Ben Sellwood
- Wave Race 64
I cannot express any more admiration for this title. It set out to provide comedic adventure action that draws inspiration from the games that the developers loved growing up. This title succeeds on every level in providing a well rounded and stellar experience that just keeps on giving.
Mario vs Donkey Kong is a fantastic game even today, and anyone who has never played this sort of escape room hijinx before should definitely take a look, because it's devilishly addictive!
Gameplay and translation issues aside, there is a great idea here that is well presented overall, if a little confusing in its execution. Even if it's difficult to enjoy as a detective experience, the core elements that make up Chronique des Silencieux have merit and could easily be improved in patches, updates and possibly sequels.
Aspyr really pulled through in making a superb package for new explorers and old adventurers to dig into, but I still have no clue why there is no platinum trophies on the PS5 edition?!
A nice little bunch of games with some admirable QOL features that make it easier for this generation of gamers to appreciate the good old days. Despite the omission of any gallery, music, extras etc its still fantastic to see pioneering franchises available to all in 2024.
I really enjoy Go Mecha Ball. Its beautiful visuals, playful design and stellar playability make for an undeniably powerful combination. Game Pass users should be on this day one, and PC gamers should be buying this up ASAP to enjoy it while its hot!
War Hospital is not for everyone, but it does offer an intriguing insight into 1918's war support operations. The game's bleak and unforgiving nature is compounded by a huge plethora of systems and databases that become monotonous and cyclic.
I would have loved to score this game far higher, but the delicate balance of storytelling and gameplay is just not there. The storytelling and artwork are what massively carry the points I've scored for this title because in my opinion far more effort needed to be put into making compellingly fleshed-out beat-em-up sections as this game should have been absolutely incredible.
I'm quite disappointed by Gangs of Sherwood, as despite looking and sounding great on paper, the presentation is low-end, the voice acting is alarming, and the environments are rudimentary.
I really like this game, but it could be so much better with a little more polish. I have no doubt that RoboCop fans will have an absolute blast with this game, and Teyon has really excelled in bringing fresh but fitting content to Old Detroit for us to stomp and blast through.
It's stealthy, it's gruesome, it's tactical and it's gung-ho all in one fell swoop! Trepang² has the aesthetics of Crysis, the mechanics of 00s shooters and the gory story of B-movie horror-style games with all the blood-soaked trimmings. It feels retro in its action and it has a definite "FPS-version-of-House-Of-The-Dead" vibe to it with its bosses and progressively damaged and bullet-riddled scenery.
A definite bump to TSW3: TSW4 brings more trains, more routes, and more freedom to craft your own fun within the sandbox available. Dovetail is continually improving and refining the formula for avid train lovers.
I have to say I'm deeply impressed with Ugly. From the lateral thinking to the graphical presentation, the clever mirror mechanics to the scale of the levels, the little bursts of humour and the intense storytelling: it's an absolute humdinger of a game for people who get a kick out of brain-melting platforming challenges!
The conversion from tabletop to video game seems somewhat successful, and I can see how the board game has been broken down and reconfigured as a successful interactive gaming package. While it was repetitive in places I could undoubtedly see teams of four cooperating and having a joyfully fun experience throughout the realms of Gloomhaven.
Enchanted Portals should have been so much better, and it really could have! Give us more polished controls, more interesting characters, more engaging cut-scenes and more impetus to play!
If you appreciate lateral thinking and obscurely specific puzzling: Chants of Sennaar is definitely a title to look into, especially for only £15.99 on PSN. Some may find it extremely frustrating in places, but I found the rewarding nature of the game very enjoyable with an unassuming level of challenge throughout.
I couldn't say Somerville is my favourite game, nor would I say it's particularly action-packed or noteworthy in terms of puzzles, but technically it's a serviceable emotion-stirring two-and-a-half-hour jaunt that some may find value in.
RIDE 5 is as polished as they come with improvements in every way over its previous instalments, and the addition of a split screen mode is a brilliant feature! The learning curve may be steep but the gameplay is rich and rewarding for those with the stamina and patience to master the courses and each bike's respective handling.
If you like simple shooters and want to mix it up with spellcasting magic, a bit of platforming, and minimal RPG elements; IoA is definitely a game you should pick up. I had a blast going through its various crusades and regardless of needing to know exactly what was going on half the time I managed to call several of the plot twists long before they happened.
This game is good, but you have to understand that it's not an action-packed title, it's more finite information gathering, a kind of call centre simulation, with quick time events that determine the fate of the helpless prey.