Fans of the series were excited when Valkyrie Elysium was revealed, and a modern take on the loved franchise could have done it wonders. Unfortunately, the archaic level design and grubby visuals make the adventure feel like it would be more at home back on the PS3. Combat is its saving grace, dancing between combos and activating magic abilities on elemental foes in satisfying fashion. The Einherjar who fight alongside you add a nice touch, enhancing combat and adding some much-needed levity to the boring narrative. Mindless, enjoyable combat is here in spades, but it's not enough to make Valkyrie Elysium a reboot that I'd strongly recommend to anybody.
There are just too many amazing Soulslike efforts to justify spending a lot of time with AI Limit, but that doesn't make it a bad game. It has some unique ideas that switch up combat just enough to be interesting, and its anime art style initially impresses. But for seasoned veterans of the genre, it doesn't provide much of a challenge and mostly feels like a retread. I'm sure there are people out there who have been scarred by Dark Souls and are looking for an entry-level Soulslike to ease them back in, and that's the kind of individual I'd recommend AI Limit to. They'll have fun, but it's a stepping stone to something far more riveting elsewhere.
With a strong setting, nice visuals and authentic performances, Still Wakes the Deep has all the tools to create a memorable experience, but stumbles in providing anything innovative. Its dishevelled oil rig full of mutants is always creepy but never truly scary, and while it's not a poorly made game by any means, it's never really exciting, either. I don't regret my brief visit to a dangerous 1975 oil rig; but when horror as a genre is moving in some seriously impressive and unique directions, Still Wakes the Deep feels a little bit stuck in the past.
There are some fundamentally great things about Atlas Fallen, like its gorgeous desert landscapes and its super-satisfying sand sliding, plus combat that has a tonne of options and flows well. But its open world of interesting enemies suffers from a rinse-and-repeat approach, where what was exciting in hour two becomes boring and repetitive by hour eight. It's not that it's poorly made, but its mission structure and by-the-numbers narrative delivered in a boring way make for an adventure that is more generic than unique. Atlas Fallen is much like a mirage in its sandy desert setting; enticing at first, but a bit disappointing once you look closer and realise it's not what you'd hoped.
Biomutant is full of creative ideas and unique thoughts that, when combined with such a gorgeous and compelling environment to explore, could have made for a top-tier experience that is easy to recommend. However, the fact that it has so many ideas crammed in that it almost feels like too much, and an open world that can feel very by-the-numbers, makes Biomutant a solid game that misses the mark almost as much as it hits the nail on the head.
It’s a shame, because there are elements of an enjoyable co-op adventure here that still kept us playing over several nights. At the end of the day, it all just felt a little bit soulless; ticking the boxes of what the genre should be, but never pushing to excel in anything in particular.
Blades of Fire offers some compelling and exciting ideas, particularly with its reverence for weaponcrafting and rewarding forge mechanics. But its love of steel and violence can only take it so far; its combat is enjoyable at first, but wears out its welcome across a lengthy campaign that is filled with too-chatty characters and a world that's very frustrating to get lost in. Even with those caveats, its eye-catching fantasy world and weapons that pack a punch still have enough charm to see it through. Not every one of its big swings lands, but as they say, "you miss all the shots you don't take", and Blades of Fire at least gives the action RPG genre a solid crack with a unique point of view.
It's a shame that the early pacing issues with Forspoken and the slow-burn drip-feeding of abilities will likely put off a lot of players and prevent them from seeing how fun the game can actually be when it's firing on all cylinders. Bland and boring environments with some awkward visual choices and lifeless character models give an unfortunate first impression that is saved by its enjoyable parkour and versatile combat during the later stages of the game, along with a surprisingly heartfelt story. Forspoken might not be the savior we were all hoping for, but it's a decent adventure with enough soul that it shouldn't be cast aside entirely.
It's honourable, in a way, to present the Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny remaster mostly unchanged from its original 2002 PS2 version. The visuals have been given a freshen up, and some smart changes – like weapon switching on the fly, auto-save, and more – definitely make for a more playable experience. But the fixed camera angles and dated production values don't necessarily show Onimusha in the best light, leaving this remaster as a clunky history lesson for newcomers, and a solid throwback for fans.
SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada has some neat ideas that separate it from other extraction shooters on the market, but it can't fully shake off its repetitive nature and half-baked concepts. The fun loop of exploring a dangerous world, gathering resources and trying to survive the numerous threats trying to take you down goes a long way initially but eventually loses steam as monotonous grindy objectives rear their ugly head on maps without much variety. For now, SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada doesn't quite live up to its ambitions; but with its decent foundations and a bit of time to add, improve and tweak its interesting universe, it could grow into something special down the track.
