Expansive's Reviews
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.
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.
My Friend Pedro is a fun game and so appropriately a handheld game, making Switch a very natural home. It will definitely satiate your appetite in looking for something a bit different.
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.
Draugen isn’t really a game with many multiple choice situations or varied outcomes, therefore not really lending itself to a second runthrough. There is a cool 1923 mode which lets you play it all in black and white, a really refreshing aesthetical touch that doesn’t drastically alter things too much.
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.
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.
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.
Du Lac & Fey is a game I’d recommend anyone play as the story is one of the best I’ve seen in a point & click for a long time. But several patches deep, it’s still ruined by some irritating, occasionally game-breaking glitches. I don’t know if Du Lac & Fey will ever be truly fixed or how much support the game will continue to receive, but I’m rooting for Salix Games to get it right. This game deserves an audience and is a series which must be allowed to continue, but in its current state, sadly, many of these issues are difficult to look past.
Pikuniku is an absolute treasure, whether you play on Switch or PC. Sectordub have smashed it with the fabulous soundtrack, the way it looks, plays, feels, and everything else in-between. Pikuniku has me completely wrapped around its’ overly long legs.
Battle Princess Madelyn is never subtle about its inspirations but that’s ok. Because it really does capture the heart and soul of what made those games so great, a rare find in the ‘modern masterpiece’. It’s not perfect nor the best representation of a side-scroller or Metroidvania, but the clear passion of the developers, as well as the charm and style of the game continually win me over. Even when I’m constantly lost and effortlessly overrun.
Onimusha: Warlords must be experienced, whether you were a fan of the games’ before or have never tried them before. Especially with the portability of Switch, the game has never felt more at home. Whether this is the last we see of Onimusha from Capcom remains to be seen, but having dived back in after all these years away from feudal Japan, I realise that I’ve never wanted to revisit this franchise more.
The Raven Remastered is a well designed, thought out, and ultimately enjoyable adventure, that shows Switch should become the new home of the adventure game
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.
Ravenlok is a game full of surprises and felt incredibly satisfying to play, tapping into a genre I actually need a whole lot more of. Its lack of real combat strategy, button mashing and frustrating camera, as well as the speed you can blaze through with no returning hook do, unfortunately, limit the game’s potential. But what’s here with story, characters, setting, and style will, ultimately, make sure you have an enjoyable time while you’re playing.
Entertainment in education, Final Fantasy still holds up well, despite its dated mechanics, and benefits magnificently from the upgrades Pixel Remaster offers.
A tricky followup that doesn’t massively stand out in this collection, even though it has tons of historical significance and experiments with mechanics in some unexpected ways.
Dead Island 2 brings blood, brutality and bloody good fun. It is a thrill-ride from the opening credits with its use of hard-hitting weapons, good characterisation and stunning backdrops. A limited plot and constraining development options aside, this is the Dead Island you remember and one we’ll likely never forget again.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is one of the most unexpected, unusual releases of all time. It completely goes at odds against the original source material, it has no obvious audience base as a result, but it remains an enjoyable, creative, bold take on a character we felt we knew inside and out. A stagnating second half and a steep price tag let this one down from an outright recommendation, but there’s still enough in here that deserves your attention, embossed with a trademark signature style and quality that could only come from the Umbran Witch herself.
Sherlock Holmes The Awakened is an enjoyable re-imagining of one of Frogwares best takes on the great detective. Stunningly recreated with Unreal Engine, this story has new puzzles, a wealth of side missions, quirky mechanics, and an intriguing plot that keeps itself interesting throughout. A remarkable accomplishment considering the horrendous circumstances the studio has had to overcome.