Brodie Gibbons's Reviews
Were it a bit more feature complete and fine-tuned, Rematch would be undeniable in its claim for Rocket League’s long-held crown. There’s a high, albeit achievable, skill ceiling here, but intuitive controls means anybody can header, rainbow flick, or bicycle kick goals from the box’s edge in short, exhilarating, and most importantly, moreish games of soccer.
Like other precision platformers before it, Shotgun Cop Man takes a deliberate gameplay-first approach and trades even a fun story for a few gags and quips. Its unique approach to movement is enough of a hook to push you through the game’s many, many levels, however, I do think the game will live and die, and perhaps avoid premature damnation, on its custom levels.
With a thoughtful message, soulful world, and beautifully imaginative design to push things along, Compulsion delivers a classic adventure seemingly beyond their weight class with South of Midnight. It's the exact, elusive story-driven diamond in the rough that Xbox has been in search of for generations now.
With its mammoth Japan heaving with to-do lists to check off, Assassin's Creed Shadows opts for the safety of familiarity rather than taking any real swings for the franchise's belated sojourn in the 'Land of the Rising Sun'. What remains is a fine Assassin's Creed title that, save for a few clever tweaks, fits snuggly in its template.
Split Fiction is a masterclass of game design, and is yet another instant classic from a team who have, across a span of three games, rewritten the handbook on how to develop fun and insanely inventive stories that'll be remembered for one thing, among others: spotlighting the power of friendship.
Like Citizen Sleeper before it, Starward Vector feels like a tremendous coming together in so many senses. The marriage between the original's core concepts and the new mechanics feels natural, while the motley crue you take to the stars with, their stories included, are an exceptional cast of characters whose place in my sleeper's own journey I'll never forget.
Out of all of the Power Rangers games I've played in the last decade, Rita's Rewind is the one that most honestly captures the cheesy fun, flashy martial arts, and attitude of the series' first few iconic seasons. It is to the Rangers what Shredder's Revenge is to the Turtles, a celebration of a dorky thing so many people loved as kids-and perhaps still do as big kids.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle delivers both high calibre adventure, story and performance in spades, to the point it feels as though it's wading into "uncharted territory" for its publisher. The decision to bop a Nazi should be a foregone conclusion, however the lack of balance in stealth and combat systems kept me in limbo, and left Indiana Jones and the Great Circle just a stone stele's throw from true greatness.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is an achievement for so many reasons. As well as being the little game that could, given the team's real-world challenges, the game doubles down on the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. way, delivering a sublimely realised sense of place with the Zone. Unfortunately, so much of the console experience is rendered so disappointingly undercooked.
Metro Awakening is a capable, haunting jaunt through the familiar, post-nuclear world beneath Moscow I've grown to love. It cleverly harnesses VR to emulate the scrappy, resourcefulness of the underground, however its combat is a bit of a slog and struggles to find the fun, leading to a somewhat disjointed campaign.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's campaign is a worthwhile successor to Cold War that continues to push the cart along with its exciting geopolitical thriller-branded espionage. Treyarch better than anyone understands better than anyone having found a few, ingenious means of incorporating Call of Duty's larger suite of modes into this punchy, mind-bending ride. More than that, it should serve as a beg-pardon for last year's unfortunate business.
By backseating Kong and having a drab human narrative serve as the vessel for this game's monotonous action, Kong: Survival Instinct ends up feeling like a colossal, kaiju-sized dud that does little to lick the wounds of last year's Skull Island and, if anything, further dampens the great ape's reputation.
Fear the Spotlight delivers a nostalgic, classically-inspired horror game that places story, its sense of place, and the breadcrumb trail of a mystery you pursue ahead of combat while maintaining a true sense of unease throughout. From the moment our trembling hands touched the planchette, we were spirited away on one hell of a thrill ride.
Neva is a profoundly moving, interactive work of art. It's as pleasing to the eye as it is the ear, and the effort this still young studio has gone to in developing upon ideas cemented in their first game, Gris, is commendable. Without eclipsing it, Neva matches the stirring catharsis of Gris with another flash of brilliance.
Until Dawn is a thrilling experience. For horror fans, this will be one of the best horror experiences that gaming has seen in years. It's a perfect balance of story telling and gameplay and doesn't drag on at all. I constantly found myself wanting to go back to find out what happened next which is rare in gaming narrative. Those looking for constant action may be disappointed, but I'd advise anybody who wants a unique and new experience to give it a go.
The Plucky Squire is absolute magic, and a page-turner, from beginning to end. From its first, boisterously narrated word, the game packages so much heart and character within a rather novel, wildly creative notion. It takes what Pixar did for toys and applies it to storybooks.
Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland achieves so much in emulating the feel of a retro Gameboy-released platformer. Although licensed games like this were dime-a-dozen growing up, and were often pretty average, Adventures in Gameland's spectacular presentation shows genuine respect and care for those toddling bubs. Due to this, I found it easier to forgive the game's many unforced errors which were all driven by its "classic" design.
I feel like more than other games of its kind, Flock rewards those with a scrupulous attention for detail. It's, of course, a joy to charm and herd these strange critters courtesy of the model, flow state brand of flying. However, a lust for discovery is essential to harvest from these uplands as much delight as a shepherd can handle.
Despite its insanely clever dungeon designs, Dungeons of Hinterberg feels kind of like a hodgepodge of ideas plucked from other games that ultimately did them better. Though there might be things I didn't enjoy as much, I'd gladly play tourist and stamp my passport on a return journey to Hinterberg any time.
Conscript is a horrifying account of the cost of Verdun, and all of its battles and its loss, framed entirely as a classical survival horror game, for all of the good and bad that implies. It's a punishing, dire take on the war and a unique approach to a genre that I'd mistaken for being creatively wrung dry.