Tom Quirk


78 games reviewed
70.5 average score
73 median score
59.0% of games recommended
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Feb 11, 2022

KINGDOM of the DEAD is a pretty damned good horror FPS with enough compelling ideas to stand on its own. The monochrome, hand-drawn visuals really sell the game’s Lovecraftian-noir tone, without interfering with gameplay. Plus, its varied additional mission objectives make its difficulty settings feel more multi-layered. Still, with its short play-time, minimal plot, and lack of unlockable content, it won’t be engaging for everyone. However, for those looking for some retro FPS fun, KINGDOM of the DEAD is a unique enough experience to be worth the recommendation.

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Jan 26, 2022

Reverie Knights Tactics is a decent turn-based strategy RPG that fans of the genre will likely enjoy… for the most part. The Order vs Chaos system and optional side-quests provide additional depth to the game’s plot. Furthermore, the strategy gameplay fundamentally works very well, encouraging thoughtful planning and smart use of stage hazards. However, its balance issues, primarily the lack of post-combat recovery and limited character customisation and re-spec options, can lead to Reverie Knights Tactics’ gameplay wearing on you over time. It’s an imperfect game, but there are enough neat ideas to be worth checking out.

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Dec 16, 2021

Aeterna Noctis is an amazing example of how a developer can mix together gameplay elements from many popular platformers of the past few years to construct something greater than the sum of its parts. While it owes a gameplay debt to games like Hollow Knight, Dark Souls, and Castlevania, Aeterna Noctis’ fascinating setting and enjoyable gameplay make it easy to appreciate on its own. Its beautiful world and gorgeous soundtrack make exploring Aeterna is a joy, even when its high difficulty is knocking you down over and over. If you’ve been seeking your next Metroidvania fix, Aeterna Noctis is definitely worth diving into.

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Nov 17, 2021

The Last Stand: Aftermath is an engaging zombie-themed roguelike that unfortunately runs out of ideas too fast. The steady voyage across the zombie-infested post-apocalypse whilst scavenging for scarce resources is a tense and fairly enjoyable experience, but only for a while. As a game built around repetition and short playthroughs, The Last Stand: Aftermath recycles enemies and environments too frequently for the amount of time you replay them. The addition of mutations and new player equipment load-outs are a nice touch, but ultimately don’t do enough to mix up the experience. Rewarding progression and an engaging premise mean the game is certainly worth checking out for fans of roguelikes and zombie games, although it might not hold your attention for very long.

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5 / 10 - The Good Life
Oct 21, 2021

If you’re a fan of SWERY’s previous output or have a lot of patience for fetch quests, there is reason enough to check out The Good Life, but it is a hard sell for pretty much anyone else.

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The simplistic combat, lack of enemy variety and clunky platforming make it hard to recommend for anyone aside from nostalgic fans of the series.

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Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is certainly a worthy successor to Pathfinder: Kingmaker. With its highly varied moral choices, a tremendous number of race and class options, as well as the Mythic Path feature, players will have a ton to dig into. That said, the addition of turn-based crusade battles where you lead armies across the land doesn’t quite land as well, feeling sluggish and lacking many of the tactical nuances of the main combat mode. In all, however, despite the experience not being the most polished, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is a deep, challenging and highly enjoyable title that is an easy recommend for fans of RPGs.

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Aug 13, 2021

Greak: Memories of Azur is a truly charming little title that fans of puzzle and action games will really enjoy. Its unique mechanics of controlling the three siblings at once paid off for the most part, even if it became more frustrating during boss fights. While the game’s restrictive inventory and lack of area maps wasn’t ideal, it didn’t prevent the gorgeous hand-drawn world and enchanting soundtrack from drawing me right into the experience. Greak: Memories of Azur is fun, very easy to like, and definitely worth checking out.

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Jul 30, 2021

Orcs Must Die! 3 is definitely a case of “another verse, same as the first”, but fortunately the formula still holds up. The changes to gameplay balance mostly work, as does the implementation of the new Scramble game mode. However, the War mode shows that throwing more orcs into a stage doesn’t necessarily make it more fun, and the level design generally doesn’t feel quite as fresh as it once did. All that said, the visceral pleasure of slicing through a group of orcs with a buzzsaw launcher is as present as ever, and ultimately the experience is still a fun time. For tower defence fans, Orcs Must Die! 3 is worth checking out, particularly if you’re planning on playing co-op.

