermuda on Xbox is tremendous. It's a game where you can just kick back and relax, solving puzzles in your own time without anything trying to kill you, or you ever needing to worry about silly time restraints.
So, Cyberpunk 2077 on Xbox. This is a game I had been looking forward to for what seems like a lifetime, and it was never going to live up to the high expectations that CD Projekt Red, I or the world as a whole has been putting on it. It’s a great RPG, but at the same time it doesn’t do anything grounding breaking in terms of style and gameplay. Yes it has bugs, there is an annoying UI and I can’t ignore the mission stutters, but similarly it’s a game that I constantly think back to when I’m not gaming, looking forward to my next deep session with it.
The Complex on Xbox One is a good sci-fi experience that delivers a decent tale about pharma-terrorism with many complex and interesting themes running throughout. The production values, acting and the script are all very good and it’s a very enjoyable yarn, with all this helped by the fact that there are several different – and hugely interesting – outcomes in place. But the actual choice-driven gameplay has not been able to make me feel connected to the story enough
If you’re looking for an strange little alternative to No Man’s Sky then look no further than The Long Journey Home
Instead, it has a very unique tale to tell, a brilliant concept for a platformer and some interesting game mechanics that both innovate and surprise
For me, the visuals, gameplay tweaks and huge array of sandbox elements to have fun with put Farming Simulator 19 right up there in the farming entertainment world
The whole Heavy Fire: Red Shadow experience feels like it should be on VR, and that may well be the best way to get anything out of this turret shooter. The price is too high as well – at least for anyone to take a punt on – and even though it does nothing wrong and all appears to work fine, it does become very repetitive quite quickly
It’s different though, and that should be wholeheartedly applauded, however I’m afraid the gameplay just becomes too repetitive for any long term bull riding fun
The sandbox elements, the amazing level design, and variety of gameplay options on offer are all superbly crafted and highly addictive, but I do think that fans of the previous game may well look at this more like a Version 1.5 of the previous title
If you’re a fan of H.P. Lovecraft’s work then I feel this is one of the best experiences out there, simply because it loves its source material. Yes it’s a linear journey and you’ll struggle to find much in the way of replay value, but that’s okay because it’s a welcome breather from the huge open worlds that are dominating the games scene
Neonwall is one of those games that is fun to pick up and play, if only so you can have a quick go every now and then
Pure Farming 2018 is the best farming sim title that I’ve played on this generation of console. If you’ve always been curious about trying one of these games then this will be a great place to start, and the seasoned professional will adore the content and challenges – with the added bonus of taking in farming ideas from other countries. It’s a bit of a shame about the lack of multiplayer though.
The cell shaded look of Sedna and the soundtrack are excellent, but the change in gameplay, some of the combat and the isometric look lessened my enjoyment. The puzzles and innovative ideas are great though and some of the world themes are interesting to revisit, but it most certainly left me remembering the original as the better experience.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance delivers a huge, complex world with a host of things to get involved in. The story is well written, brilliantly acted and expertly executed. I am worried that the buggy nature of the game will put many off and whilst the vast majority of the problems shouldn’t worry anyone too much, it can get a tad annoying.
I am hugely excited about the promise of The Council and can’t wait for the next four episodes. I hope it continues to surprise and intrigue me as much as The Mad Ones has, and the hints delivered so far begin to ramp up to a great conclusion.
If you have small kids or refuse to grow up, then I think you’re going to love this little game with the cuddly one eyed space monster.
It's not the worst game of the year because it's not broken, it all works fine and there is an interesting concept of a show here, even though we may have trodden these boards before. I found the combat sluggish and uninspiring, and some of the nightmare levels can be very generic compared to other games in these genres. But I think Past Cure is probably worth a punt as long as you can grab it in a sale and fancy trying something a bit unusual.
Mulaka is a great Zelda type game that is certainly decent value for money. The gameplay is good fun with an excellent mixture of puzzle, exploration, and combat. You should be aware of the bugs, and the fights sometimes do go on a bit too long, but overall it’s a great game.
It’s important to have games created like this; games that won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but are happy to push experimentation and storytelling to the limits. Give me more please.
There are some elements of the gameplay that lets it down and the whole experience is a tad short, but if you’re a fan of story, tone and original gaming then I would plead for you to enter the world of Pinstripe. You won’t regret it.