This is quite easily one of the most gorgeous open worlds you’ll explore in a modern video game. With a stellar set of graphical customisation options and admirable performance on rigs that meet the recommended requirements, there’s currently no better place to experience Aloy’s journey.
It would have been great to see some sort of career mode implemented where you can take control of real-world players, but for a revival from the dead, TopSpin 2K25 is pretty TopNotch.
Overall, Call of Duty: Vanguard is another solid entry to the CoD series. Sledgehammer has worked almost entirely by the rulebook, but has made enough improvements to deliver a template that can carry the series forward for another year. There’s a promising lineup of post launch content on the way too, leaving the future looking relatively bright for the future of Call of Duty.
If you’ve played a recent Far Cry game, you know exactly what you’re in for with 6. It’s a well-trodden formula of epic scale that has just enough life in it to keep it from being tired.
I said at the top of this review that Gran Turismo 7 does its best to straddle the gap between casual and hardcore racers. While it certainly does a great job of onboarding newcomers warmly, it does so at the risk of boring its more eager fanbase. That makes Gran Turismo 7 a difficult game to recommend unless you love cars and their culture with your whole heart.
All in all, Oxenfree II: Lost Signals provides an experience that fans of the original will no doubt love. With refined gameplay features and a truly stunning presentation, there’s a lot here to keep fans of the genre happy for hours. However, a few technical issues and new-generation oversights keep Oxenfree II from being a game that truly stands out from the crowd, which is disappointing given the rest of its potential.
If you’re looking for a new rogue-lite to sink your teeth into, Beat Slayer offers an excellent rendition of the genre, with the rhythm-based combat only elevating it further. I’d have liked to have seen a little more innovation in the game’s upgrade system, and the character work here falls a little sub-par of what I’d expect in a game like this. That said, I had a rollicking-good time smashing my way through the streets of Berlin, and would certainly recommend picking it up if you’re looking for some added musical spice with your combat.
Battlefield 2042 has disappointed me. I think it builds upon the older games but in a much more boring way. The maps are relentlessly mundane. They’re all flat ground with high concrete structures. You don’t get those claustrophobic choke points that Battlefield 1 had, or the creative problem solving that came from clever map design in Battlefield 4. The maps in 2042 just all feel the same, and I’m not keen on them at all.
Time will tell if Starbreeze can build upon the baseline it has built. As it stands, PAYDAY 3 is worth dipping your toes into for the curious, but almost certainly worth waiting a while longer to see if it reaches its full potential.
Airhead has redeeming qualities, including stunning art direction, an amazing soundscape, and a steady drip-feed of upgrades that serve to keep the gameplay loop fresh. Metroidvania fans who have the patience to stick out the frustrating gameplay will find themselves an incredible world to explore, and one that’s filled with an interesting story, concept, and secrets. However, the core gameplay loop quickly spirals from being an interesting gimmick to an infuriating irritation, and it’s not one that I can see most casual players enjoying all that much.
There’s something here for fans of classic Sonic fans to enjoy. Playing through each level feels varied, and there’s always the option to retread your footsteps in a fresh pair of shoes. However, Sonic Superstars ultimately gets bogged down in how it regularly sidetracks the player, tripping them up at almost every conceivable opportunity. There are glimmers of brilliance that occasionally shine through, but the overall experience was a tiresome one to play through.
What’s unforgivable is that, at its core, South Park: Snow Day! isn’t remotely fun to play. Its combat and progression systems aren’t engaging, and only the most hardcore of South Park fans will find a glimmer of hope in the bulletproof humour that’s borrowed from the cartoon.