Stevivor's Reviews
My time with Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was overwhelmingly positive. I’ve clocked a hundred hours at this stage, with the main story completed and PLENTY of side content still to go. If you want a big, meaty RPG to dedicate plenty of time, this game’s the one. But remember, soldiers only have ten years on the battlefield – and you might need that whole decade to see everything Aionios has to offer.
Stray somehow manages to endear at the same time it feels like it's overstaying its welcome. At the end of the day, though, this cat-lover was won over by its sheer charm.
As Dusk Falls is the non-game narrative adventure for your non-gaming family and housemates. It’s the most engaged I’ve ever seen my lapsed casual gamer partner in a videogame and that’s because it has the familiar story pacing of a six-part TV series and almost no gameplay, which means minimal barrier to entry.
F1 22 brings a whole suite of improvements to what was already a very good series, and I look forward to it consuming my life for the next few months.
Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes feels like a great return to spending time with a gang of characters who drew me in over dozens of hours, but with an all-new tale keeping me on my toes at the same time.
With strong writing, extreme self-awareness, exceptional performances all around… and a confidence that’s exuded no matter the branching path you find yourself in, Supermassive has outdone itself with The Quarry.
Mario Strikers Battle League is a lot of fun, but unless you commit to online play, it’s here for a good — but brief — time.
Roller Champions is a mixed bag that is in definite need of some balancing. Under the right circumstances it’s an absolute blast… but take one little bit of that equation away and you’ll be left frustrated.
Sniper Elite 5 is stupid fun and a joy to play. Rebellion hasn’t made any giant leaps in terms of new functionality, but it doesn’t need to. Instead, the studio continues to refine and polish an experience that sets itself apart from other shooters.
It’s sometimes a little rough around the edges, but there are some amazing selling points when it comes to Evil Dead. It has the look, feel and sound of proceedings down pat, even down to the movement of the evil presence as it stalks Ash and his friends in the cold, dark woods.
Fans of Japanese culture and Kurosawa’s films may be more forgiving of Trek to Yomi than I, but the repetitive nature of its gameplay loop and overall lack of diversity made me pine for the Dark Souls playthrough I’m currently going through. It’s not one I’d enthusiastically recommend to players, but the silver lining here of course is that it’s part of Xbox Game Pass at launch, so many of you will be able to try it for yourself with no skin off your backs.
As per usual with any Nintendo title, this comes complete with a catchy, earworm-producing soundtrack and oodles of clean, wholesome fun. Those looking to rekindle a family gaming session akin to ones enjoyed in the past with Wii Sports will find this a sure winner.
While it’s on the shorter side, the collection of well-designed stages are perfect for pick-up-and-play short burst gaming, and that’s exactly what I need right now.
The variety of each of Wonderlands‘ six classes, combined with a deficit in mission difference, means you’ll have a much better experience with friends.
If you’re looking for an open world with a different flavour to everything else, diving into the fog-filled streets of Ghostwire Tokyo is just the right fit. Stock your quiver, practice your hand gestures and get ready to be the yokai cool guy you were born to be.
I’m not an avid snowboarder by any means, but I’ve found Shredders to be a delight, a quick and rewarding, pick-up-and-play title that I can jump into for some quick runs after bashing my head against Elden Ring for far too long. It’s full of fun, humour and generally a delight to play.
When you’re in it and smashing around the track against expert AI or other players, this is where Gran Turismo 7 excels. All of the weirdness that Polyphony Digital has bolted on to this quality car game fades away into obscurity. But sadly, that’s not all this is. Instead, it’s a jumble of well-made car racing and strange design decisions, coupled with his tonally odd take on what it means to be a car nerd. For now though, Gran Turismo 7 is the best console racing game for the masses, at least until another contender comes along.
Overall, I would say that you should play Stranger of Paradise for its combat and not its story. While there are nuggets available for series fans, this isn’t the pinnacle of storytelling by any means. It’s best to dive into the gore rather than the lore; fight for fun, be like Jack and focus on the Chaos. Certainly don’t expect this to be a brilliant subversion of the original Final Fantasy’s narrative.
Despite these minor glitching and bug issues, WWE 2K22 offers up an enjoyable experience for players to delight in. With improved gameplay and game modes, the recent 2K wrestling title marks a return to form for the franchise.
As much fun as I had with this expansion, I do have to admit that I feel a little let down. If this were explicitly leading into another DLC story I’d be excited, but as things are I feel more like I’ve taken a running start into a brick wall with a very cool door painted on it. I can see this as a fun experience to play as part of an overall Assassin’s Creed Valhalla experience, if you were stepping into the game and all its DLC for the first time – but as something that brought me back to the game seven months after finishing The Siege of Paris, it feels like more of a promising snack than a satisfying main meal.