Paul Hunter's Reviews
I wanted The Lord of the Rings: Gollum to be a slam dunk given how fantastic the source material is. Unfortunately though, the game suffers from a wide range of issues from the janky platforming and stealth mechanics to the underwhelming visuals. Thankfully, Gollum himself is nicely animated and voice-acted, but it's not enough to overcome the game's faults.
NeverAwake kept me awake long hours as I felt compelled to binge-play the more than 80 levels in the game. The luscious graphics and innovative level-looping gameplay instantly hooked me and separates it from the crowed shoot 'em up genre. The best surprise, though, was the thoughtful story that tackles tough topics with sensitivity and elegance.
This was a tough game to review as I always like to highlight a game's pros and cons, but I really struggled to find anything enjoyable here. TeamKill Media poured their heart into Quantum Error, but the game should not have been released in the state it's currently in.
Dollhouse: Behind the Broken Mirror offers a mix of horror and puzzle-solving, but its inconsistent presentation, frustrating gameplay mechanics, and technical flaws hinder its potential.\
After beating Escape Dead Island, I'm still not sure what the game was trying to do. It stripped out the parts of the Dead Island franchise that were fun and didn't present anything good to replace them. The combat was frustrating, and only made me wish the stealth actually worked. Cliff's hallucinations were the only interesting thing about him or the story, and that doesn't say much.
Greyhill Incident really excels at creating an eerie, nostalgic alien-invasion aesthetic that generally drew me in. The neighbourhood genuinely looks great and the aliens are just as creepy as I'd hope they be. Unfortunately, the gameplay, mission structure and story all stumble, which turns what could have been a thrilling retro alien horror game into a clunky mess that doesn't respect your time.
1-2-Switch serves as a nice tech demo to familiarize yourself with the Nintendo Switch console and Joy-Con controllers. It's a unique experience, the type only Nintendo can provide. Unfortunately, though, the redundancy of the minigames means you'll likely have fun for only a few hours, and then move on to more engaging games.
Pneumata is a survival horror game that offers a unique blend of exploration and tension, inspired by classics like Resident Evil and Outlast. It's certainly an impressive feat being created by a single person, but it does result in a lack of polish like we're used to in the AA and AAA space.
Trenches is a bold first-person survival horror game that delivers chilling jump scares in a unique war-torn environment. The audio design is the real winner here, and playing the game with headphones on is a must. The visuals wear thin after one playthrough and there's not much incentive to reply this short game, but at ten bucks it offers a couple of hours of intense scares that are worth experiencing if you're a big horror buff.
Care Bears: Unlock the Magic is a charming, kid-friendly game perfect for young fans of the franchise.
Echo of Ada offers a solid foundation, but its long-term appeal will depend on future updates and continued developer support.
The Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection serves as a captivating window into the franchise’s fledgling steps in the video game realm, pulling together 14 titles that stretch across several handheld generations.
Ninja Five-O emerges as a triumphant revival of a bygone classic, weaving together a potent blend of ninja finesse, heart-pounding action, and a narrative that pulls you in with subtle magnetism.
I'm all for game preservation, and it's great that finally got three more Sunsoft classics in the Sunsoft is Back! Retro Game Selection. The emulation is spot on, and the added digital game manuals and artwork are a nice touch. I do wish there were more than three games in this bundle, but the good news is the price is right at only $9.99.
Funko Fusion offers a unique blend of popular franchises, all represented by Funko Pop figures. The game has a fun concept that appeals to fans of various IPs, allowing you to explore different worlds and collect items along the way. However, it does struggle with some issues, for example, missions can lack variety, leading to encounters with the same enemies over and over again, and the odd bug here and there can be frustrating.
Dementium: The Ward is a classic FPS survival horror game that all fans of the genre need to experience. From its eerie psych ward environments to its superb 3D audio, it's a genuinely creepy and intense adventure. The new 4K visuals, 60 frames per second and 28 new trophies are nice additions that make this cult classic feel modernized, and the retro option is great for those who prefer old-school horror.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a game about conflict but the game itself seems conflicted about what it wants to be. There's an excellent story to be had with the motion capture and voice acting among the strongest I've ever seen. Gameplay, while thrilling in some aspects has a few wrinkles that dampen the experience. Overall, I had a good amount of fun playing the campaign, but so far the live services component lacks in several key ways.
The Grinch: Christmas Adventures is one of the better licensed titles I've played in recent years, although it's still struck by the curse of rather limited content. With only 18 levels the game can be completed in about four hours, but the good news is the collectibles and ability unlocks add replayability.
While not the showpiece for Xbox Series X fans were likely hoping for, it's a nice Game Pass addition that I've happily plunked 20+ hours into and will definitely continue playing to secure the 1000/1000 Achievements.
Wanted: Dead is a hard game to review considering nearly every aspect has positives and flaws. The gameplay can be extremely satisfying when you get into a good rhythm, but the limited enemy variety and spongy health make every mission feel the same. The story and characters have wacky charm, at times being incredibly funny yet far too frequently becoming a head-scratcher. The cutscene voice acting is bad, but the anime flashbacks are superb. I could go on and on but the bottom line is this game is unique—for better or for worse—and probably just as many people will love it as those who don't.