Shannon Grixti's Reviews
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is the best way to play one of PlayStation's defining games. It's improved visually in every way, with a great amount of love and care put into every detail and will be a joy for newcomers and fans alike.
TopSpin 2K25 is without doubt the best tennis game since the last Top Spin game. It succeeds at finding the all important balance of risk versus reward that the foundation of Tennis is built on, and whilst it's not perfect, it provides a solid base for 2K to build on.
What looked flat in the original game (which I confirmed by going back to it), now feels alive. Balls of light now beam off the worlds with the entire world around you being fully reflective in real-time, giving it a greater sense of immersion and scale. Similarly, the portals reflect on the walls surrounding them too, making the world feel more 3D and less flat.
Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered on PC is still the fantastic experience that it was on PS4, but now with a little bit of extra polish and shine from a graphical standpoint. If you haven't played this game, jump in, and if you played it on the PS4/PS5 it might just be time to get swinging once more.
Mario Strikers: Battle League is a fun time that is easy enough for anybody to pickup and play but still without depth to mean it should keep an audience engaged for a long period of time. It's a little lacking in the single player department, but it's doing some interesting things in the online space to make up for it.
Nintendo Switch Sports feels familiar, yet still remains fun after all these years, especially when played with groups of friends. Whilst the offline offering is a little bit basic, we're hopeful that what's on offer online will take advantage of the easy to play, hard to masters gameplay mechanics.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land takes the Kirby franchise to new heights in new and interesting ways. Whilst it's not the full step forward that I was hoping for, it's still super enjoyable and excites me for what could be next in the Kirby series.
Whilst the price is a little steep, I can't deny the fact that the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection provides the best way to play two of PlayStation's best games. Naughty Dog's finest shine on the PS5 hardware and if you haven't played these games, you're in for an absolute treat, and if you're returning to these games, you can expect to be blown away all over again, if not for the enhanced visuals alone.
Mario Party Superstars is a fun, nostalgic ride and will provides hours of fun among groups of friends. However, it's hard not to look at what else could be added when there's such a rich pool of content to pull from, and most other games have launched with more on offer.
Metroid Dread feels like a celebration of 2D Metroid. It manages to stay true to the original games, whilst also introducing some new elements that keeps things feeling fresh. The game is held back by some questionable level design, the E.M.M.I feeling repetitive and a definite knowledge barrier for series newcomers.
Alan Wake Remastered is a prime example of if it isn't broken, don't fix it. The story, and the way it's told is truly timeless, and it's a game that everyone should experience. Some of its design might be stuck in the past, but none of it ever feels detrimental to the overall experience, and the visual facelift just makes the experience that much better. Whether you're a new fan of Remedy's work, or a long-time player, there's never been a better excuse to visit or return to Bright Falls.
New Pokemon Snap really captures what has made Pokemon popular for so many years. It gives a new life to so many Pokemon that we've known and loved over the years and provides a relaxing relief from the plethora of action games on the market. I don't know if a lot of the padding was necessary, but I still enjoyed every second of my time with the game.
If there's one things that's certain after playing the PS5 and Nintendo Switch versions of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, it's that the game is fun no matter where you're playing it. The Switch version is great for portability whilst the PS5 provides crisp 4K visuals and insanely fast load times. It's worth a play for Crash fans and those that haven't had the joy of taking control of everyone's favourite Bandicoot.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is a fantastic package that showcases what makes Nintendo games so special. Super Mario 3D World is just as good as when it released, and Bower's Fury is a surprisingly good standalone adventure that paves the way for the future of Mario.
Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition pulls out all the stops to give players enough reason to come back. The loading is insanely fast, the ray-tracing is absolutely delicious and the frame rates are buttery smooth. If you've previously struggled to get into Devil May Cry, this won't necessarily appeal to you any more than previous games have. But if you're looking for a killer app to show off either your precious new hardware or television, then you should look no further.
As a free pack-in game, Astro's Playroom is a great showcase of the new DualSense controller. More importantly though, it goes above and beyond in celebrating the history of PlayStation. There's throwbacks to PlayStation's greatest games and moments at every turn and it's a genuine delight from start to finish.
When it comes to Wii U ports that have made their way over to the Nintendo Switch, Pikmin 3 has probably received the most love, care and new content of any of them. The game is much more accessible than it was before, making it perfect for newcomers to the series with enough new content to give fans of the series a reason to come back.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit provides a fresh and unique gaming experience, which feels hard to come by these days. The kart is cleverly designed and well put together, responding to every precise movement. Whilst the core gameplay might get a little repetitive, the technology has a bright future, and it's guaranteed to provide fun for the whole family.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars is another must-own game for Nintendo Switch. It brings together three games from three different generations and shows just how timeless the Mario franchise is. At the same time, it is a shame that Nintendo didn't celebrate the iconic franchise a little more throughout the presentation of the package.
At the end of the day, Peril on Gorgon is more The Outer Worlds. Whether that's for better or for worse will largely depend on how much you're itching to re-enter the Halcyon Colony and how satisfied you are with the game as it is. Obsidian have doubled down on delivering best-in-class RPG design backed by fantastic writing and quest structure and a solid gameplay loop, even if it gets there without much of an attempt to break the mould. Hopefully the next expansion throws caution to the wind a little more, but if you're dying to jump back in I can absolutely recommend nipping off to Gorgon for a weekend.