John-Paul Jones's Reviews
A heavy metal steeped side-scrolling blaster that is awash in blood, gore and super solid platforming shooter beats, Valfaris is essential for anyone looking for a challenging affair that does ample justice to Konami's poorly treated Contra franchise.
Between the game breaking bugs, the glitches, the recycled moves, grating commentary, stale presentation and now the unneeded content barriers and paywalls, I have exhausted my patience with this series. WWE 2K20 is the worst wrestling game to come along in a decade and is in desperate need of a ground up rebuild.
A combat-free, refreshingly wholesome and decadent exploration focused yarn, Eastshade celebrates the spirit of discovery with aplomb and feels like the closest you'll get to a digital holiday.
A frequently beautiful and atmospheric horror effort boasting an evocative setting, Close to the Sun finds itself almost wholly undone by plodding exploration, eye-rolling puzzles and detestably sloppy chase sections that utterly fail to exploit the game's strengths.
Thickly atmospheric with an impeccable sense of place unmatched by other games, Return of the Obra Dinn is the smart, stylish and curiosity detective adventure that you've always wanted.
A lean and tactical retro shooter that soon reveals surprising amounts of depth, Door Kickers: Action Squad's bite-sized missions seemingly fit into that time no other games do. Don't sleep on Door Kickers: Action Squad.
Outer Wilds is a furiously imaginative work that elevates storytelling and player discovery to a whole new level. Though less than inspired puzzles and some technical issues threaten to take the sheen off the experience, Outer Wilds nonetheless sits in a class all its own on PS4.
Children of Morta is a handsomely crafted dungeon crawling effort with a stirring narrative that freshens things up on account of its familial theme and structure. The gorgeous presentation and resolutely solid hack and slash beats are supported by some surprising mechanics and flourishes that help to ensure that Children of Morta is one of the most pleasant surprises of the year.
A stunning re-release of a pair of genre titans, the Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition Pack is an eminently thoughtful and evocative reminder of just how good these RPGs were and how now, PS4 players can finally turn back the clock and see what all the fuss was about. Trust me, you won't regret it.
A formidable twin-pack of classic RPGs guaranteed to wreck your social life, it's really the manifestation of Planescape: Torment on console for the first time which stands as the real highlight - bringing its stellar writing, extraordinary setting and deep characters to a whole new audience. This twin pack is a must-have for fans of RPGs everywhere.
A stellar societal strategy game with a dark, moralistic centre, Frostpunk is a rare genre effort where your actions linger with you long after your time with it has finished. This is tactical, though well-meaning nihilism at its best, and is an easy recommendation to those who want their grey matter tested as much as their heart.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint is a game crying out to be more straightforward, more-focused, but instead it's added one more wafer thin gameplay mechanic after another, flying in the face of common sense, and now its bloated frame has exploded because it simply can not hold all that mess in and still function. A dull, frustrating misfire.
A much more inventive and thoughtful affair than the duo's previous outing, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is the closest you'll get to Donkey Kong Country on PS4 and you should embrace it with the accordant warmth.
Jedi Outcast then is still capable of delivering modest morsels of Star Wars infused fun, it's just a shame that while the lack of effort which has been made with the port justifies its budget price, it does not make magically make a 2002 title equally as compelling in 2019. Here's hoping that next year's remaster of Star Wars Jedi Knight III: Jedi Academy is better, because the force is not quite so strong with this one.
A beautifully made score chaser which has that rarest of things - a soul. Sayonara Wild Hearts isn't just a game, it's an emotional band aid that feels like a warm phantom embrace. Absolutely essential stuff.
Sublime physical football with a tactical brain sees PES 2020 bring a successful gameplay refresh, but far more needs to be done about the list of problems that have been left untouched for much of this generation.
One of the most gorgeous and timeless JRPGs of the last decade has now been resurrected on PS4, and if you missed it the first time around you really have no excuse now. This is how you pay tribute to a classic.
The Bard's Tale IV is a sometimes awkward, often charming and never less than a thoroughly enjoyable RPG that with cheeky wink and a swig of Elven Wine presents itself as one of the most surprising adventures of the year.
A smashingly great side-scrolling battler that is overflowing with charm, stuff to do and faces to wreck, River City Girls is utterly essential for fans of the genre.
The lack of massive changes to The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors bears a naked truth - there wasn't much needing to be changed in the first place. A challenging and resolutely satisfying side-scrolling slasher, fans of the IP's vintage and retro actioners in the genre at large will find much to enjoy here.