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"I was looking forward to the Dark Souls III DLC season and while Ashes of Ariandel has a fairly high content density, it is somewhat lacking in terms of length and environment variety. One of the bosses is among the more interestingly designed in terms of combat in the series, but for both the bosses and the general content I didn’t get the same sense of tightly-designed, polished challenge that I usually got from Souls DLCs. It looks gorgeous and the enemies have very cool designs both visually and in terms of moves and mechanics. The addition of PVP matchmaking and custom matches will also probably excite a lot of players that are in it strictly for the competitive aspect. Overall I found Ashes of Ariandel enjoyable and interesting, but I was expecting a lot more and there was definitely a lot of precedent for a lot more. So come on, From. It’s the conclusion to your crowning achievement series. Do us and yourselves proud for the next DLC, ok? Thank you."
"Brilliantly building on the success of Armageddon, Worms W.M.D. is the best game in the series to date. Both charming, intelligent while bulging with hilarious off the cuff remarks and quirky accents, Worms W.M.D. brilliantly incorporates the gameplay we’ve come to know and love with a mixture of exciting new additions thrown in for good measure".
"Undoubtedly the best title in the series, F1 2016 is as visually gorgeous as it has ever been, with attentive detail put into every aspect of the sport".
"Navigating the hazardous river is no small feat with horrible steering until you are able to upgrade to a rudder, however, the river poses a challenge that carries with it, its own rewards. Although there is little in the way of narrative throughout the story I found myself sharing a bond with the games characters".
"I'm a completionist to a fault, so I tried hunting down every single trineangle in the game. After just between six and eight hours I had collected every single collectible and achieved every single achievement in the game. I suppose this is somewhat mitigated by the fact that it has mod support and the co-op does give it a bit of replayability with up to three people able to control a character each, but it ultimately just seems to deliver an inferior experience to its series predecessors and it's a shame, because it is otherwise a great game, born of the best intentions, but brought down by its own ambitions."
"This War Of Mine: The Little Ones is a sad and tragic story of one group's survival amidst conflict, portrayed brilliantly by the silent but powerful characters that help bring the game to life".
"While the cyberpunk atmosphere is great, the gameplay mechanics are solid and varied and the AI behaves interestingly, the combat occasionally feels poorly balanced and you may find yourself grinding for better equipment from time to time. The storytelling leaves a bit to be desired, but is enhanced by reading the in-game logs. Overall, it's a pretty great cyberpunk experience."
"Dying Light The Following lifts players out of the mean ravaged streets of Harran to offer up a completely different world filled with new characters and a gripping storyline along with new side quests. While the Bozak Horde and other previous DLC for the game added extra activities and a competitive nature, The Following pushes the story in a whole new direction filled with twists, turns and conspiracy theories, seriously…what's not to enjoy!".
"Experiencing all that Tom Clancy's The Division has to offer with friends is a major selling point and one that helps tilt The Division from just a normal cover shooter into an experience worth sinking hours of your time into".
"Kerbal Space Program provides both entertainment and education. Offering players the chance to live out the dream of becoming a rocket scientist without the certain impending lawsuit from the many, many explosions after an unsuccessful launch".
"My issues with Stories Untold were largely technical and are being fixed by the developers as I’m writing this piece. There are some design flaws that tend to break the flow, but I’d say that they account for less than 10% of the experience. While rather short at around 2-3 hours, the game does make up for that with unique takes on familiar gameplay elements and tropes and manages to tell an intricate and compelling story in a very interesting way. Some of the puzzles and challenges, while not time-sensitive, will ask you to invest a bit of your brain power in solving them and it all builds up to a satisfying pay-off. Stories Untold tries something new and succeeds at delivering something fresh in terms of interactive storytelling (emphasizing interactivity, rather than just narration). That its aesthetics and themes reminded me of Stranger Things is purely a bonus."
