John-Paul Jones's Reviews
The only offering of its ilk on PS4, Stellaris: Console Edition squeezes a galaxy of emergent strategy, discovery and story onto Sony's home console with very little compromise. Stellaris is certainly the biggest, if not one of the best pure strategy titles you can get on PS4 right now.
Easily one of the best visual novels available, Steins;Gate Elite is a stellar and beautifully framed retelling of its source material and one that is grandly suited to series newcomers and stalwarts alike.
Band of Bastards is a satisfyingly violent DLC for one Kingdom Come, and one that does a good job of making you feel like part of brotherhood of vagrants. Just don't expect anything that strays too far from the formula established by the core game.
Genesis Alpha One is an extremely rare beast. A confident marriage of FPS, space sim, roguelike and strategy elements, it is quite simply the first essential indie title of 2019.
Uneven pacing and a slumping middle act detract from a brutally action-packed cliffhanger that duly sets up the final ever episode of Telltale's The Walking Dead.
A stirring and often disturbing continuation of Telltale's final season of The Walking Dead, Suffer the Children is an effective episode that not only stands on its own merits but sets up a grand series finale too.
Though it boasts a resoundingly striking aesthetic, a haphazard save system coupled with a raft of glitches and a misjudged waypoint system all manage to tarnish what should have been one of the first major indie darlings of the year. Vane is simply too frustrating to recommend in its current form.
A thoroughly thoughtful re-imagining of The Long Dark which tightens everything up deftly, The Long Dark is making grizzly-sized strides in its evolution and is essential for fans of taut, survival adventures.
A true curio in the most literal sense, Mount and Blade: Warband will sharply divide PS4 players according to the premium that they place on aesthetics. For those who can look past such failings though, hundreds upon hundreds of hours of play awaits with a game that combines medieval combat, strategy and role-playing quite unlike any other. Just don't stare at it eh? It's rude.
Kingdom Two Crowns is an immersive and frequently surprising strategy game that is quite unlike any other. Fans of slow-burning, atmospheric strategy efforts with emergent discovery will find much to enjoy here - as would newcomers to the genre at large.
Warhammer Vermintide 2 doesn't just reinvigorate the template that Left 4 Dead established all those years ago, instead it stabs, sets it aflame and proceeds to kick it through the nearest wall. This is one of the best co-op games available and toweringly fine way to close out 2018.
Though mechanically unambitious, Silver Lining puts a workmanlike though effective capper on Spider-Man's City Never Sleep DLC series all the while paving the way for grander and hopefully more innovative adventures farther down the road.
Though the modest technical execution tarnishes The Council to an extent, it remains an innovative and clever adventure which does that rarest of things - it treats the audience as intelligent, educated individuals. With its sophisticated geopolitical backdrop, occult themes and in-depth RPG style progression and decision systems, The Council sets a compelling blueprint for the episodic adventure to follow.
An often gorgeous and frequently surprising take on the RTS genre, Swords and Solders 2 Shawarmageddon is a hugely enjoyable effort that both fans and non-fans of traditional strategy games will enjoy.
Nerve-wrackingly terrifying, highly polished and boasting one of the cleverest takes on the survival genre in years, The Forest is one of finest survival horror titles available.
Though the thrill of being Spider-Man has barely dulled, Turf Wars simply doesn't offer enough content, new or otherwise, to keep you engaged for any decent period of time.
Boasting breathtaking spectacle and some of the most refined series multiplayer to date, Battlefield V's missing features prevent EA's latest from soaring to the heights that it deserves to. Nonetheless, DICE's latest shooter effort both maintains and enhances the series essence to stake its claim as one of the better FPS titles available on PS4.
The ultimate collection of one of the most intriguing titles on the market - Spintires: Mudrunner American Wilds might infuriate and test the patience of many, but those who can push past such feelings will soon discover quite the uniquely satisfying endeavor.
Slightly clunky platforming and inconsistent visual presentation isn't enough to meaningfully detract from one of the most emotionally affecting and innovative action platformers on the market. If you enjoyed the likes of Inside and Limbo, you'll love The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories
11-Bit Studios has managed to both properly honor the spirit of the base game, and meaningfully iterate upon it with this latest DLC offering. Emotionally resonant, oppressively grim and generously stuffed with emergent possibility and multiple endings, The Last Broadcast widens the scope of The Grazni Civil War and is essential for both owners of This War of Mine and fans of supremely well-written survival narratives.