GameWatcher
HomepageGameWatcher's Reviews
All Costume Quest needed was a more interesting battle system, better quests and a longer more involving story to be a great game. Costume Quest 2 has better quests and a more interesting story, and a better designed world. It's still got the excellent writing, sound, and music that'll keep most people happy, but it was the battle system that needed an overhaul most and it hasn't had it.
The world and characters are forgettable and uninspired without any of that deeper lore and storytelling Dark Souls is known and loved for. But despite those criticisms Lords of the Fallen is still worth a look if you're after challenging combat and a grisly dark medieval world to explore.
If you like the idea of Resident Evil 4 crossed half-and-half with Silent Hill then The Evil Within is the game for you. Just be prepared to put up with 30 FPS.
Ryse: Son of Rome is a great tale set in the Roman period, with its visceral limb chopping and an authentic weight to its centurion credentials, but as a third-person action adventure it's something of a one shot deal with little to pull you back in once you've seen Marius' journey through. Its gorgeous visuals and in-your-face combat may wow, but their shine dulls with unfortunately little to be offered in their place to reignite that initial excitement.
All these are just minor things however, and while they did drag the score down from the hallowed 9s they don't stop Alien Isolation from being a superb game and quite possibly the best Alien game ever (although Monolith's Aliens Vs Predator 2 comes close). At the very least SEGA have redeemed themselves and the franchise. Alien Isolation is a nerve-wrecking, stomach-twisting, bowel-moving, edge-of-your-seat experience and is unlike every other game out there. Now this is true "survival horror".
Stripped down and lacking new ideas, F1 2014 definitely feels like a stopgap; the racing itself has been honed over several incarnations to the point where it's pretty damned sharp, but with the omission of classic mode and a relatively scarce list of new features, there's a sense that Codemasters are resting on their laurels here while they concentrate on the next-gen F1 title they've got in the works.
There's a famous Doug Larson quote that goes: "Nostalgia is a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days" Unfortunately for Gabriel Knight's 20th Anniversary Edition, the lead character himself - much like his dated wit - isn't sharp enough to carry this off.
Ultimately, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel stands as a last hurrah for Gearbox's RPG shooter in the form that we currently know it. With improvements that feel more incremental than innovative, 2K Australia have stepped up and provided a solid and long-lasting if technically safe entry in the Borderlands series and yet, it's one which stands out almost singularly on the merit of it's breathlessly entertaining cast and rowdy narrative.
Ethan Carter is a powerful, entrancing game that'll live with you long after the credits have rolled. Just don't let anyone spoil it for you.
Maybe Starpoint Gemini 2's universe doesn't always feel as alive as it could, but it's still an enjoyable place to spend your time.
As such, it's difficult to recommend Styx: Master of Shadows to all but the most hardcore shadow skulker when the many other games that have come before it have all done the whole stealth thing that much better.
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is a strong foray into the Tolkien universe, backed up by popular combat from other major action series, with its own free-running style to boot.
If you're going to get it do so now, because there won't be anyone around to play with by Christmas. Gauntlet needs fun, badly.
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments is more than just an excellent detective adventure, it also absolutely nails the essence of being the pride of Baker Street and in doing so provides an exciting roadmap for where Ukrainian developer Frogwares will take the series next.
I'm sorry guys, but Hack 'N' Slash needs a bit more time in the programming oven.
It's the smart faction design that's the key – Amplitude has done a fantastic job of creating races that feel distinctly different from each other, each offering an interesting new take on traditional 4X gameplay. I don't think Endless Legend is quite the finished article just yet, but there's a solid and likeable core experience here that deserves your attention.
For old, war-tested Stronghold players Crusader 2 is a triumphant evolution of the game that they've held dear for the last twelve years. For the rest of us though, there is perhaps no better time to see what all the fuss is about.
There's a level of roughness here that I couldn't help but be a little disappointed by after such a long development time. For every smartly written sequence with vibrant locations and characters, there's an aimless fetch quest or an overlong combat section. Oddly enough, despite the content added in Wasteland 2's extra year of production, I think the game could have benefited from being cut down, edited to emphasise the best bits and get rid of some of the clutter. I like Wasteland 2, I really do, but I can't help but think it's not quite the masterpiece we were promised.
It's a smart simulation game with some really great use of modern horsepower atop the basic trappings of older games in a genre that sadly isn't as active as it likely deserves to be. Just keep in mind you'll need to go in with plenty of patience and a willingness to search outside the game if something obscure trips you up. If you can get past that, and you like a bit of simulation, you're going to have a lot of fun.
It's baarilliant. Now I'm going to get the flock out of here.