Chelsea Beardsmore's Reviews
Röki is, at heart, an adventure game heavily inspired by Scandinavian folklore that also includes elements of point & click games and a heck of a narrative. A tale of journey, loss and family, Röki is a totally non-violent, emotional experience – and what an experience it is. Players assume the role of Tove, a young girl living out in the wilderness with her father and younger brother, Lars. Lars has a great imagination and loves his tales of monsters. But, it seems they aren’t just tales anymore. One cold night, a huge, dark creature destroys the family home and leaves Tove and Lars running for their lives. Sadly, this monster captures Lars and drags him through a mystical portal – leaving Tove with only one option – jump into that portal and rescue Lars. This is where your magical journey truly begins.
I didn’t immediately play the initial Life is Strange upon its release. In fact, I think my first time playing it was when I first bought Xbox Game Pass. Having thoroughly enjoyed the Telltale Walking Dead series, I was curious to explore this narrative, choice-driven title. I fell in love with the story, focusing on the real side of humans while also adding the supernatural element of controlling time. The choice-making, while hectic, makes you feel in control and immersed. I couldn’t not love Chloe and Max either. Having played through Before The Storm, Captain Spirit and Life is Strange 2, loving them all as much as the last, my body was more than ready for another addition to the series.
Katana Zero was a pleasant surprise. I did not expect the emotional roller coaster I was about to embark on. It ticks all the boxes; great soundtrack, great gameplay, a well told story. I don't think there are enough words to explain how much I enjoyed this one. It is easily my favorite game of the year so far and I suggest you play it.
I think we all struggle to talk about mental health, whether it be our own or other people’s. We tend to shy away from it, bottle it up and are then surprised when anybody speaks out about it. This is the beauty of Sea of Solitude, it puts you right in front of those issues to deal with them head-on.
Monster Hunter Stories was originally released on the Nintendo 3DS, and although it didn’t really take off over here, it’s back with its sequel – Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin. Was this a welcomed addition to the Switch library? Read on to find out.
A Monster’s Expedition was such a whole experience. For a game with no real story, narrative, or characters, it was strangely emotional. It was such a soothing experience that I only wish I could experience for the first time again.
Far Cry has had many ups and downs through its series, with many people having differing opinions about which are good and which are bad and even which is the best – Far Cry 3, for me! Now, Far Cry 6 is here – which category does it fall into? Let me tell you.
A game with mystery, world building, farming, fun characters, exploring, customisation – Grow: Song of the Evertree really does have it all. This is one of the most wholesome and wonderful games I have had the pleasure of playing this year, and I’m here to tell you all why you should be playing it too.
Borderlands has been a much-loved series for many years, since the original released in 2009. It went on to release a further 3 games across many platforms, all with very similar gameplay mechanics because fans adored the looter-shooter dynamic. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it, right? Well, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is upon us and it has brought a whole host of new features to my favourite game series. Let’s get into what they are.
LEGO games have been a much-loved series for many years now, with numerous franchises available to play in block forms such as Jurassic Park, Batman, and even Lord of the Rings. They are seemingly getting bigger and better over time, and with LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga now released, does this analogy still stand? Let’s find out.
If you’re looking for a unnerving game to play this Halloween, Oxenfree is the game for you. Although, easily completed in a night, Oxenfree doesn’t overstay its welcome. When you finish the story, I urge you to try not to press that ‘Start Game’ button all over again just to get a different ending. It will fill you with joy, sorrow and spine-chilling moments; Oxenfree absolutely nails every aspect of what a ‘good’ game should entail. The story is spot on, the graphics are beautiful and the music is alluring. This is only a brief look into the World of Oxenfree, for only £15.99 it’s totally worth picking up to experience it for yourself and find out what is happening.
The Adventure Pals may not have been a big release but it has now became one of my favourite games I’ve played this year. It’s completely my type of game. Cute characters, funny wording and breath-taking art style. I love it all. It’s a simple game that doesn’t require an expert gamer to master and allows you to purely enjoy the masterpiece you’re pulled into. All whilst being able to share this with someone else using local co-op. It is ram packed with content lasting a lot longer than I had originally thought, usually indie games can be short-lived. Not this one, please play it. I promise you will thoroughly enjoy yourself. This charming platformer needs to be shouted about.
The Lamplighters League is a solid turn-based strategy game that gives players a good amount of gameplay to sift through. Although the gameplay can get a little repetitive, its ability to continuously offer up new gameplay features or agents is impressive.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen still looks and feels just as good as it did way back in 2012 and I love it just as much now as I did then. It's a solid RPG that offers you that little bit extra and you will easily get hundreds of hours out of it if you're willing to put it the graft, which you can do a hell of a lot easier now you can take it on the go.
The Swords of Ditto: Mormo's Curse may have some room for improvement but provides a lot of a joy and endless hours of gameplay. It's fun and darn right adorable and that's enough for me!
Age of Wonders: Planetfall offers players an in-depth turn-based strategy experience like no other. If you can get passed the heavy tutorial and dialogue there is a real treat of a story to be heard here,
Let me start by saying, there are not nearly enough monster-catching games around, and it’s no real surprise with the likes of the Pokemon series, I guess it can be a little intimidating. That’s why I was so glad to hear about Nexomon: Extinction. But does it stand up against the best? Let’s see. Nexomon: Extinction is an adventure RPG game that almost mimics Pokemon exactly. The gameplay, battle system, creature types – it’s almost uncanny. But, there are areas that Nexomon takes and then excels on such as its storyline. It has some depth to it, you’re not just wanting to be the best tamer (Nexomons version of a trainer), this is a story of destruction.
There are many RPGs to choose from on the Nintendo Switch. With the likes of Octopath Traveller, Dragon Quest XI and Divinity: Original Sin 2, why should you play Operencia: The Stolen Sun? I’m here to tell you.
From the creators of Coffee Talk comes What Comes After, swapping coffee for ghosts, this heart-warming tale captured me from the get-go. But, is it a game you should dive into? Let me tell you.
I used to love the original Plants vs Zombies game on the Xbox 360, planting my plants and killing those zombies, as you do. The game has evolved so, so much since then and the feud continues today with Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville Complete Edition on the Nintendo Switch.