Omi Koulas's Reviews
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III attempts to rekindle the fire but falls short, particularly in its disjointed campaign. The multiplayer, drawing on iconic maps from series history, excels with responsive controls, intense gunfights, and revamped loadouts. Yet, the biggest letdown is the lazy reskin of DMZ into a zombies mode, undermining the essence of what fans loved about it. Modern Warfare III shines in multiplayer but offends with its campaign, zombies, and blatant money-hungry tactics, leaving fans still yearning for the franchise's former glory.
PAYDAY 3 offers a cooperative gameplay experience with an array of heists and a progression system that has its merits. However, it's not without its share of issues. AI inconsistencies, unremarkable objectives, and underwhelming audio-visual elements tarnish the experience. While it's an imperfect addition to the series, it still offers a taste of the criminal underworld. Like any complex caper, it has its moments of brilliance, but also a few unexpected hiccups along the way.
Diablo 2: Resurrected is, if anything, a faithful remaster of the original game. The visual overhaul and fantastic cinematics maintain the dark tone of Sanctuary’s horrifying demons and tales. Unfortunately, that alone doesn’t hold up after 20 years of innovation. Annoying gameplay mechanics, constant selling and buying, restrictive controls, regressive character art, and finicky UI poorly date this adventure. More quality of life changes should be here to truly bring the classic back to life. Diablo fans may love this remaster; others will likely not.
ESO: Blackwood is familiar territory for fans of the universe. While it provides heaps of armour sets to collect, enemies to defeat, and captivating characters to meet, it won’t be anyone’s favourite. This chapter of the MMO lacks an unseen and astounding setting, like Elsywere and Summerset had before it. However, as a complete package, The Elder Scrolls Online continues to be one of the best quality MMO experiences.
Mechanically this is a wonderful first-person shooter that is fun to play with plenty of strategy and room to learn. Unfortunately, it adopts the popular smooth and colourful style, oversaturated by many other shooters already available. Lacking individuality to stand out, a significantly declining player base, and a potentially damaging business model; this game competes in the wrong league.
The posturised visuals are so extreme to a point of frustration that hinders the otherwise fantastic gameplay. If you can look past the bad art, BPM: Bullets Per Minute is an energizing rhythm-based shooter with addictive play that will have you coming back for more and more.
As a freebie for owners of the original, you’re not going to upset with “more” even if it’s repetitive. Otherwise, stick to the original
Curse of the Sea Rats is a competent 2.5D Metroidvania that offers an absolutely delightful style. The story and gameplay are basic at best, with design oversights and shallow combat that unfortunately drive this simple narrative. Still, the small package comes with a fun four-player coop that complements the classic cartoon animation and critters throughout the journey. This platformer won't rattle the scene, but it's a great game for families to play.
Power Chord unleashes its loud style upon deckbuilding roguelites. The game introduces a creative band format with strategic roles for each member to play, adding a new layer to the familiar gameplay structure. Still, it's more style over substance with a lack of balance, interesting story or music, and a handful of gameplay issues. Otherwise, Power Chord is an entertaining game for fans of the genre.
Impaler is a good time for shooter fans looking for an instant nostalgia fix. The gameplay, music, and visuals achieve the ideal 90s aesthetic with a gothic twist. While it is limited in content, short, and a little too easy for the genre, the cheap price tag is appropriate if you want to give the game a stab.
GRID Legends is a mismatched racing game with a surprising story mode and features. The gameplay is an awkward mix of simulator and arcade that doesn’t lend itself to either’s strengths, and with puzzling direction will likely alienate fans of both. Yet, Driven to Glory and the sensational crashes in races make for good fun. With Codemasters’ car expertise and implementation of hardware accessories, the experience is worth trying. Still, coming up against other big-name racing series, I don’t think GRID Legends will make the podium finish.
Bread & Fred is a delightfully enraging cooperative physics puzzle that combines charming pixel art, adorable animations, and a challenging platformer experience. The game's world, filled with cute penguins and vibrant environments, will bring smiles to faces. The chaotic gameplay and repeating failure might bring frustration but will be followed by big laughs and lots of fun with your penguin partner. Still, for solo players without someone to play with local co-op, this game won't be for you.
Temtem isn't just a copycat Pokémon. Incorporating MMO elements and engaging characters into fan-favourite gameplay is an overwhelming success, with an abundance of addicting endgame content. Unfortunately, Temtem suffers from optimisation issues and needs to present its most captivating features at the forefront rather than behind the MMO grind and a slow main story. I can't deny how much fun it is to play Temtem, it just needs more time and polish to be the best there ever was.
Blasting through unbelievable tracks at sonic speeds, Redout 2 is one of the fastest racing games around. It shows off beautiful science-fiction races across an alternate Earth and galaxy. Yet, the track design is impractical, making it a challenge to play and that difficulty extends into the beastly AI, tiresome overheating mechanic, and time trials demanding precision and perfection. Multiplayer doesn’t hold up either, with network and matchmaking problems galore and a handful of bugs breaking races and visuals. However, there is still a fantastic amount of single-player content for the adrenaline junkie looking for extreme fun.
Call of Duty: Vanguard is As Expected: The Video Game. You get the polish, the excitement, the rush the series always delivers within the stylised World War 2 setting. This year, the single-player campaign is undoubtedly the standout action blockbuster, with the Multiplayer serving chaotic fun and Zombies mode failing to try something different. Pick it up if you’re already a fan.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite is a valiant third-person shooter in the titular universe, yet still falls somewhat short. As a bite-sized, mindless action game on the surface, blasting away hordes upon hordes of xenomorphs with the M41A Pulse Rifle is excellent. Trying different classes, abilities, and unlockable weapons help keep gameplay refreshing during your first run. However, Fireteam Elite wants to be replayable and what’s on offer simply isn’t that fun to return to. Formulaic level design and often buggy AI make finishing missions a chore rather than a triumph. Series fans will enjoy the package, but Aliens: Fireteam Elite may struggle to survive against other co-op shooters. “Another glorious day in the Corps…” but not much longer than that.
Impressively, this superhero action game isn’t just a cash-grab, shovelware release for kids. Batgirl, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, and friends are charming representations of their cartoon and comic-book counterparts with heaps of flair. The slice of life elements are decent, with humorous stories and meaningful drama peppered throughout, but not without superficial parts.
Whether you want to take the righteous route or become the true menace of Nottingham, Hood: Outlaws & Legends is certainly one of the best Robin Hood games to play. The art and world design care are impeccable, representing a grim and gory version of the English folklore. It’s empowering to play as legendary vigilantes and decimate the establishment or opposing forces with strategy and stealth. Although, it doesn’t come without its fair share of problems.
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and The Secret Fairy will not be for the average gamer but will undoubtedly be a great 20-30 hour adventure for series veterans.
If you can ignore the lack of PVP content and have already exhausted all other story content, Elder Scrolls Online: Greymoor will certainly provide another chilling chapter in your journey.