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Jul 29, 2021

Even if it can feel like the deck-builder roguelike genre is getting a bit oversaturated, Banners of Ruin is definitely one to check out. With its generous and frequent unlocks, as well as its complex-yet-mostly-well-explained combat mechanics, it is easy to pick up and enjoyable to master. While it is not as challenging as some of its roguelike cousins, I personally found its user-friendliness a positive quality. If you are looking for another deck-builder roguelike to play, you should definitely add Banners of Ruin to your deck.

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Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is somewhat imperfect, but the flaws don’t quite eclipse its strengths. Despite the annoying party AI and grind, the combat has the right level of tactical depth I would expect from a turn-based Monster Hunter game. With its adorable Monsties and a wide-open world to explore, gamers looking for a new JRPG to dive into can certainly do a lot worse. As long as you are prepared for some irritating supporting cast members and a somewhat repetitive gameplay loop, fans of the monster-collecting genre will get a lot out of this game.

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Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance isn’t a bad game, but it does feel insubstantial at the moment. The lack of character development, plot or world-building will probably turn away hardcore D&D fans. As for the fans of multiplayer action games, while the core of the experience is fairly solid, the lack of technical polish, repetitive structure and unexciting loot system will likely not satisfy for long. Hopefully over time, patches and additional content can flesh out the experience and make it the rollicking fantasy hack and slash multiplayer funfest it has the potential to be. Just make sure you don’t forget to bring a friend or three.

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7 / 10 - Backbone
Jun 12, 2021

Backbone is full of potential for greatness and makes a terrific first impression. With its compelling lead and supporting cast, and a fascinating setting full of tantalising lore and mysteries to solve, I spent most of my experience excited to find out where it was all leading. Unfortunately, much of the detective gameplay and plot start to come apart by the end, leading to an oddly inconclusive and unsatisfying conclusion.

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7 / 10 - Mighty Goose
Jun 5, 2021

From its charming animations and characters, fun weapons and catchy soundtrack, it’s hard to not have a good experience during the game’s short runtime. However, it does start to drag a bit by the end, and it may have been more fun with the addition of co-op. That all said, Mighty Goose is a great little burst of shoot ’em up arcade goodness, and succeeds at bringing that old style of game into the modern era.

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8 / 10 - Knockout City
May 31, 2021

I have played many online multiplayer games in my time, but Knockout City has made a better first impression than most. With its easy-to-understand mechanics, along with the complex mind games involved in almost any interaction, it is very satisfying for quick play sessions. Despite some technical issues and a lack of single-player content and diverse game modes, what is there at launch is a lot of fun so far.

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7 / 10 - Outriders
Apr 20, 2021

Judging the game by the experience as it is now, I certainly had a good time with it, particularly when I could find a party to play with. However, if you’re only intending to play solo and want a good sci-fi cover shooter, the experience will eventually wear out its welcome as you hit the endgame.

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Mar 24, 2021

There were high expectations with Monster Hunter Rise, following World’s success and returning to a more portable console. Fortunately, Rise has taken note of the franchise’s most successful elements, and refined them into the best Monster Hunter yet. By continuing the streamlining that Generations and World started, Rise has focused on making the actual hunting the most engaging it has ever been.

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Feb 24, 2021

Overall, Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos may be a few more bug patches away from a solid recommendation. However, if you want an enjoyable Zelda-esque title to play with your friends, it is certainly one to keep an eye on.

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Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is an excellent case for why Nintendo should be porting more Wii U games to the Switch. With its improved presentation and the convenience of the Switch, this is definitely the optimal way to play Super Mario 3D World, even without much in the way of new features. Bowser’s Fury is also an excellent open-world Mario mini-adventure, which is probably worth the price of admission on its own. Admittedly, the multiplayer features some camera issues, particularly in Bowser’s Fury. However, that should not stop Mario fans of all ages from checking out Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, especially if they missed out on this much loved platformer the first time around.

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7 / 10 - Worms Rumble
Dec 5, 2020

It is kind of a tough sell to hardcore Worms fans, but it ultimately works quite well. Worms Rumble is a more fast-paced variety of Battle Royale, with a Deathmatch mode thrown in for those who want a more conventional multiplayer experience. The experience is quite a lot of fun, at least for a few hours until the repetition sets in.

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