John-Paul Jones's Reviews
F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch is a deftly crafted Metroidvania that while it doesn't do anything especially new or ground-breaking, nonetheless reframes the genre through a distinctly Chinese and attractive dieselpunk setting that fans of the genre and action adventures in general will assuredly enjoy.
A golf game for people that don't like golf (though people who do like golf will likely also get a similar kick), Golf Club: Wasteland cleverly interweaves arcade style golf with deep themes and a superbly smooth soundtrack in a bite-sized package that is both utterly unique and impossible to ignore.
Sniper Ghost Warriors Contracts 2 makes its mark on PS5 with greatly improved visuals, better loading, additional content and DualSense feedback - all of which combine to make it not only the definitive version of CI Games latest effort, but also one of the better sniper offerings on the market.
Though King's Bounty II's presentation is certainly crumbly in ways that would only be endearing to folks partial to PS3 level jank, there still remains a compelling RPG and turn based strategy hybrid here. Bolstered by non-linear storytelling, deceptively deep world building and the sort of accessible strategy that embraces genre newcomers and stalwarts alike, King's Bounty II is a deeply appealing effort that does ample justice to its namesake.
Arguably the modern template for so many self-styled retro shooters, Quake has returned in stunning form. A stellar remaster, Quake not only maintains the essence of id Software's classic 1996 shooter, but it meaningfully iterates upon it too with all new additional content, mod support and crossplay. At a super budget price point, there is no reason to dive into one of the very best 3D shooters of all time.
Utterly absorbing and rarely anything less than completely fascinating, The Forgotten City is an intoxicating microcosm of Ancient Roman society embedded in a dialogue heavy adventure and wrapped around one of the most smartly designed mysteries and sleuthing yarns to come along in a good long while. Occasional technical creakiness and issues aside, it's a deeply pleasant irony that The Forgotten City will remain long in your memory after the credits have completed their roll the first, second, third and fourth time.
An attractive JPRG with a hugely innovative central time manipulation mechanic, it seems as though the developers behind the game fell head over heels in love with that element of Cris Tales design at the expense of crafting a world with memorable characters, motivations, places and events. That said, Cris Tales non-linear story and neat use of time manipulation will still hold a fair amount of allure for genre newbies and stalwarts alike.
With its well designed stealth mechanics, unique setting, captivating story and stifling, often terrifying atmospherics, in A Plague Tale: Innocence, Asobo Studio might well have crafted the best and most pure horror title of the year.
DOOM Eternal on PS5 quite simply underscores the already lofty calibre of one of the best shooters ever with a delectable coat of visual polish which keeps id Software's PlayStation swansong ripping and tearing among the very best of its genre contemporaries.
An extremely entertaining handful of sports themed mini games with just a few duffers to be found amongst their number, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - The Official Video Game distils the longest running athletic spectacle on the planet into a great party game with charming visuals and immediate accessibility. Right now, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - The Official Video Game is one of the better party games of the year.
Though The Persistence Enhanced represents the best non-VR version of what is a sizably satisfying stealth horror romp on PS5, the suite of upgrades, though welcome, is not roundly enough impressive enough to warrant previous players taking another run at the game. For the uninitiated that don't own a PSVR headset however, The Persistence Enhanced on PS5 is still a compelling proposition that unfurls into a taut stealth horror affair.
A much needed re-release of Team Ninja's trio of Ninja Gaiden titles, though the third game is a step below the other two games, and the remastering effort a touch on the conservative side, it's a proper joy to be able to play the first two Ninja Gaiden games once again on contemporary hardware; camera issues with the first game notwithstanding. Bolstered by a neat amount of extras and the seemingly ageless and satisfying combat that's as good now in 2021 as it was before, the king of high-octane, hyperviolent ninja action has returned.
A different kind of survival sandbox, Green Hell's anchoring in a contemporary place together with its narrative help to separate it from its more aimless seeming brethren. Though some additional polish is required, Green Hell nonetheless is still one of the better survival sandbox experiences to come along in a good while.
Leisure Suit Larry: Wet Dreams Dry Twice delivers exactly what you'd expect it to; sex-based jokes and puzzles that integrate that. Even with expectations set there, it's somewhat unfortunate that it serves up such an underwhelming blend of puzzling and puerility. It is at least a passable point n' click effort that occasionally elicits a genuine chuckle.
A stellar remastering of one of the best fighting games ever, Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Edition is at the very apex of Sega's long running series and in doing so, its elevated profile will hopefully propel the franchise forward as a whole to heights that it has long deserved. Virtua Fighter is back and it's better than ever.
Wonder Boy: Asha In Monster World is a gorgeous remake of a much overlooked Sega platforming adventure classic that everybody should play. It's that simple.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground is a compact and well made turn-based strategy offering that neatly walks the tightrope of being able to offer beginners not only a decent introduction to the genre, but also to the sprawling Warhammer fantasy setting as well. Though it lacks in scope and can become repetitive, its bite-sized nature and surprising use of roguelike mechanics helps to ensure it remains compelling in a way that few other Warhammer games have managed.
A textbook example of how to meaningfully update to a classic title while keeping the core appeal intact, Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection is a superb way to experience Capcom's arcade classic for both new and old fans alike.
Though a clunky UI and collection of surplus mini-games detract from Beautiful Desolation's evocative setting and characters, this is nonetheless one of the more interesting point and click adventures to come along for a good while. Not least thanks to its superbly imaginative take on a post apocalyptic future where the lines between humanity, evolution and immortality are deeply blurred. Even for the most stalwart adventurer, Beautiful Desolation's narrative and fresh premise will find a way to delight and surprise in equal measure.
A gorgeously framed love letter to the Streets of Rage series, The Takeover is a surprisingly robust and attractive side-scrolling brawler that finds itself let down by poor AI, repetitive enemy types and completely unneeded non-fighting stages. Sadly, the upshot of such devoted love for Sega's series is that the developers behind The Takeover seemingly were concerned more with making the next Streets of Rage, rather than focusing on making the first Takeover.