Neil Bolt's Reviews
Planet 2000 isn’t just an unexciting and unspectacular vehicular combat game, it’s a poorly-conceived one. It can be offensively bad on certain levels, mostly the ones that see this as a PS4 release in 2017, but for the most part, its biggest crime is that it’s just subpar and boring.
Gravity Rush 2 is a bigger, more varied sequel that still doesn’t feel like it takes the leap it could have. The gravity-shifting gimmick is still a big draw, as is the delightful art style, protagonist Kat, and the clever world design, but the there’s a nagging feeling it could have been even better. It’s still a very good game though, and it certainly offers up something a little different in terms of a console exclusive.
A return to form for Telltale and their most notable series. A few of the usual problems still exist, but the world-building and character development is very strong. Based on this two-part season opener, The Walking Dead: A New Frontier is shaping up to be an emotional, visceral ride.
Right in the death rattle of 2016, Stardew Valley comes along and sits itself down at the Game of the Year table. It's a remarkable game, warmly familiar, yet fresh as a daisy. In a year where indie games have stepped up to the plate and hit home runs-a-plenty, Stardew Valley is the one that knocks it out of the park and into a neighbouring city.
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 remains a superb fighter, and one that is at the peak of its power in terms of performance. Beyond that there’s nothing much for the pre-existing audience, but anyone curious about the series heading into next year’s Marvel vs Capcom Infinite may well be tempted to start here.
City of Light may shine on occasion, but it too often slips into the darkness of bad writing, plot development, and characterization. A season finale that finally kills the hope of redemption for what has been a thoroughly disappointing Batman outing.
Rivals makes Rock Band 4 a much better experience for the hardcore, whilst throwing a juicy story mode bone to the more casual player. As expansions go, this is pretty much how you should go about it.
Basic in presentation, and deceptively simple on the surface, Bridge Constructor is actually a surprisingly deep and varied physics puzzle game if you’re willing to invest in it.
A commendable remaster at a decent price point, Darksiders Warmastered gives those who missed out another chance to try an underappreciated gem of the PS3 era. Just prepare for some mechanical rust.
A strong-willed effort to update the series, Final Fantasy XV rises above its myriad flaws to deliver an odd, beautiful adventure that harnesses the power of friendship to maximum effect. A pleasing return to form for a much beloved series.
A frenetic, enthralling, and inventive shooter in both single and multiplayer, Titanfall 2 is spectacular beast of a game that is deserving of a place among the greats of this generation.
A solid enough penultimate episode, but the overall quality of this series hinges on how Telltale brings the threads together to finish it.
Much like its predecessor, Steins;Gate 0 proves to be among the finest examples of creating a thoroughly engaging visual novel.
The Amnesia Collection is, in some ways, a difficult one to recommend. Existing fans gain little new from it, and newcomers will possibly be seeing this as dated thanks to the many attempted copycats that have released in an around the time since this series began. Yet it’s a timely reminder of how well a slow-burning eldritch horror can be done in videogames. If you are a fan of Lovecraftian horror and you haven’t touched the Amnesia series, then I implore you to venture down into its depths.
A vast improvement on the dull muddle that was the original Watch Dogs, Watch Dogs 2 embraces its chaotic, silly side without sacrificing the key components that gave the original such promise. It's prevented from grasping further glory by some damaging technical issues and a seamless online experience being notably absent, but Watch Dogs 2 is still a big bundle of joy.
Hitman’s first season is a full-blown triumph. IO Interactive has masterfully pulled off this gamble with relatively few hiccups along the way. The world of assassination has never been a finer place to visit than it is right now.
A stronger episode, but poorly-conceived villains and a lack of satisfying payoff means this increasingly looks like a series you should be playing when it's finished.
Hitman bows out with a strong finale in game terms, if not in story. A fine balance of claustrophobic level design and Hitman’s signature murder opportunities make for a fitting personification of all Hitman is and was.
Skyrim is still a wonderful game, with much to see and do. While it may be prettier here and function better than its PS3 predecessor, it continues to suffer from the same garden-variety bugs and glitches of five years back. Age hasn’t been especially kind to the mechanics or the writing, but the old magic is still shining bright as ever.
There’s some positives to be found in Mark McMorris Infinite Air’s setup, but some poor design and plenty of shambolic mechanics throw this rider from its board. The wait goes on for this generation's first decent snowboarder.