Jon Clarke's Reviews
There’s a wonderful ‘vibe’ that just clicks for me that I really gelled with, even if a few technical hiccups kept getting in the way of my overall enjoyment. If you’re a fan of atmospheric exploration and survival horror-inspired Metroidvanias, End of Abyss is worth venturing into the dark for.
For all of its quirks, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve ultimately delivers exactly the sort of ridiculous aerial spectacle I was hoping for. There are a few rough edges here and the story borders on melodrama at times, but when everything comes together, there’s very little that compares to the feeling of pulling off some ridiculous high-G manoeuvre, watching your target explode, and immediately looking for the next enemy to shoot down.
it’s a convoluted, frustrating journey to get there, and it’s not one I’m entirely sure was even worth it come the end. Every time the power cut out, or I ran into a dead end, or needed to back track, I started to really dislike that arcade machine. Come the end, I began to hate it. Like I said – a brave choice for the developer to make.
Marvel’s Wolverine, despite my grievances, is a pretty easy game to like. It’s slick, spectacular and often quite satisfying, in a bloody, gloriously violent sort of way, supported by excellent performances throughout. Sadly, the experience around it is often too familiar to games we’ve played many times before and wears out its welcome with an overly long campaign. I wish Logan could lend a claw or two and cut this down to a leaner, meaner adventure.
As a budget title of just £15.99 I have to give WheelMates some credit. It comes with a Friend’s Pass, and while it didn’t blow either myself or my co-op partner away, we did have fun. While it’s got a few issues, there were plenty of collectibles to go back and find, so it’s certainly a decent amount of bang for your buck and a reasonably entertaining time with a friend. It’s just a shame there wasn’t more done to take advantage of WheelMates unique, twitchy RC-Car setup, because on that front, the developers have done a great job. Fingers crossed they take the concept and have another stab at it.
For all our early reservations, by the time the credits rolled, we were very glad we’d stuck with it. Orbitals is a charming, visually striking co-op adventure. It takes a while to get off the ground, but when it does, it really sticks the landing.
Ultimately, Speedrunners 2: King of Speed is more excellent gameplay buried beneath a collection of unnecessary additions. The classic competitive platforming is still fantastic, and if all you want is more Speedrunners but prettier, then there is absolutely fun to be had here. It’s just a shame that so much of the new content feels like it distracts from, rather than improves upon, what made the original such a brilliant little multiplayer game in the first place.
Blood Dungeon asks the player for a little more patience then I expected. Its biggest weakness is the slow speed at which runs can build towards that wonderful bullet-heaven feeling of becoming hilariously overpowered. With some genuinely great platforming, and a decent number of unlocks, it eventually delivers a decent amount of fun. I just wish it got there a little quicker.
Big Walk is a remarkable game that achieves some pure video-game magic. If you’re on the fence and reading this, find your best friend – or friends – and give it a shot. I guarantee it will surprise you, and I think you’ll love the journey.
An atmospheric setting, great audio and visual design, and some amusing and occasionally unnerving cosmic horror have resulted in a unique spin on the extraction genre. For those that vibe with it, it’ll probably provide many hours of fun, with lots to do as players solve mysteries, and seek out the mysterious ‘mound’ and what lies beyond – even if the gameplay loop starts to become a bit repetitive.
D-topia has some great ideas, asks some big questions and narratively pushes the player to make some interesting choices that – in spite of the deceptively cozy artstyle – get surprisingly dark. While there are solid ideas and elements, D-topia became like a chore I had to complete, and as with any structured routine we’re forced to endure, I couldn’t help but start daydreaming about doing anything else.
Pathogenic is a fantastic roguelite twin-stick shooter with gameplay chops to match its wonderfully slimy, fleshy aesthetic, and should provide hours of enjoyment for anyone with even a vague interest in the genre. Fingers crossed it comes to consoles soon, because this is one virus everyone should want to catch.
Kaz is a fantastic example of smart game design. It knows exactly what it wants to be, and the result is a wonderfully crafted, and extremely rewarding dopamine delivery of a game. Underneath that deceptively simple design lies an addictive and gorgeous indie gem that just feels great to play. With a ‘just one more go’ attitude, Kaz is easy to pick up, hard to master, and is an easy recommendation for anyone with a keyboard to hand.
I think Junkster is well worth a download. If you’re a fan of classic 3D Platformers, and want to play something relatively light with some surprisingly novel gameplay mechanics, I can think of worse ways to spend a weekend. Give it a shot, it might surprise you! It’s out tomorrow on Xbox and Game Pass, as well as PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC.
With a great cast of characters, tons of imagination, and just the right amount of player agency and replayability, there is a delightful playground full of gadgetry and spycraft that players will want to return to again and again. A confident return for the Double-O program, and - sorry Goldeneye - this is, without a doubt, the best James Bond game ever made.
I went into Call of the Elder Gods with a little trepidation, because I’ve played quite a few narratively focused puzzle games of late, and I feared I was a little burnt out. Thankfully, it’s a worthy sequel. Call of the Elder Gods is filled with some genuinely well-designed brain teasers, and a plot that eventually had me hooked, further fuelling my desire to solve the central mystery. If you’re looking for a new puzzle game to challenge you mind, this is a call you’ll want to take.
I've never felt so old - I love Mixtape for making me feel these things - but I hate it for that too. An emotional rollercoaster full of joy, heart and youthful daydreams, Mixtape is simply incredible.
While WILL: Follow the Light can very much look the part, it simply didn't hold up for me when it came to the actual gameplay and narrative. The story felt fragmented and poorly delivered, even though a late game twist and a heartfelt message about the time we have and the choices we make felt genuine.
This is DON’T NOD at the top of their game. Tried and true game mechanics are elevated massively by fantastic art direction, sound and creature design. Most importantly, Aphelion weaves a gripping narrative with two incredible performances from the main voice cast. As a video game, it’s not doing anything new when it comes to game mechanics, but what it does do, it does very well indeed. Aphelion is a thoroughly enjoyable sci-fi adventure of loss, desperation, survival, and importantly, hope. Despite a few very late-game wobbles, this is one mission for humanity you should undertake.
Tides of Tomorrow does a lot of really cool things, and the narrative is the star of the show. I have to admit, in the early hours I wasn’t massively engaged, but by the mid-way point I began to care for several of the main characters, and did want to see just what happens to this broken world, and whether it can be saved.