Richard Banks


28 games reviewed
78.9 average score
80 median score
74.1% of games recommended
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Unscored - Planet Coaster 2
Nov 24, 2024

Is Planet Coaster 2 going to replace the original as my go-to park builder just yet? No, but it almost definitely will in the future. It’s early days, and to discredit the work that Frontier has put into Planet Coaster 2 would do them a huge disservice – there simply aren’t any other studios out there that push out such quality games. It’s still a way off becoming the ultimate theme park builder, but if other Frontier titles are to go by, give it a little time (and a little polish) and Planet Coaster 2 will undoubtedly be the sandbox my dreams.

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Nov 6, 2024

Still, just like the Metal Slug franchise in general, Tactics is ultimately stacked with a silly joy that's hard to deny. Getting to see fan favourites together again will give long-term fans plenty of reason to pick this up, and fans of difficult tactical titles will have enough to get their teeth stuck into. Some things may work better than others, but there's always room for a good strategy game, and Metal Slug Tactics is easily up there with the best in recent memory.

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4.5 / 5.0 - Empire of the Ants
Nov 6, 2024

If you pick up Empire of Ants for any reason, it shouldn't be the obvious one. Of course, it's gorgeous, and perhaps one of the most visually stunning games I've ever played, but there's a simple charm to its gameplay and overall worldbuilding that deserves to be experienced by as wide an audience as possible. Whether leading a charge of warriors into battle or simply standing on an abandoned bottle and watching your colony do its thing, there's something so special about Empire of Ants that makes it an absolute joy to experience.

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4 / 5.0 - Selfloss
Sep 23, 2024

Kazimir's journey handles topics like loss, and the frailty of humankind and nature, with such sincerity that makes Selfloss a journey worth shedding a tear or two for.

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Aug 28, 2024

Age of Mythology may have been a risk some 20 years ago, but remaking it was a no-brainer. Retold feels familiar but fresh, and the changes made all feel like they only improve on one of the franchise's best entries.

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Despite its limited appeal, there's plenty packed into Nintendo's speedrunning challenger - if you've got the patience for it.

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May 26, 2024

For the most part, Crown Wars: The Black Knight is a disappointing addition for a genre crying out for quality entries.

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Apr 7, 2024

Frontier brings their most in-depth building sim to consoles, wart(hog)s and all.

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4 / 5.0 - Wargroove 2
Oct 14, 2023

It might not reinvent the wheel, but as a successor to an already near-perfect Advance Wars-like, did it ever really need to?

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5 / 5.0 - Pikmin 4
Jul 26, 2023

Pikmin 4 is, to put it simply, Pikmin at its best.

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4 / 5.0 - Homeseek
Jul 13, 2023

Homeseek is a punishingly bleak post-apocalyptic city builder where every action feels consequential.

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Jun 5, 2023

Company of Heroes 3 may not always hit the right notes, but as far as RTS console ports go, it doesn't get much better than this.

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May 6, 2023

Stranded: Alien Dawn makes one small step for man and one giant leap for survivor sims-kind.

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Apr 1, 2023

Difficulty spikes, no matter how steep, are fine in games of this ilk, but it's harder to forgive Have A Nice Death's approach to rewarding players. There is, however, so much joy in Have A Nice Death's gloriously grim setting that it's absolutely easy to recommend, but for roguelike players that prefer their rinse-and-repeat gaming a little more forgiving and, most importantly, rewarding, there are plenty of better options out there.

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5 / 5.0 - Wild Hearts
Feb 27, 2023

Perhaps my biggest takeaway from Wild Hearts is that I didn't once find myself lamenting for Monster Hunter. Wild Hearts was perhaps a risky endeavour, but it's one that's paid off with impressive results. While genre newcomers can treat the land of Azuma as a gateway to monster hunting, long-standing genre fans will find plenty here to keep them happy until the next Monster Hunter adventure arrives.

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Starship Troopers - Terran Command Terran Command is impressively faithful to its classic '90s sci-fi source material and a solid space adventure in its own right.

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5 / 5.0 - Sifu
May 28, 2022

A wonderfully difficult beat-'em-up that puts the player at the forefront of their very own martial arts epic.

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Mar 25, 2022

Triangle Strategy is unique in its sprawling story, and its success is only solidified by an excellent combat system that makes battles as intense as they are intimidating. With deep lore and an overall mature approach to a genre too often dumbed down, Triangle Strategy is an RPG fans dream.

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Mar 11, 2022

A fast-paced Doom-lite that doesn't overstay its welcome.

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Feb 19, 2022

Oddworld's weirdest moment has never looked better.

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