Chris Brown's Reviews
Final Fantasy VII REMAKE is a spectacular game that soars and falls in equal measure. There is a lot to love here, but frustrations and disappointments mar the experience. A solid central story is undermined by needless padding. Exceptional combat loses its edge at times due to unfortunate design choices, and gorgeous visuals are muddied with some appalling technical shortcomings.
If you're already a Persona fan, Persona 5 Royal offers up even more of what you love, taking an already massive game and upsizing it to epic proportions. This is a must-have for JRPG fans, but it is also one that might be a little too much to swallow for newcomers.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is an unmitigated triumph. Every element is executed to perfection; the pinpoint platforming, kinetic combat, and heartfelt storytelling are second to none. Visually stunning and accompanied by an evocative soundscape you will feel like you're stepping into another world, and it's one you'll likely never want to leave.
Beautiful Desolation is an essential entry in the Adventure Game genre and should not be missed. Gorgeous visuals, and evocative sound design compliment an exceptional sci-fi story filled with mystery, pathos, and good old-fashioned adventuring with some modern flair.
Perhaps the greatest triumph for Civilization VI on PlayStation is that it is the full, uncut, and immersive Civilization experience PC players have been enjoying for decades perfectly translated to console. A challenging, but welcoming strategy title that is either the perfect entry point for new players, or the single best reason for long-time fans who have transitioned to a more couch-based gaming lifestyle to jump back in.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York is a hell of a mouthful, but one that you should at least take a nibble at. The streamlined gameplay and engrossing story make it an approachable title that artfully embraces The World of Darkness. While its relative lack of role-playing depth, linearity, and brevity may be off putting to some, when taken for what it is there is a lot to enjoy here.
Darksiders Genesis is not only immediately fun, it is also immediately recognisable as Darksiders despite the move to a new genre and completely different camera angle. Strife is a very welcome addition to the Darksiders canon, and when paired with War they have helped elevate Genesis to the best entry in the series in the post Vigil Games era.
Disco Elysium is one of the most interesting games we've seen in decades in terms of its themes and writing. A conversation heavy investigative RPG that leans very heavily on the genre's pen and paper roots. We've not seen this type of RPG in quite some time, and certainly not one as well executed as this. If you like your RPG's densely worded I think you'll find a lot to like here.
For fans of the series the Deathinitive Edition's arrival on the Switch is the perfect excuse to go back and relive the adventure, it's as good as you remember. For everyone else there's never been a better time to embrace Death.
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is just as charming and endearing now as it was when it first came out almost a decade ago. While it does look and play better on PC it would have been nice to see more improvements and a few quality of life additions to bring the game up to modern standards.
In short Divinity Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition the best game on Nintendo Switch.
By taking elements of iconic 90's horror staples, Invader Studios have resurrected a Frankensteined horror experience that is far less than it's borrowed parts. From the glacial pacing to the ponderous in-game action Daymare 1998 rather than invoking terror instead delivers tedium.
When most people think of the looter shooter sub-genre, they think of the Borderlands series. Borderlands essentially created the mould for what a looter shooter should be. Lots of shooting and lots of looting. I don't think any other looter shooter loots or shoots as well as Borderlands 3 does. Borderland 3 is the best game in the series, not by breaking the mould, but by expanding and deepening it.
Ultimately Greedfall is an OK game. It is neither good nor bad. It is however the best game Spiders have made to date, and that gives me hope that they do have a great game in them. I just hope they stop trying to emulate and instead try to innovate.
Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is a wonderful idea that fails to deliver on almost every level. While it can be breath-taking to look at, it is a tedious chore and needlessly unforgiving. I applaud Patrice Désilets and his team for attempting something new and fresh, but great ideas alone do not make for great games.
When played with a group of friends The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan is an undeniably fun experience. However, the main story and core game feel rather skeletal when not being filled out by the real-world flesh and blood of your nearest and dearest. Bugs and performance issues constantly nag, but the real disappointment is that as a horror story Man of Medan is not even close to being as smart or fun as its predecessor. I hope the next entry in The Dark Pictures anthology can recapture the gore and glory from Until Dawn.
Remnant: From the Ashes is a spectacular co-op experience when played with friends, and a potentially frustrating one when played with strangers. While procedural generation can lead to some monotony, a solid combat engine and incredible creature design make it a punishing, yet incredibly satisfying joy to play. The game is held back by several bugs and crashes, but this shouldn't stop you from giving it a go.
Despite some interesting puzzles, Keepers of the Void is a repetitive, shallow, and excruciatingly dull. The issues I was able to look past in the core game smacked me much harder this time around, and unlike the attacks in-game, I could see every one of these hits coming.
Warhammer Chaosbane is a rather pretty, but ultimately shallow Diablo wannabe. By adhering too closely to its inspiration is fails to bring anything new to the table, and end up looking like a poor imitation in somewhat shinier armour and fails to deliver anything with any impact. More whiffle bat than Warhammer.
Observation is undeniably beautiful, but it is also vapid and shallow. An interesting premise is let down by simple puzzles and awkward controls. While the game does have some interesting ideas, the execution fails to stick the landing.