Richard Walker's Reviews
An essential collection you simply must own on Xbox One, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is about as good as it gets where remakes are concerned, and a more than welcome comeback for a true icon.
Every bit the tactile, heart-rending experience that the first game was, but with added layers of complexity thanks to co-op - as well as enhanced replay value - Unravel Two is a fuzzy, warm hug of a sequel that'll make you smile.
Vampyr is one of the year's most interesting games, cementing Dontnod as one of the most interesting developers around. Go get your teeth into it.
A stupidly fun arcade racer that confounded our expectations, Onrush is the perfect game for those seeking something immediate, accessible and effortlessly entertaining.
The perfect homage to a series of true fighting game greats, the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection is essential.
A cool hybrid of platforming, puzzling and pinball, Yoku's Island Express is a bit of a one-off, and therefore well worth seeking out.
A nice surprise, Forgotton Anne is an endearing anime-style platformer that doesn't deserve to go to landfill.
A retro-style beat 'em up without the retro charm, Raging Justice attempts to bring a dormant genre back to life with mixed results. Unfortunately, it just isn't as much fun as you'd hope it would be. So near, and yet so far, you'll be yearning for Streets of Rage in no time at all.
A fine idea at its heart, Extinction ultimately falls flat on its arse thanks to a dearth of interesting objectives and gameplay sorely lacking in variety. Chucking in loads of content clearly isn't the answer when you're doing the same damn thing over and over again.
From its tense opening to its blistering conclusion, Far Cry 5 is another cracking instalment in the series, streamlining some of the hunting elements and putting co-op up front for both the campaign and the bottomless Far Cry Arcade. The narrative and characters will live on in the memory once you're done and dusted too, as will the insane random minute-to-minute moments that always succeed in making Far Cry so unique.
A fine example of twin-stick shooter fun, Tesla vs. Lovecraft proves rather moreish, and even more enjoyable with friends. You could say, it's electrifying.
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.