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HomepageThe story is slight, and possessed Dad – Jim Carver from The Bill for the 30-somethings among you – is more amusing than scary. The constraints of filming during a pandemic are clear – no two people are ever in the same room at the same time – and in terms of production values it's more school play than Hollywood. But Julie Dray is a sympathetic lead and the run time is barely an hour and change so it never has an opportunity to outstay its welcome.
Last Stop is all about the story, making its three storylines the centrepiece of the experience. Characters introduced by them quickly become staples as their personalities and unfortunate predicaments take hold, all the while the overall plot takes shape and builds to a crescendo. It's disappointing that the vast majority of your decisions have little to no impact, but the ride Last Stop takes you on is worthwhile regardless.
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is, well, great Ace Attorney. The typical gameplay is embellished with some interesting new wrinkles, but it's the cast of characters and compelling narrative that make this a worthy spin-off. The story told across the pair of games is intriguing, you'll grow to love most of the characters, and there are some cracking, memorable cases to solve. This duo of games isn't doing much to push the franchise forward, but it's a very worthwhile adventure nonetheless. A great place to start for newcomers and a fascinating alternate story for fans, should you give this a shot? The answer is elementary.
All gripes aside, if you're a fan of JRPGs in general, particularly the urban sprawl and social checklists of Persona, you will absolutely love NEO: The World Ends With You. This property deserves a series as expansive as its Disney-sponsored big brother, and hopefully, this sequel and the connected anime series will justify a true current-gen instalment at some point in the future.
As a complete Warriors package, Samurai Warriors 5 doesn't quite match up to its stellar predecessor, but that doesn't stop it from being fantastic hack and slash fun. Even if the gameplay itself is largely familiar, a rebooted story mode and overhauled art style give the experience a fresh and surprisingly unique feel. What's more, the new ultimate skills system is an excellent addition, and something we'd love to see become a Warriors staple.
There's a fair amount of side-quest stuff to do such as playing mini-games in the maid café or helping out locals with their problems, although none of it is particularly innovative or memorable. There are also loads of different quirky weapons and hundreds of different clothing options to collect. Roaming around Akihabara while wielding a keyboard and wearing a Gundam cosplay made out of cardboard boxes is kinda fun, despite how average the game is overall.
You’ll steadily gain access to new characters throughout your adventure. Not only are they wonderfully entertaining during the story, but they also have unique abilities in battle that can really mix up how you fight. It keeps the game feeling fresh and interesting throughout the 30 or so hours that it takes to reach its conclusion.
Watch Dogs Legion is a better game these days, and Bloodline manages to build a stronger narrative out of its various mechanics and gameplay systems. It's more of the same under the surface, but playable characters Aiden and Wrench bring new enjoyment to the core campaign and evolving online modes, while simultaneously padding out the series' overall lore with their own storyline.
With a bunch of smart additions, F1 2021 is a cracking simulator for both die-hard fans and newcomers. The Braking Point story mode doesn't have a particularly compelling narrative, but it's a brilliant gateway into the motorsport and a primer for the wider game. Two Player Career, the Expert driving style, Real Season Start, and more make this the most customisable and accessible iteration yet, allowing you to play how you like across the game's excellent career options. Of course, the driving itself seals the deal, and it's a winner on that front. This is a no-brainer for F1 fans, but it's also a fantastic entry for newbie drivers to start with.
The game does land one or two emotional blows towards the end, but getting to those moments requires a lot of walking — sometimes with only a vague idea of where you’re supposed to be going — and watching dull conversations unfold. Where the Heart Leads is too long, with huge stretches that give you little to do, and in the end you might be questioning whether it was all worth it. That’s life.