Mick Fraser's Reviews
Control Resonant is a shining example of what a studio like this can do when given time and patience, and it's surprising and entertaining at every single turn. An astounding game.
Crimson Moon is no masterpiece in a year replete with them, but it’s a decent debut for ProbablyMonsters, nonetheless.
Rogue Eclipse is a fairly fun little time-wasting blaster, but it feels quite limited as it stands.
There’s a fun game in Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 for sure; just don’t expect much in the way of originality.
The Blood of Dawnwalker is an excellent open-world fantasy RPG with some unique, interesting ideas.
Ultimately, Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition contains everything from the previous iterations but with slightly less shiny graphics.
To call Mortal Shell II an improvement over the first game feels like underselling it. It's bigger, tighter, deeper, wider.
Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel is a Survivor-like with a gritty Diablo-like art style and a ton of progression systems.
Beast of Reincarnation is is Game Freak's first real foray outside their comfort zone, and despite some missteps where pacing is concerned, it shows massive potential.
Doom: The Dark Ages | Revelations is a superb addition to an already excellent game, expanding on the narrative, lore, and mechanics in a way that’s almost worthy of Sequeldom.
While it lacks the greater variety of Jans, 11 bit have packed so much new stuff into The Alters: The Last Variable that it feels like a sequel.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is a superb remake of an already excellent adventure game, and is utterly essential for fans.
Granblue Fantasy Relink: Endless Ragnarok adds so much to not just the endgame but the whole experience that it feels like a 2.0 release.
Zero Parades: For Dead Spies feels deeply human at times, with a more anchored and centralised narrative than ZA/UM’s previous title.
007 First Light is a superb adventure game that does so much more than simply coast on the popularity of its franchise.
Despite some ropey platforming and some uneven pacing, Luna Abyss is a compelling debut from a new indie studio.
If you felt Rocket League needed more actual rockets, Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks is for you.
As a follow up to Returnal, Saros is excellent. It builds on the foundations of Selene’s adventure and is a sensational slice of bullet-hell shooter goodness.
As the conclusion to Diablo 4’s narrative, Lord of Hatred excels. It tells a tighter, more personal, and features an incredibly satisfying and powerful final act.
The combat is the star of REPLACED. It’s so satisfying and slick that I couldn’t get enough of it, and when combined with numerous traversal puzzles, stealth sections, and action set-pieces the whole is far more glorious than the sum of its parts.