Richard Walker's Reviews
Burnout Paradise Remastered represents a more than welcome comeback for a series that's been away for far too long. Given a lustrous new coat of paint, Burnout Paradise still looks the business then, but now it's got us yearning for a whole new Burnout.
A failed attempt at resurrecting a cult favourite, Fear Effect Sedna is a tactical shooter in which tactics are largely irrelevant. Atrocious cut-scenes, dreadful boss encounters and dire presentation overall, make this something better left in the past. Steer well clear.
A cool, well-executed Portal spin-off/mash-up, Bridge Constructor Portal takes one of Valve's dormant franchises and neatly transposes it into an appealing and enjoyable puzzle game. Next up, Bridge Constructor Half-Life? Play it. For science.
A Metal Gear game in name only, Survive is a decent – though often frustrating - survival game with a few unique tricks up its sleeve. While the Metal Gear name brings with it a certain weight of expectation, as long as you don't go in expecting Metal Gear Solid 6, you'll be fine.
Cards on the table: I enjoyed playing Dynasty Warriors 9 a lot. Yes, it's enormously repetitive and the open-world elements don't really add all that much to the well-worn formula, but there's something appealing about the whole grand historical affair and the simplistic gameplay. You'll hack, slash and stomp your way across feudal China, grinning like a loon. Then again, there's that whole repetitive, lack of depth thing I mentioned before.
Brimming with modes, UFC 3 is a massive game. It might only be an incremental improvement over its predecessor, but the gameplay remains stellar and the action is accessible and fun. As far as MMA games go, EA Sports UFC 3 is the G.O.A.T.
A colossal, polished RPG creature feature packed with a range of fearsome beasts to topple, Monster Hunter: World is an awesome debut for the series on current consoles. If this is your first bold strides into Monster Hunter's wild territory, then you're in for a real treat.
A hugely enjoyable, exciting and eye-wateringly good-looking fighting game, Dragon Ball FighterZ is utterly essential for any and all self-respecting DBZ fans. And even if you're not, you'll still probably get a big old kick out Arc System Works' exuberant fighter.
One of the year's most enjoyable indie titles, Night in the Woods is what Kickstarter was made for. Affecting, warm and genuine, it's impossible not to fall in love with Night in the Woods.
Okami HD is essential, especially if you've never been lucky enough to play Clover's 2006 classic before. And even if you have, you owe it to yourself to play it and love it all over again. It's utterly sublime.
Despite creating a macabre atmosphere and delivering some decent puzzles early on, Black Mirror is a somewhat insipid and uninspired adventure game exacerbated by frequent loading screens and shoddy presentation throughout. It belongs at the bottom of a deep loch.
A case of diminishing returns, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 is certainly ambitious in terms of scale and playable character numbers, while the story is entertaining. Yet it fails to deliver anything really new or interesting, making this a case of been there, done that. The first LEGO Marvel game is better.
A sequel that delivers a glut of content, but locks too much of it away, Star Wars Battlefront II is nonetheless a clear labour of love and a robust multiplayer shooter, sadly buried in an over-complicated progression system. To try or to try not, then? If you're prepared to put in the time and effort, then Star Wars Battlefront II can be enormously fun and rewarding, even if it might not necessarily be the game you were looking for.
CoD's return to World War II seems like its been a long time coming, but nine years on from World at War, Call of Duty: WWII proves that there are still stories to be told based on history's most deadly conflict. It's also proof positive that Call of Duty can still deliver an edge-of-the-seat FPS experience.
A welcome sea change for Assassin's Creed, Origins is not only a hugely ambitious open-world action RPG, but also a game that breathes new life into a series that was in danger of losing its way. Assassin's Creed Origins stands as a genuinely fantastic game and a remarkable achievement.
Last year, we noted that WWE 2K17 was a marginally better game than 2K16 was. We could say the same thing about WWE 2K18. It is marginally better. But given that it recycles the same old gameplay mechanics and doesn't add enough to the tried and tested template, it's hard to really recommend WWE 2K18. Been there, done that. Next year, Yuke's needs to give WWE 2K a firm dropkick directly to its lycra-clad arse.
A solid remaster/remake/whatever-you-want-to-call-it of what was at the time, a pretty fine shooter. Rogue Trooper Redux represents fantastic value for money, even if it hasn't quite managed to stand the test of time.
The Evil Within 2 will certainly hold your attention during its 17 chapters, with flashes of brilliance sandwiched in among the game's various flaws and less memorable sequences. Ultimately, as a sequel, it doesn't quite deliver, but nonetheless, The Evil Within 2 is a survival horror that's just about worth persevering with.
It may only grab your attention for a few short hours, but during that time, Let Them Come proves to be an enjoyable, uncomplicated and gore-laden alien blaster that has a certain 80s/90s sci-fi movie charm. There are far worse ways to spend six quid/eight bucks.
A textbook example of how to make a great sequel, Middle-earth: Shadow of War takes the first game's template and expands upon it in a meaningful and interesting way. The result is a follow-up that's not only a lot bigger, but it's also a lot better. It talks the talk, and yes, it also Orcs the Orc.