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.
Somerville left me with many more questions than answers, but the journey was well worth it in the end. Taking around 5-6 hours to complete, this puzzle adventure game revels in obscurity and almost completely forgoes dialogue, text and traditional HUD elements. The whole game is a tonne of fun to play and doesn’t hold your hand at all, making the tricky brain teasers mighty satisfying to conquer.
Even though this new remake contains some outdated RPG design elements and mechanics, the core gameplay is still as addictive and challenging as it was back in 1995. Almost every major battle is a true test of tactical prowess, and the new modernisations like stat buff cards, map rotation and trajectory prediction are simply the icing on the cake. Couple this with a fully remastered soundtrack and a great story full of political and personal intrigue, and you're in for an RPG experience that easily stands the test of time.
It’s been 5 years since the last mainline 3D Sonic game, and the wait has definitely been worth it. The open-world structure really plays into Sonic’s strengths and it only contains a couple of gameplay issues that have plagued the series’ past. It’s just so satisfying to jump and run around these massive playgrounds while not having to worry about suddenly switching gameplay styles (like in the Sonic Adventure series) or turning into a godforsaken werewolf.
This action-focused, survival horror take features a number of magical attacks, enemy-specific consumables and the balancing of mind, body and spirit to brave the storm. However, Jess’ story isn’t memorable in the slightest, while other main character arcs come and go faster than green grass through a goose. There are some enjoyable puzzles and music scattered throughout, and the fast-travel, bestiary guides and skill tree upgrades complement the game quite nicely. But overall, The Chant doesn’t offer anything spectacular. It’s still worth checking out, especially considering the game’s low price point. Although, the best practice should be to keep your expectations in check.
The Shadows of Rose DLC is a decent conclusion to the Winters family saga. Since you can finish this expansion in around 3 hours, Capcom packed the experience full of fresh puzzles, tight corridors and monsters that want to eat your face. Quite literally. Rose’s ability to freeze multiple enemies at once and counter their attacks is balanced very well. Making for some tense encounters and puzzle-solving moments where you need to freeze specific objects on the move. However, Rose’s story is quickly over before it ever gets off the ground, and the recycling of several assets and locations from Resident Evil Village may turn off some players. But for the low price this DLC is going for, it still may be worth checking out.
Signalis wears it’s survival horror badge proudly, with only a couple of gameplay and item-related issues that hold it back from nirvana. The anime and retro-styled presentation are a marvel to witness, and the story will definitely keep audiences intrigued. However, the narrative can seem a bit hazy at times and the focus is often placed on the sci-fi-themed lore of Signalis, rather than Elster’s personal journey. But if you can look past these concerns, this 15-hour trek through dark, desolate locales and eldritch-looking monstrosities is more than worth taking the plunge.