Critical Hit
HomepageCritical Hit's Reviews
Agent 47 is back and better than ever. The first season of Hitman has produced the definitive Agent 47 experience in a world of intrigue, espionage and murder. Not only the best Hitman game ever made, but also one of the top contenders for game of the year.
A calm and restrictive level on first glance, episode six of Hitman is teeming with poetic kills, intricacy and intrigue as it sets up a subtle tease of things to come in future seasons for Agent 47.
Titanfall 2 is a far more “complete” package then that the first game was, offering one of the best single player campaigns in first person shooter, and a robust and cleverly nuanced multiplayer. It's everything the first game should have been.
Dragon Quest Builders is a superb game, appealing to both fans of the series and newcomers alike. Don’t think of this as a Minecraft clone, but rather as a good Dragon Quest game with crafting and building elements.
World War I is hard material to tackle, but DICE have managed to do it respectably enough. Battlefield 1’s campaign is memorable, and it’s multiplayer, brutal. The latter doesn’t necessarily provide a whole new experience, but a coat of paint from The Great War certainly makes the series feel nice and fresh again.
Farming Simulator 17 is the best version to date, and if you’ve ever been curious about what the genre is all about, now’s the best time to experiment with something a little different. However, it’s not a title that will appeal to everyone. This is after all a game about watching digital grass grow.
Batman The Telltale Series Episode 3: New World Order may be a slow burner, but there’s a raging inferno of action and tragedy by the time it finishes as the Dark Knight and Bruce Wayne face threats for all sides.
With reimagined cities, diplomacy and research progression, Civilization feels familiar enough for veterans while making a lot more sense for newcomers. By far the best Civilization experience we've seen in years, only slightly tarnished by slow load times and art that occasionally feels out of place.
Batman: Return to Arkham is neither the game that Gotham fanboys deserve or need right now. Not even the dark knight can foil a plot to downgrade the visuals of two video games which defined his legend for a new medium several years ago.
While the game is amazing at its core, it's beset by infuriating bugs. The Journey shows promise, but drags on too long, becoming a dull grind before it comes to a close. It's a good start for FIFA on its new engine, there are too many kinks that have yet to be worked out.
XCOM 2 manages to improve a formula that had almost nothing wrong with it to begin with, adding a sense of urgency to the already unpredictable nature of its turn-based combat. It's a rewarding experience, if not sometimes cruelly unfair.
Rhythm Paradise Megamix has fun gameplay, catchy music, unique visuals, a colourful cast, tons of content and onions with facial hair. What else could you really ask for in a game?
The sixth time is the charm, as WRC 6 finally nails the winning formula for a properly decent rally game that emphasises accessible fun over unforgiving precision. It’s not perfect, but it’s easily the best use of the official FIA World Rally Championship in many a year.
Crystal Dynamics have effortlessly done the impossible with Rise of the Tomb Raider, crafting a sequel that is superior to their reboot in every single way possible. It’s a bigger, more expansive experience that has a captivating narrative, engrossing gameplay loops and an absolutely stunning presentation. Rise of the Tomb Raider is one of the best action games ever crafted, and a generational leap forward as the series looks towards the horizon. Lara Croft is in good hands.
Mafia III is a flawed game at times, but an equalling captivating one in others. It's repetitive gameplay loops and standard mechanics hide an engrossing tale grounded by top of the class performances. It's a tale that pays off in closing, if only just barely.
Gears of War 4 is a satisfying, if not overly familiar, return to some of the series’ best beats. A distinctly dark campaign dishes out welcome surprises and disappointing repeats in equal measure, while its refined Horde mode and thoroughly engaging multiplayer round off a package that any franchise fan should be happy to rev through.
Seriously fun if only for all the Mario jokes and impressive use of music. Clever level design is great, although irritating combat and lackluster RPG elements might alienate fans.
While there's still a bit of a steep learning curve for newcomers, NBA 2K17 offers up everything an NBA fan could ever want in a single package.
Hitman's purest stealth episode so far is a white-knuckle ride of espionage and action amidst the backdrop of enemy territory, as Agent 47 finally begins to uncover the threads of a season-long conspiracy.
Whether you’re new to the series, or a returning veteran, there is almost no excuse to not pick up BioShock: The Collection. It contains some of the very best games ever made in the past decade, and they’re all still well worth playing today.