If you’re really into your XCOM’s and Space Hulk, but find the steep curve of the former and the seriousness of the latter too much, then this is a welcome change. It brings the brightness and colour back to mass-murdering aliens, alongside the wacky, irreverant humour and self-deprecation that the British are so delightful wonderful at.
Airheart initially didn’t put flight to my fancy with what seemed like a boring, slow mechanic. Scratch a bit deeper though, and begin to get your teeth into the customising and tactical behaviour of your enemies, and there’s a surprisingly deep combat/farming game in there. I can’t guarantee it will hold up in the long term, especially having to essentially go from level one each time, but if you’re willing to perservere to reach those upper limits and beyond, then you can’t go wrong with Airheart.
Taking both the tricky gameplay and playful tone in its stride, Razed stands out with its fresh take on the platform runner, and will keep you playing for a long enough to smash the targets and hit the S ranks on each level.
I’d heartily recommend Space Hulk Tactics if you’re a fan of Warhammer, or you’ve looking for something to fill that XCOM void, or maybe even both. Or perhaps you’ve not heard of the franchise, in which case you could do far worse than this. Campaign replayability, online play and map creation will make this a worthwhile investment.
If you want something with a fresh take on the Alien Isolation/Condemned/Outlast style of first person experience, this will suit you. It’s got some hammy dialogue, graphics aren’t going to be on par with some upcoming cowboy game you might have heard about, but it’s a rich story driven game that will keep your noodle thoroughly scratched.
o, this is a recommendation, with a warning. It takes a while to get used to, and is unforgiving as you start, but dig deep and Ride 3 becomes a faithful recreation of the thrills of motorbike racing.
It’s a very solid and responsive racer, reminiscent of its earlier iterations that kept the racing tight and less over-the-top lunacy. It’s got its hooks back in to me, pushing me to keep getting those top times and not bogging us down with eight minute long spectacle tracks. That being said, it’s hard to ignore the incessant use of microtransactions and what it brings with it, the in your face constant reminders about loot crates and such. It taints the experience that it’s saving grace is really in the gameplay, that all the bumf just spoils it somewhat.
If you missed it the first time around, treat yourself. If you’re coming back from the original, cast aside any aspersions and just lose yourself in some classic Sniper Elite goodness.
It’s a fun, satirical little romp that has enough going on to keep veterans going, and hopefully invest newcomers in something different. There’s some neat little trophies that require slightly divergent means, but that just adds to the length and fun. They’re optional, but it adds to the humour and tone somewhat.
If you’re into your steampunk with a side of apocalypse, then you’re covered. If you’re a WarCraft alumni who fancies a bit of a twist in the not-technical-zombies mold, this will inject some fresh life into the RTS catalogue.
It’s beautiful, it’s got a manic soundtrack to keep the adrenaline pumping, and it is a faithful throwback to the days of arcade past.
Whatever your constitution, The Blackout Club gets a strong recommendation from me. It’s got a tense feel to it, some cultist shenanigans going on, and especially off the back of the latest Stranger Things series, it’s something a bit different in the horror ranks.
It’s not easy to start with. It’s the difference being jumping in a plane in Saints Row to playing Flight Simulator, the Mario Karts to the F1’s. But hey, if that’s your bag and you feel like you’ve rinsed the Dirt games, or you’re looking for somewhere to start, then this would be it.
OFDP2 is the same mechanic, over and over. It is ridiculously fun, something you can show off as a party game or to a mate as a silly game. But it’s whether you want to put the hours in to grind for that completion rate and five stars on each level.
It’s not something I would recommend to anyone just looking for a new shooter, nor would I try and pitch it to the masochistic Soulsborne crowd. It’s more of a middle ground game: it’s a new shooter with a very real challenge, also please buy it so I have someone else to play with.
It won’t revolutionise either the horror or walking simulator genre, but it’s a strong entry nonetheless.
As a continuation of what Capcom achieved last year, it’s disappointing. I won’t be crass and snidely call it “Resident Evil 2.5”, because it is its own game. It’s just that the content outside of the campaign is so lacking that as much as I hate to, I can only compare it to The Order 1886. In terms of comparison, it’s a spectacle game that has you follow a predetermined path. The omission of the multiple choice/live selection system forces you to take the path laid out for you, often whizzing by as an almost cutscene-like delivery of gameplay.
It may only be single player, but treat it more like the Witcher than a party game: you are the shark, this is your time to rise as queen of the ocean. It may have a slightly bumpy start, as most games of this style do, but once it opens up the world is your… well, ocean. That sounds less dramatic when it’s literal.
It may not look next-gen on your 4K TV running through your PS4 Pro, but it doesn’t need to. Conversely, I thought it was well suited to something like the Switch: much like a comic, you hold it in your hands and flick through at your own pace. In that regard, Atomic Wolf have nailed it.
It’s not easy, but then, nothing fun usually is right off the bat. Give it time, get used to the mechanics, and Neon Abyss will take place as that frustratingly fun game in your library.