Alan Bell Avatar Image

Alan Bell


67 games reviewed
74.8 average score
80 median score
52.3% of games recommended

Alan Bell's Reviews

A gamer since birth, I basically grew up with games; as I became more aware of my surroundings, they become more complicated - moving from Pong to MMOs as I went from childhood to something... older. My penchant for writing about them lead to various (paid and unpaid) gigs in the industry, and I've worked on the other side (creating games) too, giving me additional insight into how games go from idea to Steam sale.
5.5 / 10.0 - JUMP FORCE
Feb 19, 2019

Jump Force could have been another great fighter but is held back by dreadful animation, a tiresome main hub, questionable mechanics and a lackluster story. Fans looking for the next great thing in Anime Fighters will likely be left unimpressed and wanting.

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Jan 10, 2019

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is a perfect addition to the Switch's ever-=growing library of excellent games. A huge amount of content, coupled with perfectly executed tight controls makes this entry a must play for any and all fans of the genre.

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Nov 5, 2018

My Hero One's Justice stays faithful to the source material and offers a wealth of quality content. The story may be a bit convoluted for those who haven't seen the anime but the depth of combat nuance will keep most fighting game fans happy.

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Oct 29, 2018

Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle is a curious marriage of gore and puzzles which unfortunately doesn't quite it right. Fans of the franchise will get more enjoyment than others, but it's hard to recommend this puzzler to any but the most die-hard Vorhees fans.

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All in all, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams - Owltimate Edition is a great platformer that lets you get by as you learn and feels great to ace once you nail the skills. It looks cool, works well in both handheld and docked modes, has tight controls, and enough depth to make replaying its copious content worthwhile. Recommended.

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8 / 10.0 - City of Brass
May 4, 2018

City of Brass is a fairly standard rogue-lite that distinguishes itself with its setting, visual stylings, and fun-as-hell whip.

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Skyrim now fits in your pocket. It runs shockingly well on Switch, and there are even motion controls if you want 'em. What's not to like?

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Oct 9, 2017

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite doesn't electrify the way its predecessor does, but it's nonetheless a competent and chaotic, newcomer-friendly yet deep competitive fighter with a huge amount of fight style flexibility.

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4 / 10.0 - Agents of Mayhem
Aug 24, 2017

Agents of Mayhem fails as caretaker of the Saints Row dildo-torch, with passable gameplay and characters the only vague upsides in its a repetitive, bug-ridden sandbox.

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9 / 10.0 - Injustice 2
Jun 5, 2017

Injustice 2 is the goods: a great fighting game with an absorbing narrative, plenty of content, and a legendary cast.

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Oct 21, 2016

Dragon Quest Builders is an entertaining RPG, a marvellous builder, and simply a tremendous game all-round.

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Oct 10, 2016

Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness is a decent example of game from a niche genre. Just don't expect to be doing much more than advancing through dialogue screens and you'll enjoy yourself.

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Sep 19, 2016

Legion is excellent, a thoroughly enjoyable expansion made all the more impressive by the base game's age. It might have taken a demon invasion, but WoW's players are back together at last.

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8 / 10.0 - Worms W.M.D
Aug 24, 2016

W.M.D does more than enough to justify its existence. In fact, it gets the series back on track after several recent-ish disappointments. Now 25 titles deep, Worms is truly the cockroach of the gaming world.

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4 / 10.0 - MilitAnt
Jul 25, 2016

Many elements of MilitAnt's core design are flawed, so it's no surprise that the game as a whole is pretty dire.

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Jul 14, 2016

Carmageddon: Max Damage ain't no Cadillac, but it's no jalopy either. Rather, it's just alright: fleetingly frustrating, often enjoyable, but never transcendent the way killing pedestrians should be.

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May 25, 2016

Shadow of the Beast is an action title whose combat simply isn't particularly enjoyable. Throw in some off-putting map design, and you have a game that's a shadow of what it could have been.

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8 / 10.0 - TrackMania Turbo
Apr 4, 2016

Trackmania Turbo isn't substantially different from other games in the series: it's polished, fleet, and enjoyable. That makes it a great purchase for long-neglected console players, but it offers less to series veterans on PC.

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Unscored - Street Fighter V
Feb 16, 2016

If anyone had any doubt about Capcom's ability to deliver a frame-perfect fighting engine, they can rest assured their fears are without merit. Sure, there will likely be balancing changes once the masses pick apart the V-Gauge and EX bars, but absolutely nothing at all about the feel of the game seemed "off" to this seasoned Street Fighter veteran.

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With great dungeon designs, enjoyable turn-based combat, and a new story that adds context to the turn-based action, The Fafnir Knight makes for an excellent addition to the 3DS library and an excellent homage to Heroes of Lagaard. Recommended.

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