"While it could still use some improvements with its puzzle design, Bear With Me episode 2 improves upon the previous installment in almost every way and had me much more invested in its story and characters. As previously mentioned, the story really comes into its own with the shift to an urban environment. It’s a shame that the episodes only come out every few months, though I hope the next one doesn’t take half a year. Overall, it’s a solid entry to an increasingly interesting series."
"What a ride, what a send-off, what a missed opportunity! I’m being a bit unfair. The Ringed City is perfectly good content, with a lot of play time, a lot of new weapons, armor and enemies. Some bosses suffer from hallmarks of the series so far, while one is almost exemplary in its design. It’s a linear experience but enjoyable to go through. The environments are among the most impressively looking in the series but the overall level of quality and polish fall short of previous DLC’s by From such as Artorias of the Abyss or The Old Hunters. In terms of lore and environmental storytelling, The Ringed City seems like a fair send-off for the series, even if it seems like it could have used (and deserved) more attention. Other aspects seem like placeholder ideas, such as the sections in which you’re forced to run from cover to cover which felt alien considering the series I was playing. I would call it “phoned in”, but even “phoned in” by From Software is still leaps and bounds ahead of what some AAA developers consider well-rounded and finished. Either way, it’s over at least for the time being and it’s been a privilege. Praise the Sun."
"Ittle Dew 2 is a pleasant and cheerful return to form for the NES days action-adventure. It takes the Legend of Zelda formula and runs with it with dedication, mechanically. At the same time, it shows a sense of humor and willful lack of concern as far as the narrative goes. The story is simply there as framing for the experience and the jokes are by and large cleverly written. It poses a decent grade of challenge for the player, especially in terms of puzzles even if it takes a while to get into its stride. The environments and enemies are varied and require the player to constantly adapt their approach and because of the lack of any sort of stat-based character progression it rewards completionists but doesn’t require canvassing the game map in order to progress. Overall it’s a well-polished worthwhile little experience and I recommend checking it out. It’ll do."
"Children of Arkham is a solid follow-up to Realm of Shadows. As most Telltale games, it suffers on the altar of the outdated engine, but makes up for it with its striking aesthetic and atmosphere. Batman’s established backstory is partly thrown out in favor of a gloomier, moodier reimagining, but it’s handled well and flows very naturally. While I enjoy Telltale games for the most part, it’s been a while since an episode of one of their series had me this excited for the next one. But then again maybe I’m just that much of a Batman fanboy."
"Misgivings about its narrative shortcomings, occasional dips in voice acting quality and its constant referencing of The Whispered World aside, I’ve found Silence to be thoroughly enjoyable. It’s characters, although not terribly developed are fleshed out enough for the player to be invested. Each location is depicted with overwhelming attention to detail and the characters’ faces are masterfully animated. It’s one of the best-looking games I’ve ever played and it touches on fantasy themes I enjoy greatly, such as dying worlds, fish out of water and battles against overwhelming odds. It’s for this reason that I regret it even more that it wasn’t given the opportunity to further dive into the world and characters and achieve excellence. As it stands it’s just a great, fun journey, albeit a predictable one."
"In 2014, Respawn knocked loudly on the door of the video game industry with Titanfall, and with their blockbuster of a follow-up have promptly returned to blast that very same door completely from its hinges. Its fantastic combination of fast fluid gunplay and mechanised combat in both multiplayer and through its enticingly solid single player campaign easily make Titanfall 2 one of the best and must have first-person shooters on the current market"
"The action throughout is pulsating with exciting combat that rarely fails to deliver, with all new combat elements and crafting system to get to grips with and some of the greatest scenery I have ever encountered in a video game, the latest addition to the series is not only a fitting one but a great sight".
"While Quantum Break doesn't exactly unearth a new concept with time travel, it excels at combining a gripping story that will leave you scratching your head in wonder with some truly breathtaking moments of action".
"The combination of art, narration and a beautiful soundtrack composed by Jessica Curry that fits every moment of the game solidified Dear Esther one of the most beloved and iconic video games around. With its long-awaited introduction onto Xbox One and PS4, console players can now enjoy the intimate experience first hand with in-depth commentary from key members of the original team at The Chinese Room".