Paul Hunter's Reviews
Little Noah is the kind of surprise you always hope for. I had no idea what to expect going into this but it's ended up being one of the best roguelikes I've played in years. The gameplay is simply wonderful and the adorable graphics are a nice change of pace. I do question the game's longevity as there's not a whole lot of endgame content, so I am hoping for DLC or new modes down the road.
MADiSON starts out strong with pristine graphics, scary audio, an intriguing story, great level design and interesting puzzles. It's a shame then that the latter half unravels to a degree as you recognize that the creaks and shrieks are a harmless audio loop, a few puzzles become obtuse and the narrative gets messy with poorly explained demons. Overall, I did enjoy the game though, perhaps because it so closely scratched that P.T. itch.
Mario Strikers: Battle League is the perfect multiplayer sports game to get your family's adrenaline pumping. It's the best Strikers entry to date with its exceptional graphics, smooth animations and numerous gameplay enhancements. If you like arcade sports action, you'll get a hyper *kick* out of Nintendo's latest Strikers game.
As a first effort for Pulsatrix Studios, FOBIA St. Dinfna Hotel is commendable. The hotel has exquisite level design and the numerous puzzles kept me interested and engaged over the campaign. I also love the camera alternate reality mechanic, it's a neat twist on a familiar concept. Combat needs improvement, as does the voice acting, but overall FOBIA is an easy recommend for fans of classic Resident Evil or Silent Hill.
If you're looking for a neat indie horror game to play over the weekend, Oxide Room 104 delivers a satisfying experience. It's not a long game—you can beat it in about two hours—but with four endings and multiple remixes of the hotel there's plenty of replayability. I especially enjoyed the escape room puzzles and thought the majority of them offered a good challenge.
AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative is an exceptional follow up and a must-play title for all fans of visual novels and murder mysteries. If you've played Danganronpa, Zero Escape or the original AI you'll absolutely love the superb blend of engrossing storytelling and two-part detective and puzzle gameplay on offer here. Stellar character designs and quality voice work round out this amazing experience not to be missed.
This is the perfect love letter to the '87 cartoon and the subsequent arcade games. Graphically it's supremely impressive but it's the slick controls and intense action that really seal the deal. The six-player local and online co-op, devilishly hard Arcade mode and lasting character upgrade system are like pineapples on an already ooey-gooey delicious pizza.
The Quarry provides plenty of scares with its engaging narrative, pristine graphics and superb acting from top Hollywood talent. The excellent licensed soundtrack also helps make this such a memorable experience. I appreciate the multiplayer options and accessibility features as well, which broadens the appeal and lets you control the game's intensity. It's too bad there's no New Game Plus and the story does stray too closely to Until Dawn, but neither downside means you should steer away. This is a high-quality interactive drama that absolutely deserves your time if you're a fan of the genre.
Cotton Fantasy is ridiculously cute, colourful and charming. Shoot 'em fans looking for a more relaxed game oozing with personality will have a blast playing through the 16 levels filled with candy and bucket loads of kawaii. I especially liked that all seven playable characters have completely different playstyles, as that alone significantly beefs up the game's replayability. I had a great time playing this game and if you also love extreme cuteness then surely you'll enjoy it too.
I had more fun than expected playing Dolmen and everyone who enjoys a good soulslike game should check it out. The environments are varied and look nice, the level design was appealing, it has great character and gear upgrades systems, and multiplayer was a nice touch. The real downside is the poor enemy A.I., so while combat was satisfying, aside from a few well-designed bosses don't expect a stiff challenge. Overall though, it's still a solid recommend.
If Dark Souls was a 2D action role-playing game, I imagine it'd look and play similar to Salt and Sacrifice. And I mean that comparison to a tee because this game really does have it all: a fantastic story, interesting lore, creepy memorable worlds, visually arresting bosses and incredible gameplay variety and depth. Aside from a handful of frustrating difficulty spike moments this game was a total joy to play through and I'm already on a NG+ run and started my second character.
The Ascent is an excellent top-down shooter with a great cyberpunk aesthetic, exhilarating combat and some neat RPG systems to boot. If you like arcade action and fast-paced combat, this is the game for you. It's a great start to what I hope is a new franchise because I certainly would be down for a sequel, a few years down the road.
My family and I had a total blast playing this latest Kirby game and certainly I recommend it for Kirby and platforming fans alike. It's a joy to explore the 3D worlds and the new Mouthful abilities and Copy Ability upgrades are great additions to the series that I hope carry forward to future games. If you're looking for a fun, easy-breezy co-op experience for your next family games night, this is the one.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a massive experience that all Star Wars or LEGO fans should check out. It has pick-up-and-play controls easy enough for children to enjoy, plus all the characters, starships and unforgettable film moments that parents will love.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is a flawed, but actually quite enjoyable action RPG. The story is surprisingly good, combat is incredibly satisfying and the excellent character customization goes very deep. Graphics are a major sore spot, as was the disappointing end-game content, but overall I'm glad I got to experience this game.
It's been a blast playing Ghostwire: Tokyo largely because of how authentic and awesome-looking Tokyo is. It feels great being in this game world, much like what SEGA's achieved with their Yakuza series.
Triangle Strategy is the real deal for tactical RPG fans. A mesmerizing story, strategic combat, wonderful aesthetics, a lengthy campaign and plenty of replayability.
Horizon Forbidden West is an incredible experience that PS5 and PS4 owners shouldn't miss. The graphics are stunning, the story is engaging, the machines are awesome, and the end game content is vast. If the gameplay was a bit faster and more fluid this game would have gotten a perfect score.
Elden Ring is a triumph. It's the best game FromSoftware has ever made, easily, and sets a new benchmark for the Soulslike genre. Everything about this game is perfectly polished and after 50 hours of logged game time I feel like I still have so much side content to explore. Not only is this the best Soulslike game ever, it's one of the best games of all time.
Sifu is a sheer delight to play with its immaculate gameplay and breathtaking graphics. Be prepared to get your butt kicked though, but if that appeals to you as much as it does for me, then this game should be at the top of your must-play list.