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Olly Smith


50 games reviewed
76.7 average score
80 median score
58.0% of games recommended
May 9, 2017

For a port of an older Wii U title, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe feels like a brand new game that everyone can enjoy. Whether this is your first Mario Kart or your eighth, there's enough here to satisfy your thirst for racing.

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8 / 10.0 - Lydia
Aug 26, 2017

With this stimulating narrative, Lydia is a steady explorative adventure that will leave you speechless by the time you finish it. Its take on adult themes within a childish aesthetic feels familiar but it accomplishes enough to set it apart from other like-minded indie titles. It's a solid debut release by Platonic Partnership and leaves me intrigued to see what comes next from the Finnish studio.

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1.5 / 10.0 - Crimson Earth
Sep 16, 2017

The PC market is already over-saturated with zombie shooters, and Crimson Earth doesn't bring anything new to the table. With enough bugs, odd design choices and crashes to fill a book, you'd be better off sticking to richer shooters such as Killing Floor or Nation Red. Even for the £2.79 price tag, this is really hard to recommend.

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4.5 / 10.0 - The Search
Oct 4, 2017

For an hour-long experience, the main thing I took away from The Search were cheap puzzle mechanics and quotes by American lecturer Joseph Campbell. If the game's main themes were not as openly sermonising, then I could see the narrative being less tedious and players would get more out of it. But sadly, the extent of the story would have been much better suited as an essay, short film, or poem.

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6.5 / 10.0 - Raid: World War II
Oct 16, 2017

On a whole, RAID: World War II feels exactly like what you'd expect from a Payday clone. It takes less of a political approach than other games featuring Nazis such as Wolfenstein or the upcoming Call of Duty: WW2, and instead moves away from the ‘war is hell' narrative to opt for a more hyper-violent, stylised approach to the subject matter. While the choice of game engine severely lets itself down, there is still much to appreciate if you enjoy other co-operative shooters of its type.

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9 / 10.0 - Cat Quest
Dec 6, 2017

Whether you're a cat lover or not, Cat Quest creates an ideal blend of charming graphics and traditional hack-and-slash gameplay. Despite holding back on a few things, the satisfying combat and convenient loot system show that The Gentlebros have a tremendous understanding of RPG mechanics and – to let the cat out of the bag – it could pawsibly be my favourite game of the year.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Darkwood
Dec 15, 2017

Despite some unsatisfying gameplay systems, Darkwood can provide legitimate thrills and scares for the horror fans that miss the vibes of such classics as Silent Hill 2 and Pathologic without ever using a jump scare. Whether it is the uniquely grotesque art style or the ever-challenging design of its difficulty, Acid Wizard Studio has proven it understands what ingredients make up a good horror experience and the randomised elements of the game allow a unique narrative every time you play.

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7.5 / 10.0 - The Shrouded Isle
Jan 15, 2018

As a combination of both political strategy and Lovecraftian drama, The Shrouded Isle takes this idea and provides a comfortably tense experience whereby every choice should matter but with enough leeway that inexperienced players can still make mistakes. Fans of classic horror literature may be drawn to this game through its distortedly gothic art style and otherworldly premise, but the large difficulty curve may be too complicated for them, even if the repetitive gameplay structure can feel rewarding once you get the hang of it.

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4.5 / 10.0 - Black Mirror
Feb 13, 2018

Black Mirror has potential to be a decent horror puzzle adventure, but its technical limitations and pacing issues prevents that from ever becoming apparent. Its £25 entry fee is steep for the short experience you'll be getting, and the end product feels like a shadow of its former self.

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6 / 10.0 - State of Decay 2
May 31, 2018

With hardly any other true zombie survival simulations on the market, Undead Labs present a competent horror game. It's rough around the edges, with many bugs and features that feel lacklustre, and a multiplayer that doesn't fully deliver on its promise, but it's still a fun ride with many other improvements over the original. For all of its faults, it's an adventure you can rely on if you were a fan of the first.

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5 / 10.0 - Milanoir
Jun 22, 2018

Despite hitting a lot of the same notes, Milanoir is not the Hotline Miami successor many were expecting. The game has a lot of style, enough for its 6-8 hour campaign to keep you engaged, but it is hidden underneath a layer of extreme frustration brought to light by its technical issues and extreme difficulty curve.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Vandals
Jul 8, 2018

With perfectly crafted levels and an awesome electronic soundtrack, Vandals proves to be a great entry into the turn-based stealth genre. In many ways, it captures the sensation of what painting at night feels like.

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4.5 / 10.0 - Earthfall
Aug 21, 2018

Despite providing the foundations of an interesting multiplayer experience, Earthfall massively holds back on its delivery as a Left 4 Dead successor. It instead sits on a shelf amongst other co-operative horde shooters, unable to stand out as anything spectacular or bring anything new to the table.

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Nov 7, 2019

For as long as I recall, MediEvil has been a crucial part of my gaming upbringing. It was the first game I ever played; I remember spending long weekends with my dad trying to beat a level. I remember using our horrible dial-up internet to look up cheat codes. I even remember going around the school playground shouting at the other children and muffling my voice like Sir Dan. This is for the fans and it’s not very accessible to anyone outside of that circle. Regardless, it was a big treat to see Sony has not entirely given up on the franchise, and if there’s enough interest, may consider developing a new game altogether.

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Apr 6, 2020

To begin with, it's not an easy-peasy task to remake Final Fantasy 7. But Square Enix have not only done that, but they have also managed to deliver one of the finest RPG experiences of this generation.

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9 / 10.0 - Hades
Aug 10, 2021

It’s a tough genre piece, but it’s one where dying feels like progress. The more escapes you attempt, the more story you unravel as your relationships with these characters develop. Reaching the end of a run after levelling up your upgrades and finding that right combination of boons is the perfect sense of accomplishment.

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10 / 10 - Deathloop
Sep 13, 2021

Even though we’re only just entering the Big Games Season, I am fully confident in my assertion that Deathloop is the best game of the year.

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Oct 4, 2021

Overall though, Alan Wake Remastered is the same game it was in 2010 but with slightly nicer looking graphics. If you enjoyed the original, you’ll most likely enjoy this. If you hated it, there’s nothing about this new release that will change your mind. And if you’re brand new to the series, it’s definitely the best place to start.

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Oct 25, 2021

So, Age of Empires 4 then. It’s certainly a competently-designed RTS. Thanks to unique units, buildings and technologies, playing around with each civilisation is fun and offers a different experience each time. Unfortunately, with it feeling so similar to Age of Empires 2 but with many stripped down features, it’s extremely difficult for me to recommend spending £50 on this when you can grab Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition for £15.

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As much as I love the Fatal Frame series, I’m not at all hopeful for the future of the series if the publisher thinks this title will renew any interest in it. It’s cumbersome, unfocused and simply not fun to play. Sorry Koei Tecmo; I really love the original trilogy, can we bring them back instead please?

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