Alan Bell's Reviews
Super Stardust Ultra is basically a prettier and marginally expanded version of Super Stardust HD that can only really be recommended to newcomers.
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.
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.
Q.U.B.E. 2 is a welcome addition to the puzzle genre but is not without its technical hiccups on the Switch. While it struggles occasionally under the hood, if you're willing to look past these shortcomings, there's a fun game with its fair share of brain-bending challenges for die-hard puzzle fiends.
Extremely lame animation and ultra-awkward pauses are just two of the many issues this game engine is plagued with. It’s been an issue since the beginning, of course, but as someone who dips in at the launch of an expansion and then drifts away over time, it’s always a harsh reminder of just how bad this system is each time I re-sub and fire up the game again. Why they insist on using it so often when it’s so bad is beyond me - there are other options, people!
Fun in the (rare) right circumstances.
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.
What's here works well enough, but it lacks soul, and if there's any motivation to continue it's only that you want to see it through - a damning indictment for any game.
Rory McIlroy PGA Tour plays well, but it's also intermittently ugly, and there's isn't nearly enough content here for the asking price.
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.
One Piece: World Seeker is lacking in so many areas. It may be lovely to look at, but an overall shallow and repetitive experience take away any semblance of joy fans are likely to find.
Sniper Elite V2 Remastered lacks any of the polish typical with modern remasters and struggles under the weight of dated design and poor presentation. What could have been a fun little jaunt through Nazi territory devolves into an altogether lackluster experience. Only for the most die-hard sniper fans.
Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble attempts to fill the void left by Advance Wars, but struggles meet expectations. Several issues with the games UI lead to more frustration than fun.
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.
Unless you're a Final Fantasy diehard, Type-0 should be played in its original form on handheld, or not at all.
Magic 2015 is a step backwards for the Planeswalkers series, and could potentially prove a costly misstep for Stainless Games given the recent, celebrated arrival of Blizzard in the CCG genre.
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.
Jupiter & Mars may just induce the most motion sickness we've yet to encounter in a VR title to date. Boring gameplay mechanics lead to an altogether forgettable and dull experience. Younger players may enjoy what the game has to offer, but when there are so many other amazing PSVR games out there right now, it's hard to recommend to any but the most die-hard dolphin or neon fanatics.
Complex mechanics wrapped in a overly-childish shell leaves the latest entry in the Pokemon series feeling like a missed opportunity with no clear target audience. From it's dire gameplay, to its tedious mechanics and terrible story, there's little to love here. This unfortunately is one you definitely do not want to catch...
One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows falls terribly short in almost every aspect. While the premise works well in the world of Anime, it does not translate well to the format of Gaming. A combination of lackluster gameplay, woeful voice-acting and a story as bland as they come, even die-hard fans of the series would be doing themselves a favour in avoiding this one at all costs.