John-Paul Jones's Reviews
Though lacking some of the flair and longevity of its classically inspired genre brethren, Darkestville Castle nonetheless provides an enjoyable dollop of point and click adventuring by swapping out the usual fresh-faced hero for a sarcastic and high amusing viliain. This is one for genre newcomers and stalwarts alike.
Without a doubt the best MMA videogame ever made, EA Sports UFC 4 supplements a welcome array of new offline and online modes with a revamped and endlessly sophisticated combat system that everybody can enjoy. For MMA fans it doesn't get any better than this.
A furiously stylish roguelike gothic western that blends genres with deft and aplomb, West of Dead is a resoundingly enjoyable offering that makes picking yourself up and dusting yourself off after every death a ravenously compelling proposition.
Three years on from its original release on other platforms and there's still nothing like Cuphead. A delirious, LSD-infused trip through a prohibition-era styled cartoon hellscape, Cuphead underscores its utterly unique presentation with a rock solid and fundamentally excellent platform shooter that stands effortlessly shoulder to shoulder with the best in the genre. The wait has been worth it.
The modest production values combined with a lack of over-the-top Hollywood bombast will likely ensure that like Verdun before it, not everyone will enjoy Tannenberg. For those who can look beyond such flaws however, Tannenberg cements itself as a gloriously satisfying strategic shooter that invites players to pit their tactical minds and reflexes in one of the most overlooked theaters of war in a way that no other FPS manages to achieve.
A deliriously entertaining mish-mash of roguelike platform shooter, mini-games and Pokemon style mechanics, if Neon Abyss feels like Roguelike Shooter 2.0 - that's because it is.
Ghost of Tsushima elevates the existing open world adventure template with a fantasy-free Samurai adventure that deftly pays loving homage to the Samurai cinema of old. While your mileage may vary according to your level of open world fatigue, Ghost of Tsushima undoubtedly remains not only one of the best open world romps money can buy and a stunning PlayStation 4 exclusive, but also Sucker Punch Productions finest effort to date.
Superhot: Mind Control Delete represents an innovative and meaningfully iterative take on the Superhot formula, swapping out some of its more cerebral design for a much larger, roguelike effort that proves once again that the series is one of the most innovative shooters on the market today.
A sharp retro shooter with a compelling progression system and satisfying fast-paced combat, Project Warlock is an easy recommendation for anyone looking for an easily accessible blaster which does more than just seek to emulate its classical inspirations.
Though The Elder Scrolls Online: Greymoor represents a good jumping in point for lapsed players and newcomers alike, it sticks a little too rigidly to its shopworn design tendencies to really excel, while elsewhere, a smattering of bugs threaten to take the sheen off what is otherwise a highly entertaining expansion to one of the better MMORPGs on the market.
A fiendishly clever and enduringly charming Wild West take on the stealth strategy formula that Mimimi Games previous effort Shadow Tactics did so well, Desperados 3 does a fantastic job of cloaking what is a supremely clever stealth puzzlebox as a narrative driven tactical effort that everyone should try.
The Last of Us Part 2 is a frankly incredible achievement. Intertwining deep, richly written characters, cementing themes of consequence and loss all the while widening a world that was so well established in the first game, Naughty Dog have crafted one of the finest action adventures of all time and one that invariably stands as the most opulent jewel in an already glittering crown of first-party PlayStation 4 exclusives. A rip-roaring and emotional masterpiece that will be talked about for years to come, *this* is why more than 110 million people own a PlayStation 4.
A hugely enjoyable expansion that brings a trio of awesome new characters to the table, in addition to a rip-roaring continuation to Mortal Kombat 11's superb story campaign, Aftermath nonetheless struggles to properly justify its steep $40 price point.
An occasionally rough but always entertaining open world actioner that puts players in control of one of nature's greatest predators, Maneater is the over the top, human chomping odyssey that many of us never knew that we wanted. Until now.
An intricate and entertaining amalgam of BioShock, comic book visuals and roguelike design with hefty dose of dark comedy to boot, Void Bastards is one of the most refreshing shooters to come along in a good long while.
Streets of Rage 4 is an absolute masterclass in maintaining the essence of a classic but also in reimagining certain aspects of its design DNA for a contemporary audience. Streets of Rage 4 is without doubt the best side scrolling brawler you can get on any system.
Simultaneously a big leap over the MudRunner titles and a compelling effort in its own right, SnowRunner's improved focus on the hard fought conflict between man, machine and nature results in a highly rewarding and satisfying driving simulator that is quite unlike anything else.
Those looking for island bound thrills of escaping deadly shark attacks, delving down into forgotten wrecks and living the life of an island castaway will find much to love in Stranded Deep
A maddening eschewing of basic exposition makes Below feel like something of an arrogant work - but ultimately it wields a tremendous audiovisual aesthetic and weaves an interesting, if not an always thrilling, take on the roguelike adventure template.
Though the amount of polish lavished on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's single-player campaign is commendable, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered doesn't go far enough to make people forget that the bones of its design are well over a decade old and neither can it escape the gaping black hole left by the absence of Modern Warfare 2's award-winning multiplayer mode. Sure enough though, fans of the six-hour campaign who haven't played it recently will find something to love here, but few others likely will.