LEGO Horizon Adventures offers a different take on both LEGO and Horizon as a series, with mixed results. The charm of experiencing the epic Horizon Zero Dawn story in this family-friendly brickified way is unmistakable, with strong visuals and a fully voiced cast going a long way in making things feel epic. It's a shame that the repetitive mission structure and overall short adventure stop it from becoming something truly special, not fully nailing it as either a LEGO game or a Horizon game. Still, as far as family-friendly cooperative gaming romps go, it's polished, silly and sure to generate some laughs for the more casual or younger gamers in our lives.
The Crew Motorfest very much wants to be the next Forza Horizon 5, but in forcing us to compare the two, the blemishes that hold this Hawaii-set racer back are made even more obvious. The Playlist system gives a sense of variety and scale that is exciting initially, with genuinely interesting romps through automotive history and a wide range of vehicles keeping things interesting. But the uninteresting open world that connects them all and limitations around how you unlock more of them could have you putting on the brakes sooner than you might expect. Even so, The Crew Motorfest is visually lovely and has an incredibly solid racing foundation, so it warrants a pit stop at the very least.
Saints Row successfully reboots the much-loved franchise, although things don't feel as wild or chaotic as I was expecting or hoping. The main campaign is a short but enjoyable romp with some decent creativity, but the open world template doesn't innovate beyond the trappings of the genre. Side missions and distractions are amusing yet repetitive, and the adventure is lacking in polish overall. Still, being able to play the entire experience with a mate by your side makes for a lot of laughs, and if you can forgive the cringe dialogue, there are some fun moments between all the meandering that still makes it worthwhile. I can't say that the Saints are "back and better than ever", but gearing up for a modest romp with a lot of explosions and strong personalisation will certainly set them up for a roaring sequel if given the chance.
The core gameplay of Mario Strikers: Battle League is fast and frenetic, keeping your palms sweaty as you battle with your Nintendo favourites in an intense game of soccer. It’s flashy and well animated in all the best ways, with that trademark personality and charm carrying it a long way. It’s also a wonderful example of “easy to learn, difficult to master”, that starts simple but has some reasonable depth, even within the confines of its short matches. It’s a shame then that there just isn’t much more meat on the bone; with offline modes extremely limited with only quick play and tournaments, you’re going to have to truly love the mechanics to justify spending a lot of your time in competitive multiplayer. For those with a lot of mates to kick around with, that might be enough, but for everybody else, it’s a yellow card.
Despite some quirks, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a super-fun superhero adventure that hits more than it misses, with a banging soundtrack and a lot of personality that more than makes up for its shortcomings.
Black Book is a bewitching combo of deck-building RPG and D&D-esque storytelling, with a bucket load of ideas where some work better than others. With some refinement and editing, Black Book could have been a must-play release. Without it, it’s still an intriguing mix of gameplay systems that is bolstered by its striking visual style and incredible attention to detail with its Northern Slavic mythology and well-thought-out story-telling. It’s definitely like nothing else I’ve played this year, which is worth celebrating. Despite its shortcomings, I couldn’t help but be under Black Book’s unique spell.
It’s interesting and innovative for sure, but what it brings in terms of magic and child-like wonderment, it loses something in the repetitive nature of each course being in the same space of your house over and over. While kids may be stoked to let their imagination run wild with Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, I think most adults will enjoy the novelty for a few races, show their friends and family, but ultimately go back to the more feature-packed Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The question is, beyond the real-world factors of space to play, how much are you willing to pay for that Nintendo Magic?
While the combat and controls are a little bit clunky at times and the “second screen” can take up a bit too much real estate, especially in portable mode, that doesn’t stop The Wonderful 101 Remastered from being fast-paced superhero fun that anybody looking for a challenge would enjoy.
AO Tennis 2 is quite an upgrade and a marked improvement from the previous game, with more features, a surprisingly deep career mode and refined gameplay that feels dynamic and engaging from point to point, especially once you’ve gotten used to the timing and flow. There are still some issues when it comes to the overall polish of the experience and the lack of licensed content overall that hold it back from being a total ace, but with minimal competition in this genre, AO Tennis 2 is an entertaining and fun tennis game that is easily the best of this generation.
Creatures of Ava is a gorgeous and ambitious creature-saver that has some neat ideas, not all of which are executed perfectly. Its non-combat is somewhat unwieldy, but the practice of cleansing adorable critters, giving them some love and leading them to safety with a sweet melody never gets old. The planet of Ava comes off as incredibly approachable and easy to lose many hours exploring, and the story is self-aware enough to go in some interesting directions. Despite some niggly issues, the puzzle-solving adventurous journey was still a memorable one; even if I didn't end up being the saviour I was expecting.