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Bellwright works in a lot of ways. In particular, it allows you to customize your gameplay experience to better cater to your abilities. Plus, being able to just dig into a map and make it your own is a super cool idea. However, the problems embedded in the game's core make it a rather hard pill to swallow. Villager behavior, disproportionate time management, cumbersome building limitations, and unoptimized menu systems bring the game experience down. There's a fun game here, but you need to sift through a lot of frustrating limitations to get to that fun game.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is a fantastic remake that adds meaningful changes and quality-of-life improvements that make an already stellar swashbuckling adventure an absolute must-have for PS5 owners.
I wish Echoes of Aincrad were what it was advertised as. It tries to stand out as what fans expect from a game based on the Sword Art Online franchise, but it fails to capture what makes the franchise special. Instead of focusing on its unique setting and world-building, Bandai Namco instead focused on trends and what they think people want in an Action-RPG.
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a game full of potential, and I wish I could see more of that potential realised in this first entry. The HD-2D house style of Square Enix shines at its absolute peak, but it isn't given the story to deliver the best that it possibly can. Foundationally sound, and positively ripe for a sequel that blows us all away. This game is a humble beginning for a character that I really hope we see more of in the future.
Hollowbody succeeds thanks to its awesome atmosphere, spooky audio design, and rewarding exploration. Although repetitive encounters and clunky combat prevent it from reaching the heights of the genre's best, its strengths comfortably outweigh its flaws. Headware Games has delivered a memorable experience that captures the spirit of classic survival horror without feeling trapped by nostalgia. For fans craving an old-school horror experience on PS5, this unsettling adventure is easy to recommend.
More of an archival project than a remaster or remake then (though I would admittedly *love* to see the original Rayman remade in 4K & 60 FPS with all new, hand drawn Ubi-art assets), Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition nonetheless comes recommended to fans of Ubisoft's forgotten mascot and gaming history. Taken in tandem with the forthcoming release of Rayman Legends Untold, it would certainly appear that Ubisoft has just woken up to the fact that one of the best platforming franchises in decades remains under their stewardship. As it is, Rayman 30th Anniversary Edition is a fine, though slightly flawed way, to experience the series' genesis on the gaming platforms of yesteryear, all the while soaking in a veritable bounty of behind the scenes material.
All told, Abyssus doesn't really do anything terribly new with its cooperative roguelite, FPS formula and is certainly let down by a lack of imagination in regards to its various locales. That said, the technical presentation is solid, the brinepunk setting still feels fresh, combat is fast-paced and enjoyable, the progression systems are finely tuned to the point that you always want to go back to improve your Brinehunter more and the whole affair becomes much more fun with friends. Throw in its relative budget price point (£19.99/$24.99) and Abyssus quickly presents itself as a compelling way to see through this summer and beyond.
UFC 6 definitely feels like championship material, though it's a few notches below an all-time great.
Having moved from 2D platformer to top-down adventure game, Yacht Club Games has gone from strength to strength to deliver a game that has completely taken over my spare time, and keeps dragging me back to explore more of The Tenebrous Isle. Make no mistake, Mina The Hollower is no hollow victory, it's something truly special.
The PS5 version of Gothic 1 Remake is held back by performance woes, but underneath this lies an iconic RPG with deeply immersive gameplay. For new players, it's hard to recommend the PS5 version in its current state, whereas fans who can look past the graphics and 30 FPS limit may find appreciation in this blast from the past.
Applause should be given Traveller's Tales, as they've conjured up the ultimate LEGO Batman game in the series' fourth outing. Retelling the origins of Bruce Wayne as Batman has been well-trodden ground, but witnessing his storied history play out with LEGO's joyful jokiness and whimsy is exceptionally pleasing.
Bond is back and he's in fine form. 007 First Light is an excellent stealth game, and a brilliant James Bond game, offering up the best 007 experience in franchise history.
Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar makes efforts to condense the farming sim formula down to something simpler and more manageable. The game map is small, which keeps everything you need just a few seconds away at all times. On the other hand, the game doesn't allow you to upgrade anything, which forces you to focus on what you have and not what you can build. It may not be for everyone, but Grand Bazaar does make for a nice entry point into this genre.
Bubsy 4D has the makings of a modern classic, helmed by a team that has a clear ambition and design philosophy. It's issues are more fundamental, and in the fabric of Bubsy himself. I can take self-deprecation, but there comes a point where it stops being funny and becomes borderline pathetic. A mismatched level approach to level design means that both feel weak in spots, and I think you could have done more to bring those together. This is the best Bubsy game, but I can't say it isn't without fault.
A stylish, systems-driven sci-fi action game that blends intense combat, strong traversal mechanics and atmospheric world design into a cohesive whole. Held back slightly by combat readability issues and occasional visual softness, but Luna Abyss still delivers a highly engaging experience overall.
Beethoven & Dinosaur has crafted the finest example of a narrative driven, interactive experience, melding elements from both film and video games as art forms, with a killer soundtrack at its core, Mixtape is a smash hit.
Ultimately, at launch NTE just lacks sufficient content to keep it interesting past a few days of playing, especially the abrupt story end. What's there is decent quality for a free-to-play game, and you're not forced to spend any real money, as everything is doable through in-game progress. You can't go wrong with checking it out, but don't expect a huge RPG or an offering which meaningfully separates itself from the rest of the gacha pack beyond its city setting.
It's dingy and it's not without some mutations, but Directive 8020 is definitely worth exploring - just expect the mundane along the way.
Constance by itself is a perfectly solid Metroidvania with a brilliant message at its core. Unfortunately, that message is too often lost in its dedication to the status quo when it comes to mechanics. I too often felt like I had played this game before, and I shouldn't have. Constance is a game full of brilliant ideas, wonderful design, and a great overarching fabric that deserves to love itself more.
If you're after an accessible and welcoming bus simulation title, Bus Bound fits the bill in a serviceable fashion. Riding buses, collecting passengers and managing routes are all well implemented, and the handling of each vehicle makes each journey slightly different. Hardcore sim fans may be displeased with the lack of esoteric manual features and the inability to walk outside of the buses, but ultimately Bus Bound is a welcome aboard for anybody who wants a sim offering without the torturous nitty gritty technical graft.