Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a game that doesn’t innovate on the franchise’s formula, but instead focuses on refining it. Valhalla is a game worthy of your time and if you haven’t played an Assassin’s Creed game before or are looking at jumping back in then this is a perfect new entry point.
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered does the bare minimum a remastered should do (yet some don’t). There are small but subtle visual improvements in here and the performance is excellent. It’s a blast of a game due to how well it still holds up, as the remaster itself didn’t bring new elements to the table. It’s a touch disappointing not much has been done to this game, but at the same time, it still remains near the top of my favourite Need for Speed games.
Transient had the potential to be something great, fusing a gorgeous cyberpunk setting with a Lovecraftian-inspired story. However everything else besides the world and its visuals just falls flat. The gameplay is uninspired and tedious, managing to make a relatively short game drag on for longer than it needed to.
As an adaptation of a beloved classic, Grey Skies: A War of the Worlds Story won’t do anything for anyone. As a standalone game, it still won’t do anything for anyone. The incredibly slow paced stealth sections, poor level design and insane difficulty spikes makes for a broken and frustrating gameplay experience that is simply impossible to recommend.
Ghostrunner is one of the most fun games I’ve played this year. The fast and difficult one-hit-kill gameplay is constantly thrilling, whilst a surprisingly decent story and progression system help keep things interesting. Not to mention the killer soundtrack and fantastic visuals. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got my times to beat. I won’t stop playing this one for a while.
Amnesia: Rebirth is a return to Frictional Games' breakthrough franchise. It might not be as terrifying or tense as the original game and this will surely disappoint some fans. But for me, there was enough horror mixed into the top notch storytelling to provide one of the best survival horror experiences I’ve played in years.
Remothered: Broken Porcelain is one of the most disappointing horror games that I’ve played in a while. Nay, one of the most disappointing games in general. I wanted to like it, I really did, but beyond the unbearably buggy gameplay lies a shallow stealth horror experience that is more of an exercise in frustration than it is in terror.
As a fan of the original Crysis it’s very hard to recommend this remaster. The changes to the art direction on top of the missing content and technical issues make this arguably the worst version of the game to play. Though if you have no other way to experience it, then there is some enjoyment to be had with it.
Thanks to its gorgeous art style and addictive combat system, Star Renegades is a wonderful game to get into. It could have been a must have for any roguelike enthusiast, but sadly, some of its mechanics and completely unfair procedural generation can occasionally result in some annoying runs that can bring the experience down a lot. If you’re still okay with some often frustrating runs every now and then, then go for it.
Pathfinder Kingmaker isn’t for everyone, and that shows. The complex and deep RPG mechanics mimic those of pen and paper RPGs of old, and the lack of meaningful direction the game gives new players can be off-putting. But if you are familiar with the genre or are willing to put in the time to truly learn this game, it can be an exciting and rewarding experience. Just bear in mind that it’s hard to recommend to console players in its current state.
Control’s AWE Expansion doesn’t do much to innovate, but it doesn’t need to. It continues building on the already strong combat encounters of the original game whilst adding a small twist on that. The main draw is with the brilliantly crafted story that brings Alan Wake into the Control universe.
If you didn’t care much for the original Deadly Premonition game, A Blessing in Disguise won’t convince you of the contrary. The dull combat, absymal framerate, and repetitive level design are blatant issues that truly bring the experience down. However, if you are a fan of the original, the same engaging (yet stupid) story and wacky characters might make it a worthwhile endeavour.
Othercide is one of the most enjoyable games I’ve played this year so far. Despite the slightly repetitive map and mission design, the addictive core gameplay loop, harsh but impactful instances of decision making, good soundtrack and strong visual aesthetics featured in here just keep me coming back for more.
Hellpoint is a Souls-like game that is actually really close to being good. The black hole mechanic was a noble attempt at adding something unique to this subgenre of games, but it’s not enough to make up for the uninspired level design, framerate issues, boring story and dull combat.
I have some conflicted feelings about Maid of Sker. The giant Resident Evil-esque hotel setting provides an entertaining and exciting place to explore. But the game ended up being lacklustre in other aspects, namely its predictable story, undercooked stealth mechanics and overabundance of jump scares.
As a whole, Death Stranding is an extremely captivating yet polarising experience. It’s an ambitious title that dares to do something different in a sea of safe bets and genre clones, and for the most part, it actually does succeed. However, those minor annoyances and long stretches where nothing happens can bring the experience down a notch for some players.
Demon’s Tier + at its best is a decent enough twin stick roguelike to play, as it performs well enough, but doesn’t add anything new to the genre. Its overly repetitive gameplay, uninspired level designs, and lack of interesting mechanics makes it one I’m not going to return to.
Two years ago, I fell in love with CrossCode. Playing this brand new port on the Switch just reminded me of why I loved that game so much back in the day, and to be fair, this might even be the superior version of this already pristine game.
Invisible Inc. is one of my favourite stealth games in recent years. Its smart and unique blending of multiple genres provide a fun and challenging gameplay experience I would recommend to anyone. If you’re a fan of stealth, rogue-likes, and tactical turn-based combat, you can’t let Invisible, Inc. pass you by.
Right now, in its current state, Valorant is in a great spot for a free to play game. Sure, the lack of maps and grindy progression system can be off-putting, but the core gameplay here is phenomenal. A great twist on the Counter-Strike formula.