Dylan Blight's Reviews
For what's here, they are fantastic games that look and play even better than before; it's just a pity there isn't something more here to make the package feel like more than a timed release for the upcoming movie.
Even while I got lost in the narrative's reliance on drawing from the encyclopaedic franchises' past, I got caught up in the human story between Master Chief and The Weapon. Halo Infinite features an addictive campaign that moves from one objective to the other, and muttering "I'll stop after the next mission" is almost always a lie.
There are plenty of mini-games here, and they're all fast, and most importantly, fun. There's nothing new here outside of a working online multiplayer, but for fans of the series, that's probably all that's needed anyway.
Deep down, you know if you are the audience for a game with the title DEEEER Simulator: Your Average Everyday Deer Game. It's fun for a short period, but you're quickly left with no reason to return. Although I think DLC is coming, I'm not sure when.
Battlefield 2042 has plenty of great ideas, but it feels like a package pushed out the door too early and all so that EA could place it the free-for-all that is Battlefield VS Call of Duty VS Halo for the holiday FPS favourite. Not a decision that'll be worth whatever this achieves for their bottom dollar, and DICE deserves better.
Even as a game that feels more iterative, and less like a next-generational step, Forza Horizon 5 is still the best racing game you can play and the first must-play Xbox Series X|S game to be released since the launch of the console.
Unpacking is truly a unique game that has done something no other video game has done before by crafting such a tremendously relatable character out of nothing but the rather mundaneness of unpacking boxes.
There's not an ounce of badwill in this game, and no matter what minor irritations I may have, it's a very wholesome, relaxing and gorgeous experience.
Unlike the previous two games in The Dark Pictures Anthology, I was pleased with how things played out with the core narrative, but this game had my least favourite cast of characters in all three of the games.
There are so many odd design choices in Echo Generation that grinds my gears. However, the more frustrating game design elements were often overshadowed by how much I enjoyed exploring the world, taking in the fantastic art design and listening to the game's music.
There are plenty of reasons why Back 4 Blood could be around for years as Turtle Rock adds additional content to the game, but I hope they start by tweaking what's here. The difficulty, for this type of game, feels wrong. Back 4 Blood is meant to be fun with friends, and although I'm all for the challenge and reliance on communication with your teammates, the higher difficulties are sadistic.
There's a lot to like here, even if there's plenty of room for improvement. It's far from esports ready, but it does feel like a solid first step for a great new franchise.
I'm content to keep TRIOS installed on my Switch and keep it as a mindfulness app of sorts. It's more suited on the handheld than PC, but if you're more interested in the maths side than the relaxing side, maybe you're happy to sit on your computer and solve puzzles into the night.
If Rainbow Billy had been a tighter experience with fewer bugs, I think I'd have been singing its praises through until the end of the year.
For fans of the toy cars, especially the crossover cars with other properties — which the game currently includes DC, Peanuts, TMNT and more to come — Hot Wheels Unleashed is going to be a must-play.
You feel the passion of Ember Lab to craft a cinematic game with Kena: Bridge of Spirits. Visually and aurally, they achieve their target as it's a beautiful game, but from a story point-of-view and as a video game, it doesn't quite hit the mark.
I can't get past just how anti-fun the controls, mission design and world design are. Aesthetically it's perfect, I love it, but it seems most of the effort has gone into nailing the cute gifs and not the slick heelflips.
I happily cuddled myself up for an afternoon to playthrough TOEM, and it cuddled me back. I’d suggest the same plans to anyone wanting a lo-fi and relaxing photography adventure that’ll make you feel good.
It's a psychedelic trip through a glam-rock wonderland, an utter visual delight, like nothing out of this world; indeed, something that feels ripped straight from Ziggy Stardusts head.
Road 96 is a game about rebellion, the road and most of all, people; even if the politics feel too childish to be helpful at times, it’s a conversation starter and a well-meaning one.