God of War is a narrative gem. What it lacks in pacing and agency, it more than triumphs in writing, acting, and directing. What it results in is a deeply emotive story about a familial relationships and the ties that bind us. With a sequel just around the corner, now is the perfect time to get into this series. As part of Sony’s directive to bring more of its beloved franchises to PC, I’m glad it settled on one of the PS4’s most popular titles.
Is Scarf a good game then? It’s certainly not terrible. I’d suggest it might even get lost in the shuffle that is the end-of-year period, which it doesn’t deserve. The game has a great foundation for puzzle design blended with platforming and exploration. Otherwise, the shortcomings with the game’s story aren’t intrusive enough for it to be a massive problem. It’s a solid little thing to spend a couple of evenings with.
Exo One is almost a perfect sci-fi puzzle game, let down by one poor level right in the middle. The movement, the beauty of its scenery, and the peculiarity of the narrative is something I really appreciate about video games as an art form.
Overall, I’m extremely happy with how Forza Horizon 5 has turned out. The variety in activities as well as care and attention put into its mechanics and world makes Mexico such a delight to explore. It’s most certainly the best game in the series, and could well be the best game on Xbox right now.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.