Expansive's Reviews
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.
Atomic Heart wants to be many things but ultimately ends up being none of them, apart from being woefully apathetic about itself. Undoubtedly, years of delays, rescoping and restructuring have left us with a conflicted piece of work that most of the time bores, unsettles and is unable to stay tonally consistent for very long. One of the most frustrating, confusing games I’ve played in a long time.
New Joe & Mac – Caveman Ninja doesn’t match up to the charm of the original, despite the beautifully created art. The gameplay is often frustrating and unbalanced, new mechanics included make the experience unnecessarily hard, and it’s quite barren for its price tag. With enemy pathing and aggressiveness really over the top, and the remixed sounds barely audible, you might be better served sticking with the original despite the extensive support coming post-launch
The Chant has some interesting ideas, looks great, and starts its premise out well, but it just deteriorates so quickly into a convoluted mess. Between frustrating combat and enemy designs, characters that aren’t given time to develop, and a story that never really settles into a groove, the game just never fulfils its promise or potential.
We’d strongly advise against playing XIII on current-gen hardware in its current state, at least. Next-gen, the game is considerably better but there’s a lot that’s still not quite up to scratch. We’d certainly advise waiting on this until at least the first update is live, but what we will say for sure is there’s other inherent problems here that go beyond re-balances and tweaks.
Approach this one with caution. I don’t often warn people off playing games, but between some potentially bad triggers and a really hamfisted approach to a sensitive subject this may not be the game for you, and in that case, I’d just advise playing something else entirely.
We had fun playing Gigantosaurus The Game, especially with the sliding and karting. Fans of the show will love catching up with the gang, listening to the cute rhymes, and exploring the worlds it has to offer. That fun does come with some caveats, though.
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.
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.
I think it’s a very bold, brave, and intelligent game that smartly weaves its plot together through a mix of dialogue, environment, and suspense. Storm in a Teacup are one of the most promising and talented new studios out there and while this game isn’t perfect, there’s enough in here to convince me of their vision and ambitions. I cannot wait to see what they do next.
Basically, if you think you’re good enough at Puyo Puyo, pick this up and have a go. You might find yourself a new path to eSports as this definitely feels like the next logical step for the franchise on a global stage. As for me, I think I’ll dip back into Puyo Puyo Tetris instead. While the matchmaking and online portion is so much better in Champions – both in terms of stability and competition – I think I’m more of a solo player and so PPT is more my bag.
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.
Chenso Club looks, sounds, and plays the part for a good hour or two, but you soon see its limitations the more time you spend with it. Whether it’s the slippery controls, the overly chaotic gameplay, the half-hearted story or progression uncertainty, it’s a game that is confused by its own identity and never really stands apart from its competitors.
The Serpent Rogue just didn’t hold my interest for too long and despite numerous times dipping in and out, I found myself easily distracted and disengaged from the experience. A real shame.
My expectations were high coming in, and, in some part, those expectations were met. At times, I would go as far as to say that The Medium feels the best thing Bloober Team have ever done. But it clumsily attempts to handle subject matter which cannot just be brushed over and several mechanical missteps really jar and grate at the wrong time. If you own GamePass, this is worth dipping into to see what the talented team at Bloober can be capable of. But this one does not stick the landing well at all.
The launch of Godfall is a little bit of a misstep, especially considering the competition it had to go up against and the price it was retailing for, but there are some really clever, interesting mechanics in play here that are keeping me glued to my DualSense, along with a lot of promise for the future. Hopefully, the team persevere and get the chance to explore it.
Aside from the graphical upgrades, there’s not much else new to find here. If you’re hoping for great use of PS5’s unique UI and controller, this is absolutely not a showcase title for that. But if you’re interested in a PS5 game on the cheaper end of the scale that will leave you with some lasting memories, Spirit of the North Enhanced Edition will certainly tug those heartstrings, occasionally tax the gray matter, and even give you a few reasons to smile.
WWE 2K Battlegrounds is probably not something I’ll be revisiting years down the line, but for now, it does what it’s set out to do and that’s keep the franchise fresh in people’s minds long enough for its big re-emergence next year.
Tin Hearts is a joyful puzzler with heart and style. It creates a soothing, engaging atmosphere with charming music, encourages discovery of your surroundings with mechanics that are gradually, smartly implemented and introduced. As a VR first title, playing in flat can be a bit jarring with controls and interactivity feeling a bit on the clunky side, but regardless of how or where you play, this is an adventure you should experience.
Teslagrad 2 is a short, mostly well engineered puzzler that never really emerges from its predecessor’s shadow. It looks great, mostly handles decently with some platforming frustrations and interesting sections that mix things up just enough, but that also has a lot to do with a rapid run time.