Lewis Painter's Reviews
We only had a taste of what Anthem’s end-game has to offer, and we can’t wait to see what else the developer has in store for players over the coming weeks and months.
Crackdown 3 is fun to play and requires very little in terms of concentration to perform well, but at the same time, it's fairly limited in scope and most players won't find enough on offer to keep coming back.
Dead Island 2 is a great zombie-slasher with impressive physics and satisfying melee combat, but that’s about it, with a boring, uninspired storyline, a semi-open-world design and a tongue-in-cheek approach that occasionally borders on the dumb.
State of Decay 2 is a decent game, it just needs fixing.
Shadow of the Colossus is a must-have for fans of the original game – it's stunningly gorgeous, both in terms of the open world environment and the 16 Colossi that you come across during gameplay. But as good as it looks, I don't think that there's enough on offer to entice those that didn't play the original, as it may seem a little bit basic compared to more recent games of a similar nature.
While the gameplay is enjoyable, it's a little short-lived and it isn't a game we imagine you'll sink weeks or months into.
Final Fantasy 16 ticks plenty of boxes – fluid combat, epic boss battles and an engaging story – but for every win, there’s a spectacular fail, be it the bland semi-open world devoid of much to do or the uninspired fetch quest-style side quests. It’s a game at its best when its focus is narrowed, but that doesn’t happen often enough.
If you're a racing fan looking for something a little bit different (and a little bit violent/smashy) then Burnout Paradise Remastered is a good shout.
If you're a fan of zombie games and the Metal Gear series, you really can't go wrong with this one.
While it's enjoyable, it falls short of the large-scale multiplayer experiences offered by the likes of Battlefield 1, something that the CoD franchise is calling out for – especially in a WW2 setting.
If you like the idea of Doom-esque gameplay with Dark Souls difficulty and a surprisingly engaging storyline, you'll love Wolfenstein 2.
Devil May Cry 5 should satisfy your hack-and-slack itch in a big way. Huge, Hollywood-esque attacks are amped up by insane combos and devastating effects to create something truly satisfying, and the story has a lot to offer too.
If you're looking for a story-focused RPG, Vampyr is a solid option. It offers in-depth conversation options, game-changing choices to make and an intriguing storyline full of plot twists and betrayal.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is undoubtedly the biggest, darkest and most enjoyable Tomb Raider game to date. The attention to detail in just about every area of the game is impressive, and the deadly challenge tombs really capture the essence of what Tomb Raider has always been about – solving puzzles, performing death-defying acts and getting hella' loot in the process. It ties the trilogy up perfectly, and we're already waiting to hear about what Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix have planned next.
Sea of Thieves is great fun, and there's not much else like it available at the moment ... But, with a lack of an actual story or the ability to level up your characters or ship, it's hard to feel a sense of real progression and we wonder if that magic will wear off once you've hit your reputation cap and nailed the look of your character.
There's definitely enough bang for its buck to be appealing, but we just wish that there was a little more hand-holding in the first couple of hours while you're still learning – and that's not something I thought I'd ever say about a game.
Project CARS 2 is, overall, a success.
South Park: The Fractured But Whole provides a thoroughly enjoyable experience for fans of the TV series, allowing you to go head-to-head with characters you've watched for 20 years.
Assassin's Creed Origins is the most in-depth and enjoyable title in the Assassin's Creed series so far, and ancient Egypt is the perfect location to showcase it.
Shadow of War is such an enjoyable game – the Nemesis System and fortresses are intricate and provide unique, compelling gameplay. The combat mechanics are fluid and suit the game perfectly, allowing you to charge into a crowd of orcs and emerge unscathed or silently take out enemies from the shadows.