GameSpew's Reviews
Super Mario Odyssey's unabashed sense of whimsy and charm is all too welcome in today's modern video game climate. Whereas other titles feel the need to overbear you with endless things to do, people to kill and towers to climb, Mario's latest globe-trotting adventure is all too happy to keep things simple — and in the most imaginative way possible
It's a shame that lack of innovation and some strange design choices hinder it. However, it still remains an enjoyable experience for long-term fans of this almost three decade old franchise, or newcomers alike.
It would be easy to dismiss Spintires: MudRunner as a niche title but in truth it's surprisingly accessible. It can drag sometimes and if you think patience is a dirty word, steer clear. But for the most part it's an engaging, messy time sink that's well worth getting stuck into.
While strategy RPGs may be harder to come by these days, Summon Night 6 is a thirst quenching oasis for any genre-loving desert travellers.
I'd go as far to say that Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure is one of the better Disney games of recent years – Infinity aside. The recreations of the Pixar franchises are just beautiful, and although each level may be short, they're all certainly sweet. I'd highly recommend it for younger players, and if you're a Pixar fan, regardless of your age, it's a no-brainer.
The atmosphere, the darkness, the eerie soundtrack, and the design of the monsters you encounter are what make Darkwood one of the most memorable survival horror games I've played in recent times.
In many ways, Gran Turismo Sport feels like a tech demo. Visually, it pushes the bar, with car models that are as good the real thing and environments better than ever before. And the lighting; holy hell, the lighting. It is glorious. In terms of content though, it's lacking.
Playing through Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon is a strange balance of joy and determination — long periods of boredom tend to surround shorter pockets of enjoyment.
Jackbox Party Pack 4 isn't completely disappointing – there's still enough here to warrant a few giggles and it'll pass an hour or two with a few friends, but it's not the best that Jackbox has to offer. Go for Party Pack 2 or 3 instead.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't slightly disappointed by it. The Stick of Truth was phenomenal, while The Fractured But Whole is simply great.
It's another fantastically told tale of teenage drama, family and friendship, and developer Deck Nine has once again proved itself worthy of delivering a package that more than lives up to Dontnod's original vision.
I very much enjoyed my time with AER Memories of Old. It's not perfect; it's a little on the short side, its puzzles are a bit lacklustre, and it has an overt religious message — although if anything, that it adds to the world that AER creates.
Ultimately, if you're already a fan of lengthy visual novels then Chaos;Child is worth investigating but if not, this isn't the game to introduce you to the genre.
In many ways, Midnight Shadows is the definitive Yomawari experience for anyone seeking a slightly fresher take on a survival horror game.
Tiny Barbarian DX is much bigger than I ever expected, and a joy to play from beginning to end.
Rogue Trooper Redux is an example of why remasters are not always a good idea.
If wrestling is your thing, WWE 2K18 does just enough to make it worthy of your attention, but you'll always be left thinking that it could be so much more.
In the end, this Jydge has been found guilty of conspicuous padding and needless repetition, and my sentence will see it placed in a comfy resort prison with all the other decent games when it could have walked free this very day as one of the good ones.
Elex needed much more time in the oven to be the game its promising previews made it seem to be, and with the dearth of games available this winter, I can't recommend it to anyone but the most hardcore fans of the genre.
Airship Syndicate has almost created something very special with Battle Chasers: Nightwar's overall package. But those difficulty spikes are just too unforgiving, and there's only so many times you can be completely obliterated by the same set of enemies before you have to throw in the towel.