Expansive's Reviews
Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny is a very faithful recreation of the PS2 classic, but given an updated lick of paint and modern quality of life improvements. At times, that adaptation comes with frustrations, but for me it also comes with a wealth of nostalgia and doses of joy. If you loved it before or what Capcom did with Onimusha Warlords, you’re going to feel right at home here, but newcomers to the series or those who struggle with classic tank setups and jarring camera angles may not be quite so forgiving or find this a particularly convincing reason to get excited about Way of the Sword. That music, though..
Blades of Fire is an interesting take on a familiar genre, offering some clever ideas, well engineered combat and a vibrant world. There’s challenges with this one, though, like traversal, iffy mini games, and some grind. However this is a mostly enjoyable romp that deserves the chance to be played and appreciated and a game that ultimately presents in a positive light.
Capcom Fighting Collection 2 might just be one of the greatest fighting game collections in history. There’s so much quality here, so much value, but also complete respect in its restoration with solid online capabilities, loving recreation with display and sound options and a real look into Capcom’s incredible history, showing both the best and worst. All at a value price. Some minor weaknesses aside, this is a must-play for fight fans and a deeper reminder of just how good Capcom are and how much they’ve influenced an entire genre for years across multiple generations.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is a thrilling new addition to this blockbuster franchise, that wonderfully dovetails the classic original with the new-age formula, all while adding in a fresh, exciting new approach to combat and exploration. Some content gets a bit bloated midway and this won’t necessarily convince those who didn’t enjoy the previous games, but the inclusion of a shield for blocking and parrying, the dragon and mech missions freshening up the action, as well as a more sandbox, open-ended nature to the missions, gives players old and new plenty to sink their teeth into. All while bopping their head to banging beats and getting their eyes melted by some of the most impressive visuals this generation!
Revenge of the Savage Planet is a beautiful looking, entertaining blast of a sequel that iterates and improves upon many elements of its predecessor, offers a satisfying core loop with full multiplayer and a great variety and spread of abilities that keeps the experience fresh and interesting throughout. There’s a few surprise omissions – like First Person – and this is very similar to the first game, so is very much more of the same – which may or may not be to your liking – but it’s a very enjoyable romp from start to finish that raises plenty a smile.
The Precinct is a really cleverly designed take and spin on sandboxes that have traditionally favoured being the bad guy. Reading people their rights, rescuing hostages and giving out speed and parking tickets is surprisingly theraupeutic, and while combat is a bit off, general movement feels a bit wonky and fatigue does eventually set in over time, the approach and variety, setting, aesthetic, all coupled with smooth driving and satisfying storytelling makes for a game that deserves more than a second glance. I had a blast!
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is not as involved, expansive and creative as some more recent fighters on the market but what it offers is solid, weighted, and as such makes for a mostly successful return to form for a long dormant franchise. For the content, the price is a bit of a sore spot, but the solid netcode, beautiful aesthetic, and good base of fighters mean what you do play will be enjoyable and memorable, with the promise of more support over the long term.
Old Skies both feels like a true throwback to classic point and click adventures from the 90s but also benefits from creative new ideas and a stunning visual style that helps it stay relevant and eye-catching in 2025. A fantastic bunch of stories, great characters and wonderful voice acting make this one a game to remember and a must for point and click adventurers, old and new.
Glover is still a cute little game that really brings back that vintage N64 Platformer vibe with vibrancy and charming music and, at times, really showcases some clever level design and puzzle elements. But it has technical issues and a control scheme that just does not gel well with modern platforms. Couple with frustrating camera angles and some really tedious sections, this one soon becomes very tough to handle.
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is one of the most ambitious titles Nintendo have ever made with its huge online options, scales and systems, and it’s better than ever on Switch. The Definitive features enhance and modernise the game perfectly, making it feel as refreshing to play as ever. A great entry point to this franchise which may have seemed offputting to many in the past, X is still weighed down a bit by the volume of information, systems and ultimately content it puts in front of players, and maybe a bit too generous for its own good. But this is a fantastic, exciting departure from Nintendo norms and remains one of the finest RPGs on the market, now better than ever before and able to fulfil its true potential!
South of Midnight is a beautifully crafted, delicately designed, story filled with heart, soul and positive energy. The world is stunning, the characters and the story they drive are memorable, and there’s a lovely mix of puzzles to keep you invested. While combat is the weaker point of the game, the boss battles coupled with the player progression do help bring this back up to a level of a game that deserves your time and attention.
