Joe Apsey's Reviews
The Sojourn is one of the best games of the year and one of the best puzzle games available, if not the best. Every single puzzle is meticulously designed and challenges you in satisfying ways, without ever feeling impossible. Carefully crafted, beautiful levels. An uplifting, philosophical story that asks you to reflect upon your actions and the world around you. All of these ingredients create an experience like no other and a game you will be thinking about even after the credits have rolled.
The Surge 2 is a much better, engaging, and rewarding experience than the first game. Dozens of quality of life improvements, more interesting environments and characters, and the addition of parrying makes The Surge 2 a must-play for anyone who even slightly enjoyed their time with the first game. However, the game holds itself back from being an excellent souls-like with some poor lighting in areas, intense difficulty spikes, and a final area that is just plain unfun.
Afterparty is a fantastic and incredibly funny tale of friendship and the role drinking alcohol plays in society and the effects that drinking has on us. Night School Studio has created one of the funniest games ever made and their version of Hell is fully realised. The stellar voice acting and writing left me smiling from ear to ear constantly. Afterparty is a joy to play and everyone should take a trip to Hell.
Just Dance 2020 pushes the franchise forward by creating more complex choreographies and introducing new themes and styles of music through its diverse songlist. The returning modes remain as solid as they were with a few noticeable quality of life improvements. At its conclusion the All-Stars Mode feels a little underwhelming, but no matter what occasion or reason you want to buy it for, Just Dance 2020 is highly recommended.
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts is the most average game I have ever played. Nothing it does is particularly memorable or amazing, but it isn't broken or bad either. The gameplay can be both enjoyable and clunky depending on the situation. The story is forgettable and environments aren't appealing. But, the game's open-ended levels and tick box-style gameplay make it a great game to play whilst listening to a podcast. Overall, it is a half-step forward for the franchise, but much like the previous games, there isn't much reason to check this entry out.
Avicii Invector is a wonderful tribute to the EDM artist and celebrates his work by creating a diverse tracklist from across his career. The rhythm gameplay has its own unique twists and provides a challenging experience. The visual effects can get a bit much at times, throwing off your streak, but the game is still a wonderful way to surround yourself with some of the best EDM music from the past decade.
Ashen is one of the best souls-likes around and its quality matches that of the games that gave birth to the genre. The mystery and lore help to build a fascinating world that excellently complements the open and varied environments and strange, contorted creatures you will fight in them. A44 have provided a big breath of fresh air in a genre desperately in need of reinvigoration.
Journey To The Savage Planet is a fun, arcadey ride with its comedic characters, cartoony art style and unique blend of game genres. Secrets and secondary objectives galore, creative creature design, and a rewarding gameplay loop only add to that ride. Although the co-op disappoints, you shouldn't overlook Typhoon Studios' great first game.
Darksiders Genesis is a rousing achievement, taking the pillars of the franchise and bringing them to a new genre and perspective. That shift is pulled off almost to perfection, creating one of the better games in the franchise and a satisfying and rewarding combat experience with a lot of meat on its bones.
Krillbite should be commended for what the achieve with Mosaic, crafting an experience that wholly commits to its themes, atmosphere, and narrative. Each moving part of the game contributes to the whole journey and creates an exceptional replication of the bleak, hostile, and depressing lifestyle that is modern capitalist-fueled city-life. It isn't a particularly enjoyable game to play, but that lack of gratification is just another part of the magnificent mosaic that is, Mosaic.
Bloodroots combat is fast and frenetic that is on par with games like Hotline Miami and The Hong Kong Massacre. With great presentation and a good amount of replayability, Bloodroots is a wildly bloody and thoroughly satisfying time.
Persona 5: Royal is the definitive Persona 5 experience. Atlus has refined the already excellent base game, trimming the rigid, sharp edges and creating a smoother experience filled with new and interesting activities, characters, story moments, and even an entirely new palace and optional ending to the game. Persona 5: Royal is one of the best JRPG's on PS4 for both new and returning players.
Whilst a little tricky at times, Paper Beast is an experience every PSVR owner should play at some point as it is quite simply a one-of-a-kind experience.
Telling Lies is a flawless piece of work. This is Sam Barlow perfecting what he was able to achieve with Her Story and bolstering it with a bigger story and being supported by four powerhouse performances. Telling Lies offered me five incredible hours and everyone should experience this masterpiece with their own eyes.
Whilst the opening hours suffer from a lack of communication, SnowRunner is an excellent and rewarding vehicle simulation.
Despite a few issues with a lack of upgrades in some areas, Saint’s Row The Third Remastered is a great way to dip your shoes back into the franchise and remember why Saint’s Row 3 helped the series find an identity, allowing it to go on to do bigger and better things in Saint’s Row IV.
Remnant: From The Ashes' Swamps of Corsus DLC redesigns an area of the game to be the best-looking location in it. But, a lack of changes to outdoor environments on Corsus, bugs and issues that are still present ten months on, and a general feeling that there isn't much meat on Swamps of Corsus' bones left me underwhelmed with what is here. Fans looking for a more substantial offering should wait for the final DLC in August.
Othercide is the most pristine AA game I have played. Its haunting world and grotesque creature design cement themselves as some of the best in gothic horror, whilst the unique, timeline-based combat provides a twist on traditional tactical games. Othercide is far more than just a striking art style and everyone should give one of the most unique games of the year a shot.
Relicta tries to strike a balance between narrative and gameplay, but that balance ends up hurting the final experience by making the game a slog to go through and puzzles becoming infuriatingly complex in the second half. The story and excellent voice acting are a nice differentiator and the level of detail in the environments is impressive, but Relicta is a game that is hard to stick with in its second half if you don't have a guide.
Fall Guys is one of the best online party games of the generation, offering a hilarious and intense battle royale with a ridiculous amount of customisation. A speedy pace and a substantial amount of different modes at launch mean that the game is always fresh and exciting. Even the Battle Pass and store are some of the fairest and less money-grabbing I have seen. Fall Guys is a must-play.