Matt Hewson's Reviews
Saying any game is one of the finest of the year 2017 is a big call, but it isn’t out of place here. It comfortably stands with 2017’s elite and in the realm of the $20 – $30 indie title it is fair to say Steamworld Dig reigns supreme.
Time-consuming, life stealing, family-friendly fun. Stardew Valley is all of that and more and you would be mad if you didn’t give it a shot.
With The New Colossus, Machine Games have proven themselves the Masters of storytelling FPS games. This is the new high water mark for every other game in the genre to aspire too.
“Hand of Fate 2 is everything you could want from a sequel and more. It betters the original in every way and as a result, stands at the top of the Indie pack. A must buy, no questions asked”
Pure, distilled fun wrapped in a wonderfully colourful wrapper, Assault Android Cactus is, without doubt, a must play title.
If you like both cricket and video games, this is a no-brainer. It may be basically the only cricket option available but it is a very good option and one that will entertain for the entire Ashes series and beyond.
That Skyrim VR is a great experience is not in doubt. It is a wonderful way to experience this massive fantasy world. There is a little period of adjustment to get over but fighting skeletons, dancing with dragons and ignoring housecarls is a joy in VR. That said the price is a real sticking issue and one that can’t be ignored.
Caveman Warriors is, at its heart, a simple platform game. But it brings enough new tricks and interesting wrinkles to be worthy of your time. The multiple unique characters, wonderful art style and excellent co-op gameplay are backed up by tight controls and challenging, yet fair, levels.
Rise and Fall is wonderful, I adore it. I love the new features, the new tech and the gameplay tweaks. They all make sense and fit the game world wonderfully. It really is the perfect excuse to come back to the fold, just don’t expect to be able to convince new players to join you for the ride.
Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is a love letter to the AoE gamers of old. This is not a remaster aimed at recruiting new fans, this is a wonderfully spruced up version of a classic game for long time players. It looks great, sounds excellent and has had some slight modernisation touches without ever losing the feeling of the classic AoE experience.
Immortal Redneck surprises in how well it balances the needs of a good rogue-like. Risk, reward, progression and variety are all in perfect balance making it a must play.
Is Far Cry 5 just another Far Cry game? Well, yes it is, but at the same time, it is more than that. This is a game that has taken what came before it and improved upon it in every single way. The story is brutal, engaging and utterly enthralling, the main characters are memorable and the gameplay is refined and presented in a clever and natural way. So yes this is just another Far Cry game, it is Far Cry at its peak, the best that Far Cry can be and that is truly something worth playing.
Despite a promising setup and some nice enemy design Extinction fails to entertain in any meaningful matter. Once the initial thrill of taking down a giant orc wears off, the games many many frustrations take over and players are left with a mess of half-baked ideas and poor mechanics.
In all Penny Punching Princess is a promising title with a unique idea that is let down by a wonky control scheme. If the devs could somehow improve that through patching I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this as a great $20-ish title for the Switch. As it is however, the general clunkiness is likely to put just about everyone off.
Super Daryl Deluxe is one of the more unique titles available today. It takes familiar a 2D platformer and mashes it with an Action RPG while adding a dash of Metroidvania for good measure. Add to that the seriously impressive animation and art style and the game is well on its way to being a cult hit.
I was happy with God of War being finished, I didn’t think the world needed another game with Kratos as the lead. What I didn’t count on was this masterful reinvention coming along and proving me wrong. I have never been so happy to be wrong in my life.
By all means, buy Warmind, you will probably have a good time. But know that all you are getting is more of the same and searching for something new will only leave you unsatisfied.
With State of Decay 2, Undead Labs has realised the potential of the first game. This is very much more of the same, but that same has been polished to a blood-smeared shine.
A beautifully told gothic tale with interesting skill systems and some fun combat is only let down by window dressing and a location that feels like a stage and not an actual city. Vampyr might not be the game of the year, but it is certainly going to be one of the most interesting titles we see in 2018 and, sales permitting, a title that will only get better in future sequels.
With ONRUSH, Codemasters has given arcade racing a shot in the arm. It has taken a tired genre and freshened it up by changing what the goal should be in a racing game. With the omission of standard races and the focus on teamwork this is a type of game that has never been seen before and should be a must but for anyone who gains even the slightest enjoyment from ultra speeds and vehicular mayhem.