Expansive's Reviews
Killer Frequency has a cool, unique concept that matches up together surprisingly well and is led by a cast of engaging, interesting characters who gel beautifully. The scenarios you work through are smart and clever, there’s a great soundtrack to play through, and the plot and gradual exploration of your station keeps you invested. A padded conclusion, and some clashes with VR and flat through interactivity and navigation do hold this back a bit, but this was still a great trip that we were glad to take.
System Shock is a great example of a remake done right. This betters the original release with improved combat, visuals, handling and writing, while maintaining the key source material, making sure SHODAN is as sinister as ever, that you never know what to find around every corner, and every inch of the environment is used to the full. Some performance problems and configurations restrict this a bit, and the difficulty will definitely be off-putting for others, even on the lowest settings, but this is every bit the game we hoped it would be, and a reminder of just how good and ahead of its time the original really was.
Miasma Chronicles offers a smart twist on real-time strategy and storytelling with a mixture of stealth and turn-based battles. The story is intriguing and the characters gel well and bounce off each other well. Some minor technical hiccups, combined with a limited weapon variety, frustrating difficulty and RNG do bring this down a bit but the content here is rich, enjoyable and plentiful.
The Tartarus Key successfully reimagines classic horror games in a way that suits modern storytelling. But rather than focus on guns and melee weapons, it offers some challenging brainteasers and eerie suspense. An enjoyable ride with multiple outcomes, this one was an unexpected fright that delivers some great moments.
Final Fantasy 3 is a fantastic amalgamation of all that’s come before it, streamlined in a way that sets the path for the future of the series. Players have freedom and choice with the jobs system and the benefits that come with each selection. But despite some important, marked differences to make the game more accessible, enticing, and player-friendly, this tale has started to feel overly familiar.
Minabo: A Walk Through Life is an easy-going, happy-go-lucky clicker that can evoke some deep thought and reflection. It’s fairly simplistic, though, so its price might raise an eyebrow but if you’re looking for some downtime between games or while watching TV, this could fill a gap.
In Tanta We Trust is a short, sweet DLC that has a good flow and energy. It paints a picture an intriguing, compelling picture of the wider world, and sets the scene for a future, despite the fact it remains uncertain. Content size, occasionally clunky dialogue and no major changes in content from the base game may be offputting for some, but what is here makes for a solid, well-rounded addition to Forspoken, whether it serves as a continuation for a player or an entry point.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum had a rough start prior to launch but despite its followup patches, it’s still not a good game. It plays with some interesting concepts but they are so often overshadowed by its poor controls, loose movement, and overly slow story where everyone feels like a bit part except the titular lead. There is a certain charm that ever so often seeps through, to make it a partly enjoyable platforming and even stealth experience, but just as it builds any kind of momentum the game swiftly reminds you of its drawbacks and frustrations.
Humanity is one of the finest puzzlers I’ve had the pleasure of playing. I learned something from each stage and couldn’t wait to see what the game had for me next,. The developments and surprises keep coming along with the challenges and there’s plenty of long tail to come with user created stages and builders. Minor fiddly controls aside, this will be one I keep going back to and will surely stay among the best games I’ve played all year.
Supraland: Six Inches Under has some fun and takes the player along for the ride. It’s easy-going, mostly harmless but has some clever puzzle-solving to make the experience feel rounded and enjoyable. Minor hard crashes and some repetitive content aside, this is one to play when you need a bit of a palette cleanser.
After Us may appear to be a game with a profound message at first play, but the deeper you get in, the more its grip lessens on the player between drawn out traversal sections, reptitive puzzling, clunky controls and a profound emptiness permeating throughout. While I appreciate what I think the game is trying to say, unfortunately, I don’t think it gets that message across as well as it would have liked.
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun does a great job of blending classic and modern day shooters. They’ve done all the hard work in building an authentic aesthetic, as well as making grenades, charge attacks, shields, twin stick shooting and jumping all feel natural, working well within the confines of the game. Unfortunately, the desire to focus around enemy waves, arena shooting, overpowered strikes and overly long levels undoes a lot of that, leaving a lot of potential buried beneath unsatisfying, frustrating content.
Planet of Lana is the rare combination of potential and quality. With a soundtrack that will surely win awards, an unforgettable cinematic style that constantly impresses, mechanics and gameplay that evolve smartly, giving you just the right amount of challenge, and a friendship that warms the cockles of the heart. This is a wonderful adventure that, bar a few minor misgivings, has a bit of everything and will stick with you long after the credits roll.
Puzzle Bobble: Everybubble! does what the series does very well, smartly adding new ways to play, keeping the campaign fresh, but also providing enough content away from that to keep you invested and engaged. Accuracy is a little bit off using the aim at times but this is as close to a definitive Puzzle Bobble experience as you’ll find, with an exciting looking global ranking mode and a multiplayer inclusion which, when it works, it does surprisingly well.
Zool Redimensioned is a smart reinterpretation of a classic platformer, modernised for today’s gamer while still staying authentic, maintaining what made it the game it was. Added party modes, accessibility options, filters, and modes to suit retro enthusiasts, it successfully brings everything you may have loved (or never heard of) in a release that belongs and successfully succeeds in 2023.
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.
LEGO 2K Drive takes the best bits of Mario Kart and Forza Horizon then fuses them together in a distinct, everything is awesome kinda way. Whether you’re looking for a fun party game you can play with your mates across formats, an exciting creative tool to exercise your imagination or something to keep you busy for weeks and months ahead, this surprise package is an absolute delight. Slight balance and terrain issues aside, the potential for this is massive and might just be the best ever use of the LEGO license in a video game to date.
Star Wars Jedi Survivor had a rough start at launch but the content was always strong enough to shine through past its technical issues. Now most of those are resolved or are in the process of being fixed, the game is an easy recommendation and may just be my favourite game this year. Everything is bigger, better, more elaborate and enjoyable and it makes for the best Star Wars gaming experience I’ve had since Knights of the Old Republic. Respawn have built something very special that has connected wonderfully with the current goings on in the Star Wars universe, while creating a product that is able to expand our understanding of this universe in new and interesting ways through great writing, direction, and gameplay.
Dredge is that rare breed of video game that successfully blends a mixture of great titles and creates something quite different and special. From its stunning atmosphere, complete with an ominous soundtrack, to its rich, well-developed mechanics, varied quests, and compelling core loop. To date, it’s one of the best indie games of the year, both because it’s incredibly difficult to put down and forget about
Advance Wars 1+2 Re:Boot Camp might just find a permanent home on your Switch between its epic, lengthy campaigns, multiplayer variety, and custom maps. Nintendo and Wayforward have set up a release that is incredibly generous, highly enjoyable, while reinvigorating a franchise many thought they may never see again. Brutal difficulty curve aside, there’s no first party game on Nintendo’s lineup more suited for Switch than Advance Wars and if you’re willing to put the time in, you’ll be heavily, heartily rewarded.