Expansive's Reviews
I’m so glad that this game has been given a new lease of life on Switch. It’s not always perfect and it may not be what you expect, but it’s still another great RPG that definitely feels more at home in a portable world than on the big screen. If allowed, this one can be a real crowd-pleaser.
I enjoyed Dry Drowning very much. My hope is that we get to see more of this world and Mordred Foley in the future. With an established cast, clearer direction, and a grasp of how to make compelling fiction, Studio V are onto something big. Fingers crossed they get some of the issues ironed out before the game hits Xbox next year.
As a game, Catherine Full Body plays very well and the flow between interactive fiction and puzzle solving is surprisingly seamless, offering a great hook. In that sense, the game has aged well and holds up as a great visual novel. But in terms of the story the game tells across it’s vast, branching narrative, there are question marks around some of the content in the game. Both in the way it defines the relationships we share as human beings and how it normalises some individual behaviour in those relationships.
Torchlight 2 is a must-have on Switch if you’re a budding adventurer with a desire for action. It does, of course, lack the mod opportunities PC owners have enjoyed for years, and therefore misses a massive chunk of what makes the game special. But the content Runic Games have here is excellent and Panic Button have done a remarkable job of making it run as it should. Buy, buy, then buy again!
Switch tax is a bit of a kick in the teeth for this one considering prices elsewhere and the lack of Labo VR support is a little disappointing, but this might just be the best place to play Superhot where a VR headset isn’t involved.
It’s a busy week and this seemed to come out of nowhere, but don’t sleep on Bulletstorm: Duke of Switch. It’s an absolute cracker on the handheld’s ever-growing library.
As horror games go, it’s definitely one of the most well put together this year. Frankly, Blair Witch fans couldn’t ask for a better 20 Year Anniversary Gift. If you have GamePass, you absolutely must check this out. Even though it can be finished in a few hours, unlike other horror games, this one will actually give you something to think about.
One of the best games I’ve played this year. Control might just be Remedy’s best work yet. It’s a confident game with plenty of things to keep you interested and invested. You’ll want to peel back and explore every corner of Control’s world. You’ll be desperate to learn what secrets Jesse is keeping, how her relationships evolve with the subcast and acquire each new ability which opens up the game in an even more exciting way. If Control is giving us a glimpse into storytelling for the next generation, we have every reason to be excited.
Wolfenstein: Youngblood is a smartly designed, well polished, and – most importantly – an entertaining shooter that you can play online with your friend with only one copy of the game. It’s more than just your average spin-off and Buddy Pass works just great. In fact, it might just be a landmark moment for the industry as we transition to a bigger, bolder, new generation. We know how much Bethesda like to trial and tinker with new things. Wolfenstein: Youngblood is definitely one of their better experiments.
It's a fun thrill ride while it lasts. Redeemer Enhanced Edition is kind of a one and done game and it’s not a very long one. Having said that, what you get in that one playthrough is some gripping action, solid gameplay, and a chance to team up with a buddy. There’s potentially the makings of an exciting new IP here and I just hope, if they ever do a Redeemer 2, it benefits from some of that potential.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 just feels like a more well-rounded, better polished, much-improved game in every sense of the word. I am completely hooked and am in absolute awe at what’s been achieved here.
As a game, it’s by far the best Stranger Things experience out there. True, that’s not saying a lot – which, in itself, is a crime – but I suppose it could serve as a new way to relive cool moments without having to watch the show again. If you’re looking for an interactive experience that really pushes the possibilities of the Upside Down to its limits, though, this really isn’t it.
F1 2019 is great and an absolutely essential tour de force for Formula fans. The cars react as they should, the courses look as you’d expect. It’s everything you’d hope for and more. This is the best Formula 1 game to date and with F2, it builds some exciting foundations for the future.
It’s not necessarily a game I ‘enjoyed’ or I ‘disliked’. It’s an experience I partly shared in. In some of its moments, a connection was formed. It even became somewhat therapeutic for me too.
CTR Nitro-Fueled is an essential purchase. Beenox have absolutely outdone themselves, creating a zany, entertaining atmosphere for a franchise that is going through an exciting transformation and renaissance.
There’s no better home for it than on Switch. Castlevania Anniversary Edition has to be played handheld, even if not all the titles in it are a reminder of the franchises’ better days.
While Facepunch have really deviated from their Gary’s Mod days, they’ve managed to create something really quite special. Hijacking is my new jam and Chippy absolutely definitely needs to be on your radar if you’ve been waiting for some decent shooty bang bangs.
As a horror, it doesn’t quite match up to other greats this year, lacking the genuine sense of peril and desperation I found in Resident Evil 2, or the emphasis on uncertain horror in a Metro Exodus. Yet Layers of Fear 2 still has enough about it to get under your skin and mess with your mind. Plus there’s a real sense of creativity here, something horror is scarcely associated with nowadays.
Frogwares have made better games than this, though. Their Sherlock Holmes titles are real pleasures of mine and so I come into The Sinking City just a little bit disappointed. I wanted to like it more than I did but I often found myself grimacing, grumbling, and groaning as I made my way around this grimy old world. Power past the faults, though, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll find that The Sinking City gradually winning you over.
Simply put, Bloodstained is brilliant. It’s hard as nails, but refreshingly fun at the same time, and it absolutely celebrates the qualities of a very special talent in this industry. If you were ever a Castlevania fan or if you quite enjoy a good old action adventure, then this one cannot be missed. Best game of its type since Symphony of the Night for my money.