There are definitely elements of Summer Catchers that work. The visuals are astounding, the music is brilliant and, when you get lucky, there’s some solidly fun endless runner gameplay to be had. However, its strange focus on luck over skill means every element suffers, the fun level design never given the chance to shine as it should. In the end, Summer Catchers feels so insistent on being deeper than a simple runner that it ends up stumbling at every hurdle instead.
I can’t say I’ve ever played something quite like Pathologic 2. The systems are intricate, the choices have serious consequences and the story is perhaps the most mind-boggling I’ve ever experienced in a video game. At times, it’s too much, the unforgiving learning curve and hard to follow story making it wildly inaccessible. However, if you are patient and stick with it, Pathologic 2 opens up into a completely unique, surreal and harrowing experience that I can assure you won’t have played anywhere else.
Overall, Feather’s a tale of two audiences. Those looking for a deep experience with a complex story akin to Journey will likely find its short runtime disappointing. However, if Feather’s serene gameplay loop appeals to you, the intuitive mechanics and beautiful soundtrack mean it’s hard to not recommend.
Wastelands dishes out some of Life Is Strange 2’s strongest moments as well as its weakest. Sean gets some welcome character development and the darker tone fits well, however, Daniel’s repetitive plot arc simplifies him into a whiny brat, and a series of scattershot sub-plots seriously bloat the story. A strong finale does set up a dramatic hurdle in the brothers’ road, but Life Is Strange 2 still has a lot of catching up to do if it wants to match the quality of its predecessor.
Yuppie Psycho may not look that scary on the outside, but there’s a lot more lurking beneath its charming aesthetics. An amazing story, strong writing and an eerie atmosphere make this a creepy comedic gem that’s rich in personality. It’s not all smooth sailing, but this surreal nightmarish odyssey has enough smart scares to make it work.
While Dangerous Driving desperately wants to declare itself Burnout’s successor, it’s simply too hollow to ever truly earn that title. It’s buggy, repetitive and lacks all the depth that made Criterion Software’s acclaimed franchise such a phenomenal hit. There are the fundamentals for an explosively fun driving game within this barebones arcade racer, but ultimately Dangerous Driving is more a knock-off Burnout clone than a worthy spiritual reboot.
Tropico 6 is a visually impressive, unbelievably charming and ruthlessly enjoyable role-playing city-sim. It lacks the depth of the genre’s more intricate modern hits, but its fun political systems, tongue-in-cheek moral choices, and challenging task management make it a worthwhile investment for genre aficionados.
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus is a rare exception to the iconic tabletop game’s line-up of video game offerings. The combat is engaging, the visuals are striking and, most importantly, it’s a blast to play. Its attempts to diversify itself from other examples of the genre don’t always land, but it’s a solid RTS that’s as deeply addictive as it is ruthlessly entertaining.
Much like the previous games in the franchise, Metro Exodus isn’t perfect. Yet, despite that fact, this threequel’s bold decision to take its world in a new direction means that its glaring positives outweigh its lack of refinement. The gameplay is solid, the visuals are terrific and Metro Exodus’s decision to try new, courageous gameplay mechanics makes it a thrill to play, overall, meaning that this is not only a fitting culmination to Artyom’s story, but also 4A’s studio-defining work on the franchise as well.
The Switch may not have the power for a game as expansive as Observer, but even with its technical faults and the occasional gameplay misstep, it’s still an incredible experience. Whether it’s the morbid story, the disturbing atmosphere or the deeply involving detective gameplay, this is a genuinely brilliant horror-thriller that works its way under your skin and lingers long after you put the controller down.
While Life Is Strange: Episode 2 has a lot of much-needed character-building, it suffers from some significant pacing issues and occasional technical trouble. It’s by no means a major failure, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next, but after the four months we’ve anticipated seeing the brotherly companions return, it’s not quite worth the wait.
If Resident Evil 7 was the game that put the legs back under Capcom’s iconic zombie franchise, Resident Evil 2 is the game that sees it clear the way back atop its bloodied throne. From the beautiful visuals to the nail-biting scares and frantic combat, this is a horror-experience that not only scares the life out of you, it makes you think as well.
The Long Dark is by no means perfect, but what it lacks in finesse it makes up for in attention to detail. The survival is tough but addictive, coming with a vast array of supplies to find and stats to manage, while the challenge mode and story accommodate players with different levels of experience and ability. It’s got a lot of ground to cover in patches and updates, but there’s still a mighty fine game underneath its shortcomings.
There’s no denying Desert Child is a stylish and unique RPG, but beneath its striking facade, it’s simply too hollow to make a mark. The racing is repetitive, the side-activities lack variety and the lack of technical fidelity is too noticeable to avoid, overall, making this bland racer an underwhelming disappointment.
Mutant Year Zero: Road To Eden is an engaging, fun and fresh turn-based strategy game that plays with the genre’s conventions in unexpected ways. It could do with some fine tuning, but the interesting world, brilliant combat and challenging stealth mechanics mean this journey through the apocalypse is one that never wears out its welcome.
Fire Pro Wrestling World is a hardcore wrestling game made for hardcore wrestling fans. While it’s simply a tonne of fun, it also welcomes creativity and strategy, its rich gameplay making it a wrestling toy box that feels brimming with limitless potential. There’s a lack of variation and an intimidating learning curve, but it’s easy to look over these missteps when Fire Pro Wrestling World ticks so many boxes.
Life Is Strange 2 is everything a good sequel should be: It builds on what makes the first game great, establishes a thrilling new storyline and, ultimately, is far more comfortable taking risks. It still retains the first game’s issues, but this is ultimately a bold new step for Dontnod’s beloved franchise.
The Garden Between may not be a puzzle game that challenges you, but it is one that makes you think. It’s enchanting, creative, introspective and entertaining, and whilst it’s let down by its simplistic gameplay, it’s got enough nostalgic charm to stay afloat.
Spider-Man is the best of the web-slinger’s video game debuts to date; the visuals are striking, its story engaging, and its gameplay is some of the most fluid anywhere on a modern console. Whilst it does occasionally get tangled in its own ambitious web, it makes up for its minor shortcomings with a large helping of heart and an even larger dose of pure fun.