Adrian Burrows's Reviews
Huntdown is, quite simply, one of the best side-scrolling shooters I've ever played. Incredible retro pixel art, generous local co-op, a stonking frame rate and an addictive game play loop that had me coming back for more; Huntdown is the total package.
Get Packed is a party game on ketamine, it's pumped up madness with the volume knob twiddled to eleven. It's a silly, fun and often hilarious party game hampered by being a bit rough and ready in its execution and unreliable in its online performance.
There's something about Obey Me that I actually quite like. Perhaps it's in the charming way this indie duff 'em up apes many of the qualities of the Devil May Cry? Obey Me is a trier, and there's something about cheering on an underdog, even if it means overlooking some game design missteps. If not for borderline unplayable frame rate then, this would get my recommendation, but as it is I suggest you await a comprehensive patch for PS4 before splashing your cash.
Moving Out performs a seemingly impossible balancing act. It's both a challenging couch co-op physics puzzler, and yet it's completely accessible to everyone sat on that couch, regardless of their video game experience. Moving Out is fun, it's frivolous, it's joyful and it will have you laughing from beginning to end. Who could ask for more?
There's a lot to like about HyperParasite; bombastic action, smooth gunplay and literally thousands of 1980's pop culture references are all good fun. It's just a shame that its spoiled by an overly punishing roguelite structure, asking you to play thorough the same content again and again to make any noticeable progress, rendering the pacing of the game an interminable slog.
Biped is a unique co-op physics puzzler that has some wonderfully original ideas. A fascinating control scheme equally frustrates and delights, though it's absolutely essential in providing puzzle mechanics that you won't find anywhere else. It's just a shame that those ideas haven't been pushed, refined and developed a little more.
Memories of Mars was my first ever survival game and, based on this, probably my last.
Despite a handful of issues issues, Tools Up! is a co-op game that does the impossible and actually makes DIY fun! It might even inspire you to do some real-life DIY. Nah, who am I kidding? That extractor fan is going to stay well and truly un-extracted.
I really, really wanted to like Blacksad: Under the Skin. I love the original graphic novels and just wanted this to be an interactive version of that. Perhaps it could have been, but we're unlikely ever to know thanks to a torrent of technical faults that kill any enjoyment it might give. Pendulo Studios need to urgently fix nearly every aspect of Blacksad: Under the Skin on PS4, and until they do that, this is one mystery best left unsolved.
It's an unsatisfying folktale then, the kind where the storyteller insists on coughing and saying 'erm' a lot, when all you want them to do it get on with it and get to the good bit.
I wanted to love River City Girls. A modern side scrolling beat 'em up, from a proven developer like WayForward, with bright, bold visuals, and two kick-ass heroines should have been great. Instead, thanks to way too much repetitive grinding, River City Girls is a bit boring. Something I never thought I'd say about a game that has high school children hitting zombie cheerleaders with wrenches.
I'd love to be able to recommended Redeemer: Enhanced Edition to you. Its top-down shoot and beat 'em up combat is tremendous fun, and the local drop-in and out co-op mode is treat, but there's way too many game breaking bugs and glitches that hold up any recommendation. If these issues are fixed with a patch then feel free to add a few points to the score, otherwise you're best off looking for your gory thrills and spills elsewhere.
If you really, really have to play an RTS on console then you could do a lot worse than Ancestors Legacy. Well thought out controls, appealing visuals, and a solid multiplayer make for a reliable RTS experience. You might never feel compelled to reach the conclusion of the samey single-player campaign but you will delight in just having one more go at flanking your pal's Teutonic Knights with your Hurscarl Warriors.
Whilst Nocked! The True Tales of Robin Hood isn't for everyone - this choose-your-own-adventure-strategy-text-video game is clearly a niche within a niche - it is an absolute necessity for anyone hankering for something unique. This is a video game that does character creation, role playing and moral choices properly. It took developer Andrew Schneider six years to craft Nocked! and the result has been worth every minute. A phenomenal achievement.
Blazing Chrome is so close to achieving what it's sets out to be – a fun retro 2D arcade shooter. There's sadly just too many issues to be overcome by the player to find the fun. If the development team are willing to put additional time into Blazing Chrome with patches and updates, then this could be well worth a punt. As it stands, Blazing Chrome is both too limited and too frustrating to recommend.
We. The Revolution is a stand-out recreation of the nightmare that was the French Revolution. Despite the turn based strategy mechanics falling flat, Polyslash still manage to put you on the edge of your seat by performing the near impossible feat of making resource management exciting. This is a game that demands you keep your head, when everyone else around you is losing theirs.
EDF: Iron Rain is big, it's dumb and it's also a ton of fun thanks to fantastic split-screen and online multiplayer. Pack your biggest auto-cannon, switch your brain off and you'll be chanting 'EDF! EDF! EDF!' in no time.
There's a good game lurking somewhere within Falcon Age. Interacting with your pet falcon in VR is an enchanting joy, so it's a shame that it's surrounded by a repetitive game structure, lacklustre visuals, and controls that are neither here nor there.
A tight and taught story that just wouldn't let me go, not until the very end. Most importantly of all, Telltale have delivered on their original remit, to allow players to make meaningful choices that truly effect those around them.
Splicing dino DNA with a very old school style of RTS, Warparty has plenty going for it conceptually, but it comes up short. Even if the gamepad controls weren't an obstacle to your success, the three races aren't balanced and it's all too easy to fall back on massed army tactics. A refreshing setting is not enough to drag this tired old school RTS out of the past.