Adrian Burrows's Reviews
The result of merging together Diablo and Golden Axe should have been brilliant. It's a shame then that Moonfall Ultimate falls a long way short of that expectation. With more of a focus on explosive arcade combat this could have been a fun diversion, as it stands however there's far too many frustrating issues to see you to the end of its limited run time.
STAY can't be faulted for its aspirations and the attempt to make a believable character in Quinn, to create an individual that the player will want to help. However, the result is a near endless stream of lacklustre dialogue that made it incredibly difficult to stay to the end.
Blacksea Odyssey suffers from a poorly implemented rogue-lite structure. Putting aside the duff controls, the main hindrance to your enjoyment will be having to suffer through levelling up the player character in a near endless slog until the game finally becomes fun.
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is an ambitious game, and this kind of endeavour should be applauded and encouraged. Seeking to harness the difficult topic of grief in the form of a Metroidvania was always a big ask. Unfortunately, on this occasion, it proved a challenge that simply hasn't been met.
Manic Mechanics is a reasonably sufficient attempt to do Overcooked! in a garage, but lacks the magic that made its influence such a classic. Entirely disposable fun for a weekend then, just don't be expecting your friends to be begging to play more next week.
For a brief moment of brilliance, Contra: Operation Galuga is the modern interpretation of a 2D run 'n' gun that we always wanted. But it's a fleeting moment, and what comes after is a deeply onerous experience that proves a trudge to see through to completion.
They say never to judge a video game by its graphics but, when it comes to Cookie Cutter that is easy to do. The 2D visuals and animation in this game are simply outstanding. Perhaps, with some hefty patching, the rest of the game might one day match those gorgeous looks.
Fueled Up may be an Overcooked! clone but it nonetheless has some intriguing ideas that set it apart from other games in the genre. Unfortunately, the issues with pacing, poor tutorials, haphazard controls, and difficulty spikes make for an uneven experience that will not suit many players. If you've done Ghost Town Game's finest to death then Fueled up might be worth a look, otherwise, forget fuelling spaceships and go fry some burgers instead.
As a wrestling fan, I want to create five-star classic matches, with back-and-forth action, near falls, and iconic moments, but ultimately WWE 2K23 cannot facilitate that. Messy and overly complicated controls hamper those efforts, but it's 2K's obsession with players winning matches that ensure this professional wrestling game misses the point entirely.
The Knight Witch could have been fantastic. It was so dang close to being something very special thanks to its fantastic visuals, great gameplay and compelling story, but it's instead plagued by frame rate issues and awful difficulty spikes rearing their slappable faces to ruined the fun. Fingers crossed Super Mega Team takes the time to thoroughly patch The Knight Witch and make it the game that it deserves to be.
The plentiful issues of Sword and Fairy Together Forever make it hard to recommend; lacklustre graphics, eye-numbingly long loading times, and uninspired combat do not a great action RPG make. And yet, and yet, if you can look past the problems you'll find a charming RPG with fantastic mythology and an intriguing world to explore.
WWE 2K22 isn't a good fighting game, despite the multiplayer being a bit of knock-around fun. The woolly controls, messy inputs, and numerous glitches lead to an underwhelming video game experience, while the lacklustre Showcase and MyRise game modes don't manage to replicate the bombast of professional wrestling, WWE 2K22 isn't a particularly good wrestling game either. It's a decent laugh in multiplayer, but with the notably hefty price tag I would expect a lot more than that.
Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World is an exceedingly bland experience. This remake trades heavily on the 90s nostalgia factor, but fails to consider that, with the original only released outside of Japan in 2012, few will have played Monster World 4 in order to have any feelings of nostalgia about it. Sadly, all those playing the game for the first time will find little to get excited about.
I'm fairly sure that Beautiful Desolation is a decent game. This is a vast world clearly built with passion and with a keen attention to detail. Unfortunately, this console conversion is no way at all to experience The Brotherhood's latest. Awful pathfinding, so many invisible walls that if they were visible they could be seen from space, and clunky, unresponsive controls turn the fetch quest-heavy gameplay into a meandering slog.
It's difficult to sum up Conspiracy! On the one hand it's a great concept and the meta approach is fascinating. It's a game with many interesting things to say about online culture, the news cycle and how we perceive the world we have constructed. This is a game with lofty ambitions, but it also happens to be a dreary experience that, despite a short run time, was an absolute slog to play.
Darq initially intrigued me with its Tim Burton inspired dream world and brain bending puzzles. Sadly, things moved sharply in decline after those positive first impressions. Tedious stealth sections often killed the pace, as did all the trudging back and forth to collect items, and the dizzying nausea-inducing puzzle section? That's just mean. Darq is less the compelling brilliance of Nightmare Before Christmas and more the baffling misfire that was Alice in Wonderland.
Override 2: Super Mech League really should have been a fun and accessible party brawler. It certainly had the basics covered with accessible controls and a vibrant roster of characters on offer. Unfortunately an ineffective 3rd person camera, non-existent online matchmaking, weak league mode and a stifling lack of variety to its gameplay marks Override 2 a long way short of being the Mechtacular fighter we all wanted it to be. More 'Meh'tacular then.
For content starved fans of the classic point and click adventure, it's hard not to get excited about a new entry in the genre, particularly one whose visuals inspire a feel good nostalgic hit for all things LucasArts. Dig a little deeper though and you'll find this is an underwhelming imitator of the legends of yesteryear. Too many obscure puzzles and too many unfunny jokes prevent Darkestville Castle from being the Secret of Monkey Island successor it so obsessively wants to be.
I often feel uncomfortable playing military shooters. Is it really morally acceptable for me to be having fun in a virtual playground that depicts a real life conflict in which thousands lost their lives? I don't know the answer, but thankfully Tannenberg never forces me to consider this ethical question. Tannenberg has some good ideas, but it's a slightly dull online FPS that never really gets going. As a budget multiplayer shooter there's some satisfaction to be had, but overall this is a far too limited and sluggish experience.
Memories of Mars was my first ever survival game and, based on this, probably my last.