For a game that almost has as many different versions as Skyrim, this remake of the revered Resident Evil 4 has absolutely smashed it.
It’s true that some fans may be disappointed with the direction of Bayonetta Origins, though if they give the game a chance, they may find themselves oddly amused.
With it’s blend of serious, yet indie/hipster graphics and presentation, The Wreck’s polished writing and powerful message of ‘letting others know they’re loved’ is something that Telltale or visual novel fans should enjoy.
It’s been 15 years since Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse launched exclusively in Japan, and the wait has sadly not been worth it.
If there’s one reason to pick up this game, it’d have to be the turn-based JRPG combat. The story is good in Mato Anomalies—don’t get me wrong—but the simple, yet highly complex battle system is where it’s at.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a big-time adrenaline rush, dropping the overwhelming RPG systems of Nioh for a more streamlined, arcade-like approach to battle.
It’s only made a handful of changes over the original, but Octopath Traveler II is a 60-100 hour journey that’s well worth experiencing.
Atomic Heart has been steadily building up steam for the longest time now, but the final product hasn’t quite matched up to the hype.
Like the series it was inspired by, Wild Hearts takes players on a challenging series of nature-themed bosses with 8 intuitive weapon types, alongside a host of seamless gameplay and co-op features which help keep the combat front and centre.
It may be quite shocking to hear this, but Hogwarts Legacy isn’t just a cheap tie-in game that some salty sceptics thought it’d be. Whether it’s the rich spell-based action, fun schoolyard activities or sky-high exploration of Hogwarts, fans of Harry Potter will certainly find something to enjoy here.
Dead Space has eclipsed the original release with an array of fantastic additions, but doesn’t lose sight of what made the 2008 version so revered.
Fire Emblem Engage calls upon many renowned characters from the series 30 year history, with a battle system that features a highly flexible progression system and quality of life changes that make a noticeable difference in combat.
A tense, twin-stick shooting experience awaits for those who adore the roguelike genre and all the uncertainty that comes with it… whether that’s positive or negative, I’ll leave up to you. But just know that once Lone Ruin sinks it’s teeth into you, those marks will be tremendously hard to remove.
The numerous additions included in Crisis Core Reunion are impressive. However, even if the combat is more enjoyable, graceful and weighty with fewer stoppages to boot, the repetitive gameplay loop of battling down long hallways does start to fizzle out. The story will please rabid fans of Final Fantasy VII, but for everyone else, the general narrative only gets good around the 70% mark. A little too late for most.
Hello Neighbor 2 is a big step up from the original in more ways than one. Puzzles feel more intuitive, neighbour AIs act smarter, the story is easier to follow and the graphics are admirably stylised. While some of the original’s issues are still present, like the paper-thin plot or immersion-breaking bugs and glitches, the game is still worth playing for those who love environmental puzzles or enjoyed the first entry in the series.
The Callisto Protocol isn’t the greatest horror title ever, but it still has some wicked cool moments to witness. There are stutter issues with the frame rate on PC, the combat does get repetitive and the story is largely forgettable, but the general atmosphere and hand-crafted set pieces are worth experiencing.
Need for Speed Unbound is an average-at-best arcade experience. With the headlights firmly set on street racing, It’s hard to enjoy the action when the turning controls are just not quite there, but the focus on tailing, drifting and near-misses to gain NOS is highly engaging. Well, except when a random NPC driver casually rams your car out of nowhere. Still, there is an extensive amount of customisation and a few open-world activities to take part in like time-trial deliveries, speed gates and escaping cops, though not to the same extent and depth as Forza Horizon 5.
Soccer Story has some fun and varied gameplay to keep you occupied between binge-watching the World Cup. This title does follow along with Golf Story’s DNA, albeit it does just enough to keep the festivities distinct and fresh as the football-themed campaign progresses. Even though it can get annoying having to constantly scavenger hunt and backtrack for things in large areas, hence the lack of a fast-travel option is severely frustrating.
I can’t remember the last time I played a game that was as linear and repetitive as this, but Gungrave G.O.R.E really takes the boredom cake. Yes, there are some cool mechanics like reflecting rockets and using soldiers as meat shields, but unless you enjoy mindlessly shooting thugs for days, it’s best to steer clear.
The Devil in Me is a rock-solid entry in The Dark Pictures Anthology. Featuring some tense scenes of fear and paranoia, a disorienting dynamic mansion and a serial killer on the loose for good measure. Just don’t expect this game to be a SAW-inspired death trap fiesta.