Nicola Ardron's Reviews
Boundless is a game heavy on exploration and crafting. The existence of craft able portals to other worlds extends the scope considerably, but obtuse recipes and unintuitive menus dampen the enthusiasm somewhat.
Black Ops 4 is an excellent entry into the series. Some may mourn the loss of the single player campaign, but this is the tightest most balanced multiplayer the franchise has seen in a long while.
A huge, ambitious game building on the solid foundations of Origins to deliver a game that feels like another positive step towards a very interesting future for the franchise.
A minimalist's take on the real time strategy genre, with a strong pick and play quality that doesn't quite do enough to bridge the gap between novices and veterans of the genre.
Sunless Sea is a unique title. A rogue-like set in a Lovecraftian nightmare with table-top RPG elements backed up by some truly excellent writing. The slow pace, and narrative delivery may well put some players off though.
A beautifully drawn adventure told by an extremely talented voice actor that suffers a little from its own style.
Bomb Chicken is a fun little platformer that doesn't quite manage to balance its difficulty consistently throughout its entirety. Simple mechanics and an adorable fat hen do mean though that you'll have a good time for the most part.
Mooncrash is an excellent piece of DLC that allows the more creative elements of Prey to shine.
The Adventures of Captain Spirit is an interesting way to generate interest in the Life is Strange sequel. Chris and his alter-ego is a likeable little boy trying to navigate a childhood filled with both imaginary and real-life monsters.
Conan Exiles excels in its sense of place, and has an absorbing and complex crafting system that will keep you coming back, but there is no escaping that it is a deeply flawed game that still feels a little unfinished.
A mainly disappointing sequel, with some glitches that hinder the progress and the fun.
A gorgeous 2D adventure game with light puzzles, platforming and branching narrative choices. Some design decisions slow the pace down negatively, but the story and the reveal of your decisions have devastating impact.
Guns of Icarus Alliance brings a cool Steampunk vibe to a flying armada of ships, but a steep learning curve, and a lack of meaningful explanations of systems means the fun takes a while to come through.
A game brimming with potential. Incredible attention to detail and the potential to create your own stories is tempered somewhat by a lack of guided content to keep players motivated.
Improves on its predecessor in every way to deliver a satisfying puzzle game that, while challenging, never feels insurmountable; something that is down to the excellent communication and pacing of its mechanics
Samsara is a pleasant puzzle game that doesn't quite challenge enough to give you the unique satisfaction of the “ah-ha” moment when you solve something particularly difficult.
A marked improvement on the 2016 console release, it continues to be a marvelous simulation game with a compelling gameplay loop, but its systems often feel impenetrable for any but the most persistent players.
InnerSpace is a visually stunning game that ultimately fails to connect. It wants the player to explore and uncover its secrets, but places them in an environment that is deliberately confusing to the point of frustration.
The perfect party game, great for short-bursts of entertainment but doesn't stand up to lengthy play.
The season ends with an action-packed episode that neatly ties up the core themes running through the season. It is lacking in the humour of some of the previous episodes and the violence towards the end feels a little out of place.