Assassin’s Creed: Shadows is the finest addition to the series in years. It adds just the right balance of content, pacing and progression to keep you invested, gives you just enough but not too much so you don’t feel overwhelmed, adds a total overhaul of combat that offers both a satisfying challenge but makes the game stand apart from its brethren and offers perhaps the most captivating environments the series has ever had. Despite some uncertainty around certain mission objectives, a quite brutal difficulty curve and some repetition in content, there is no finer current open world offering on the market right now. Especially if you’re pining for a visit to Japan and need more cherry blossoms in your life!
Atomfall’s lead system makes for a surprising detective mystery in a post-apocalyptic British world and offers an interesting way of storytelling through investigations, allowing players to investigate rather than being told where to go and exactly what to do. It does suffer from some imbalanced combat and stealth, and the world traversal is not always entirely satisfying, but the game’s writing, aesthetic, music and survival mechanics keep this feeling distinct and interesting enough to make it well worth a play!
Split Fiction may just be the finest co-operative video game ever made. It’s local co-op is seamless and rarely struggles through slowdown. It’s online service is generous, supporting friends to play together with just one copy between them, and its challenges, puzzles, action and creativity is thriving and in abundance. While there’s no scope for a singleplayer to tag up with the computer or to jump in a lobby with a random, Split Fiction gives you all the tools you need to play and proves to be the most worthwhile enjoyable ride so far in 2025. This is one we’ll be talking about for years to come for the powerful messages it sends and truly is the standard bearer of what a co-operative adventure with friends and family should look like.
Two Point Museum is without question the best Two Point game to date, but is also one of the finest strategy games in recent memory. With approachable design that plays effortlessly on controller, mouse or keyboard, easy to learn mechanics with a suitable amount of depth and gameplay with many intriguing layers to delve into, minutes will become hours and you’ll find the game charms your soul and feel a smile creeping onto your lips again and again. Just a wonderfully designed video game from top to bottom and one I cannot recommend heartily enough.
Monster Hunter Wilds is the definitive Open-World Monster Hunter experience. Where Rise feels a more traditional game that fans of the classics will appreciate more, Wilds truly opens the door to everybody and continues to build on the success of World. From the grand, epic battles that leave a lasting impression, to a surprising story that compels, an enjoyable abundance of quests and items to find and combat variety unlike anything else out there. Monster Hunter Wilds is just starting life as the game you’ll keep coming back to in 2025 and once more establishes Capcom as the most consistent, reliable, and high-quality AAA publisher in the world today.
WARRIORS: Abyss is a really enjoyable rouge-like that offers smart, clever twists on the formula, keeping it fun, fresh and entertaining throughout. Its hack and slash, hectic gameplay filled with a deep roster and entertaining combinations and powerup possibilities, offer tons of replay, but it does suffer from some chuggy performance, a difficulty curve that takes a steep drop off, and a feeling of repetition after a while. Still, it comes recomended if you’re looking for something a little bit spicy on the side of your adventures through hell.
Civilization VII is undoubtedly the most divisive instalment in the series to date. Removing the classic formula of play for the new Age system is a bold stroke that, for the most part, does pay off for the series. It rebalances the gameplay to make it more approachable for a wider audience pool – feeling surprisingly comfortable on controller – gives players more chance of winning conditions in a gameplay style that feels appropriate for them, and the objective based system really diversifies each playthrough to make it unique. However, some UI issues, lack of a classic mode offered and a shortened end date than expected mean this one isn’t going to be what everyone wants, even if it’s mostly, the Civ you know and love.
Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered is easily the best way to play all three of these games. They’ve never looked better, never played better, and in the case of Angel of Darkness, are manageable now and even have cut content. But all these games are brutal, tough challenges that will punish and frustrate. They’re not always fun, they’re definitely pretty rough, and don’t quite have the same standard of quality as the early trilogy. Still, Aspyr have done an incredible job with the games – better than the last time out – the price of history is well worth it, and they’ve somehow made this forgotten trilogy at least slightly more enjoyable than they were before. One cannot fault the efforts of remastering at all, even if you are at odds with the content.
Luck be a Landlord is an enjoyable roguelite to play in waves and blasts but it’s not necessarily the best use of a PS5. More a natural fit for handheld devices, LBAL has a core loop you’ll find yourself keeping coming back to, even when the odds keep stacking against you and the RNG is never in your favor. With ways to customise the experience and a variety of symbols at your disposal, the game has bountiful possibilities, but you’ll feel like it’s stretched to its limits after a while and it no longer enchants so much as it feeds a short term fix.