Richard Walker's Reviews
The last two-and-a-half decades have not been kind to Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles, and Aspyr hasn’t done quite enough to tackle the bugs and other issues that plagued the game upon its 2000 release. This remains a fairly torrid experience, then, and one of the Star Wars series' lesser video game outings. Maybe leave this one in the Sarlacc pit where it belongs.
When you buy a Call of Duty, you have some idea of what to expect. Rest assured that Black Ops 6 lies at the better end of the series' spectrum, boasting a varied campaign that's well worth playing, a pair of robust and endlessly replayable Zombies maps, and multiplayer that remains immediate and immensely entertaining.
An accessible Roguelike that might initially seem a bit on the short side, Ravenswatch has more than ample replay value in the number of characters, modifiers, abilities, and items to experiment with. If you enjoyed Hades and crave roguelike action of a similar ilk, then the fairy tale charms of Ravenswatch will scratch that itch.
Coming off the back of Life is Strange: True Colors, Deck Nine continues to hone its storytelling craft, and with Life is Strange: Double Exposure, the studio has proved itself a perfect custodian for original developer Don't Nod's supernatural series.
Back in 2011, Shadows of the Damned was unrepentantly daft, and as Hella Remastered serves as an entirely faithful update, preserving the game with 4K resolution at up to 60fps, in 2024, it only seems all the more unhinged. This remains a dose of unapologetic, stupid fun, however, even if time hasn't been all that kind to it.
As an opening gambit and statement of intent from Blumhouse Games, Fear the Spotlight gets things off to a strong start, delivering a 3D retro horror experience that, while in thrall to its '90s influences, also manages to carve out an identity of its own.
I went into Unknown 9: Awakening really wanting to like it; to see its transmedia experiment succeed. But it's such a horrible-looking game, featuring game mechanics from fifteen-odd years ago and a story that will put you to sleep, it's hard to offer any sort of a recommendation. Play it if you want a renewed appreciation for how great other games can be.
Despite some glaring roster omissions and little in the way of meaningful evolution over the boxing sims of old, Undisputed enters the ring as a lean and mean contender that's fighting fit. Just don't go expecting any seismic shifts when it comes to the boxing formula.
A sensational-looking game that looks just like the anime, Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO marks a robust return for the dormant Budokai Tenkaichi series, even if the nuts and bolts of the game's fighting mechanics can wear quite thin pretty quickly.
This is about as close to a slam dunk the series has been in recent years. NBA 2K25 delivers on the court where it counts, while bringing meaningful changes to the staple MyCareer and MyTeam modes, in particular. MyNBA Eras remains a major highlight, too, sure to please ardent NBA fans and nostalgics alike.
In spite of its knowing fan service and array of plastic characters, Funko Fusion is hamstrung by a smattering of technical issues, repetitive gameplay, and poor boss battles. Sadly, nostalgia and fan service alone just isn’t enough.
The Karate Kid: Street Rumble is a good, solid, retro-style scrolling beat 'em up that demonstrates not only a clear love for its source material, but for the heyday of the genre itself. Nonetheless, once you've dispensed with its twelve levels, you might struggle to find a compelling reason to go back for more.
Capcom has expertly breathed new life into a fantastic game, sanding down some of the rough edges, without compromising the spirit of the original. Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is the perfect excuse to revisit Willamette Parkview Mall for some retail therapy. And indulge in some excessive zombie slaughter while you’re there.
Despite a robust handling model, some fairly impressive visuals, and a few nice ideas, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown fails to deliver on its open-world racing remit, with a dearth of things to do, broken online servers, and a tacked-on story that does little to draw you in. This one's stalled at the starting line.
A neat anime-style metroidvania with some well-realised ideas, Yars Rising is a smart homage to an '80s Atari arcade classic, and a perfectly fine way to while away a good few hours.
After thirteen years, Space Marine is finally back, and it delivers on almost every front – more grisly gore, huge swarms of enemies, and, crucially, incredibly robust combat mechanics. It doesn't do much that's new, but who cares? Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a very good thing indeed.
Two of the best Ace Attorney games are given their due with another beautifully remastered collection that's every bit as essential as the rest of the series. Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is simply fantastic. There's no arguing with that.
While I may not have extensive experience with monster truck racing games, I'm pretty confident that Monster Jam Showdown is a good one, delivering knockabout physics and pleasing visuals, as well as accessible and immediate gameplay that places the onus squarely on fun.
Combining dialogue-driven drama, a sprinkling of humour, interesting well-written characters, combat with a baseball bat, and a variety of other distractions, Dustborn emerges as a compelling and memorable schlep across America.
A solid, precision-based time trial racer, Phantom Spark won't satisfy those WipEout and F-Zero cravings, but it will keep you occupied for a fair few hours, if you manage to dial in to its 'just-one-more-go' wavelength.