Richard Walker's Reviews
Yakuza makes its long-awaited debut on Xbox One with the best entry in the series. Yakuza 0 is a superlative game, boasting outlandish and violent combat, bizarre peripheral characters, and a story that introduces two great protagonists in Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima. Play it and you'll quickly become fully invested in all things Yakuza.
A transcendent magic realist adventure, Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition is a singular experience that rewards perseverance and commitment to its vision.
Flawed it may be, but Simulacra is an interesting thriller in which you get to play detective. The found phone concept is a smart hook, while the storytelling delivers a yarn that will keep you engaged from beginning to end.
While Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is strong with the Force, it's held back slightly by some irritating bugs. Fortunately, none of them can detract from the overall experience, its superlative combat and absorbing, enjoyable take on the Star Wars universe.
A fun collection of events, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 has some chaff amongst the wheat, but overall, this an entertaining package that will no doubt be a party favourite.
A very competent, well-made survival horror adventure with clear BioShock inspirations, Close to the Sun is a smart and compelling game marred only by some ill-advised showing of naff monsters.
Turns out a reboot is just what the doctor ordered. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is the best the series has been in quite some time.
An accomplished, excellent remake hampered only by some dated game design, MediEvil is a marvellously macabre medley of mayhem and mirth.
A wretched, annoying puzzle game that consists primarily of tedious busywork. While Felix the Reaper has bags of personality, a vein of dark humour, and the inimitable voice of Sir Patrick Stewart, it regrettably isn't nearly as fun as it looks. As far as I'm concerned, Felix can go dance off the edge of a cliff.
Once again, Codemasters has proved that it deserves a place in the grand pantheon of racing game developers with GRID. Alongside the DiRT games and F1 series, GRID is another exemplary racer that will scratch the itch of even the most demanding racing game player.
Not as good as Ghost Recon Wildlands, Ubisoft Paris' follow-up has a few new ideas up its sleeve, but is ultimately lacking. Sadly, Ghost Recon Breakpoint feels like it's been hastily gaffer taped together, then kicked out of the door, bugs and all.
After the first Yooka-Laylee, you could be forgiven for not being desperate for more, but Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is a more accomplished and markedly different game to its forebear. And it's all the better for it.
Delivering another strong outing, FIFA 20 proves once more that it's a football game truly to be reckoned with. There are issues, but few are serious enough to really mar the overall experience. Ultimately, FIFA 20 is fantastic, its new VOLTA Football mode being a particular joy, while FUT proves endlessly compelling yet again.
Is Borderlands 3 the best one yet? Not quite, but it's incredibly close. While it may not eclipse Borderlands 2, Gearbox has crammed Borderlands 3 with more chaotic gunplay, more ridiculous guns with which to wreak havoc, and more silly humour. More of everything, then? Yep. Borderlands 3 is one big bundle of fun.
NBA 2K20 is so similar to last year's game that it's hard to wholeheartedly recommend it like we normally would. If you haven't bought an NBA 2K game in a while, then by all means, don't hesitate to dive right in. But if you're still happily playing NBA 2K19, there's really no reason to make the switch. Major, sweeping changes are clearly in order, and we hope to see big things happening for NBA 2K21.
Once again, The Coalition proves itself as Gears of War's ideal custodian. Gears 5 is one of the best entries in the series yet, delivering an unrivalled package that still boasts the best headshots in the business.
Managing to make the forest seem oppressive and claustrophobic, Blair Witch is adept at creating a tense and foreboding atmosphere, while weaving a compelling narrative that still proves exciting, even if you've sussed out the final twist hours before the end. You'll never look at trees the same way again
Failing to deliver as an effective horror story, Man of Medan is interminably slow to get started, and when it does, the narrative and performances prove more laughable than scary. The best kind of horror is the stuff that really gets under your skin, but sadly, this barely even pricks it. A soggy first chapter in The Dark Pictures Anthology, Man of Medan is best left on the seabed to rust.
A fairly unique 3D roguelike, RAD is colourful, wilfully silly, devilishly difficult, and imbued with 1980s style. This is pure Double Fine, but will have limited appeal for some.
On paper, Wolfenstein: Youngblood should be completely brilliant. A stellar shooter imbued with RPG depth and open-ended level design? How could it possibly fail? By making the RPG elements meaningless; that's how.