Mick Fraser's Reviews
Grime is simply a phenomenal game, and is one of the best hardcore Metroidvanias I've played in a while. I'd advise any fan of the genre to seek it out and give it a try, and I promise it won't disappoint.
Tribes of Midgard has some great ideas, but the cosmetic rewards, short skill trees and difficulty in unlocking new classes makes it feel a little "early access".
Despite difficulty spikes and a few odd design choices, The Ascent is an enjoyable, and gorgeous, sci-fi blaster.
Fans of hardcore survival games might find Chernobylite a little too easy-going, while horror aficionados may not be horrified enough. But if you're looking for a more balanced experience with a compelling world and a lot of varied mechanics, Chernobylite is well worth investigating.
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is a compelling, surprisingly charming little adventure. It may look dark and oppressive, but Lily is a likeable heroine.
On the whole, Roguebook is an interesting deckbuilder that does a lot of things well. It doesn’t do a great deal that feels new and exciting, but there are flashes of brilliance here and there.
Ultimately, Sniper Elite VR has the goods where it counts. If you can find the right level of comfort or, perhaps, the right position, the sniping is very good.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 is a fantastic adventure filled to the brim with challenge, heart, and - most importantly - monsters.
As a tactical rogue-lite, Crying Suns feels kind of unique. It has some things in common with FTL, but really it's very much its own beast.
Red Solstice 2: Survivors is a decent game hindered by iffy AI, spiking difficulty, and a feeling of disconnect between player and game.
If you fell in love with all over again with Cloud and co. in FF7 Remake, you'll fall in love with Yuffie in Intermission.
Chivalry 2 is an excellent large-scale multiplayer game with enough humour, mission types and classes to appeal to any fan of medieval warfare.
Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection is a big, loud spectacle of a trilogy and absolutely deserves to be experienced by all fans of brutal action-adventure.
The family-friendly blasting of Earth Defence Force: World Brothers should tide over the franchise fans until the arrival of EDF 6 later in the year.
Fast-paced, loud, and unashamedly grim, Necromunda: Hired Gun is a competent, fun shooter when it all works.
Legend of Keepers is a decent dungeon manager with enjoyable if overly simple combat. It does nothing badly, but also does nothing in particular well enough to stand out.
Beautiful Desolation is an enjoyable point and click adventure in a unique world, but the slow pace and obtusiveness may put some people off.
Biomutant is a game that overreaches early, and spends the rest of its run time trying, mostly successfully, to regain its balance. It's lovely to look at and its world is a joy to explore, boots on the ground, but the combat lacks impact and precision, and technical issues mar the experience.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids presents a good 12 to 18 hours of new story and side content, with loads to get stuck into.
Hood: Outlaws & Legends is a pretty good craic with a group you know, or people who know what they're doing, but a bunch of amateurs without a mic between them may struggle.