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Ben Salter

Adelaide, Australia.
Gryllis
Gryllis
Gryllis

Favorite Games:
  • Metroid Prime
  • Red Dead Redemption
  • The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

66 games reviewed
78.6 average score
80 median score
64.6% of games recommended

Ben Salter's Reviews

Ben is an Australian games writer and pioneer in the use of the term "current-gen" to actually refer to the current-generation of consoles. He has been to E3 five times, but can't really remember any of them. It's all a blur of our most ambitious abundance of caffeinated beverages ever.
9 / 10.0 - FIFA 17
Sep 22, 2016

FIFA 17 is the biggest stride forward for football this generation. I can’t say it’s reclaimed the crown from PES, and for the players who have made the switch, you’ll still find the controls a little too erratic. But with vastly improved A.I. and more attacking options to complement the defensive backbone, this is the strongest FIFA this generation where it counts. The Journey is in its infancy, but makes a quality debut in what is the best FIFA for single-player fans in recent history, alongside a deeper Career Mode. With a more attacking mindset in-play, it’s specular running on Frostbite — if anything, we have to wonder why EA waited so long to make the switch. After three years and four instalments, FIFA 17 is the stride forward we’ve been waiting for this generation; thank you, Frostbite.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Gears of War 4
Oct 5, 2016

Xbox One is only now getting its first taste of a signature franchise as it approaches its third birthday — and it was worth the wait.

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9.5 / 10.0 - Battlefield 1
Oct 17, 2016

Battlefield 1 is the definitive Battlefield game not only of this generation, but this decade. By focusing on moments and emotional realism, rather than a continuous campaign, it’s crafted the best single-player experience of any Battlefield game, and backs it up with stellar multiplayer. Operations is the best addition in years, and the returning favourites suit the World War I theme to a tee. Now, I’m off to attempt to land a plane on the airship and take it down from the inside. That’s possible, right?

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8 / 10.0 - Titanfall 2
Oct 25, 2016

At its best, Titanfall 2 is the same nail-bitting mayhem that made the original such an invigorating start to this console generation. The contrasting combat between titan and pilot intertwines seamlessly, with both having a greater arsenal at their disposal. Attrition is given a run for its money by Bounty Hunt as the obvious mainstay, while Amped Hardpoint is a clever tweak to a game mode you’ve played a thousand times.

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Nov 11, 2016

The multiplayer isn’t deeply flawed, it’s just boringly safe. We’ve had this movement system for three years, and there are better implementations of it in and outside of the franchise. The maps aren’t particularly well designed and the RIG system isn’t all that dissimilar to Specialists from Black Ops III, but needlessly makes loadouts more complicated without improving them. Matchmaking is atrocious and desperately needs to be fixed. Early in my online career, as a lowly level 5, I was constantly matched with players well above my rank. It’s impossible to compete against well-drilled teams with considerably better weapons, and that happened on a consistent basis. Even worse is imbalanced teams. I’ve been in too many objective matches that begin as four against six. By the time the teams have been balanced, which takes way too long, the result is known.

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8 / 10.0 - Dishonored 2
Nov 14, 2016

Here I am, nearly the end of this review, and returning players are probably thinking this all sounds familiar: correct. Dishonored 2 doesn’t do much differently, but rather tweaks what came before it, while averting risk. Emily injects new abilities, alongside some different weapon upgrades. There are excellent new environments to go with a similar story that doesn’t really go anywhere; it’s almost a clone of Corvo’s original desire to clear his name of wrongdoings amidst a powerplay. It makes for a very good action-stealth adventure that genuinely encourages playing by your own rules. But whereas we praised Dishonored 1 for being one of the most unique triple-A games of last-generation, that inherently isn’t the case with its very good, but very safe, sequel.

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6.5 / 10.0 - Dead Rising 4
Dec 4, 2016

Dead Rising 4 is basically Dead Rising 3 with crazier weapons, more zombies to decimate and the grand return of original protagonist Frank West – with gameplay that’s almost unrecognisable to his original tale.

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6.5 / 10.0 - Steep
Dec 7, 2016

Steep is a bit like being taught how to ski by an imbecile masquerading as a qualified instructor. Someone like your mate Dave, who has seen snow once in 28 years, but instils a false sense of sensible education. You’ll be fascinated by the beauty, and grow to crave the thrill; but eventually the spiral of incompetence will threaten to kill you, so you’ll throw down your hired polls in frustration and return to the solace of the bar, a more natural environment, and vow never to return.

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Dec 14, 2016

Don Bradman Cricket 17 expands on its pioneering predecessor with the fundamentals of cricket translating to fun, challenging gameplay. Batting and bowling are similar, but better rounded, and the introduction of female cricketers has been given the utmost care. The career mode is much deeper, and the customisation options are off the chart — it’s a cricket game that gives you back what you put in.

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8 / 10.0 - Yakuza 0
Jan 19, 2017

It’s an uncompromising old-school brawler than manages to feel both out-dated and timeless in its brutal gameplay, but that’s only part of the package. Yakuza 0 is all about its characters, with a compelling story that grabs you and won’t let go.

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Simply put, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the best launch title I've ever played. It's captivated me more than any game with a system launch, and it's rocketed straight into number one on my all-time favourite Zelda games. You could play it on Wii U, where it's still a fantastic game — clearly the best on the console. But it's that little bit more special to have such an amazing, massive game on a handheld system. Wherever you play, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was worth the wait.

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6.5 / 10.0 - Super Bomberman R
Mar 7, 2017

The problem with Super Bomberman R, as a fun but limited local multiplayer game you've played many times before, is its hefty price tag.

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7.5 / 10.0 - Fast RMX
Mar 8, 2017

With options to enable or exclude CPU racers, local multiplayer is the best of everything in Fast RMX, and at a very reasonable price. Even if you're pencilled in Mario Kart's encore as your multiplayer racing game on Switch, there's plenty of time to get in some quality time with the budget Fast RMX.

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4 / 10.0 - AFL Evolution
May 9, 2017

If you're an AFL fan and want an AFL game, there's no other choice. AFL Evolution is certainly the most playable attempt we've had at an AFL game for a while

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Sep 12, 2017

Samus Returns is my favourite 2D Metroid game since Super Metroid, and feels the best to play of any of them, but it's hard to evaluate on that front.

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8.5 / 10.0 - FIFA 18
Sep 26, 2017

FIFA 18 improves across the board and continues to offer an astonishing amount of options, without comprising on quality.

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9.5 / 10.0 - Super Mario Odyssey
Oct 27, 2017

With Super Mario Odyssey Nintendo proves the 3D sandbox platformer is not only alive and well, but that it can continue to be evolved and surprise us, consume us and astonish us in clever and elegant ways.

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Nov 4, 2017

There's no denying it's safe across the board, but that safe mix of new meets old is what makes WWII a great Call of Duty game.

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8 / 10.0 - Ashes Cricket
Nov 16, 2017

Ashes Cricket is the best cricket game ever made, enhancing the foundations of the Don Bradman Cricket series, rather than starting afresh.

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9 / 10.0 - Far Cry 5
Mar 26, 2018

Far Cry 5 is the thoughtful next step in a series renowned for shooting first and thinking second. The villains are devious, the world is intriguing and the wild animals remind you who owns the land.

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