Critical Hit
HomepageCritical Hit's Reviews
Tetris Effect is a visual and auditory treat that bombards your senses with exploding colours and punchy electronic songs. But it's real triumph is combining this with the delicate nature of Tetris, retaining the precise gameplay while also marrying it effectively with the beat of a drum. Tetris Effect is meditative, exciting and incredibly difficult to put down.
In the end Call of Cthulu is a deeply disappointing game, because those opening hours showed such promise. If developer Cyanide had just stuck to the bits that work – the investigation – we'd have ended up with a better game. Instead of descending into madness, it descends into tedium.
Lego DC Super-Villains is a light-hearted and surprisingly lengthy romp for the whole family. Gameplay doesn't break from the established Lego formula, and the controls can actually be frustrating at times. You'll soldier on, though, thanks to an entertaining story and lovingly-recreated DC universe – especially if you're a comics fan.
Distance is a racing game which benefits from conventional arcade mechanics, mixed with a beautiful visual style, ambient yet archaic music, and a vast collection of user-generated content. Where it starts to choke is its repeat play value, and a multiplayer that is only as good as the number of players and maps you have.
A slight downgrade in some visual effects and audio quality do little to hold back what is otherwise a great and smooth port of Dark Souls.
Diablo III is a comprehensive package on the Switch, but just not always the best way to play it all.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a story of endings and new beginnings, of the birth of legends and the consequences that come with creating a myth. It's all wrapped up in an immaculate presentation, told over dozens of hours and adventures that leads to an inevitable conclusion: Red Dead Redemption 2 raises the bar for the sandbox genre and stands tall as the definitive western game of this or any other generation.
Some fans of the Call of Duty franchise may have left, but Black Ops 4 is arguably the best time to come back. This may be the best instalment of the franchise yet.
SoulCalibur VI is a grand return to form for a fighting game series that's been overstuffed for decades. It's simple to play, tough to master, and incredibly fun. The best the series has been since SoulCalibur2, the game doesn't do much new. Instead, it adeptly refines something we've played before to deliver one of the most enjoyable fighting games in years.
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales quickly establishes itself as more or less the paradigm of a genre. The alchemy of its RPG roots, addictive gameplay and wonderful story make it a far more fleshed-out package than many may have expected. While non-series fans may not find too much to write home about in terms of the tale it weaves, what remains in terms of gameplay is a fundamentally worthwhile package and one that one will provide many, many hours of entertainment.
Fireproof Games' The Room remains an engaging, clever puzzle game. It's a delight to uncover the secrets hidden within the mechanical boxes, but the Switch version just isn't a good value proposition.
I do hope there's more to come from FIFA in the years ahead, but for now it's more of a fun-to-have rather than a must-have for Nintendo Switch owners.
It's not perfect, but WWE 2K19 is a massive and fun return to form that focuses on what truly matters inside the iconic ring and delivers a pulse-pounding thrill ride that finally feels like a showcase of the immortals.
The World Ends with You is a little less fresh and exciting than it was a decade ago. But, despite a few shortcomings and the loss of dual-screen play, it's still an incredible game and worthwhile for those who've yet to play it. There's not quite enough that's new here for returning fans though.
FIFA 19 shows that sometimes it's not all about reinventing the game so much as it is about making improvements to what already works so well. FIFA 19 is probably the best FIFA to date, but EA will not want to repeat the tweak-performance next time out.
Super Mario Party retains the whimsical and hilarious nature of its predecessors while greatly expanding on its mini-games and their complexity. It's a joyous time with a bunch of friends or family, even if you can't actually get any better at playing due to its heavily randomised mechanics.
The Labo Vehicle Kit is a meticulously designed and often fascinating building experience. The Toy-Con models fit together perfectly and encourage curiosity within anyone who engages with them. While the gaming element is an improvement over previous Labo Kits, it's not going to suck you in for countless hours. As an intriguing way to while away the hours over a weekend, the Labo Vehicle Kit shines, but don't expect much more unless you're planning to flex your creative muscles in the Toy-Con Garage.
Astro Bot would stand tall as a platformer on its own, but it genuinely uses virtual reality to elevate it beyond that. Delightful and joyous, It's one of the best VR games to date, and an essential part of every PSVR library.
In a genre that has its fair share of challengers, V Rally 4 comes in dead last thanks to its bipolar handling, meagre selection of tracks and a modest grab bag of disciplines that fails to excite any fan of dirty racing.
Assassin's Creed's gradual evolution to RPG is complete. While it remains familiar, the deeper combat, dialogue choices and consequences have upended Assassin's Creed's stealthy roots to deliver a sprawling, multi-tiered historical RPG epic. It's the culmination of the series own journey, and only fitting it be called Odyssey.