Final Fantasy VIII Remastered is nothing more or less than a must buy. The graphical updates aren't perfect, but the story, setting, and soundtrack remain as enchanting as ever. More importantly, Final Fantasy VIII Remastered's watertight combat mechanics and progression system still feel as revolutionary now as they did back in 1999; pushing the limits of the traditional JRPG to produce something that manages to feel wholly unique within an ever crowded genre.
With its captivating and highly-original setting, engrossing story, and eye-catching visual style, We. The Revolution is without question one of year's more intriguing titles. If not for the lack of polish and depth of its courtroom sections, coupled with a handful of minor issues, We. The Revolution would be well deserving of a place on anyone's 2019 must-buy list.
A gorgeous, atmospheric, and relaxing world chock full of things to do, My Time at Portia ultimately falls frustratingly short of its potential due to some serious pacing issues and an overall lack of mechanical polish.
Hitman 2 is an absolute masterpiece of emergent, sandbox game design. Retaining all the key elements of the 2016 original, developer IO Interactive has instead restricted itself to a handful of minute but important changes. Streamlining the overall experience and producing what is, hands down, one of 2018's most entertaining and satisfying titles.
All things considered, WWE 2K19 is a decent entry into the long-running series. Boasting more game modes and customisation options than you can shake a Kendo stick at. What holds it back, however, is the core mechanics. A breath of fresh air in last year's game, they lack any additional refinement, leaving them feeling overly complex and finicky. Which ultimately serves as a reminder that, as enjoyable as WWE 2K19 can be, if the series is ever to recapture the ineffable brilliance of No Mercy and other such classics, it desperately needs a rather large dose of innovation.
PES 2019 is by far and away the best football sim money can buy, boasting an enviable level of depth and authenticity FIFA simply can't hope to match. While the sheer variety of game modes ensures players will be enjoying Konami's latest for months to come. The biggest drawback is clearly the lack of official licences. Which, unfortunately, will make it exceedingly difficult for PES to win over any but FIFA's most lukewarm fans.
Minor gripes aside, the best way to describe Bomber Crew is (if you'll forgive the attempt at period-accurate officer-class patois) bally good fun! There's a pleasing amount of depth to the game's equally impressive array of systems and mechanics, hidden behind a charming, low-res visual style and sense of humour. While the sheer range of customisation options gives players everything they need to put their own, unique stamp on each save file. Hectic, tense, and ineffably satisfying, Bomber Crew is certainly one of the more original and entertaining indie games currently available on PS4.
It's enough to say that Captain Spirit is every bit as moving and charming as you'd expect from a Life is Strange game. What's more, it augurs extremely well for the upcoming sequel which, at the time of writing, is only a couple of months away.
With its interesting main characters and unique approach to co-op play, A Way Out will certainly be one of the year's most intriguing titles. However, the slightly by-the-numbers story and largely mediocre visuals leave in just shy of greatness.