Luke Lawrie's Reviews
I’ve been reading Spider-Man comics since the early 2000s when J. Michael Straczynski sent fans into a frenzy during the One More Day story arc, where Peter Parker made a deal with Mephisto to rewrite his history. I flicked through the pages when Brian Michael Bendis did the unthinkable in Death of Spider-Man but then paved the way for Miles Morales to take the mantle. I was glued to Dan Slott’s epic 10-year run of The Amazing Spider-Man and enjoyed his controversial arc that saw him killing off Peter Parker, with Otto Octavius taking over as The Superior Spider-Man. This world has been a part of my reading influence for over 20 years. And I’m so glad to see a studio like Insomniac Games treat this property with a ton of respect while also putting their own spin on the characters and taking even an avid fan like myself on a wild, twist-driven ride. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a spectacular adventure that will keep you on the edge as its riveting story unfolds.
My time with Assassin’s Creed Mirage was enjoyable, but it’s also difficult not to look at everything else that is completely absent that was introduced in Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla. Ultimately, Mirage feels like a game that is old with outdated mechanics, but that’s also what Ubisoft aimed for. It’s an interesting way to experience a title, almost like Mirage is a remake of another game that didn’t exist before. Instead, it’s channeling that trilogy of Assassin’s Creed titles that began in the early 2000s – and I think that’s exactly where it should stay. Mirage makes for a great goodbye nod to that era, but it’s not one I want them to continue pursuing if it’s going to be this toned down.
Although I might seem down on Aliens: Dark Descent, there is a great game here under the inconvenience that is the main systems constantly getting in your way of trying to have fun. Balancing this out so scenarios aren’t piling on top of one another at the same time would definitely alleviate some of the frustrations I had being gated into outlandish fights. With a game where permadeath for characters is such a vital component, having bugs and technical issues that cause you to lose progress can be gut-wrenching, and it’s something I experienced far too often. Aliens: Dark Descent isn’t exactly what I had hoped for, but there’s plenty of room where improvements can be made.
Overall, Elden Ring is slightly held back by some lacking information in the UI, the uneven nature of the difficulty towards the endgame, and the inconsistent performance on the PC platform. Despite this, it’s an incredible experience and will be one of the best games you’ll play this year.
In a world where developers are getting used to working from home and games are being pushed back due to the global pandemic, EA decided that Battlefield 2042 was ready for this year. It’s not. More time is needed to fix a lot of the problems, but even then that might not be enough to save it from being one of the most lacklustre Battlefield titles yet.
I did not enjoy my time with Far Cry 6, and I couldn’t believe how quickly I lost interest with it. Not only is it disappointing because of the calibre of games that have preceded it — which I’ve had immense amount of fun with — but what it could mean for the franchise going forward if this is the direction Ubisoft continues it in. Too many of its mechanics have been streamlined to the point where they are oversimplified, and there’s a lack of innovation when it comes to ways in which to engage the player in interesting ways. I found all of the repetitive tasks you’re asked to check off a list extremely dull, and even its story couldn’t hold my attention.
My experience with Aliens Fireteam Elite was frustrating, but aside from the technical issues I still don’t think it is very good. The repetitive nature of the missions, a lackluster atmosphere that is missing the horror and tension from its source material, and a boring gameplay loop which doesn’t evolve at all over the course of the handful of hours it takes to complete. Aliens Fireteam Elite is an uninspiring and dull game that should have been shot out of an airlock.
The franchise's first-person foundation is beefed up in some areas but weakened in many more.
Demon’s Souls gives players a look back at what kicked off FromSoftware’s dominance in being one of the most exciting developers to watch over this last decade. While you’ll get a lot of enjoyment from your time with this title, FromSoftware has definitely refined and improved on the design and mechanics in the more recent released Souls games. Without a doubt Bluepoint Games has delivered a brilliant remaster of a niche game that not a lot of people had the chance to play originally. Demon’s Souls is worth checking out on the PS5. But if you’re looking to see what makes FromSoftware so amazing at what they do, you’re going to find a better overall experience in one of their newer titles like Dark Souls III, Bloodborne, or Sekrio: Shadows Die Twice.
There’s some fun to be had in Watch Dogs Legion, but it becomes so repetitive that by the end of the game everything feels like a chore — one I was desperately wanting to be over hours before its credits rolled.
Remedy continues to tell unique and extremely interesting stories, and in relation to how AWE concludes and what that means for the future of the Remedy Connected Universe, is just so damn exciting.
If you enjoyed what Control had to offer then you should be fairly satisfied with this first expansion. The Foundation doesn’t really do a whole lot new, and it doesn’t seem to learn from its mistakes, especially considering it has one of the worst checkpoints for a boss encounter yet. But if you want to get even more lost in this enthralling world that Remedy has created, then it will be hard not to pass this one up. Just stay clear of all the cats.
Rockstar Games has created a living, breathing world that I am absolutely invested in.
Despite some of the technical issues and difficulty scaling, The Surge 2 is a fun game that should satisfy those looking for a souls-like experience. The combat is rewarding, and the directional blocking system is definitely something I would love to see implemented into other action games.
Sekrio: Shadows Die Twice continues FromSoftware’s dominance, showcasing that it’s on another level when it comes creating action games in fantastical worlds. You’re going to die, and you’re go die a lot. But these brilliant gameplay systems that come together to form experiences that we don’t see in other triple-A games is why people get excited for what Hidetaka Miyazaki is doing at FromSoftware.
Crackdown 3 feels too similar to the game that came before it; it's like Sumo has made Crackdown 2 again
If you enjoyed the last game in the series then Just Cause 4 will give you a lot of fun creating explosions across the world, it just doesn’t push the series in any meaningful direction.
the basketball gameplay in NBA 2K19 is brilliant, and it has been for the last decade that I've been reviewing this series. But the way VC is used in the game needs to be re-evaluated, as it has become ridiculous and is blatantly pay-to-win. This greedy freemium model within an already fully priced game needs to disappear.
Friday The 13th: The Game has the potential to be a great game but sadly it's not right now.
While all of these new additions are great, these expansion sets end up segregating the community between the haves and the have-nots.