Expansive's Reviews
Warhammer 40,000 Inquisitor: Martyr is a mixed bag as a looter shooter with some unique takes on missions and narrative progression. It does suffer from repetition and its grindy nature, however, and despite this being a ‘next-gen’ upgrade, the game sadly still struggles with performance and frame rate problems that plagued it on last gen.
Gunfire Reborn is a game ready to take the world by storm. As long as Duoyi Games keep it updated and relevant, listening closely to the community, this is one you could be playing for years to come and clocking up ungodly hours to. Slight balance tweaks and UI issues aside, get some mates and get involved.
Soulstice is like the greatest hits of the genre splashed into one. It never does anything over and above but it’s a perfectly serviceable and enjoyable romp, despite some of its technical shortcomings.
No More Heroes 3 will regularly leave you thinking ‘what the hell did I just play’ but it’s vibrant style, cool presentation and quality handling helps reassure it was worth the time. Unfortunately, barren open world, grindy objectives and rough visuals bring the experience down just a bit.
The Pinball Wizard is enjoyable for quick blasts and in-between action. It has an enjoyable progression based hook and paces itself well with increased difficulty and fun skillsets to unlock. Enemy and environment variety is limited, though, and from a content point of view the game could benefit with a bit more of everything to fill out the experience, especially to match the amount of skills you have on offer.
Steel Rising isn’t entirely a triumph. The narrative and the way it’s executed, the way you develop your character and its approach at something different is hugely commendable, but as a soulslike the timing feels off, the environment tends to get in your way and sadly it comes across being a bit dull. A real mixed bag.
If you loved Slime Rancher, this is a no-brainer. It’s more of the same, but bigger, better, and more varied.
Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway is a perfectly fine kart racer that goes someway to filling that Mario Kart shaped void on multi-platforms. Its performance, handling and general sense of feeling repetitive overtime, however, mean its not one you’ll be playing over the long term.
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is the best Ghostbusters release in years. The way it handles and plays, the respect it shows the source material, the way it marries up into recent canon and the gameplay asymmetric hook itself is actually quite enjoyable. While content is a bit thin on the ground and the bot AI is a bit lackluster, I’m excited to see how the game continues to grow and what else Illfonic have in the works. Get a group of friends together and dive in, it’s one of the most refreshing multiplayer takes you’ll see this year.
A Plague Tale: Requiem took me on a journey I won’t soon forget. I loved its gameplay evolutions over its predecessor and much like Innocence, I fell in love with its characters, laughed and smiled gleefully at their exchanges, all while bearing my teeth and holding my breath through some of its chapters. While the story pacing is slightly off and stretches on longer than it needs, this is a beautiful, compelling and enriching game with a budget to provide some truly epic, jaw-dropping moments.
Star Trek: Prodigy Supernova has an enjoyable gameplay loop that, undoubtedly, is best enjoyed in local co-op and played with a fan of the show. It doesn’t break new ground in the platforming space and certainly isn’t among the best Star Trek games, but the story really befits the characters and the game stayed fresh enough to remain interesting over the long term.
The Curse of the Golden Idol keeps you guessing right up until the end. It smartly connects its cast and cases, really immersing you in its mysteries and intricacies. Some minor UI issues aside, this is a must play for adventure game enthusiasts or anyone looking for a good, memorable journey.
Chasm: The Rift is a brutal challenge that is a perfect throwback to 90s First-Person Shooters. While ahead of some of its predecessors with its mechanics and gameplay approach, control frustration, AI difficulty, and map confusion make this a hard one to love and a tough sell for a modern generation.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous has one of the most interesting cast of characters and gripping stories I’ve played in a good, long time. It hooked me from its opening moments and despite some misgivings and frustrations with its controls and mechanics, it’s a CRPG that will stay in my rotation and remain with me for years to come.
If you fancy something fun, co-operative, charming, but not entirely relaxing to sink your teeth into, Falling Out is available on pretty much every platform going and is really enjoyable in short, medium and even extended blasts.
Splatoon 3 is pure joy in a video game. It gives you a dose of the familiar, splicing it with the new and giving it all a sparkling coat of paint. It’s a complete package that will continue to delight for years to come with updates and additions. Without question, this is the defining game in the franchise and one that is sure to provide an exciting, interesting and bold new future.
Dome Keeper is the game I didn’t know I needed but now I cannot stop thinking about. One of the most enjoyable, replayable, tense and enriching roguelikes I’ve played in a long, long time with atmosphere in abundance.
The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow is one of the most memorable and engaging games in recent years and is both a wonderful throwback to a classic era and a marvellous step forward in design and execution. You’ll be hanging on its every word and desperate to discover the truth from one turn to the next. Just brilliant!
Return to Monkey Island is a smart reinvention of the adventure game that caters to new audiences while still managing to appease long-term fans of the genre. From the witty dialogue, to the beautiful visuals, the excellent voice acting, and the clever puzzles, this is an adventure you won’t soon forget from beginning to end and a joy throughout.
Destroy All Humans 2! – Reprobed is a good gaming distraction. It handles its mechanics relatively well, has a decent flow, and this remake looks really great on modern formats with some stunning 4K shine. Much like its predecessor, however, it is beginning to show its age, struggling with performance and crashes as well as dated humour, and so the hope remains for an all-new entry that really shows off the potential of the franchise on current-gen hardware.