SA Gamer's Reviews
Yoku's Island Express delivers on an idea of pinball for platforming and doesn't ever veer too far off course. Great graphics and catchy tunes will keep you playing, even if the game sometimes puts you in a table that feels impossible.
If it has the letters RPG in it, I am there. Still battling with balancing trying to play every single game that grabs my interest, getting 100% in a JRPG, and devoting time to my second home in Azeroth.
An introspective puzzle game that teaches you about love, travelling, the importance of self-love and challenges some of those hyperbolic statements we make about how far we would go for our loved one. Team Gotham has a right treat here.
Three androids will set you on an adventure that'll have you questioning humanity, their circumstances and yourself. Its cinematic presentation is as precise as expected, but the new flowchart is going to have you come back for more to see all the various endings you can unlock. If you enjoyed Heavy Rain you are going to love this.
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles provides you with a wonderfully pretty world to experience, and its simple narrative will encourage you to peacefully explore the island at your own pace. However, the multiple mechanics seemed unnecessary and the story was underutilised as a way to move the game forward. However, if you like Pokémon, Stardew Valley and Breath of the Wild and want a ‘lite’ version of all those combined - this sweet adventure may just be perfect for you.
Warmind brings back mechanics from Destiny 1 that players were after, but still doesn't deliver completely in terms of interesting, varied content. Still, it is more of a win than a loss for Guardians, if you are playing on PS4.
Taking what made Splatoon so popular and combining it with level design of F-Zero makes it sound like a dream, but it, unfortunately, misses the mark. With a bit of AI tweaking and varied weapons, this could be a much better experience. For now the splash of colour won't hold your interest.
If you're a fan of DOOM, Unreal Tournament and Quake, then Immortal Redneck will take you on a trip down memory lane with its mechanics peppered with Southern spice and a sprinkle of bullet mayhem.
In order to survive, some tough choices need to be made to keep people warm in this frozen hell. Frostpunk is challenging, atmospheric and leaves you feeling judged a few times as you try to keep humanity alive, but not so much that you don't get up and try again.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a perfect fit for the Switch, delivering impeccable platforming goodness with Donkey Kong and his family. It's beautiful both from a visual and auditory standpoint and each level you play has its own identity or unique flavour. The game is as tough as a gorilla in a barrel, but the Switch exclusive features such as Funky Kong and the generous items you can use help to assuage some of that frustration. A must for any Switch owner for sure.
Cartman returns once more to inject some crude one-liners into a South Park turn-based RPG game that'll have you grinning from ear-to-ear from beginning to end. If you can deal with all the loading times you have a very loud and proud fart indeed.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is the modern Yakuza experience that you've been waiting for, with a couple of caveats. It has everything that you can love from a Yakuza game such as the fun activities and wonderfully realised world, but it also has an extremely mature and emotional main narrative that deserves your attention. The combat is its weakspot with it being simplified to the point where it's repetitious and some aspects can be shallow. However, it is a fine swan song for the legendary Kiryu and you still can't find something quite like it out there.
Fans who love the show now have a VR game that brings them as close to the action as they've ever been. Becoming Rick's slave to yell at has never been so much fun.
In a magical world filled with villainy, it is up to you, a young prince to unite the nations and claim back your rightful place as the true King.
It's not just Kratos' appearance and maturity that's changed, but so has the God of War formula. Everything has grown up and with it you're left with an unforgettable adventure that will stay with you long after you put the controller down.
Extinction feels like it was onto something great. Fighting monsters that tower above you, soaring through the air and grappling around, but it falls flat in about the same amount of time it takes a giant to knock down a building.
The time continuum shift mechanic has been done before, but it's the first time VR has taken the concept by the scruff. It's action-packed, frantic, makes you feel like a real badass and is just a joy to experience. A great reason to hold on to those Move controllers.
Titan Quest is a fantastic game that is unfortunately poorly realised on consoles. While there's a lot to praise here, it had its time back in 2006 and if it was looking to bring it back it would have to put in a little more effort than just the same game with clunkier gameplay.
Devil May Cry was once the pinnacle of action games, but 2001 is 17 years ago. Back then we had no smartphones, no Twitter, no Youtube, no Facebook and barely had online gaming. In gaming years it's ancient and should perhaps remain in the past. We have a new demon slayer and her name is Bayonetta.
Northgard takes some of the best elements of your favourite old RTS games and breathes life into them with an economic management twist. A tighter campaign would launch this into greatness.